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How? tell me, explain these things. How can I explain to you the inexplicable, (174) how can I speak to you the unspeakable? Nevertheless, pay attention and I will speak: the sun shines its rays; I speak to you of this perceptible one, for you have not yet seen the other; at any rate, you see its rays and they are perceptible to your eyes. But the light of your eyes was joined to your eyes; now say when I ask: How then is your light joined to the rays, is it in an unmixed mixture or are they confused with one another? I know: you will say both unmixed and you will confess mixed and you will tell me the light is perceptible, with eyes opened and well cleansed. But this same thing, if you shut your eyes, is immediately imperceptible, it does not remain for the blind, but is present with those who see. And when it sets, it abandons even these as if blind - for in the night the eyes of men do not see clearly, the soul, therefore, peeking through these, sees light, but when the light is not present it is altogether as if in darkness, but when this rises, then you see light first, and in the light all things, (175) and having the light you do not have it; for you have it, because you also see, but you are not strong enough to hold it or take it in your hands. You have it, you seem to have nothing at all, you spread out your palms, the sun shines in them and you think you are holding it; this is what I mean, that you have it. Suddenly you clench them again and it is ungraspable; thus again you have nothing. Simple things are simply held,

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Πῶς; εἰπέ μοι, φράσον ταῦτα. Πῶς τά ἄφραστά σοι φράσω, (174) πῶς τά ἄρρητά σοι εἴπω; Ὅμως πρόσεχε καί λέξω˙ λάμπει ἥλιος ἀκτῖνας˙ αἰσθητόν τοῦτον σοί λέγω, τόν γάρ ἄλλον οὔπω εἶδες˙ τάς γοῦν τούτου βλέπεις ἀκτῖνας καί ληπταί εἰσι τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς σου. Τό δέ φῶς τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν σου συνημμένον ἦν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς σου˙ ἄρτι λέξον ἐρωτῶντι˙ Τό οὖν φῶς σου ταῖς ἀκτῖσι πῶς ὑπάρχει συνημμένον, ἐν ἀμίκτῳ μίξει ἔστιν ἤ συγκέχυνται ἀλλήλοις; Οἶδα˙ ἄμικτα καί λέξεις καί μικτά ὁμολογήσεις καί ληπτόν τό φῶς μοι εἴπῃς, ὀφθαλμῶν ἀνεῳγμένων καί καλῶς κεκαθαρμένων. Τό δ᾿ αὐτό, εἰ σύ καμμύσῃς, ἄληπτον εὐθύς ὑπάρχει, τοῖς τυφλοῖς οὐ παραμένει, σύνεστι δέ τοῖς ὁρῶσιν. Ὅτε δέ δύνει, καί τούτους ὡς τυφλούς καταλιμπάνει - ἐν νυκτί καί γάρ ἀνθρώπων ὀφθαλμοί οὐ καθορῶσιν , ἡ ψυχή οὖν διά τούτων παρακύπτουσα φῶς βλέπει, τοῦ φωτός δέ μή παρόντος ὡς ἐν σκότει πάντως ἔστιν, ἀνατέλλοντος δέ τούτου τότε βλέπεις φῶς ἐν πρώτοις, ἐν φωτί δέ καί τά πάντα, (175) τό δέ φῶς ἔχων οὐκ ἔχεις˙ ἔχεις γάρ, ὅτι καί βλέπεις, κατασχεῖν δέ μή ἰσχύων ἤ λαβεῖν αὐτό χερσί σου. Ἔχεις ὅλως οὐ δοκεῖς τι, ἐφαπλοῖς τάς σάς παλάμας, λάμπει ἥλιος ἐν ταύταις καί κρατεῖν αὐτόν νομίζεις˙ τοῦτο λέγω, ὅτι ἔχεις. Σφίγγεις αἴφνης πάλιν ταύτας καί ἀκράτητος ὑπάρχει˙ οὕτως πάλιν οὐδέν ἔχεις. Τά ἁπλᾶ ἁπλῶς κρατοῦνται,