Gregory of Nazianzus, Moral Songs

A dance for the People with all speed, revering the precious blood, You bear a form that charms many, like some marketplaceDrawing a crowd in the midst of cities, Or like the shows of beasts, which bring forthCreeping things from dark, fearful lairs? But, woman, be persuaded by our words, Lest your mind wound you, leading your hands toward your form. 907 May you not, O child, be a fellow voyager with those women, May you not be their counselor, nor share their roof;Let excess be for others; but you, stand in awe of the lips of menAnd of being celebrated. This is glory for women. If your life has become completely free from bonds, Live for Christ alone, having cast off all things, A radiant maiden, very prudent, splendid in counsel, Having the pure Word as the bridegroom of her heart. But if desire has seized you for the rib from which you were split, Cherish the friendly rib alone, Having a good love-charm, a noble one instead of an evil one;But as for other passions, encounter them not even in a dream. And you, an attendant of the great God, you too are not forgotten, If ever you mix some feminine thing with the lowly. There is sometimes in shabby garments an unseemly wantonness, 908 And modesty in soft ones. The witnesses are not few. A wrinkle is more for you, know this, than the greatestWounds of those who live in the world. Revere the testimony. For a stain is not so conspicuous on dirty garments, as much as It appears on clean garments of the same color. If we persuade you of these things, we will have benefited you; but if you setYour face against us, may you shine twice as much, if you desire, With gold and electrum and silver and ivory;Such things I grant to the newly-beautified. The stone is ready, and I will inscribe the epigram: Come here, all you who love to delight in beauty.

30. An acrostic of verses of all the letters, with each iambic line having the conclusion of an exhortation. Make God the beginning and end of all things. 909 The gain of life is to live it out day by day. Know all the dramas of noble things. It is terrible to be poor, but worse to be rich evilly. In doing good, consider that you imitate God. Seek God's goodness for yourself, being good. Let the flesh be controlled and well subdued. Bridle your anger, lest you fall out of your senses. Keep your eye steady, and let your tongue have a rule. Let a key be placed on your ears, and let not laughter be wanton. Let reason be the lamp to guide your whole life. Let not your being be undermined by seeming. Understand all things, but do what it is right to do. Know yourself to be a stranger, and honor strangers. 910 When you are sailing fair, be most mindful of the storm. One must accept all things from God with thanksgiving. The rod of a just man is more than the honor of a wicked one. Wear out the doors of the wise, but not of the rich. The small is not small when it brings forth the great. Bridle insolence, and you will be a great wise man. Guard yourself, and do not laugh at another's fall. It is a grace to be envied, but to envy is a great shame. Let the soul be sacrificed to God rather than the universe. O who will keep these things, and be saved?

31. Maxims in couplets. Traverse the sea of life completely naked, and let not a heavy Ship go upon the sea, to be sunk at once. 911 As of ever-present chilling death Be mindful, and you will meet a lesser death. Ever raise your mind as a temple to God, so that you may have the Lord, an immaterial dwelling, within your heart. Know yourself, O best one, from whence and who you were born, And thus you might easily attain the archetypal beauty. Day leads you on to day; he who is light is rolled along; But the mind of the stable man has an indissoluble day. Whoever trusts in those who are departing and those who are arriving, trusts in a stream that never stands still. To me a wicked life and a wicked tale are an equal evil; Whichever you have, you will also obtain the other. 912 It is insolence for an impure person to be present at sacrifices; It is more terrible to revere all the remains of the dead. Stand, never depart from the path of good things; for you who have gone out of your evil, standing still is a descent into the evil abyss. He who sees is blind, who does not perceive the destruction of his own evil; To seek the tracks of a beast, of the highest lights. Desiring a healer for your passions, if you hide your evils, You will never escape a grievous decay. Your word, my deed. Whoever has not done a good deed, Let him have eloquence as a two-faced ally. Satiety is insolent. But I wish you, O best one,

