Gregory of Nazianzus, Moral Songs

33. A Four-line Maxim. Epigram of the lines. 928 I am the labor of Gregory, and I keep to a four-line structure, A memorial of wisdom with spiritual maxims. Would you prefer action, or contemplation? Sight is the work of the perfect, but action is for the many. Both indeed are skillful and dear; But you, stretch more toward that for which you are suited. Someone asked me a spiritual problem. If you should be defiled, I said. But I am chaste. If you should be defiled. But now purifications are needed. A rotten vessel is not trusted with myrrh. Neither resist everyone, nor follow all words, But only those you know, and how much, and when. 929 But hold more to God than to a leader. Every word wrestles with word, but with life, who? Either do not teach, or teach by your character. Do not with one hand draw in, and with the other push away. You will have less need for speaking, by doing what is necessary. A writer teaches more with his copies. I speak especially to you of the bema, Be an eye not filled with darkness, Lest we also appear as leaders of evil. For if the light is such, how great is the darkness? A speechless deed is better than an inactive word. Indeed no one was ever exalted without a good life; But many without a beautifully sounding word. 930 For grace is not of those who speak, but of those who live well. The most beautiful gift to God is character. Even if you bring everything, you will bring nothing worthy. That which even a poor man gives, offer this. The wage of a prostitute the pure one does not share. Never vow anything to God, not even of small things. For it is God's, before you receive it. What then do I say? You steal your own things by not giving them. What a new debt! Let Ananias persuade you, and Sapphira too. Consider this life a festival. If you trade, it is profit. For it is an exchange Of small things for greater, and of fleeting for eternal. But if it should pass by, you have no other opportunity. 931 Great indeed is the race set before us; But greater is the reward. Do not, by looking at the whole at once, Stand aloof from the whole. You do not sail the whole distance at once; And this is often a trial from the enemy. Neither be exceedingly confident, nor despair too much. For the one weakens you, and by the other you are overthrown. Accomplish the one, but hold to the other; there is no envy of this. Not as if the part of the road that is lacking makes the labor useless. Do not touch what is hot, but remain in what you have decided; It is better to advance than to cut back anything of the good. For we call men evil, not those who are low, But those who, when they are exalted, fall greatly. A small spark kindles a great flame, 932 And the seed of a viper has often destroyed. Seeing this, therefore, turn away from even a small harm; It is small indeed, but it grows into something greater. Examine yourself