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Barlaam oc Josaphat

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    Click to Expand/Collapse Option Complete text
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionIntroduction
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionSpread of the Christian faith to India (1)
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionKing Abenner of India, his childlessness and persecution of Christian monks
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionOne of the King’s servents becomes Christian and the King upbraids him in a dialogue (2)
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionThe servant’s sermon: Rage and Greed are our worst enemies
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionThe servant explains why he became a monk
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionThe King had decided to torture the servant to death, but instead chases him away
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionA most beautiful son is born to the King
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionVice men phrophecy that the son will be not a King of this world, but another, and will be Christian (3)
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionThe King places his son in a palace in luxurious isolation from all the suffering of the world
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionThe King’s formost and most noble servant brings home a sick man from the hunt; but he is a Christian, and the other servants plot against him before the King (4)
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionThe sick man advices the nobleman how to cope with the King’s rage, and the King forgives him, but continues his persection of Monks
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionOut hunting, the King meets monks, talks with them and then burns them
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionThe Prince wonders why he cannot go out of the palace, and one of his teachers then says that it is because the King does not want him to hear about Christian teachings (5)
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionThe Prince asks the King to go out, and he is allowed to go to places which are only pleasant.
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionThe Prince sees a leper and a blind, and becomes very depressed
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionThe Prince sees an old and crippled man on the next trip out, and is told he soon will die, as humans will
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionThe Prince goes home and reflect on death, in sorrow
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionBy the calling of the Holy Spirit the monk Barlaam seeks admission to the prince as a trader, with the pretext of selling him a jewel
ιι One of the King’s servents become Christian and the King upbraids him in a dialogue 
CAP. II. 
II. 
 
4. 
 
Τῆς τοιαύτης οὖν σκοτομήνης τὴν τῶν Ἰνδῶν καταλαβούσης, καὶ τῶν μὲν πιστῶν πάντοθεν ἐλαυνομένων,  τῶν δὲ τῆς ἀσεβείας ὑπασπιστῶν κρατυνομένων, αἵμασί τε καὶ κνίσαις τῶν θυσιῶν καὶ αὐτοῦ δὴ τοῦ ἀέρος μολυνομένου,  εἷς τῶν τοῦ βασιλέως, ἀρχισατράπης τὴν ἀξίαν, ψυχῆς παραστήματι, μεγέθει τε καὶ κάλλει, καὶ πᾶσιν ἄλλοις, οἷς ὥρα σώματος καὶ γενναιότης ψυχῆς ἀνδρείας χαρακτηρίζεσθαι πέφυκε, τῶν ἄλλων ἐτύγχανε διαφέρων.  τὸ ἀσεβὲς οὖν ἐκεῖνο πρόσταγμα ἀκούσας οὗτος, χαίρειν εἰπὼν τῇ ματαίᾳ ταύτῃ καὶ κάτω συρομένῃ δόξῃ τε καὶ τρυφῇ, ταῖς τῶν μοναχῶν λογάσιν ἑαυτὸν ἐγκατέμιξεν, ὑπερόριος γενόμενος ἐν ἐρήμοις τόποις,  νηστείαις τε καὶ ἀγρυπνίαις καὶ τῇ τῶν θείων λογίων ἐπιμελεῖ μελέτῃ τὰς αἰσθήσεις ἄριστα ἐκκαθάρας, καὶ τὴν ψυχήν, πάσης ἀπαλλάξας ἐμπαθοῦς σχέσεως, τῷ τῆς ἀπαθείας φωτὶ κατελάμπρυνεν. 
---Cum itaque hujusmodi caligo Indorum regionem invasisset, ac pii et sancti viri undique vexarentur,  impietatis autem propugnatores opibus ac potentia florerent, atque cruoribus et victimarum nidore ipse quoque aer inficeretur,  unus e regiorum satraparum principibus, animi fortitudine, corporisque magnitudine ac pulchritudine, caeterisque aliis rebus, quibus corporis elegantia et animi generositas, tanquam certis quibusdam notis exprimi solent, alios omnes antecellebat.  Quamobrem cum impium illud edictum audisset, inani hac atque humi serpente (447c,1) gloria et deliciis valere jussis, ad monachorum coetum sese aggregavit, atque in locis solitariis exsulans,  jejuniis et vigiliis, ac diligenti oraculorum divinorum meditatione sensus suos apprime repurgabat, animumque ab omni vitiosa affectione solutum et abductum, ea luce quam tranquillitas a vitiosis affectionibus parit illustrabat. 
