1
Εἰμι μὲν κᾀγὼ θνητὸς ἄνθρωπος, ἶσος ἅπασι, καὶ γηγενοῦς ἀπόγονος πρωτοπλάστου.
I myself also am a mortal man, like to all, And the offspring of him that was first made of the earth,
2
Καὶ ἐν κοιλίᾳ μητρὸς ἐγλύφην σὰρξ δεκαμηνιαίῳ χρόνῳ, παγεὶς ἐν αἵματι ἐκ σπέρματος ἀνδρὸς καὶ ἡδονῆς ὕπνῳ συνελθούσης.
And in my mother’s womb was fashioned to be flesh In the time of ten months, being compacted in blood, Of the seed of man, and the pleasure that came with sleep.
3
Καὶ ἐγὼ δὲ γενόμενος ἔσπασα τὸν κοινὸν ἀέρα, καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν ὁμοιοπαθῆ κατέπεσον γῆν, πρώτην φωνὴν τὴν ὁμοίαν πᾶσιν ἶσα κλαίων.
And when I was born, I drew in the common air, And fell upon the earth, which is of like nature, And the first voice which I uttered was crying, as all others do.
4
Ἐν σπαργάνοις ἀνετράφην, καὶ ἐν φροντίσιν.
I was nursed in swaddling clothes, and that with cares.
5
Οὐδεὶς γὰρ βασιλεὺς ἑτέραν ἔσχε γενέσεως ἀρχήν.
For there is no king that had any other beginning of birth.
6
Μία δὲ πάντων εἴσοδος εἰς τὸν βίον, ἔξοδός τε ἴση.
For all men have one entrance into life, and the like going out.
7
Διὰ τοῦτο ηὐξάμην, καὶ φρόνησις ἐδόθη μοι, ἐπεκαλεσάμην, καὶ ἦλθέ μοι πνεῦμα σοφίας.
Wherefore I prayed, and understanding was given me: I called [upon God], and the spirit of wisdom came to me.
8
Προέκρινα αὐτὴν σκήπτρων καὶ θρόνων, καὶ πλοῦτον οὐδὲν ἡγησάμην ἐν συγκρίσει αὐτῆς.
I preferred her before scepters and thrones, And esteemed riches nothing in comparison of her.
9
Οὐδὲ ὁμοίωσα αὐτῇ λίθον ἀτίμητον, ὅτι ὁ πᾶς χρυσὸς ἐν ὄψει αὐτῆς ψάμμος ὀλίγη, καὶ ὡς πηλὸς λογισθήσεται ἄργυρος ἐναντίον αὐτῆς.
Neither compared I unto her any precious stone, Because all gold in respect of her is as a little sand, And silver shall be counted as clay before her.
10
Ὑπὲρ ὑγίειαν καὶ εὐμορφίαν ἠγάπησα αὐτὴν, καὶ προειλόμην αὐτὴν ἀντὶ φωτὸς ἔχειν, ὅτι ἀκοίμητον τὸ ἐκ ταύτης φέγγος.
I loved her above health and beauty, And chose to have her instead of light: For the light that cometh from her never goeth out.
11
Ἦλθε δέ μοι τὰ ἀγαθὰ ὁμοῦ πάντα μετʼ αὐτῆς, καὶ ἀναρίθμητος πλοῦτος ἐν χερσὶν αὐτῆς.
All good things together came to me with her, And innumerable riches in her hands.
12
Εὐφράνθην δὲ ἐπὶ πάντων, ὅτι αὐτῶν ἡγεῖται σοφία, ἠγνόουν δὲ αὐτὴν γενέτιν εἶναι τούτων.
And I rejoiced in [them] all, because wisdom goeth before them: And I knew not that she was the mother of them.
13
Ἀδόλως τε ἔμαθον, ἀφθόνως τε μεταδίδωμι, τὸν πλοῦτον αὐτῆς οὐκ ἀποκρύπτομαι.
I learned diligently, and do communicate [her] liberally: I do not hide her riches.
14
Ἀνεκλιπὴς γὰρ θησαυρός ἐστιν ἀνθρώποις, ὃν οἱ χρησάμενοι πρὸς Θεὸν ἐστείλαντο φιλίαν, διὰ τὰς ἐκ παιδείας δωρεὰς συσταθέντες.
For she is a treasure unto men that never faileth: Which they that use become the friends of God, Being commended for the gifts that come from learning.
15
Ἐμοὶ δὲ δῴη ὁ Θεὸς εἰπεῖν κατὰ γνώμην, καὶ ἐνθυμηθῆναι ἀξίως τῶν δεδομένων, ὅτι αὐτὸς καὶ τῆς σοφίας ὁδηγός ἐστι, καὶ τῶν σοφῶν διορθωτής.
God hath granted me to speak as I would, And to conceive as is meet for the things that are given me: Because it is he that leadeth unto wisdom, And directeth the wise.