more than the things of your neighbors; For the one you yourself will profit from, the other your neighbors will. An account of actions is better than one of possessions; For the latter are of corruption, but the former endure. Let your mind always labor, being formed By divine thoughts and by the principles of life. But be sparing of your tongue; for it is easier To harm; but the profit is less when it is moved well. A sight seized me, but yet I was restrained; I did not set up an idol of sin. 933 An idol was set up? we have escaped the deed. These are the steps of the wrestling of the enemy. Stop your ears with wax against wicked words, And the dissonant modulations of delightful songs; But give them always to words both beautiful and good. To speak, to hear, and to do, a small space between. Do not be too much enervated by the effeminacies of smells, And by the smoothness of touch, nor by tastes. What manly thing could you ever do, being conquered by these, Apart from the pleasures of women and men. "Give," said the belly. If, having received, you are temperate, I will give readily. But if you give to the lower parts, You may receive dung, but still not richly. But if you should restrain yourself, we will give richly too. Laughter is worthy of laughter to the prudent, 934 Especially all laughter, but even more so lewd laughter. Disorderly laughter also brings forth a tear. A downcast character is better than an effeminate one. Consider beauty the good order of the mind, Not what hands paint, or time dissolves, But what is recognized by the sight of a sober mind; And shame likewise the disorder of the mind. Griefs came on, pleasures, confidences, fears, Wealth, poverty, glory, infamy, thrones; Let them flow as they will. Nothing of that which does not last Touches a man who is well-established. Be exalted more in life than in pride; The one deifies you, but by the other you fall greatly. And you will attain this, by not being measured by small things. And even if you are lifted up very high, you are below the commandment. 935 Pursue glory,

ΛΓʹ. Γνωμολογία τετράστιχος. Ἐπίγραμμα τῶν στίχων. 928 Γρηγορίου πόνος εἰμὶ, τετραστιχίην δὲ φυλάττω, Γνώμαις πνευματικαῖς μνημόσυνον σοφίης. Πρᾶξιν προτιμήσειας, ἢ θεωρίαν; Ὄψις τελείων ἔργον, ἡ δὲ πλειόνων. Ἄμφω μέν εἰσι δεξιαί τε καὶ φίλαι· Σὺ δὲ πρὸς ἣν πέφυκας, ἐκτείνου πλέον. Ἤρετό μέ τις πρόβλημα τῶν ἐκ πνεύματος Ἢν ἐκρυπωθῇς, εἶπον. Ἀλλὰ σωφρονῶ. Ἢν ἐκρυπωθῇς. Νῦν δὲ δεῖ καθαρσίων. Μύρον δοχεῖον σαπρὸν οὐ πιστεύεται. Μήτ' ἀντίτεινε πᾶσι, μήθ' ἕπου λόγοις, Ἀλλ' οἷς ἐπίστῃ, καὶ ὅσον, καὶ πηνίκα. 929 Θεοῦ δὲ μᾶλλον ἐξέχου, ἢ προστάτει. Λόγῳ παλαίει πᾶς λόγος, βίῳ δὲ τίς; Ἢ μὴ διδάσκειν, ἢ διδάσκειν τῷ τρόπῳ. Μὴ τῇ μὲν ἕλκειν, τῇ δ' ἀπωθεῖσθαι χεροῖν. Ἧττον δεήσῃ τοῦ λέγειν, πράττων ἃ δεῖ Γραφεὺς διδάσκει τὸ πλέον τοῖς ἐκτύποις. Ὑμῖν λέγω μάλιστα τοῖς τοῦ βήματος, Ὀφθαλμὸν εἶναι μὴ σκότους πεπλησμένον, Μὴ καὶ πρόεδροι τοῦ κακοῦ φαινώμεθα. Εἰ γὰρ τὸ φῶς τοιοῦτον, τὸ σκότος πόσον; Ἄφωνον ἔργον κρεῖσσον ἀπράκτου λόγου. Βίου μὲν οὐδεὶς πώποθ' ὑψώθη δίχα· Λόγου δὲ πολλοὶ τοῦ καλῶς ψοφουμένου. 