Mar 19, 2007 21:12
x-posted from my own journal ...
καὶ σῶμα μὲν πάντων ἕπεται θανάτῳ περισθενεῖ,
ζωὸν δ᾽ ἔτι λείπεται αἰῶνος εἴδωλον· τὸ γὰρ ἐστι μόνον
ἐκ θεῶν· εὕδει δὲ πρασσόντων μελέων, ἀτὰρ εὑδόν-
τέσσιν ἐν πολλοῖς ὀνείροις
δείκνυσι τερπνῶν ἐφέρποισαν χαλεπῶν τε κρίσιν
-- Pindar, OCT Fragment 116, otherwise Fragment 131(b)
translation by Sandys ...
"The body of every man goes to meet mighty Death,
but there remains still alive an image of his life. For it alone
comes from the gods. It sleeps when our arms and legs act;
but when men are asleep, it often reveals to them in their dreams
the coming judgment of joys and pains."