χορείην Λαὸς πασσυδίῃ, τίμιον αἷμα σέβων, Εἶδος ἄγεις πολλῶν θελκτήριον, ὡς ἀγορή τιςΠληθὺν ἐφελκομένη ἐν μεσάτῳ πτολίων, Ἢ θηρῶν δείκτῃσιν ὁμοίϊα, τοὶ προφέρουσιν Ἑρπυστὰς σκοτίων δειμαλέοι λαγόνων; Ἀλλὰ, γύναι, μύθοις ἐπιπείθεο ἡμετέροισι, Μή σε νόος τρώσῃ χεῖρας ἐπ' εἶδος ἄγων. 907 Μὴ σύ γε, μὴ κείνῃσιν ὁμόπλοος, ὦ τέκος, εἴης, Μὴ σύ γε συμφράδμων, μηδὲ συνωροφίη· Ἄλλῃσιν τὰ περισσά· σὺ δ' ἅζεο χείλεσιν ἀνδρῶν Καὶ κληϊζομένη. Τοῦτο γυναιξὶ κλέος. Εἰ μέν σοί γε βίος πανελεύθερος ἔπλετο δεσμῶν, Χριστῷ ζῶε μόνῳ, πάντ' ἀποσεισαμένη, Παρθένος αἰγλήεσσα, περίφρων, ἀγλαόμητις, Νυμφίον ἧς κραδίης ἀγνὸν ἔχουσα Λόγον. Εἰ δέ σέ γε πλευρῆς εἷλεν πόθος, ἧς ἐκεάσθης, Μούνην γε πλευρὴν ἀμφιέπειν φιλίην, Ἐσθλὸν φίλτρον ἔχουσα, ἐλεύθερον ἀντὶ κακοῖο· Τοῖς δ' ἄλλοις πάθεσιν, μηδ' ὄναρ ἀντιάᾳν. Καὶ σὺ Θεοῦ μεγάλοιο παραστάτι, οὐδὲ σὺ λήθεις, Ἤν ποτε τῷ χθαμαλῷ θῆλύ τι συγκεράσῃς. Ἔστι καὶ ἐν ῥυπόωσί ποθ' εἵμασι θρύψις ἄσεμνος, 908 Καὶ σεμνότης μαλακοῖς. Ἵστορες οὐκ ὀλίγοι. Ῥυτίς σοι πλέον ἐστὶν, ἐπίστασο, ἢ τὰ μέγιστα Τραύματα κοσμοβίων. Ἅζεο μαρτυρίην. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐν ῥυπόωσι ῥανὶς τόσον, ὁσσάτιόν περ Φαίνεται ἐν καθαροῖς εἵμασιν ἰσοχρόοις. Ταῦτ' εἰ μὲν πεπίθοιμεν, ὀνήσομεν· εἰ δὲ πρόσωπον Στήσειας, λάμποις δὶς τόσον, εἰ ποθέεις, Χρυσῷ τ' ἠλέκτρῳ τε καὶ ἀργύρῳ ἠδ' ἐλέφαντι· Τοῖα χαρίζομ' ἐγὼ ταῖς νεοκαλλιγράφοις. Ἡ στήλη μὲν ἕτοιμος, ἐγὼ δ' ἐπίγραμμα χαράξω· ∆εῦρ' ἴθ' ὅσοισι φίλον, κάλλεϊ τερψόμενοι.

