Type 1926
(formerly typ/47)
| Εἴπερ κατέγνως ἀτρεκῶς ἁμαρτάδος | |
| καὶ νητρεκῶς ἔφησθα φεύγειν τὸν βίον, | |
| τὴν βίβλον, ἄζυξ, Ἰωάννου προὐμμάτων | |
| ἀσκητικὰς βρίθουσαν οἴμας πλουσίως | |
| ἔχειν ἀπαύστως μὴ παραιτήσῃ πόθῳ. | |
| Εἰ γὰρ κελεύθους εὐσταθῶς αὐτῆς δράμοις | |
| ἔρωτι θερμῷ, σώφρονι προαιρέσει, | |
| κραυγάς, βοήσεις κερτόμων στωμυλμάτων | |
| μακρούς τε λήρους ἀστικῶν ἀθυρμάτων | |
| δόξαν κενήν τε πάμπαν ἐκφύγοις φόβῳ· | |
| ἀλλ’ οὐδ’ ἀμείψοις τὰ φθορᾶς τῶν κρειττόνων, | |
| ἀλλ’ ἡδονῆς μὲν ἀντὶ καὶ χλιδῆς κόπους | |
| γλυκεῖς ἐφεύροις, ἀντὶ δόξης ἧς ἔχεις | |
| κρημνοὺς ὀρόγκους, ἀντὶ δ’ εὐγλυφοῦς στέγης | |
| πέτραν τραχεῖαν, ἀντὶ δ’ εὐπαθοῦς βίου | |
| μάζαν βραχεῖαν, ἀντὶ ποικίλων πέπλων | |
| σισύραν ἕξοις, ἀντὶ δ’ εὐχύλου πότου | |
| ὕδωρ διαυγές· ἄρτος οὐ μέτρου πλέον, | |
| ὕμνος τὸ δεῖπνον, ὄψον ἡ ψαλμῳδία, | |
| αὐχμὸς δ’ ὁ κόσμος, ὠχρότης ἡ φαιδρότης, | |
| γαστὴρ φυγοῦσα πλησμονὴν ἀφορδίων. | |
| Εὐκοσμίας τὰ δῶρα ταῦτά σοι λέγω | |
| ἃ ζωγραφήσας σῷ νοῒ φρικτῶς, μέροψ, | |
| ἀπρὶξ κατάρχου τῆς ὁδοῦ τοῦ κυρίου. |
| Text source | K. Bentein, F. Bernard, M. De Groote, K. Demoen 2009, Book Epigrams in Honor of the Church Fathers: Some Inedita from the Eleventh Century, Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies (GRBS), 49(2), 281-294: 289-290 |
| Text status | Text completely known |
| Editorial status | Critical text |
| Genre(s) | Author-related epigram |
| Metre(s) | Dodecasyllable |
| Subject(s) | |
| Tag(s) | |
| Critical Notes | 8 στωμυλμάτων ] στομυλμάτων Ambros.gr. A 152 sup. 17 εὐχύλου ] εὐχίλου Ambros.gr. A 152 sup. (Bentein 2009: 290) |
| Translation(s) |
If you have truly condemned sinfulness and if you have really declared to flee wordly life, monk, then don’t decline to hold the book of John, abundantly rich with ascetic paths, constantly before your eyes with desire. If indeed you want to walk its paths steadfastly, with affectionate love and wise devotion, you shall fearfully keep away from the shouts and cries of mocking small-talk, from the great nonsense of urban jesting and from idle glory, altogether. You shall not prefer things of corruption over better things! Instead of pleasure and luxury you shall find sweet suffering; instead of the glory now yours, cliffs and mountains; instead of a well-carved chamber, a hard rock; instead of a luxurious way of life, a small lump of bread; instead of fancy robes, you shall have a goatskin; instead of succulent drinks transparent water. Bread, no more than necessary: hymns shall be your meal, your dish shall consist of singing psalms; squalor shall be your ornament, pallor your brilliance; your belly shall flee the filling with mere excrements. Those are the gifts of good conduct I declare to you, mortal being: sketch them, replete with awe, in your mind, and take the path of the Lord at once. |
| Bibliography | |
| Number of verses | 24 |
| Occurrence(s) |
|
| Acknowledgements |
Contributor(s)
The credits system has been implemented in 2019. Credits from before the new system was in use might be incomplete. |
| Identification | Vassis ICB 2005, 192: "In Ioann. Climacum" |
| Permalink | https://www.dbbe.ugent.be/types/1926 |
Last modified: 2020-10-23.
