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of lawless men? Do you want to brandish a spear, Breathing something warlike, And a crown from contests, And the strength of a beast-slayer? Do you long for applause in the city, And to be cast in bronze? Do you want the shadow of dreams, A fleeting breeze, The whizzing of a traceless arrow, The sound of a clapping hand? For what great thing do they think of who exist today, but are gone tomorrow; who also have a share in evils, from whom nothing comes with them when they depart from here? What then? since not these, What do you want to become for yourself? Do you want to become a god, A god, of the greatest God A shining attendant, 1438 Dancing with angels? Go, step forward, the wings Of swift-winged desire Circling towards the height. I cleanse the wing, I lift it up with words, So that as some well-winged bird I may send it forth to the aether. But you, tell me, O most wicked, O foul-smelling little flesh, Since I was yoked to you, The mistress to a cook, What do you want to become for yourself, In order to sustain your breath? For I owe no more, Even if you compel me to have much. Do you want a fragrant table Both of myrrh, and of cooks' Excessive contrivances? And of lyres and hands' Clapping not unbearable? And the poses of delicate boys Moving unmanly, And the twirls of maidens Stripping lawlessly? 1439 Which they fashion at their drinking parties, All who love insolence, The maddening wine readily Inflaming. If you want these things from us, You have them, but also a noose. Such things for the insatiable I provide for friends. Let some house of stone, With its own roof, cover you, Or a small work of an hour, If there is need to labor at all. Let your clothing be of camels' Hair, by the law of the just, Or a fleece, a covering for ancient Nakedness. A simple bed of straw, Grass, and branches of bushes As some purple spread, And for fellow drinkers, fearless. Let your table from the land itself Be spread, breathing sweetly, Which the dear earth gives, Artless gifts to all. And since we have placed you, We will also nourish you eagerly. 1440 Do you want to eat? have bread. Have barley-meal, if it be at hand; And salt is your cake, And thyme which we do not measure, An unlabored relish; And want, another greater one. Do you want to drink? for you gushes forth Water, an ever-flowing bowl, A drink that makes not drunk, A joy not from the vine. And do you seek some luxury? Let not even vinegar be begrudged. But will these things not suffice you? Do you long for a perforated Jar to wickedly pour into, The pleasures insatiably? Long for another provider. For I have no leisure to Cherish a hostile housemate, Lest like a snake chilled by the cold, And then loosed by warmth, You wound me in my bosom. Do you want immeasurable houses With golden roofs, and of painting 1441 And the contrivances of