[Greek: Nai ma ton hêmetera psycha paradonta tetraktyn,
Pagan aenaou physeôs. All' ercheu ep' ergon
Theoisin epeuxamenos telesai. Toutôn de kratêsas,
Gnôsê athanatôn te theôn, thnêtôn t' anthrôtôn
Systasin, hê te hekasta dierchetai, hê te krateitai.
Gnôsê d', hê themis esti, physin peri pantos homoiên
Ôste se mêt' aelpt' elpizein, mête ti lêthein.
Gnôsê d' anthrôpous authaireta pêmat' echontas
Tlêmonas, hoi t' agathôn pelas ontôn out' esorôsin.
Oute klyousi; lysin de kakôn pauroi synisasi.
Toiê moira brotôn blaptei phrenas; hoi de kylindrois
Allot' ep' alla pherontai akeirona pêmat' echontes.
Lygrê gar synopados eris blaptousa lelêthe
Symphytos; hên ou dei prosagein, eikonta de pheugein.
Zeu pater, ê pollôn te kakôn lyseias hapantas.
Ê pasin deixais hoiô tô daimoni chrôntai.
Alla sy tharsei; epei theion genos esti brotoisin
Hois hiera propherousa physis deiknysin hekasta.
Hôn ei soi ti metesti, kratêseis hôn se keleuô,
Exakesas, psychên de ponôn apo tôn de saôseis,
All' eirgou brôtôn, hôn eipomen, en te katharmois,
En te lysei psychês krinôn; kai psrazeu hekasta,
Êniochon gnômên stêsas kathyperthen aristên.
Ên d' apoleipsas sôma es aither eleutheron elthês,
Esseai athanatos theos, ambrotos, ouk eti thnêtos.]
Of diverse beings thou shalt sound the essence;
And thou shalt know the principle and end of All (27).
If Heaven wills it, thou shalt know that Nature,
Alike in everything, is the same in every place (28):
So that, as to thy true rights enlightened,
Thine heart shall no more feed on vain desires (29).
Thou shalt see that the evils which devour men
Are of their choice the fruit (30); that these unfortunates
Seek afar the goodness whose source within they bear (31).
For few know happiness: playthings of the passions,
Hither, thither tossed by adverse waves,
Upon a shoreless sea, they blinded roll,
Unable to resist or to the tempest yield (32).
