Type 4749
(formerly typ/2816)

Τίς ὁ θρασυνθεὶς πρῶτος εἰπεῖν τοὺς λόγους
ἥκιστα τούτους ἀναγινωσκομένους;
τίς κοσμολαμπὲς φῶς καλύπτει γωνίᾳ;
τίς ἀστέρας λάμποντας ἐγκρύπτει νέφει;
τίς μαργάρους στίλβοντας εἰς γῆν χωννύει;
φεῦ κλήσεως μὲν βασκάνου ψευδωνύμου,
εἰ δ’ ἔργον εἶχε, ζημίας παγκοσμίου.
Νῦν δ’ οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν ἔργον, ἀλλ’ ἄλλως λόγος.
Τὸ φῶς ὁράσθω φαῖνον ἐν τῇ λυχνίᾳ·
πᾶσι προκείσθω, πᾶσι κοινῇ λαμπέτω
ὅσοι βλέπειν ἔχουσι τῶν ἄλλων πλέον·
ὡς εἴθε πάντες εἶχον εἰδέναι τάδε,
εἴθε προσεῖχον τοῖσδε πάντες τοῖς λόγοις·
οὕτω γὰρ ἂν πρόχειρος ἡ σωτηρία
παρῆν ἅπασιν ἐκ μιᾶς ταύτης βίβλου·
ἐῶ γὰρ εἰπεῖν ὡς σοφοὺς ποιεῖ, μόνη
ἀρκοῦσα πρὸς παίδευσιν ἀνθρώποις ὅλην.
Πλήρης μέν ἐστι δογμάτων ἀποκρύφων,
πλήρης δὲ θείων καὶ σοφῶν μυστηρίων,
πλήρης δὲ χρηστῶν ἠθικῶν διδαγμάτων,
πλήρης δὲ κομψῶν τεχνικῶν μαθημάτων·
μουσεῖον αὐτόχρημα, γνῶσιν ἐμπνέον.
Ταύτης ἄμεμπτον τὴν γραφὴν καταρτίσας,
πολλοῖς τρυφὴν προὔθηκα μὴ κενουμένην.
Title(s) Εἰς τοὺς λόγους τοῦ Θεολόγου τοὺς μὴ ἀναγινωσκομένους
Text source P. de Lagarde, 1882, Iohannis Euchaitorum metropolitae quae in codice Vaticano graeco 676 supersunt, Göttingen: 14
Text status Text completely known
Editorial status Critical text
Genre(s)
Person(s)
Poet
John Mauropous (1001 - 1075-1081) - PBW: Ioannes/289/
Metre(s) Dodecasyllable
Subject(s)
Tag(s)
Translation(s)
  • Who was so bold to be the first to say
    that these discourses were the ones least read?
    Who hides in a corner a light that lights the world?
    Who obscures shining stars with a cloud?
    Who buries gleaming pearls in the earth?
    Alas for the slanderous, false designation;
    if it had effect, there would be worldwide harm.
    But, all the same now, it has no effect. It is just a name.
    May the light that shines in the lamp be seen,
    set before all, illuminating all those
    able to see more than the others.
    If only everyone could understand this,
    if only everyone would heed these discourses,
    then deliverance for humankind
    could be easily attained through this single book.
    I refrain from saying that it makes men wise;
    alone it suffices for men’s entire education.
    For it is full of secret teachings,
    full of divine and wise mysteries,
    full of useful moral instructions,
    full of elegant lessons in the art of speaking:
    the Muses’ very home, inspiring knowledge.
    I have had an impeccable book made containing this knowledge,
    and offer it to the multitudes for inexhaustible pleasure.
    Language
    English
    Source(s)
    F. Bernard, C. Livanos, 2018, The Poems of Christopher of Mytilene and John Mauropous, Cambridge (MA): 369-371
  • Io, correttane la grafia in modo da renderla irreprensibile, ho offerto a molti un godimento inesauribile.
    Language
    Italian
    Source(s)
    E. Magnelli 2010, Immagini del libro nella letteratura di Bisanzio, Cento Pagine, 4, 107-133: 113
    Comment
    Partial translation: vv. 23-24
  • Quis ausus dicere primus, sermones
    Minime hos legi?
    Quis mundi lucernam operit angulo?
    Quis stellas lucentes tegit caligine?
    Quis margaritas fulgurantas terra obruit?
    Heu falsi nominis invidum!
    Si rem habuisset damni generalis.
    Iam vero non est res, sed inanis sermo.
    Lux videatur splendens in candelabro.
    Omnibus extet, omnibus communiter luceat,
    Qui aliis plus videre possunt.
    Utinam omnes haec sciant.
    Utinam omnes his advertant sermonibus.
    Sic enim facilis foret salus
    Omnibus ex unico hoc libro.
    Non dicam, solum reddere sapientes,
    Sufficientem omni omnium institutioni.
    Plenus enim est dogmatum arcanorum.
    Plenus divinorum et sapientum mysteriorum.
    Plenus bonarum moralium doctrinarum.
    Plenus scitarum et ingeniosarum disciplinarum.
    Mediam revera scientiam inspirans.
    Non improbandam huius scripturam praebens,
    Non vanas multis delicias proposui.
    Language
    Latin
    Source(s)
    I. Hardt, 1810, Catalogus codicum manuscriptorum graecorum Bibliothecae Regiae Bavaricae. Cod. CCCXLVIII-CCCCLXXII continens (vol. 4), Munich: 403
Bibliography
Number of verses 24
Occurrence(s) [21315] Τίς ὁ θρασυνθεις πρῶτο(ς) εἰπεῖν τοὺς λόγους [10th-11th c.]
MUNICH - Bayerische Staatsbibliothek - gr. 448 [10th-11th c.] (f. 1v)
(24 verses)
Acknowledgements

The credits system has been implemented in 2019. Credits from before the new system was in use might be incomplete.

Identification Vassis ICB 2005, 753: "Ioann. Mauropus, In orationes Gregorii Theologi qui non leguntur"
Permalink https://www.dbbe.ugent.be/types/4749
Last modified: 2022-09-16.