As benefits to thee; for I will fight
Against my canker'd country with the spleen
Of all the under fiends. But if so be
Thou darest not this and that to prove more fortune
Thou 'rt tired, then, in a word, I also am
Longer to live most weary, and present
My throat to thee and to thy ancient malice;
Which not to cut would shew thee but a fool,
Since I have ever follow'd thee with hate,
Drawn tuns of blood out of thy country's breast,
And cannot live but to thy shame, unless
It be to do thee service.
Each word thou hast spoke hath weeded from my heart
A root of ancient envy. If Jupiter
Should from yon cloud speak divine things,
And say, 'tis true, I'd not believe them more
Than thee, all noble Marcius.
ὡς ὠφέλημα σοὶ γενήσεσθαι μέγα. ἐγὼ γὰρ αὐτὸς τῇ πάτρᾳ συνοίσομαι ὡς νερτέρων γε δαιμόνων πάντων χόλῳ. ἀλλ ̓ εἰ σὺ μὴ τολμᾶς τόδ', ἢ τύχης νέας πειρᾷν κατοκνεῖς, ἀλλὰ καὐτὸς δὴ βίον τρίβων προκάμνω, καὶ τράχηλα νῦν τάδε σοὶ δὴ προτείνω καὶ παλαιγένει χόλῳ. ἃ μὴ ταμών γε μωρίαν ὀφλισκάνεις ἀεὶ γὰρ ἐχθρᾷ σοι μεθεῖπον ἀφθίτῳ, θρόμβους τε πολλοὺς αἵματος πάτρας ἄπο τῆς σῆς ἀφείλκυσ ̓· οὐδὲ νῦν βλέπω φάος πλὴν σοὶ πρὸς αίσχος, μή γ' ὑπηρετῶν τάδε. Α. Ω Μάρκι', ἢ μὴν πάνθ ̓ ἕκαστα ταῦτ ̓ ἐμοί ἃ νῦν ἔλεξας, καρδίας ἀνέσπασεν φθόνου παλαιὰν ῥιζαν. εἰ δὲ Ζεύς ποτε τοῦδ ̓ ἐκ νέφους γε θεσφάτους ἱεὶς λόγους φαίη τόδ' ὡς ἀληθές, οὐδὲ πλείονα τοῦτ ̓ ἂν παράσχοι πίστιν ἢ φωνήματα ἃ νῦν ἔνισπες, ὦ κράτιστε Μάρκιε.
To one ambitious of rule or titles,
Whose heaven on earth is placed in his command
And absolute power o'er others, would with joy
And veins high swoln with pride be entertained.
They take not me; for I have ever loved
An equal freedom, and proclaimed all such
As would usurp another's liberties
Rebels to nature, to whose bounteous blessings
All men lay claim as true legitimate sons:
But such as have made forfeit of themselves
By vicious courses, and their birthright lost,
"Tis not injustice they are marked for slaves
To serve the virtuous. For myself I know
Honours and great employments are great burdens,
And must require an Atlas to support them.
He that would govern others first should be
The master of himself, richly endued
With depth of understanding, height of courage,
And those remarkable graces, which I dare not
Ascribe unto myself.
Are trumpets of their own deserts, but you,
That are, not in opinion, but in proof
Really good, and full of glorious parts,
Leave the report of what you are to fame.
(Set in Examination, Christmas, 1880).
Τιμ. Τιμὴν τοσαύτην οὑπιθυμίᾳ κράτους
ἀρχῆς τ ̓ ἐπαρθείς, ὅς τε τῶν ἄλλων ἄναξ
εἴ που γένοιτο παγκρατής, τόδ' οὐρανόν
ἐν γῇ νομίζει, πῶς ὅδ ̓ οὐχὶ σὺν χάρα
σπλάγχνοις θ' ὑπερφρονοῦσιν εὐθὺς ἂν λάβοι ;
ἀλλ ̓ οὐκ ἔμοιγε τερπνόν· ἐξ ἴσων δ ̓ ἀεί
ἐλευθέροισιν ἤθελον χρῆσθαι νόμοις
ἅπαντας ἄνδρας, τὸν δ ̓ ἀποστερεῖν τάδε
μέλλοντα, τοῦτον τῇ φύσει πάλαι λέγω
ἔχθιστον, ἧσπερ πάντες ὠφελήματα
ὡς ἔκγονοί ποτ' ἀξιοῦσιν ἔννομοι.
ἀλλ ̓ οἵπερ αὑτοὺς τῇ κακουργίᾳ ποτέ
ἐζημίωσαν ἐστερημένοι γέρας,
τούτους δίκαιόν ἐστι δουλώσαντ ̓ ἄγειν
τὸν πάντ ̓ ἄριστον. οἶδα δ ̓ αὐτὸς δὴ πόνον
οὐ σμικρὸν ἀρχὰς καὶ τὸ πρᾶγμ ̓ ἔχειν μέγα,
ἃ δὴ τὸν ̓́Ατλαντ' αὐτὸν ἀναφέρειν ἐχρῆν.
μέλλει γὰρ ὅστις ἄνδρας ἐξορθοῦν ἀνήρ,
δεῖ τοῦτον αὑτοῦ πρόσθεν εὖ κρατεῖν φρενῶν,
γνώμης τὲ βένθος, ὕψος ἀνδρείας ἔχειν,
μέρη τ' ἐκεῖνα κἀρετὰς ὑπερφυεῖς
ὅσ ̓ οὐκ ἂν αὐτὸς ἀξιοῦν τλαίην ἔχειν. Αρχ. ἄναξ, κενοὶ μὲν ἄνδρες ἔργα κἀρετὰς αὐτοὶ φιλοῦσι παῦρα καλλύνειν· σὺ δέ λόγῳ μὲν οὐδὲν οὐδὲ ταῖς σαυτοῦ φρεσίν, ἔργῳ δ ̓ ἄριστος κἀρετῶν πεπλησμένος, δόξα φιλεῖς κλέος τόδ' ὡς ἔχεις λιπεῖν.
|