| 7 καὶ γὰρ κεραμεὺς ἁπαλὴν γῆν θλίβων ἐπίμοχθον πλάσσει πρὸς ὑπηρεσίαν ἡμῶν ἓν ἕκαστον ἀλ{L'} ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ πηλοῦ ἀνεπλάσατο τά τε τῶν καθαρῶν ἔργων δοῦλα σκεύη τά τε ἐναντία πάντα ὁμοίως τούτων δὲ ἑτέρου τίς ἑκάστου ἐστὶν ἡ χρῆσις κριτὴς ὁ πηλουργός 8 καὶ κακόμοχθος θεὸν μάταιον ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ πλάσσει πηλοῦ ὃς πρὸ μικροῦ ἐκ γῆς γενηθεὶς με{T'} ὀλίγον πορεύεται ἐξ ἧς ἐλήμφθη τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς ἀπαιτηθεὶς χρέος 9 ἀλ{L'} ἔστιν αὐτῷ φροντὶς οὐχ ὅτι μέλλει κάμνειν οὐ{D'} ὅτι βραχυτελῆ βίον ἔχει ἀλ{L'} ἀντερείδεται μὲν χρυσουργοῖς καὶ ἀργυροχόοις χαλκοπλάστας τε μιμεῖται καὶ δόξαν ἡγεῖται ὅτι κίβδηλα πλάσσει 10 σποδὸς ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ καὶ γῆς εὐτελεστέρα ἡ ἐλπὶς αὐτοῦ πηλοῦ τε ἀτιμότερος ὁ βίος αὐτοῦ 11 ὅτι ἠγνόησεν τὸν πλάσαντα αὐτὸν καὶ τὸν ἐμπνεύσαντα αὐτῷ ψυχὴν ἐνεργοῦσαν καὶ ἐμφυσήσαντα πνεῦμα ζωτικόν 12 ἀλ{L'} ἐλογίσαντο παίγνιον εἶναι τὴν ζωὴν ἡμῶν καὶ τὸν βίον πανηγυρισμὸν ἐπικερδῆ δεῖν γάρ φησιν ὅθεν δή κἂν ἐκ κακοῦ πορίζειν 13 οὗτος γὰρ παρὰ πάντας οἶδεν ὅτι ἁμαρτάνει ὕλης γεώδους εὔθραυστα σκεύη καὶ γλυπτὰ δημιουργῶν |
7 Despise we not the potter’s toil, that works the pliant earth between his fingers, and makes a cup here, a dish there for our use. Serve they noble ends or base, all alike come from the same clay, and what employment each of them shall find, it is the potter’s right to determine. 8 But very ill is that toil bestowed, when he uses the same clay to fashion some god that is no god. Bethink thee, potter, that it is but a little while since thou thyself wast fashioned out of the same earth, and ere long, when the lease of thy soul falls due, to that earth thou shalt return. 9 But no, he never looks forward to the day when he will be past work; how short life is, he recks not; he must vie with goldsmith and silversmith, he must be even with his neighbour that works in bronze; in puppet-making[1] all his hope lies of winning fame. 10 O heart of dust, O ambition worthless as the sand, life than his own clay more despicable! 11 No thought for the God that was his own fashioner, quickened him with the pulse of energy, breathed into him a living spirit! 12 Existence, for him, only a toy to be played with; our life here, only a market-place, where a man must needs get his living by fair means or foul! 13 Such a man, as no other, sins with his eyes open; from the same earthenware he will make you fragile pot or carved effigy as you will. |
7
Sed et figulus mollem terram premens,
laboriose fingit ad usus nostros unumquodque vas;
et de eodem luto fingit quæ munda sunt in usum vasa,
et similiter quæ his sunt contraria:
horum autem vasorum quis sit usus,
judex est figulus. 8
Et cum labore vano deum fingit de eodem luto
ille qui paulo ante de terra factus fuerat,
et post pusillum reducit se unde acceptus est,
repetitus animæ debitum quam habebat. 9
Sed cura est illi non quia laboraturus est,
nec quoniam brevis illi vita est:
sed concertatur aurificibus et argentariis;
sed et ærarios imitatur,
et gloriam præfert, quoniam res supervacuas fingit. 10
Cinis est enim cor ejus,
et terra supervacua spes illius,
et luto vilior vita ejus: 11
quoniam ignoravit qui se finxit,
et qui inspiravit illi animam quæ operatur,
et qui insufflavit ei spiritum vitalem. 12
Sed et æstimaverunt ludum esse vitam nostram,
et conversationem vitæ compositam ad lucrum,
et oportere undecumque etiam ex malo acquirere. 13
Hic enim scit se super omnes delinquere,
qui ex terræ materia fragilia vasa et sculptilia fingit. |