Now while the land of the Indians lay under the shroud of this moonless night, and while the Faithful were harried on every side,  and the champions of ungodliness prospered, the very air reeking with the smell of bloody sacrifices,  a certain mall of the royal household, chief satrap in rank, in courage, stature, comeliness, and in all those qualities which mark beauty of body and nobility of soul, far above all his Fellows,  hearing of this iniquitous decree, bade farewell to all the grovelling pomps and vanities of the world, joined the ranks of the monks, and retired across the border into the desert.  There, by fastings and vigils, and by diligent study of the divine oracles, he throughly purged his senses, and illumined a soul, set free from every passion, with the glorious light of a perfect calm. 
En nu meðan slik villuþoka blinndaðe þessa konongs augu. at hann rak alla oc rækte þa er sannum guði þionaðu.  en þeirra hagr (4,1) batnaðe af konungenom er mest oc verst fœrðo at kristnum monnum oc þeim gato gort haðolegazt oc grimlegastar þinslir oc dauða hugsat.  einn af konongs þionastumonnum þeim er a þeim dagum varo. er var hinn kæraste at viti oc vaskleik oc goðom siðum verande. oc af þui ollu er hann matte sœmde konongenn. oc var hann virðr af ollum oc lovaðr af hirðbrœðrom sinum firir sakar kiærleiks oc felagskaps er hann gerði ollum þeim er hans felagar varo.  nu sem hann hœyrði þetta hitt grima konongs þoð. þa tok hann retta tru.voc veik hann ifra konongenom oc verolldenne oc stnerezt til œyðimarkka oc reinlifra munkka.  sik þann veg gefannde með vakum oc fastum oc guðlegom fortalum oc allu þui er hann fann at hans salo mætte sem mest til guðs hylli leiða. 
Medens saadan Vildfarelses Taage forblindede denne Konges Öine, at han forjagede og forfulgte dem, der tjente den sande Gud,  og Kongen forbedrede deres Stilling, som tilföiede de Christne de fleste og störste Ulykker, og som kunde gjore dem störst Forsmædelse og optænke de grusomste Pinsler og Dödsmaader:  i de Dage var der en af Kongens Tjenere, som var ham meget kjær paa Grund af sin Forstand og Dygtighed, som var af gode Sæder og i Alt, hvad han formaaede, hædrede Kongen, og som blev agtet af Alle og priset af sine Hirdfæller paa Grund af den Kjærlighed og det Brodersind, som han udviste mod alle dem, der vare hans Stalbrödre.  Som nu denne hörte dette grusomme Kongebud, da antog han den rette Tro og veg bort fra Kongen og Verden og vendte sig til Örkener og strengt levende Munke,  hengivende sig dette Levnet med Vaagen og Fasten og gudelige Opbyggelser og Alt, hvad han fandt især kunde lede hans Sjæl til Guds Yndest. 
         
ὁ δὲ βασιλεύς, πάνυ τοῦτον φιλῶν καὶ διὰ τιμῆς ἄγων, ὡς ἤκουσε ταῦτα, ἤλγησε μὲν τὴν ψυχὴν ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ φίλου στερήσει, ἐξεκαύθη δὲ πλέον τῇ κατὰ τῶν μοναζόντων ὀργῇ.  καὶ δὴ κατὰ ζήτησιν αὐτοῦ πανταχοῦ ἀποστείλας, καὶ πάντα λίθον κινήσας, τὸ τοῦ λόγου, ὥστε τοῦτον ἐφευρεῖν,  μετὰ οὖν χρόνον ἱκανὸν οἱ εἰς ἐπιζήτησιν αὐτοῦ πεμφθέντες, ὡς ᾔσθοντο ἐν ἐρήμοις αὐτὸν τὰς οἰκήσεις ἔχοντα, (16,1) διερευνήσαντες καὶ συλλαβόμενοι, τῷ τοῦ βασιλέως παρέστησαν βήματι.  ἰδὼν δὲ αὐτὸν ἐν οὕτω πενιχρᾷ καὶ τραχυτάτῃ ἐσθῆτι τὸν λαμπροῖς ποτε ἱματίοις ἠμφιεσμένον, καὶ τὸν πολλῇ συζῶντα τρυφῇ τεταριχευμένον τῇ σκληρᾷ τῆς ἀσκήσεως ἀγωγῇ, καὶ τοῦ ἐρημικοῦ βίου ἐναργῶς περικείμενον τὰ γνωρίσματα, λύπης ὁμοῦ καὶ ὀργῆς ἐπεπλήρωτο, καί, ἐξ ἀμφοῖν τὸν λόγον κεράσας, ἔφη πρὸς αὐτόν· 
