πληιάδων Ἀτλαγενέων ἐπιτελλομενάων
ἄρχεσθ᾽ ἀμήτου, ἀρότοιο δὲ δυσομενάων.
αἳ δή τοι νύκτας τε καὶ ἤματα τεσσαράκοντα
κεκρύφαται, αὖτις δὲ περιπλομένου ἐνιαυτοῦ
φαίνονται τὰ πρῶτα χαρασσομένοιο σιδήρου.
οὗτός τοι πεδίων πέλεται νόμος, οἵ τε θαλάσσης
ἐγγύθι ναιετάουσ᾽, οἵ τ᾽ ἄγκεα βησσήεντα,
πόντου κυμαίνοντος ἀπόπροθι, πίονα χῶρον
ναίουσιν: γυμνὸν σπείρειν, γυμνὸν δὲ βοωτεῖν,
γυμνὸν δ᾽ ἀμάειν, εἴ χ᾽ ὥρια πάντ᾽ ἐθέλῃσθα
ἔργα κομίζεσθαι Δημήτερος: ὥς τοι ἕκαστα
ὥρι᾽ ἀέξηται, μή πως τὰ μέταζε χατίζων
πτώσσῃς ἀλλοτρίους οἴκους καὶ μηδὲν ἀνύσσῃς.
ὡς καὶ νῦν ἐπ᾽ ἔμ᾽ ἦλθες: ἐγὼ δέ τοι οὐκ ἐπιδώσω
οὐδ᾽ ἐπιμετρήσω: ἐργάζευ, νήπιε Πέρση,
ἔργα, τά τ᾽ ἀνθρώποισι θεοὶ διετεκμήραντο,
μή ποτε σὺν παίδεσσι γυναικί τε θυμὸν ἀχεύων
ζητεύῃς βίοτον κατὰ γείτονας, οἳ δ᾽ ἀμελῶσιν.
δὶς μὲν γὰρ καὶ τρὶς τάχα τεύξεαι: ἢν δ᾽ ἔτι λυπῇς,
χρῆμα μὲν οὐ πρήξεις, σὺ δ᾽ ἐτώσια πόλλ᾽ ἀγορεύσεις:
ἀχρεῖος δ᾽ ἔσται ἐπέων νομός. ἀλλά σ᾽ ἄνωγα
φράζεσθαι χρειῶν τε λύσιν λιμοῦ τ᾽ ἀλεωρήν.
(383-404) When the Pleiades, daughters of Atlas, are rising , begin your harvest, and your ploughing when they are going to set. Forty nights and days they are hidden and appear again as the year moves round, when first you sharpen your sickle. This is the law of the plains, and of those who live near the sea, and who inhabit rich country, the glens and dingles far from the tossing sea,--strip to sow and strip to plough and strip to reap, if you wish to get in all Demeter’s fruits in due season, and that each kind may grow in its season. Else, afterwards, you may chance to be in want, and go begging to other men’s houses, but without avail; as you have already come to me. But I will give you no more nor give you further measure. Foolish Perses! Work the work which the gods ordained for men, lest in bitter anguish of spirit you with your wife and children seek your livelihood amongst your neighbours, and they do not heed you. Two or three times, may be, you will succeed, but if you trouble them further, it will not avail you, and all your talk will be in vain, and your word-play unprofitable. Nay, I bid you find a way to pay your debts and avoid hunger.