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Agamemnon, Hymn to Zeus, 160-183
click on Greek text to hear it recited; scroll down for translation
Zeus, whoever he may be,
if so it please him to be named,
so I do address him.
I find no other image,
though I ponder all,
than Zeus, if from my mind this senseless burden
truly must be thrown.
Nor will whoever once was great,
bursting in his battle pride,
be counted as having been.
And he who next arose
was thrice thrown and is gone.
But who with lusty song cries Zeus the victor
hits the soul of wisdom.
He steered the mortal mind to thought,
making one law: suffer and learn.
Drop by drop on hearts in sleep
falls pain, remembering woes;
and so to the unwilling
comes wisdom when it comes.
Violent is the grace of powers
at the terrible helm.
translation © 2003 Alan Shaw
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