930 Οὐ γὰρ λαλούντων, εὖ βιούντων δ' ἡ χάρις. ∆ῶρον Θεῷ κάλλιστόν ἐστιν ὁ τρόπος. Κἂν πάντ' ἐνέγκῃς, οὐδὲν οἴσεις ἄξιον. Ὃ καὶ πένης δίδωσι, τοῦτο πρόσφερε. Μίσθωμα πόρνης ἁγνὸς οὐ μερίζεται. Μηδέν ποτ' εὔξῃ, μηδὲ τῶν μικρῶν, Θεῷ. Θεοῦ γάρ ἐστι, πρὶν λαβεῖν. Τί οὖν λέγω; Κλέπτεις τὰ σαυτοῦ μὴ διδούς. Καινοῦ χρέους! Ἀνανίας σε πειθέτω, Σάπφειρά τε. Πανήγυριν νόμιζε τόνδε τὸν βίον. Ἢν πραγματεύσῃ, κέρδος. Ἀντάλλαγμα γὰρ Μικρῶν τὰ μείζω, καὶ ῥέοντ' ἀϊδίων. Ἢν δ' αὖ παρέλθῃ, καιρὸν ἄλλον οὐκ ἔχεις. 931 Πολὺς μὲν ἔστιν ὁ προκείμενος δρόμος· Πλείων δ' ὁ μισθός. Μὴ βλέπων τὸ πᾶν ἅμα, Τοῦ παντὸς ἐκστῇς. Καὶ πλέεις οὐ πᾶν ἅμα· Καὶ τοῦτο πεῖρα πολλάκις τοῦ δυσμενοῦς. Μὴ σφόδρα θαῤῥεῖν, μηδ' ἀπελπίζειν ἄγαν. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἐκλύει σε, τῷ δ' ἀνατρέπῃ. Τὸ μὲν κατόρθου, τοῦ δ' ἔχου· τοῦδ' οὐ φθόνος. Οὐχ ὡς ὁδοῦ τὸ λεῖπον ἀχρειοῖ πόνον. Μὴ θερμὸν ἅπτειν, ἐμμένειν δ' οἷς ἂν κρίνῃς· Κρεῖσσον προκόπτειν, ἤ τι κόπτειν τοῦ καλοῦ. Καὶ γὰρ κακοὺς καλοῦμεν, οὐχὶ τοὺς κάτω, Τοὺς δ', ἡνίχ' ὑψωθῶσι, πίπτοντας μέγα. Σπινθὴρ ἀνάπτει καὶ βραχὺς πολλὴν φλόγα, 932 Καὶ σπέρμ' ἐχίδνης πολλάκις διώλεσε. Τοῦτ' οὖν ὁρῶν, ἔκκλινε καὶ μικρὸν βλάβος· Μικρὸν μὲν ἔστιν, εἰς δὲ μεῖζον ἔρχεται. Ἐρεύνα σαυτὸν πλεῖον, ἢ τὰ τῶν πέλας· Τὸ μὲν γὰρ αὐτὸς κερδανεῖς, τὸ δ' οἱ πέλας. Κρείσσων λογισμὸς πράξεων, ἢ χρημάτων· Τὰ μὲν γάρ ἐστι φθορᾶς, τὰ δὲ ἵσταται. Ὁ νοῦς ἀεί σοι καμνέτω τυπούμενος Θείοις νοήμασί τε καὶ βίου λόγοις. Γλώσσης δὲ φείδου· καὶ γὰρ εὐκολωτέρα Βλάπτειν· τὸ κέρδος δ' ἧσσον εὖ κινουμένης Ὄψις συνήρπασέ με, πλὴν ἀλλ' ἐσχέθην· Εἴδωλον οὐκ ἔστησα τῆς ἁμαρτίας. 933 Εἴδωλον ἔστη; πρᾶξιν ἐκπεφεύγαμεν. Βαθμοὶ τάδ' εἰσὶ τῆς πάλης τοῦ δυσμενοῦς. Κηρῷ τὰ ὦτα φράσσε πρὸς φαύλους λόγους, Ὠδῶν τε τερπνῶν ἐκμελῆ λυγίσματα· Τοῖς δ' αὖ καλοῖς τε κἀγαθοῖς ἀεὶ δίδου. Εἰπεῖν, ἀκοῦσαι, καὶ δρᾶσαι, μικρὸν μέσον. Μὴ λίαν ὀσμῶν ἐκλύου θηλύσμασιν, Ἁφῆς τε λειότησι, μηδὲ γεύσεσι. Τί ἄν ποτ' ἀνδρίσαιο τῶνδ' ἡττώμενος, Χωρὶς γυναικῶν καῤῥένων ἡδύσματα. ∆ὸς, εἶπε γαστήρ. Ἢν λαβοῦσα σωφρονῇς, ∆ώσω προθύμως. Ἢν δὲ τοῖς κάτω δίδῳς, Κόπρον λάβοις μὲν, ἀλλ' ὅμως μὴ πλουσίαν. Εἰ δ' οὖν κατάσχοις, δώσομεν καὶ πλουσίαν. Γέλως γέλωτος εὖ φρονοῦσιν ἄξιος, 934 Μάλιστα μὲν πᾶς, τὸν πλέον δ' ὁ πορνικός. Γέλως ἄτακτος ἐκφέρει καὶ δάκρυον. Κρεῖσσον κατηφὲς ἦθος, ἢ τεθρυμμένον. Κάλλος νόμιζε τὴν φρενῶν εὐκοσμίαν, Οὐχ ὃ γράφουσι χεῖρες, ἢ λύει χρόνος, Ὄψει δ' ὅπερ νοῦ σώφρονος γνωρίζεται· Αἶσχος δ' ὁμοίως τὴν φρενῶν ἀκοσμίαν. Λύπαι προσῆλθον, ἡδοναὶ, θάῤῥη, φόβοι, Πλοῦτος, πενία, δόξα, δύσκλεια, θρόνοι· Ῥείτωσαν, ὡς θέλουσιν. Οὐδὲν ἅπτεται Τῶν οὐ μενόντων ἀνδρὸς εὖ βεβηκότος. Ὑψοῦ βίῳ τὸ πλεῖον, ἢ φρονήματι· Ὁ μὲν θεοῖ σε, τῷ δὲ καὶ πίπτεις μέγα. Τεύξῃ δὲ τούτου, μὴ μικροῖς μετρούμενος. Κἂν πλεῖστον ἀρθῇς, εἶ κάτω τῆς ἐντολῆς. 935 ∆όξαν δίωκε,