Type 2284
(formerly typ/339)

Ἔχει γεωργὸς ἡδονὴν πλείστην ὅτε
ἀσταχύων γέμουσαν ἀθρεῖ τὴν ἅλω,
ἐν ᾗ καμάτων συγκομίζεται τέλος·
καὶ χαρμονὴν ἔχει δὴ γραφεὺς ἡνίκα
τέλος προσεγγίσασαν ἴδῃ τῆς βίβλου,
ἧς ἐμπόνως ἤρξατο καὶ μετὰ πόθον·
ὡς γὰρ ἐκεῖνος καταβάλλων τὸν σπόρον
καὶ στάχυν ἁδρὸν κατιδεῖν ἤδη θέλει,
ᾧ καὶ πάσας ἐλπίδας ἐκκρεμεῖς ἔχει,
οὕτως ὁ γραφεὺς ἀντὶ μέν γε τοῦ σπόρου
ἔχειν νομίζει τὴν καταρχὴν τῆς βίβλου,
τὸ τέρμα δʹ αὖθις σταχύων ἀνθʹ ὡρίμων.
Text source A. McCollum 2015, The Rejoicing Sailor and the Rotting Hand: Two Formulas in Syriac and Arabic Colophons, Hugoye: Journal of Syriac Studies, 18, 67-93: 78-79
Text status Text completely known
Editorial status Not a critical text
Genre(s) Scribe-related epigram
Metre(s) Dodecasyllable
Tag(s)
Translation(s) A farmer has full pleasure when
He observes the grain full of ears,
By which he gathers in the end of toils.
The scribe has delight at the time when
He sees that the end of the book has approached,
[The book] he began laboriously, in accord with his desire.
For as the former throws seed down,
And forthwith wishes to gaze down at a full-grown ear,
On which, too, he hangs all his hopes,
So the scribe, instead of seed, on the one hand,
Customarily has the beginning of the book,
And on the other hand, the end [of the book] instead of the ripe ears.
Language
English
Source(s)
A. McCollum 2015, The Rejoicing Sailor and the Rotting Hand: Two Formulas in Syriac and Arabic Colophons, Hugoye: Journal of Syriac Studies, 18, 67-93: 78-79
Comment Treu (1977) has ὦ at the beginning of v. 9.
Bibliography
Number of verses 12
Occurrence(s) [17171] ἔχει γεωργὸς ἡδον(ὴν) πλείστην ὅτε [10th-11th c.]
VATICAN CITY - Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana - Vat. gr. 156 [10th-11th c.] (f. 152v)
(12 verses)
Acknowledgements
Contributor(s)

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Identification Vassis ICB 2005, 274: "Librarii subscr."
Permalink https://www.dbbe.ugent.be/types/2284
Last modified: 2019-12-07.