χαιρέτω σοφίσματα,
μή νυν ἃ λογισμὸς ὀρθῶς τῶνδ ̓ ὕπερ καθίσταται·
τὸ γοῦν ἐπιεικὲς, ἐξά
-γιστος ἥδ ̓ ἐν τῷ γαμεῖν
οὐχ, ὕστερον δ ̓, ὧν οὐ μετεῖχεν ἁνήρ. ἀλλ ̓, εἰσορῶ γὰρ τὸν γεραι
-ὸν, δεῦρο προστείχοντα, σεμνότιμον,
λευκότριχ ̓ ἤδη, σὲ τὸν
φύσαντα, Μάνων, ἀσφάλειαν
εὖ ποδῶν τηροῦντα, νῦν τοῦτον φρόνει πῶς δεῖ σε δέχεσθαι.
φεῦ τῆσδε φωνῆς· ὡς διανταῖαν τάλας
πληγὴν πέπληγμαι, δευτέραν οὐτασμένος.
φίλοι Δάνητες, οἷα γοῦν δοκεῖν ἐμοὶ,
καίπερ δυσαύλῳ ξυντυχόντες ἐν τόπῳ,
εἰ τοῦ πρὶν οἵνεχ', ὡς ἐπεικάσαι, κλέους,
ὃ θητικῆς ἤμειψεν αἰκίας τὰ νῦν,
ἐμοῦ γεραιὰν ὑστερήσαντος βάσιν,
Your younger feet, while mine cast back with age
Came lagging after-say if he be here.
As signal now in low dejected state,
As erst in highest, behold him where he lies.
O miserable change! Is this the man?
That invincible Samson, far renowned,
The dread of Israel's foes, who with a strength
Equivalent to Angels' walked their streets,
None offering fight; who single combatant
Duelled their armies ranked in proud array,
Himself an army, now unequal match
To save himself against a coward armed
At one spear's length. O ever-failing trust
In mortal strength! and O, what not in man
Deceivable and vain? Nay, what thing good
Prayed for, but often proves our woe, our bane?
I prayed for children, and thought barrenness
In wedlock a reproach; I gained a son,
And such a son as all men hailed me happy.
δεῦρ ̓ ἤλθεθ ̓ ἁδρῶν ἐν ποδωκείᾳ μελῶν, τὸν υἱὸν εἴπατ ̓ εἰ πάρεστιν ἐνθάδε,
οἷος μὲν ἦν, θαυμαστὸς, ἐν τύχης ἀκμῇ, τοιίσδε τῇ νῦν ἐστ ̓ ἰδεῖν κακουχία.
φεῦ τῆς ἐλεινῆς τοῦδ', ἀνικήτου τὸ πρὶν,
φθορᾶς· ὅδ ̓ οὖν ὁ περιβόητος, ὃν πάλαι
ἐχθροὶ παρ ̓ αὑτοῖς περιπολοῦντα πανταχοῦ
ὑπεξέφευγον ὡς θεοῖς ἰσόῤῥοπον;
σμερδνῷ μόνος δ ̓ ἀντεῖχεν εὐτάκτῳ στρατῷ,
ἀντὶ στρατοῦ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἦν· τοῦτον δὲ νῦν
καὶ δειλὸς ἐλθὼν ἐν διαστάσει δορὸς
κατεργάσαιτ ̓ ἄν· οὐ γὰρ ἀνθρώπων σθένει
οὐδεὶς πεποιθὼς ἵκετο σκοπόν ποτε
πάντη γὰρ ἐστὶ δολοπλόκου ψεύδους πλέα
βρότεια πράγματ ̓ ἔρχεται συχνὸν κακὰ
αὐτῶν μάτην ὧν ηὐξάμεσθ ̓ ἐπηβόλοις.
ἐγὼ μὲν ᾔτουν τὸν Θεὸν παίδων σπορὰν,
ἀτεκνίαν γὰρ ὡς ὄνειδος ᾠόμην
τυχὼν δ ̓, ἔδοξα πᾶσιν ὀλβιώτατος"
Who would be now a father in my stead?
Oh, wherefore did God grant me my request,
And as a blessing with such pomp adorned?
Why are his gifts desirable, to tempt
Our earnest prayers, then, given with solemn hand
As graces, draw a scorpion's tail behind?
For this did the Angel twice descend? for this
Ordained thy nurture holy? as of a plant
Select and sacred, glorious for a while,
The miracle of men; then in an hour
Ensnared, assaulted, overcome, led bound,
Thy foes' derision, captive, poor, and blind,
Into a dungeon thrust, to work with slaves.
Alas! methinks whom God hath chosen once
To worthiest deeds, if he through frailty err,
He should not so o'erwhelm, and as a thrall
Subject him to so foul indignities;
Be it but for honour's sake of former deeds.
Appoint not heavenly disposition, father.
Nothing of all these evils hath befallen me
νῦν τοῦδε τἀνδρὸς τήνδε τὴν παιδουργίαν
ἑκὼν τίς ἄν ποτ ̓ ἀντιδέξασθαι θέλοι;
ὡς ὠφελον δὲ μήποτ ̓ ἐκ Θεοῦ τόδε
δώροις ἀγαστὸν ἀφθόνοις εἰληφέναι·
σπουδῇ μὲν ὤπασ', ὧν ἐνῆκ ̓ ὀξὺν πόθον
λαβόντα δ', οἷα σκορπίου κέντρον, δάκνει·
τοῦδ ̓ οἵνεκ ̓ ἠξιώσαθ ̓ ἅγγελος Θεοῦ
καὶ δὶς κατελθεῖν, ἐκκρίτοις θ ̓ οἷον φυτοῖς
ἔθη καθιέρωσε σοὶ τὰ παιδικὰ,
ὅθεν τέθηλας ἡμῖν εἰς βραχὺν χρόνον
θαυμαστὸς ἀνδρῶν· εἶτα καν βαιᾷ ῥοπῇ
δόλοισιν αἰχμάλωτον, ἐχθροῖσιν γέλων
οἳ κατεπάλαισαν σ', ὄμματ ̓ ἐστερημένον
δοῦλόν τε, πάντων τ ̓ ἀπορίᾳ, θητῶν μέτα
πόνοις ταλαιπωροῦντα, τοιοῦτόν σ ̓ ὁρῶ.
ἀλλ ̓ ὅν γ ̓ ἐπ ̓ ἄκροις ἐξέλεξ ̓ ἔργοις Θεὸς,
εἰ καὶ βρότειον ἔπαθεν, αἰκίᾳ τόσῃ
πρόῤῥιζον οὐκ ἔδει νιν αἰσχίστῃ πεσεῖν,
κλέους γ ̓ ἕκατι τῶν πάρος πεπραγμένων.
μὴ τὰκ Θεοῦ τυχόντα μέμψασθαι, πάτερ. οὐκ ἐστιν οὐδὲν ταισίδ ̓ ἐν δύαις ἐμοὶ
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