mosaic, Almost moving; And the gleam of delicate slab Of contrasting color, of many colors? Do you want flowing Garments of untouchable fabrics, And wealth on your fingers, And beauty laughed at By those who have learned to be sober-minded, And most of all by me Whose beauty is within? These things I say to you mortals below, Who live for the moment, Seeing nothing more. But to those who live nobly, And worthily of the lot That was mixed by God With my clayey thickness (Behold the pride of a poor man), What sort of food do I provide? Pass through for me the flaming Sword, O god-minded one. Become a cultivator of divine Plants, flourishing by the Word, Of which the enemy deprived me, 1442 Plundering through pleasure. Come again to the tree Of ever-abiding life. And this is, as I have found, Knowledge of the greatest God, Of the one thrice-radiant Light, Towards whom all things strive. Thus indeed to himself Will every wise man speak. But he who does not wish to speak, Has passed through life in vain, If indeed he passed through in vain, And not with the greatest evil. 39. On Sickness. I was, I was, when I flourished; but now I am without bloom; Neither was I lifted up before, nor now am I cast down. To flourish, to fade, is one thing; but I am not another. 1443 I come from the physicians having gained this, To hold nothing, O Christ, as higher than you, From whom are all things, and the strength of medicines. Behold the warm baths. I have the pool. But where is my angel? Come hither, you may medicate the water. But if not, you, O Savior, speak, and I shall be made whole. I am struck; I have some goad to the fear of God. I know I have suffered well. But stay the sickness. But if it is not your will, grant that I may bear it with fortitude. I am at a loss, my Christ; and what shall I do? You are a just judge, but also gentle. Where is your goodness? Or have we alone been forgotten? He has cast down, Satan has cast me down, having beaten me. But you have given me over to the evil one; who

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ἀθέσμων; Αἰχμὴν θέλεις τινάσσειν, Πνέων ἀρήϊόν τι, Καὶ στέμμα τ' ἐξ ἀγώνων, Θηροκτόνον τε κάρτος; Ποθεῖς κρότους ἐν ἄστει, Καὶ χάλκεος τυποῦσθαι; Σκιὰν θέλεις ὀνείρων, Μεταῤῥέουσαν αὖραν, Ῥοῖζον βέλους ἀνίχνου, Ψόφον χερὸς κροτούσης; Τί γὰρ μέγ' εὖ φρονοῦσι Τῶν σήμερον μὲν ὄντων, Ἐς αὔριον δ' ἀπόντων· Ὧν καὶ κακοῖς μέτεστιν, Ὧν οὐ συνέρχεταί τι Ἐντεῦθεν ἐξιοῦσι; Τί οὖν; ἐπεὶ τάδ' οὐχὶ, Τί σοι θέλεις γενέσθαι; Θέλεις θεὸς γενέσθαι, Θεὸς, Θεοῦ μεγίστου Παραστάτης φαεινὸς, 1438 Σὺν ἀγγέλοις χορεύων; Ἴθι, πρόβαινε, ταρσοὺς Ὀξυπτέρου μενοινῆς Κυκλουμένη πρὸς ὕψος. Ἐγὼ πτερὸν καθαίρω Ἐγὼ λόγοις ἐπαίρω, Ὡς εὔπτερόν τιν' ὄρνιν Ἐς αἰθέρα προπέμψω. Σὺ δ', εἰπέ μοι, κάκιστον Ὧ σαρκίον δυσῶδες, Ἐπεὶ συνεζύγην σοι, Ἡ δεσπότις μαγείρῳ, Τί σοι θέλεις γενέσθαι, Πρὸς τὸ πνοὴν κρατεῖσθαι; Οὐ γὰρ πλέον χρεωστῶ, Κἂν πόλλ' ἔχειν βιάζῃ Θέλεις