Type 30499
| "Τὸν Κωνσταντῖνον, δέσποτα καὶ ἀδελφέ, ὡς τέκνον, | |
| ὡς σπλάγχνον, ὡς καρδίαν σου περίθαλπε καὶ σκέπε." | |
| ὢ θρήνων ἔμπλεοι λόγοι. | |
| "εἴ τι καὶ πταίσας ἔδοξα, μηδενὸς μνήνην λάβῃς· | |
| οὐ γὰρ παντὶ τῷ λέγοντι εἰς μάτην συνηπείχθην." | |
| ὢ θρήνων ἔμπλεοι λόγοι. | |
| "ὅμως εἰ καὶ ἐλύπησα, καιρὸς νῦν ἀφιέναι, | |
| ὁ γὰρ χωρίζων ἕστηκε θάνατος ἀπ' ἀλλήλων." | |
| ὢ θρήνων ἔμπλεοι λόγοι. | |
| "οἱ φοβεροὶ παρέστησαν ἐτασταὶ τῶν πραχθέντων· | |
| οἴμοι, οἴμοι, τίς γένομαι; οὐδεὶς γὰρ ὁ οἰκτείρων." | |
| ὢ θρήνων ἔμπλεοι λόγοι. | |
| "τί μοι ἐσθὴς πολύχρυσος; ποῦ τὰ στεμμάτων κάλλη; | |
| οὐχὶ ὡς χόρτος ἅπασα ἡ τῶν ἀνθρώπων δόξα;" | |
| ὢ θρήνων, ὢ στεναγμάτων. | |
| "Τί βασιλεὺς πολύολβος, τί πένης, τί δυνάστης; | |
| οὐ καθ' ἑκάστην ἔλεγον τὰ πάντα ματαιότης;" | |
| ὢ θρήνων ἔμπλεοι λόγοι. | |
| "λοιπὸν ἐλθέ, ὤ δέσποτα, καὶ ἀδελφὸν ἀσπάζου· | |
| 'οὐκ ἀδελφὸν λυτροῦται' γάρ, βασιλεὺς ἄλλος ἔφη." | |
| ὢ πένθους, ὢ θρηνῳδίας. | |
| "ἔλθετε καὶ θεράποντες τοῦ ἱεροῦ κοτῶνος, | |
| οὐκέτι τῷ κυρίῳ γὰρ ἐμοὶ διακονεῖτε." | |
| ὢ πένθους, ὢ θρηνῳδίας. | |
| "φιλάγαθε παράσθητι παρθένε καὶ βοήθει· | |
| ἐν οὐδενὶ γὰρ ἔσχηκα ἑτέρῳ τὰς ἐλπίδας. | |
| οἴδας, θεέ, τὰ κρύφια, ἐτάζεις τὰς καρδίας· | |
| ἀντίθες μου τοῖς πταίσμασι τῆς πίστεως τὸ ζέον. | |
| υἱέ μου, σῷζου· Λέοντα οὐκέτι γὰρ θεάσῃ, | |
| υἱέ, δι' ὅν μακρύνομαι πατρὸς τοῦ οὐρανίου. | |
| τέκνον ἒμὸν γλυκύτατον, τὸν ἀδελφόν μου ἕξεις | |
| μετὰ θεὸν φιλάγαθον πατέρα καὶ δεσπότην. | |
| οὐκέτι, τέκνον, βλέψω σε, οὐκέτι περιλάβω, | |
| οὐκέτι, ἀγκαλίσωμαι τὸ φῶς τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν μου. | |
| ὀστὰ καὶ δέρμα θάψατε, ἡ σὰρξ γὰρ προερρύη· | |
| ἄνευ σαρκὸς ὁ τάφος με δέχεται βασιλέα. | |
| τῷ τάφῳ ἐπιγράψατε· 'Λέων ἐνθάδε κεῖται, | |
| ὁ μόνος ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον τὸν θεὸν παροργίσας'" | |
| μέμνησθε πάντες, μέμνησθε Λέοντος τοῦ δεσπότου· | |
| θάψατε καὶ θρηνήσατε καὶ πάντοτε θρηνεῖτε. | |
| ὢ θρήνων, οἷον τὸ τέλος. |
| Title(s) | τίνας λόγους εἶπε Λέων ὁ βασιλεὺς τελευτῶν |
| Text source | I. Ševčenko 1969-1970, Poems on the Deaths of Leo VI and Constantine VII in the Madrid Manuscript of Scylitzes, Dumbarton Oaks Papers, 23-24, 187-228: 196-197 |
| Text status | Text completely known |
| Editorial status | Critical text |
| Genre(s) | |
| Metre(s) | Decapentasyllable |
| Subject(s) | Leo VI the Philosopher (866-912) - PMBZ: 26465: "Personenkennziffer: 24311" |
| Tag(s) | |
| Translation(s) |
"My lord and brother, Constantine as your own child do cherish; Protect from harm and shelter him as your own heart and entrails." O words, with dirges heavy! "If I was guilty of some faults, remand them to oblivion, For not by each accuser's words to vain deeds was I prompted." O words, with dirges heavy! "Should I indeed have caused you grief, now is the time to pardon. For Death, alas, is standing by the two of us to sever." O words, with dirges heavy! "The grim inquirers have arrived my past deeds to examine; Woe unto me, what shall I do, for no one shows me pity." O words, with dirges heavy! "What use is my gold-threaded robe, gone is my diadem's splendor. Is not all human glory like unto the grass that withers?" O dirges, O lamentings! "What is a king exceeding rich? A pauper? Man of power? Did I not every day affirm: 'All is vanity's kingdom?'" O words, with dirges heavy! "Well, then, My Lord, approach and bid farewell to thine own brother. For 'brother,' quoth the other king, 'redeemeth not' his sibling." O grief, O lamentation! "Stand by, O Virgin, lend Thine aid, benevolently grant it; To no one else did I entrust my hopes of sure salvation. O God, Thou know'st man's secrets all, their hearts dost Thou examine: My burning faith put on the scales, to counterweigh my vices. Farewell, my son, no longer shalt thou see thy father Leo, O son, through whom I am removed from heav'nly Father's presence. My sweetest child, my brother shall to thee be, after Jesus, The most benevolent of lords, the best of loving fathers. No longer do I see thee, child, no longer shall I hold thee; No longer hold thee in my arms, the lightray of my eyesight. Mere skin and bones put in the grave; my flesh has ere now wasted; The grave receives an emperor, none of his flesh remaining. Upon my tomb these words inscribe: 'Lord Leo lies hereunder; Alone, he roused the wrath of God much more than any mortal.'" Remember one, remember all, the humble ruler Leo; Return him to the earth, bewail and grieve for him forever, O sorrowful conclusion! |
| Bibliography | |
| Number of verses | 41 |
| Occurrence(s) |
[30533] τὸν κωνσταντῖνον, δέσποτα (καὶ) ἀδελφὸν ὡς τέκνον
[12th c.]
MADRID - Biblioteca Nacional Vitr. 26-2 (olim N.2) [12th c.] (f. 116v) (41 verses) |
| Acknowledgements |
Creator(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, 778: "In obitum Leonis VI imp." |
| Permalink | https://www.dbbe.ugent.be/types/30499 |
Last modified: 2020-03-06.
