Section TWO
G
reek-English

Alcaeus

Palladas

Archilochus

Pindar

Alcman

 

Úei mèn o Zeûs - Alcaeus
Úei mèn o Zeûs,
ec d'oráno mégas
Cheímon,
pepágaisin d'ydáton rhóai...
Cábballe tòn cheímon',
epi mèn títheis
Pyr, en dè kernais
oînon apheidéos
Mélichron, autàr amphì cóorsaí
Mólthacon amphi gnóphallon.

Pâsa gynè chólos estín - Palladas
Pâsa gynè cholos estín
Échei d'amathàs dýo horas,
Tèn mían en thalamo,
Tèn mían en thanáto.

- 5th Century Alexandrine

En dori men - Archilochus
En dorì mén moi mâza
memgméne en dorì d'oînos
Ismaricó's, píno d'endorì
kecliménos.

Pindar - I
Sophòs ho pollà eidòs phyâ
Mathóntes dè làbroí
Panglóssia kórakes hos akranta garyéton
Diòs pròs ornicha theiôn.

Pindar - II
Chaîre, philos' egò tóde toi
Pempo memeigménon méli leukô
Syn gálakti, kirnaména d'éers           amphépei.
Póm' aoidimon Aiolêsin en              pnoaîsin aulôn.

Pindar - III
Ho mégas dè kíndynos analkin
  ou phôta lambánei.
Thaneîn d'oîsin anángka,
  táké tis anónymon
Gêras en skóto kathémenos
  hépsoi mátan,
Hapánton kalôn ammoros.

Alcman
Heúdousin d'oréon
  koryphai te kaì pháranges,
  proonés te kaì charádmai
Hýla th'herpetá th'hóssa
  tréphei mélaina gaîa,
Thêrés t'oreskôoi
  kaì gènos melissân
Kaì knódal' en bénthessi
  porphyréas halós,
Heúdousin d'oionôn
  phyla tanypterýgon.


Upon Us Zeus Rains - Alcaeus
Upon us Zeus rains,
and out the wintry heaven
A mighty storm descends,
and rivulets are frozen...
Combat the winter, lay
the log upon the ingle,
And (don't be niggardly!)
the honeysweet wine commingle,
Placing about your brow
A soft and fleecy pillow.

Every woman's bothersome - Palladas
Every woman's bothersome,
Yet is twice a nine day's wonder:
Once when she's laid by her groom,
Once when she's laid six feet under!

- 5th Century Alexandrine

Beside my spear - Archilochus
Beside my spear are barley-
bread and splendid wine,
Beside my spear, enjoying my
drink, I recline.

Pindar - I: The Crows and The Eagle
Wise is he who knows by nature mainly;
The pair of them, mere learners,
loudly babble,
And like crows do chitter-chatter vainly
Against the Bird of Zeus - the holy eagle.

Pindar - II
Hello, my friend! To you I send
This milk-and-honey blend,
And mingling dew
about it spread,
A drink of song
on breath of reed.

Pindar - III: The risk is great
The risk is great
  and never calls a coward.
But from amongst us who must die,
Why should a man in darkness sit
And to no end
  a nameless old age nurse,
Letting go all lovely things?

Alcman:  Night
Sleeping are
The mountain tops, the gullies steep,
  the headlands and the gorges deep,
The forests and all quadripeds
  that the fertile black earth feeds,
The wild beasts that the mountain breeds
  and the race of honey-bees,
And the creatures in the depth
  of the dark-blue sea beneath,
Death-like are
The avian tribes that long wings bear.


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