16
Ἐν γὰρ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἡμεῖς καὶ οἱ λόγοι ἡμῶν, πᾶσά τε φρόνησις καὶ ἐργατειῶν ἐπιστήμη.
For in his hand are both we and our words; All wisdom also, and knowledge of workmanship.
17
Αὐτὸς γάρ μοι ἔδωκε τῶν ὄντων γνῶσιν ἀψευδῆ, εἰδέναι σύστασιν κόσμου καὶ ἐνέργειαν στοιχείων,
For he hath given me certain knowledge of the things that are, Namely, to know how the world was made, and the operation of the elements:
18
ἀρχὴν καὶ τέλος καὶ μεσότητα χρόνων, τροπῶν ἀλλαγὰς καὶ μεταβολὰς καιρῶν,
The beginning, ending, and midst of the times: The alterations of the turning [of the sun], and change of seasons:
19
ἐνιαυτῶν κύκλους καὶ ἀστέρων θέσεις,
The circuits of years, and positions of stars:
20
φύσεις ζώων καὶ θυμοὺς θηρίων, πνευμάτων βίας καὶ διαλογισμοὺς ἀνθρώπων, διαφορὰς φυτῶν καὶ δυνάμεις ῥιζῶν,
The natures of living creatures, and the furies of wild beasts: The violence of winds, and the reasonings of men: The diversities of plants, and the virtues of roots:
21
ὅσα τέ ἐστι κρυπτὰ καὶ ἐμφανῆ ἔγνων.
And all such things as are either secret or manifest, [them] I know.
22
Ἡ γὰρ πάντων τεχνίτις ἐδίδαξέ με σοφία· ἔστι γὰρ ἐν αὐτῇ πνεῦμα νοερὸν, ἅγιον, μονογενὲς, πολυμερὲς, λεπτὸν, εὐκίνητον, τρανὸν, ἀμόλυντον, σαφὲς, ἀπήμαντον, φιλάγαθον, ὀξὺ, ἀκώλυτον, εὐεργετικὸν,
For wisdom, which is the worker of all things, taught me: For in her is an understanding spirit, holy, One only, manifold, subtle, Lively, clear, undefiled, Plain, not subject to hurt, loving the thing that is good, quick, Which cannot be letted, ready to do good,
23
φιλάνθρωπον, βέβαιον, ἀσφαλὲς, ἀμέριμνον, παντοδύναμον, πανεπίσκοπον, καὶ διὰ πάντων χωροῦν πνευμάτων νοερῶν, καθαρῶν, λεπτοτάτων.
kind to man, Steadfast, sure, free from care, Having all power, overseeing all things, And going through all understanding, Pure, and most subtle, spirits.
24
Πάσης γὰρ κινήσεως κινητικώτερον σοφία, διήκει δὲ καὶ χωρεῖ διὰ πάντων διὰ τὴν καθαρότητα.
For wisdom is more moving than any motion: She passeth and goeth through all things by reason of her pureness.
25
Ἀτμὶς γάρ ἐστι τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δυνάμεως. καὶ ἀπόῤῥοια τῆς τοῦ παντοκράτορος δόξης εἰλικρινής· διὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲν μεμιαμμένον εἰς αὐτὴν παρεμπίπτει.
For she is the breath of the power of God, And a pure influence flowing from the glory of the Almighty: Therefore can no defiled thing fall into her.
26
Ἀπαύγασμα γάρ ἐστι φωτὸς ἀϊδίου, καὶ ἔσοπτρον ἀκηλίδωτον τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐνεργείας, καὶ εἰκὼν τῆς ἀγαθότητος αὐτοῦ.
For she is the brightness of the everlasting light, The unspotted mirror of the power of God, And the image of his goodness.
27
Μία δὲ οὖσα πάντα δύναται, καὶ μένουσα ἐν αὑτῇ τὰ πάντα καινίζει, καὶ κατὰ γενεὰς εἰς ψυχὰς ὁσίας μεταβαίνουσα, φίλους Θεοῦ καὶ προφήτας κατασκευάζει.
And being but one, she can do all things: And remaining in herself, she maketh all things new: And in all ages entering into holy souls, She maketh them friends of God, and prophets.
28
Οὐθὲν γὰρ ἀγαπᾷ ὁ Θεὸς, εἰ μὴ τὸν σοφίᾳ συνοικοῦντα.
For God loveth none but him that dwelleth with wisdom.
29
Ἔστι γὰρ αὕτη εὐπρεπεστέρα ἡλίου, καὶ ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν ἄστρων θέσιν, φωτὶ συγκρινομένη εὑρίσκεται προτέρα.
For she is more beautiful than the sun, And above all the order of stars: Being compared with the light, she is found before it.
30
Τοῦτο μὲν γὰρ διαδέχεται νὺξ, σοφίας δὲ οὐκ ἀντισχύει κακία.
For after this cometh night: But vice shall not prevail against wisdom.