The Golden Verses of Pythagoras — with commentary (1917)

talent alone M^ill aspire to this in vain. Epopoeia will only be the portion of the one who thoroughly understands the essence of poetry and who is able to apply to it a proper form. I have penetrated this essence as far as has been possible for me, and I have revealed my ideas, Messieurs, as clearly as the insufficiency of my means has permitted.

I trust that their development may have appeared satisfactory and useful to you ; I trust equally that the new form which I offer you merits your attention. I have applied it before you, to ideas, to intentions and to very different harmonies: it adapts itself here, for of itself it is nothing. Subject wholly to poetic essence, it receives therefrom all its lustre.

If the ideas that it would render have grandeur and sublimity, it will easily become grand and sublime; but nothing would be poorer and more void, than that it should serve trivial thoughts or that it should conceal an absolute want of ideas. Do not imagine, Messieurs, that the absence of rhyme makes easy the French verse; it is precisely this absence which makes the great difficulty : for there is not then the means of writing without thinking.

One can, with the aid of talent and practice, compose pleasing rhymed verse, without a great expenditure of ideas; the enormous quantity that is made today proves that it is not very difficult. The elegance of form supplies the sterility of substance.

But this form becomes at last worn out; the rhymes are not inexhaustible; one word attracts another, forces it to unite with it, making understood the sounds that one has heard a thousand times, repeating the pictures which are everywhere; one repeats unceasingly the same things: the enjambment which gives so much grace to the Greek and Latin verse and without which real epic impulse cannot exist, is opposed to the rhyme and destroys it.

You can see. Messieurs, that it constitutes one of the principal qualities of eumolpique verse; nothing here constrains the enthusiasm of the poet.

After some impassioned verses that I have believed

112 The Golden Verses of Pythagoras necessary for you to hear, I shall now pass on to verses, philosophical and devoid of passion, which form the subject of this writing and to which I desire above all to call your attention.

THE GOLDEN VERSES OF PYTHAGORAS

"3

TA' TQ'N nxeAroPEi'QN

E''nH TA' XPYSA'

nAPASKEYH.'

A0ANATOYS \j.kv xpuTa Asoij?, v(5;i,y <b<; StdejieivTOrt, Ti^Ltx- xal (jI^ou 8pxov. ixeiO' "Hpuaq iyai\Jo()q.

KA'0 APSIS. ^

Twv S' fiXXwv ipezTf xocei fJXov 851? aptOToi;. Ilpasat S'iixe XdyoK;, ipYoitiS t' EicufeXCiioisc. Mr)S' ix6atpe flXov cbv iiJiapTdSo? sYvsxa (xixp'^S, "Oippa Siiv^ Siiva[j.tq yip dvdYxiQS I^T"^' vaUi. TauTa i«.6V outwi; YoOi.xpaTeiv S'eJSf^eo twv 8e" racrrpbs ^sv icptixKrta, xal uxvou, XaYVsiit)? ts, Kocl 6u(i.ou. lip-^^eti; S'afaxpbv xots (jii^ts ^ez' SXXou, Mtj-c' iSft). ndvTwv SI [xiXtdTa aw^uvso oautdv.

'GOLDEN VERSES OF THE PYTHAGOREANS (i)

PREPARATION

Render to the Immortal Gods the consecrated cult; Guard then thy faith (2) : Revere the memory Of the Illustrious Heroes, of Spirits demi-Gods (3).

' PURIFICATION

Be a good son, just brother, spouse tender and good father (4) Choose for thy friend, the friend of virtue; Yield to his gentle counsels, profit by his life,

p. 114

Vers Dor^s des Pythagoriciens 115

PREPARATION

Rends aux Dieux immortels le cult consacr6;

Garde ensuite ta f oi : R^v^re la m^moire

Des H6ros bienfaiteurs, des Esprits demi-Dieux.

PURIFICATION

Sois bon fils, fr^re juste, 6poux tendre et bon p6re. Choisis pour ton ami, I'ami de la vertu; Cfede k ses doux conseils, instruis-toi par sa vie, Et pour un tort l^ger ne le quitter jamais; Si tu le peux du moins : car une loi severe Attache la Puissance k la N6cessit6. II t'est donne pourtant de combattre et se vaincre Tes foUes passions : apprends k les dompter. Sois sobre, actif et chaste; 6vite la colore. En public, en secret ne te permets jamais Rien de mal; surtout respecte-toi toi-m^me.

And for a trifling grievance never leave him (5) ;

If thou canst at least: for a most rigid law

Binds Power to Necessity (6).

Still it is given thee to fight and overcome

Thy foolish passions: learn thou to subdue them (7).

Be sober, diligent, and chaste; avoid all wrath.

In public or in secret ne'er permit thou

Any evil; and above all else respect thyself (8).

Il6 TA' TQ-N nreArOPEI'QN E"nH TA' XPTSA'.

E?Ta Stxato(ji5vY]v daxetv Ipycp ts, Xdycp re. Mt)B' otXoYfoTW? (rau-rbv ^x^v icspi (atjSIv 'iQiZ,e- 'AXXa Y^wOi (AEV a)? Gavletv xlxpwrat Sicaoi. Xpi^lAKTa S'aXXoxe (Jiev xTaff8ai (piXit, oJXXot' (5Xsa9at. "Ooffa TS SottjJiovfrjfft tiixan; ^poxol &\-^e 'ixouaiv, "Qv 2v (jLoipav ?XT)e xpfiwi; (pips, jx-^S' dyavaxtet. 'lauBai SI icpsicei xa96(yov Suvt)- "QSe Se 9pdl^ev. Ou xc8vu Toiq 5(Ya9oTi; toutwv xoXi [j.otpa SfSoiat.

IloXXbt 8'&v6p(iicot(jt Xdyot BsiXoi te, xai lirGXol IlpooicfxTous, iv \Lrit' ExxXY^aoso, (J-Tji:' ap' EdtOTje "EtpyeoBai CTauT(5v. 'FsOSo; 5' y^v xsp xi Xsyrjirai, Upaui; elj^'- "0 Ss -cot Iplu, sxl xavtl TsXElaOw. Mi(]Sei(; [iiQTE Xdycp cte xapecx]f), (jliqte ti Epytj)

Ilp^^al, [I.T)S' ItXEtV, 2, Tl TOI \ly] piXTEpbv EOTt.