Λʹ. Στίχων ἡ ἀκροστιχὶς τῶν πάντων στοιχείων, ἑκάστου ἰάμβου τέλος παραινέσεως ἔχοντος. Ἀρχὴν ἁπάντων καὶ τέλος ποιοῦ Θεόν. 909 Βίου τὸ κέρδος, ἐκβιοῦν καθ' ἡμέραν. Γίνωσκε πάντα τῶν καλῶν τὰ δράματα. ∆εινὸν πένεσθαι, χεῖρον δ' εὐπορεῖν κακῶς. Εὐεργετῶν νόμιζε μιμεῖσθαι Θεόν. Ζήτει Θεοῦ σοι χρηστότητα χρηστὸς ὤν. Ἡ σὰρξ κρατείσθω καὶ δαμαζέσθω καλῶς. Θυμὸν χαλίνου, μὴ φρενῶν ἔξω πέσῃς. Ἵστη μὲν ὄμμα, γλῶσσα δὲ στάθμην ἔχοι. Κλεὶς ὠσὶ κείσθω, μηδὲ πορνεύοι γέλως. Λύχνος βίου σοι παντὸς ἡγείσθω λόγος. Μή σοι τὸ εἶναι τῷ δοκεῖν ὑποῤῥέοι. Νόει τὰ πάντα, πρᾶσσε δ' ἃ πράσσειν θέμις. Ξένον σεαυτὸν ἴσθι, καὶ τίμα ξένους. 910 Ὅτ' εὐπλοεῖς, μάλιστα μέμνησο ζάλης. Πάντ' εὐχαρίστως δεῖ δέχεσθαι τἀκ Θεοῦ. Ῥάβδος δικαίου πλεῖον, ἢ τιμὴ κακοῦ. Σοφῶν θύρας ἔκτριβε, πλουσίων δὲ μή. Τὸ μικρὸν οὐ μικρὸν, ὅταν ἐκφέρῃ μέγα. Ὕβριν χαλίνου, καὶ μέγας ἔσῃ σοφός. Φύλασσε σαυτὸν, πτῶμα δ' ἄλλου μὴ γέλα. Χάρις φθονεῖσθαι, τὸ φθονεῖν δ' αἶσχος μέγα. Ψυχὴ θύοιτο μᾶλλον ἢ τὸ πᾶν Θεῷ. Ὢ τίς φυλάξει ταῦτα, καὶ σωθήσεται;

ΛΑʹ. Γνῶμαι δίστιχοι. Γυμνὸς ὅλος βιότοιο τάμοις ἅλα, μηδὲ βαρεῖα Ναῦς ἐπὶ

πόντον ἴοι, αὐτίκα δυσομένη. 911 Ὡς αἰεὶ κρυεροῖο παρεσταότος θανάτοιο Μνώεο, καὶ θανάτου ἥσσονος ἀντιάσεις. Αἰεὶ νηὸν ἔγειρε Θεῷ νόον, ὥς κεν ἄνακτα, Ἵδρυμ' ἄϋλον, ἔχῃς ἔνδοθι σῆς κραδίης. Γνῶθι σεαυτὸν, ἄριστε, πόθεν καὶ ὅστις ἐτύχθης, Ῥεῖά κεν ὧδε τύχῃς κάλλεος ἀρχετύπου. Ἦμαρ ἐπ' ἦμαρ ἄγει σε· κυλίνδεται ὅστις ἐλαφρός· Γνώμη δ' εὐπαγέος ἦμαρ ἄλυτον ἔχει. Ὅστις ἀπερχομένοισι καὶ ἐρχομένοισι πέποιθε, Ῥεύματι πιστεύει οὔ ποτε ἱσταμένῳ. Ἴσον ἐμοὶ κακόν ἐστι βίος καὶ μῦθος ἀλιτρός· Ὁππότερόν κεν ἔχοις, καὶ θατέροιο τύχοις. 912 Ὕβρις ἄναγνον ἐόντα παρεστάμεναι θυέεσσι· ∆εινότερον νεκύων λείψανα πάντα σέβειν. Ἵστασο μή ποθ' ὁδοῖο καλῶν· κακὸν ἐς βυθὸν ἕρπειν Σοὶ στάσις, ὅστις ἔβης ἔκτοθι σῆς κακίης. Τυφλὸς ὁρῶν, ὃς ἑῆς κακίας οὐκ ὄσσετ' ὄλεθρον· Ἴχνια μαστεύειν θηρὸς, ἄκρων φαέων. Χρῄζων δὴ παθέεσσιν ἀκέστορος, ἢν κακὰ κεύθῃς, Οὔ ποτε σηπεδόνα φεύξεαι ἀργαλέην. Σὸς λόγος, ἔργον ἐμεῖο. Ὃς οὐ καλὸν ἔργον ἔρεξεν, Εὐεπίην ἐχέτω σύμμαχον ἀμφίθετον. Ὑβριστὴς κόρος ἐστίν. Ἐγὼ δέ σε βούλομ', ἄριστε,