Rex autem, cum eum majorem in modum diligeret, atque in honore ac pretio haberet, ut hoc audivit, de amici jactura dolorem animo cepit, vehementiusque adversus monachos exarsit.  Atque cum homines ad eum conquirendum quaquaversum misisset, et, quemadmodum vulgo dicitur, nullum non lapidem movisset quo eum inveniret,  aliquando post illi qui ad eum investigandum missi fuerant, ut eum in solitudine commorari (447d,1) senserunt, ita perscrutati sunt, ut tandem eum arriperent, atque ad regis tribunal sisterent.  Rex autem, cum eum qui quondam splendidis vestibus utebatur, atque in magnis deliciis vitam exigebat, tam viliter et abjecte amictum, ac religiosae exercitationis asperitate afflictum, vitaeque solitariae signa haud obscure gestantem conspexisset, moerore simul atque iracundia implebatur, atque ex utroque affectu temperato sermone, ita eum allocutus est: 
But when the king, who loved and esteemed him highly, heard thereof, he was grieved in spirit at the loss of his friend, but his anger was the more hotly kindled against the monks.  And so he sent everywhere in search of him, leaving “no stone unturned,” as the saying is, to find him.  After a long while, they that were sent in quest of him, having learnt that he abode in the desert, after diligent search, apprehended him and brought him before the king’s judgement seat.  When the king saw him in such vile and coarse raiment who before had been clad in rich apparel, -- saw him, who had lived in the lap of luxury, shrunken and wasted by the severe practice of discipline, and bearing about in his body outward and visible signs of his hermit-life, he was filled with mingled grief and fury, and, in speech blended of these two passions, he spake unto him thus: 
En þegar sem konongrenn fra at hans einn hinn hœverskaste þionastumaðr oc einn af þeim er hann hugði at hans sœmd skylldi i alla staðe með matt oc kunnastu fullgera. hafðe skiotlega fra honom faret. þa varð hann akaflega reiðr ollum cristnum mannum. en um þa fram alia stnere hann sinum hug oc grimleik ollum mest til munkka.  þvi nest sendde konongr menn sina at leita i allar markker oc skoga. fioll oc dala. hella oc holor.  oc um siðir funnu þeir hann i einum skoge. gripu þeir hann þegar oc til konongs hafðu.  Oc sem konongrenn sa hann miok vlikan þvi er hann sa hann næstom. oc hann sœmde hann oc hann var fagrbuinn i millum hœveskrar hirðar. en nu syndizt hann skarpr oc bleikr oc i hervilegom bunaðe. er þaðan var leiðilegaztr sem þa sa maðr a hann. þa leit konongr til hans bæðe af reiði oc ryggleika oc mællte. 
Men saasnart Kongen erfarede, at en af hans mest höviske Tjenere, og det en af dem, som han tænkte skulde i alle Henseender med Kraft og Kyndighed befordre hans Hæder, hastigen var dragen fra ham, da blev han heftig vred paa alle Christne, men fremfor dem alle vendte han især sin Harme og hele sin Grumhed mod Munke.  5. (7,1) Dernæst sendte Kongen sine Mænd hen at lede i Marker og Skove, Fjelde og Dale, Bjerghuler og Jordhuler,  og omsider fandt de ham i en Skov, grebe ham strax og förte ham til Kongen.  Og da Kongen saa ham meget forandret, siden han saa ham sidst - den Gang gjorde han ham Opvartning og var smukt klædt imellem en hövisk Hird, men nu viste han sig mager og bleg og i hæslige Klæder, der syntes desto fælere, jo mere man betragtede dem - da saa Kongen paa ham baade med Vrede og Bedrövelse og sagde. 