τράπεζαν εὔπνουν Μύρων τε, καὶ μαγείρων Σοφίσμασιν περισσοῖς; Καὶ βαρβίτων χερῶν τε Κροτήματ' οὐκ ἄνοιστρα; Ἁβρῶν κλάσεις τε παίδων Κινουμένων ἀνάνδρως, Καὶ παρθένων ἑλιγμοὺς Γυμνουμένων ἀθέσμως; 1439 Ἃ τοῖς πότοις τυποῦσιν Ὅσοι φιλοῦσιν ὕβριν, Τὸν μαινόλην ἑτοίμως Ὑποφλέγοντες οἶνον. Ταῦτ' εἰ θέλεις παρ' ἡμῶν, Ἔχεις μὲν, ἀγχόνην δέ. Τοιαῦτα τοῖς ἀπλήστοις Ἐγὼ φίλοις πορίζω. Οἶκός σε πέτρινός τις Αὐτώροφος καλύπτῃ, Ἢ μικρὸν ἔργον ὥρας, Εἰ δεῖ τι καὶ πονῆσαι. Τὸ δ' ἔσθος ᾖ καμήλων Τρίχες, νόμῳ δικαίων, Ἢ καὶ δέρος, παλαιᾶς Γυμνώσεως κάλυμμα. Στιβὰς μὲν ἡ τυχοῦσα, Ποαὶ, κλάδοι τε θάμνων Ἅπλωμα πορφυροῦν τι, Καὶ συμπόταις ἀταρβές. Τράπεζα δ' αὐτόθεν σοι Γλυκὺ πνέουσ' ἀνείσθω, Ἃ γῆ φίλη δίδωσιν Ἄτεχνα δῶρα πᾶσιν. Ἐπεὶ δ' ἐθήκαμέν σε, Καὶ θρέψομεν προθύμως. 1440 Θέλεις φαγεῖν; ἔχ' ἄρτον. Ἔχ' ἄλφιτ', εἰ παρείη· Ἅλες δέ σοι τὸ πέμμα, Θύμος θ' ὃν οὐ μετροῦμεν, Ἀπραγμάτευτον ὄψον· Ἔνδεια δ' ἄλλο μεῖζον. Θέλεις πιεῖν; βρύει σοι Ὕδωρ, κρατὴρ ἀείῤῥους, Ποτὸν μέθης ἄποιον, Ἀκλήματον γάνυσμα. Ζητεῖς δὲ καὶ τρυφᾷν τι; Μηδ' ὀξίνης φθονείσθω. Ἀλλ' οὐ τάδ' ἀρκέσει σοι; Τετρημένῳ ποθεῖς δὲ Πίθῳ κακῶς ἐπαντλεῖν Τὰς ἡδονὰς ἀπλήστως; Ἄλλον πόθει ποριστήν. Ἐμοὶ γὰρ οὐ σχολή σε Θάλπειν σύνοικον ἐχθρὸν, Ἵν' ὡς ὄφις κρυμωθεὶς, Θέρμῃ δ' ἔπειτα λυθεὶς, Ἐγκόλπιός με τρώσῃς, Θέλεις δόμους ἀμέτρους Χρυσωρόφους, γραφῆς τε 1441 Καὶ ψηφίδος σοφισμοὺς, Κινουμένους σχεδόν τι· Πλακός τε λάμψιν ἁβρᾶς Ἀντίχροον, πολύχρουν; Θέλεις περιῤῥέουσαν Ἐσθῆτα τῶν ἀθίκτων, Ἐν δακτύλοις τε πλοῦτον, Γελώμενόν τε κάλλος Τοῖς σωφρονεῖν μαθοῦσιν, Ἐμοὶ δὲ καὶ μάλιστα Ὧ κάλλος ἐστὶν εἴσω; Τοῖς μὲν κάτω δὴ ταῦτα Ὑμῖν βροτοῖσι φάσκω, Οἳ ζῆτε τὸ πρὸς ὥραν, Μηδὲν πλέον βλέποντες. Τοῖς δ' εὐγενῶς βιοῦσιν, Ἐπαξίως τε μοίρας Τῆς ἐκ Θεοῦ κραθείσης Τῷ πηλινῷ πάχει μου (Σκόπει πένητος ὄγκον), Οἵαν τροφὴν χορηγῶ; ∆ίελθέ μοι φλογώδη Ῥομφαίαν, ὦ θεόφρον. Θείων γενοῦ γεωργὸς Φυτῶν Λόγῳ θαλλόντων, Ὧν μ' ἐστέρησεν ἐχθρὸς 1442 ∆ι' ἡδονῆς συλήσας. Ξύλῳ πάλιν πρόσελθε Ζωῆς ἀεὶ μενούσης. Ἡ δ' ἔστιν, ὡς ἀνεῦρον, Γνῶσις Θεοῦ μεγίστου, Φάους ἑνὸς τριλαμποῦς, Πρὸς ὃν τὰ πάντα τείνει. Οὕτω μὲν αὐτὸς αὑτῷ Πᾶς τις σοφῶν λαλήσει. Ὃς δ' οὐ θέλει λαλῆσαι, Μάτην βίον παρῆλθεν, Εἴ περ μάτην παρῆλθεν, Μὴ σὺν κακῷ μεγίστῳ. ΠΘʹ. Εἰς τὴν νόσον. Ἦν, ἦν, ὅτ' ἤνθουν· ἀλλὰ νῦν εἰμ' ἄχλοος· Οὔτε πρὶν ἤρθην, οὔτε νῦν κατεστάλην. Ἀνθεῖν, ἀπανθεῖν, ἄλλο· οὐκ ἄλλος δ' ἐγώ. 1443 Ἐξ ἰατρῶν πάρειμι τοῦτο κερδάνας, Τὸ μή τι, Χριστὲ, σοῦ φέρειν ἀνώτερον, Παρ' οὗ τὰ πάντα, καὶ τὸ φαρμάκων σθένος. Ἰδοὺ τὰ θερμά. Τὴν κολυμβήθραν ἔχω. Ποῦ δ' ἄγγελός μοι; δεῦρο, φαρμάσσοις ὕδωρ. Εἰ δ' οὒ, σὺ, Σῶτερ, εἰπὲ, καὶ παγήσομαι. Πέπληγμ'· ἔχω τι κέντρον εἰς Θεοῦ φόβον. Οἶδ' εὖ πεπονθώς. Ἀλλ' ἐπίσχες τὴν νόσον. Εἰ δ' οὐ φίλον σοι, δός γε καρτερῶς φέρειν. Ἐξηπόρημαι, Χριστέ μου· καὶ τί δράσω; Κριτὴς μὲν εἶ δίκαιος, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρᾶος. Ποῦ σου τὸ χρηστόν; ἢ μόνοι λελήσμεθα; Ἔῤῥιψεν, ἔῤῥιψέν με συγκόψας Σατάν. Σὺ δ' ἐκδέδωκας τῷ κακῷ· τίς