On Fate and Fatality (Fr. 1)
By Semonides of Amorgos
Translated by A.Z. Foreman
See, lad. Deep-thundering Zeus controls the end
Of everything, and works it as he will.
Men have no cognizance, but live as pastured
Cattle beholden to the flight of days,
Not knowing to what end the god will bring
All things, and all of us. Yet we all live
On nourishment of hope and confidence,
Reaching for what is out of reach. Some wait for
The next day, some the turning of next season;
No mortal thinks he will not reach next year
As Lord Wealth's protegé and healthy friend.
But old age comes upon a man before
He makes his goal, while some grotesque disease
Devours another. Others slay each other
On Ares' bleeding fields, all taken down
By Hades deep into the undergloom.
Others die out at sea blasted by storm
And lost to endless harrowing salt waves,
When they can't make a living on dry land,
And there are those who tie their own grim noose
To leave the light of day and life by choice.
So everything has its own special harm.
Countless Daemons of doom, disasters, dangers
We can't foresee exist to blindside mortals.
So here is my advice: don't cling to hope
For good that brings pure grief. Don't wreck yourself
By dwelling on heart-battering regret.
The Original:
ὦ παῖ, τέλος μὲν Ζεὺς ἔχει βαρύκτυπος
πάντων ὅσ᾿ ἐστὶ καὶ τίθησ᾿ ὅκῃ θέλει,
νοῦς δ᾿ οὐκ ἐπ᾿ ἀνθρώποισιν, ἀλλ᾿ ἐπήμεροι
ἃ δὴ βοτὰ ζώομεν, οὐδὲν εἰδότες
ὅκως ἕκαστον ἐκτελευτήσει θεός.
ἐλπὶς δὲ πάντας κἀπιπειθείη τρέφει
ἄπρηκτον ὁρμαίνοντας· οἱ μὲν ἡμέρην
μένουσιν ἐλθεῖν, οἱ δ᾿ ἐτέων περιτροπάς·
νέωτα δ᾿ οὐδεὶς ὅστις οὐ δοκεῖ βροτῶν
πλούτῳ τε κἀγαθοῖσιν ἵξεσθαι φίλος.
φθάνει δὲ τὸν μὲν γῆρας ἄζηλον λαβὸν
πρὶν τέρμ᾿ ἵκηται, τοὺς δὲ δύστηνοι βροτῶν
φθείρουσι νοῦσοι, τοὺς δ᾿ Ἄρει δεδμημένους
πέμπει μελαίνης Ἀΐδης ὑπὸ χθονός·
οἱ δ᾿ ἐν θαλάσσῃ λαίλαπι κλονεόμενοι
καὶ κύμασιν πολλοῖσι πορφυρῆς ἁλὸς
θνήσκουσιν, εὖτ᾿ ἂν μὴ δυνήσωνται ζόειν·
οἱ δ᾿ ἀγχόνην ἅψαντο δυστήνῳ μόρῳ
καὐτάγρετοι λείπουσιν ἡλίου φάος.
οὕτω κακῶν ἄπ᾿ οὐδέν, ἀλλὰ μυρίαι
βροτοῖσι κῆρες κἀνεπίφραστοι δύαι
καὶ πήματ᾿ ἐστίν. εἰ δ᾿ ἐμοὶ πιθοίατο,
οὐκ ἂν κακῶν ἐρῷμεν, οὐδ᾿ ἐπ᾿ ἄλγεσιν
κακοῖς ἔχοντες θυμὸν αἰκιζοίμεθα.
By Semonides of Amorgos
Translated by A.Z. Foreman
See, lad. Deep-thundering Zeus controls the end
Of everything, and works it as he will.
Men have no cognizance, but live as pastured
Cattle beholden to the flight of days,
Not knowing to what end the god will bring
All things, and all of us. Yet we all live
On nourishment of hope and confidence,
Reaching for what is out of reach. Some wait for
The next day, some the turning of next season;
No mortal thinks he will not reach next year
As Lord Wealth's protegé and healthy friend.
But old age comes upon a man before
He makes his goal, while some grotesque disease
Devours another. Others slay each other
On Ares' bleeding fields, all taken down
By Hades deep into the undergloom.
Others die out at sea blasted by storm
And lost to endless harrowing salt waves,
When they can't make a living on dry land,
And there are those who tie their own grim noose
To leave the light of day and life by choice.
So everything has its own special harm.
Countless Daemons of doom, disasters, dangers
We can't foresee exist to blindside mortals.
So here is my advice: don't cling to hope
For good that brings pure grief. Don't wreck yourself
By dwelling on heart-battering regret.
The Original:
ὦ παῖ, τέλος μὲν Ζεὺς ἔχει βαρύκτυπος
πάντων ὅσ᾿ ἐστὶ καὶ τίθησ᾿ ὅκῃ θέλει,
νοῦς δ᾿ οὐκ ἐπ᾿ ἀνθρώποισιν, ἀλλ᾿ ἐπήμεροι
ἃ δὴ βοτὰ ζώομεν, οὐδὲν εἰδότες
ὅκως ἕκαστον ἐκτελευτήσει θεός.
ἐλπὶς δὲ πάντας κἀπιπειθείη τρέφει
ἄπρηκτον ὁρμαίνοντας· οἱ μὲν ἡμέρην
μένουσιν ἐλθεῖν, οἱ δ᾿ ἐτέων περιτροπάς·
νέωτα δ᾿ οὐδεὶς ὅστις οὐ δοκεῖ βροτῶν
πλούτῳ τε κἀγαθοῖσιν ἵξεσθαι φίλος.
φθάνει δὲ τὸν μὲν γῆρας ἄζηλον λαβὸν
πρὶν τέρμ᾿ ἵκηται, τοὺς δὲ δύστηνοι βροτῶν
φθείρουσι νοῦσοι, τοὺς δ᾿ Ἄρει δεδμημένους
πέμπει μελαίνης Ἀΐδης ὑπὸ χθονός·
οἱ δ᾿ ἐν θαλάσσῃ λαίλαπι κλονεόμενοι
καὶ κύμασιν πολλοῖσι πορφυρῆς ἁλὸς
θνήσκουσιν, εὖτ᾿ ἂν μὴ δυνήσωνται ζόειν·
οἱ δ᾿ ἀγχόνην ἅψαντο δυστήνῳ μόρῳ
καὐτάγρετοι λείπουσιν ἡλίου φάος.
οὕτω κακῶν ἄπ᾿ οὐδέν, ἀλλὰ μυρίαι
βροτοῖσι κῆρες κἀνεπίφραστοι δύαι
καὶ πήματ᾿ ἐστίν. εἰ δ᾿ ἐμοὶ πιθοίατο,
οὐκ ἂν κακῶν ἐρῷμεν, οὐδ᾿ ἐπ᾿ ἄλγεσιν
κακοῖς ἔχοντες θυμὸν αἰκιζοίμεθα.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment