Originale | English translation by Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard
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ΘΕΡΜΟΠΎΛΕΣ | THERMOPYLAE |
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Τιμὴ σ' ἐκείνους ὅπου στὴν ζωή των | Honor to those who in the life they lead |
ὥρισαν καὶ φυλάγουν Θερμοπύλες. | define and guard a Thermopylae. |
Ποτὲ απὸ τὸ χρέος μὴ κινοῦντες· | Never betraying what is right, |
δίκαιοι κι ἴσιοι σ' ὅλες των τὲς πράξεις, | consistent and just in all they do |
ἀλλά μὲ λύπη κιόλας κ' εὐσπλαχνία· | but showing pity also, and compassion; |
γενναῖοι ὁσάκις εἶναι πλούσιοι, | generous when they are rich, and when they are poor, |
κι ὅταν εἶναι πτωχοί, πάλ' εἰς μικρὸν γενναῖοι, | still generous in small ways, |
πάλι συντρέχοντες ὅσο μποροῦνε· | still helping as much as they can; |
πάντοτε τὴν ἀλήθεια ὁμιλοῦντες, | always speaking the truth, |
πλὴν χωρὶς μῖσος γιὰ τοὺς ψευδομένους. | yet without hating those who lie. |
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Καὶ περισσότερη τιμὴ τοὺς πρέπει | And even more honor is due to them |
ὅταν προβλέπουν (καὶ πολλοὶ προβλέπουν) | when they foresee (as many do foresee) |
πὼς ὁ Ἐφιάλτης θὰ φανεῖ στὸ τέλος, | that in the end Ephialtis will make his appearance, |
κ' οἱ Μῆδοι ἐπὶ τέλους θὰ διαβοῦνε. | that the Medes will break through after all. |