       
Ὦ ἀνόητε καὶ φρενοβλαβές, τίνος χάριν ἀντηλλάξω τῆς τιμῆς αἰσχύνην, καὶ τῆς λαμπρᾶς δόξης τὴν ἀσχήμονα ταύτην ἰδέαν;  ὁ πρόεδρος τῆς ἐμῆς βασιλείας καὶ ἀρχιστράτηγος τῆς ἐμῆς δυναστείας, παίγνιον μειρακίων σεαυτὸν καταστήσας, οὐ μόνον τῆς ἡμετέρας φιλίας καὶ παρρησίας μακρὰν λήθην πεποιηκώς, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτῆς κατεξαναστὰς τῆς φύσεως, καὶ μηδὲ τῶν ἰδίων τέκνων οἶκτον λαβών, πλοῦτόν τε καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν τοῦ βίου περιφάνειαν εἰς οὐδὲν λογισάμενος, τὴν τοσαύτην ἀδοξίαν τῆς περιβλέπτου προέκρινας (3) δόξης, ἵνα τί σοι γένηται;  καὶ τί ἐντεῦθεν κερδήσεις, ὅτι πάντων θεῶν τε καὶ ἀνθρώπων τὸν λεγόμενον προτετίμηκας Ἰησοῦν, καὶ τὴν σκληρὰν ταύτην καὶ δυσείμονα ἀγωγὴν τῶν ἡδέων καὶ ἀπολαυστικῶν τοῦ γλυκυτάτου βίου; 
O vecors et demens, quid te adduxit ut honorem cum ignominia, et illustrem gloriam cum turpi ac dedecoris pleno habitu commutares?  Siccine tu, qui regno meo praeeras, atque in copias meas imperium militare obtinebas, teipsum puerorum ludibrium effecisti, (448a,1) ac non modo meae amicitiae memoriam ex animo procul ejecisti, verum etiam adversus ipsam naturam impetum fecisti, ac ne tuorum quidem filiorum miseratione affectus, tum opes, tum omnem vitae splendorem pro nihilo putasti, tantamque ignominiam tam luculenta gloria potiorem et praestabiliorem habuisti?  Quidnam te ad hoc impulit, cujusnam lucri spes, ut eum qui Jesus nominatur omnibus diis atque hominibus anteponeres, ac duram hanc et superstitiosam vitae rationem suavissimae hujusce vitae oblectamentis anteferres? 
“O thou dullard and mad man, wherefore hast thou exchanged thine honour for shame, and thy glorious estate for this unseemly show?  To what end hath the president of my kingdom, and chief commander of my realm made himself the laughingstock of boys, and not only forgotten utterly our friendship and fellowship, but revolted against nature herself, and had no pity on his own children, and cared naught for riches and all the splendour of the world, and chosen ignominy such as this rather than the glory that men covet?  And what shall it profit thee to have chosen above all gods and men him whom they call Jesus, and to have preferred this rough life of sackcloth to the pleasures and delights of a life of bliss.” 
Hœyrðu hinn heimski oc skiptr af ollu vitinu. hui villdir þu skipta sœmd i skom. hamingiu i hegoma. fesælld i flærð. virðing i hegomlega villu.  þu vesall fyrstr af minum allum lendom oc landzmonnum oc hofðingium gerer af þer latr oc spott. sveinum glyara. vitrum monnum briostbragð. ollum þinum vinum oc felagum hugarhvarf. glœymdr af vinatto allra þinna felaga oc allre þinni sælo. oc næsta virðizt mer sem þu haver natturunni glœymt oc tekit imot skom oc hað.  Hvi villdir þu sva illa kaupferð reka oc taka sva hegomlega luti imote sva sœmelegom sœmdom. Hvat matter þu stnapr þess afla i þviliku efni at þu venter at Iesus Kristr einn mege þer meira en allt þat þu hafðer nu seet her sœmder oc sælo. er þu glœymdir með margfalldre villu. 
“Hör, du taabelige og yderst uforstandige Mand! Hvi vilde du forvandle Ære til Skam, Lykke til Tant, Velstand til Flitter, Anseelse til faafængelig Daarskab?  Du, Elendige! er den förste af mine Vasaller og Undersaatter og Hövdinger, som gjör dig til Latter og Spot, til Legebold for Drenge, til Væmmelse for vise Mænd, til Uvilje for alle dine Venner og Stalbrödre, forladt af alle dine Bekjendtes Venskab og hele din Lykke. Ja næsten formoder jeg, at du har forglemt den naturlige menneskelige Fölelse og faaet Skam og Spot til Gjengjæld.  Hvi vilde du drive et saa slet Kjöbmandskab og modtage saa unyttige Ting i Stedet for en saa agtet Hædersstilling? Hvad kunde du, Ubesindige! vinde ved en saadan Anledning, siden du vænter at Jesus Christns alene skal formaa at give dig Mere end Alt hvad du havde hidtil seet her af Ære og Lykke, som du forsmaaede i overvættes Daarskab?” 
     
 
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