Home Page POEM OF PARMENIDES

Poem of Parmenides, English translation :

the greek text was established by us : John Burnet (1892)
Copyright © Samuel Béreau
Link to Perseus.

I I

Ἵπποι ταί με φέρουσιν, ὅσον τ' ἐπὶ θυμὸς the steeds that bear me carried me as far as
ἱκάνοι, ever my heart
πέμπον, ἐπεί μ' ἐς ὁδὸν βῆσαν Desired, since they brought me and set me on
πολύφημον ἄγουσαι the renowned
δαίμονος, ἣ κατὰ πάντ' ἄστη φέρει Way of the goddess, who with her own hands
εἰδότα φῶτα· conducts the man
τῇ φερόμην· τῇ γάρ με πολύφραστοι who knows through all things. On what way
φέρον ἵπποι was I borne

[5] ἅρμα τιταίνουσαι, κοῦραι δ' ὁδὸν
ἡγεμόνευον.
Ἄξων δ' ἐν χνοίῃσιν ἵει σύριγγος ἀυτήν
αἰθόμενος - δοιοῖς γὰρ ἐπείγετο
δινωτοῖσιν
κύκλοις ἀμφοτέρωθεν -, ὅτε σπερχοίατο
πέμπειν
Ἡλιάδες κοῦραι, προλιποῦσαι δώματα
Νυκτός,
[10] εἰς φάος, ὠσάμεναι κράτων ἄπο
χερσὶ καλύπτρας.
Ἔνθα πύλαι Νυκτός τε καὶ Ἤματός εἰσι
κελεύθων,
καί σφας ὑπέρθυρον ἀμφὶς ἔχει καὶ
λάινος οὐδός·
αὐταὶ δ' αἰθέριαι πλῆνται μεγάλοισι
θυρέτροις·
τῶν δὲ Δίκη πολύποινος ἔχει κληῖδας
ἀμοιϐούς.
[15] Τὴν δὴ παρφάμεναι κοῦραι
μαλακοῖσι λόγοισιν.
πεῖσαν ἐπιφραδέως, ὥς σφιν βαλανωτὸν skilfully persuade
ὀχῆα
ἀπτερέως ὤσειε πυλέων ἄπο· ταὶ δὲ
θυρέτρων
χάσμ' ἀχανὲς ποίησαν ἀναπτάμεναι
πολυχάλκους
ἄξονας ἐν σύριγξιν ἀμοιϐαδὸν εἰλίξασαι hinges swung backwards in the
5 along; for on it did the wise steeds carry me,
drawing my car,
and maidens showed the way. And the axle,
glowing in the socket -
for it was urged round by the whirling wheels
at eax
end - gave forth a sound as of a pipe, when the
daughters of the
Sun, hasting to convey me into the light, threw
back their veils
10 from off their faces and left the abode of
Night.
There are the gates of the ways of Night and
Day, fitted
above with a lintel and below with a threshold
of stone. They
themselves, high in the air, are closed by
mighty doors, and
Avenging Justice keeps the keys that open
them. Her did
15 the maidens entreat with gentle words and
to unfasten without demur the bolted bars
from the gates.
Then, when the doors were thrown back,
they disclosed a widepening, when their
brazen

[20] γόμφοις καὶ περόνῃσιν ἀρηρότε· τῇ 20 sockets fastened with rivets and nails.
ῥα δι' αὐτέων Straight through them,
ἰθὺς ἔχον κοῦραι κατ' ἀμαξιτὸν ἅρμα καὶ on the broad way, did the maidens guide the
ἵππους. horses and the car,
Καί με θεὰ πρόφρων ὑπεδέξατο, χεῖρα δὲand the goddess greeted me kindly, and took
χειρί my right hand
δεξιτερὴν ἕλεν, ὧδε δ' ἔπος φάτο καί με in hers, and spake to me these words: -
προσηύδα· Welcome, noble youth, that comest to my
ὦ κοῦρ' ἀθανάτοισι συνάορος abode on the car
ἡνιόχοισιν,
25 that bears thee tended by immortal
[25] ἵπποις ταί σε φέρουσιν ἱκάνων charioteers ! It is no ill
ἡμέτερον δῶ, chance, but justice and right that has sent thee
χαῖρ', ἐπεὶ οὔτι σε μοῖρα κακὴ forth to travel
προὔπεμπε νέεσθαι on this way. Far, indeed, does it lie from the
τήνδ' ὁδόν - ἦ γὰρ ἀπ' ἀνθρώπων ἐκτὸς beaten track of
πάτου ἐστίν -, men ! Meet it is that thou shouldst learn all
ἀλλὰ θέμις τε δίκη τε.Χρεὼ δέ σε πάντα things, as well
πυθέσθαι the unshaken heart of persuasive truth, as the
ἠμὲν Ἀληθείης εὐκυκλέος ἀτρεμὲς ἦτορ opinions of

[30] ἠδὲ βροτῶν δόξας, ταῖς οὐκ ἔνι 30 mortals in which is no true belief at all. Yet
πίστις ἀληθής. none the less
Ἀλλ΄ ἔμπης καὶ ταῦτα μαθήσεαι, ὡς τὰ shalt thou learn of these things also, since thou
δοκοῦντα must judge
χρῆν δοκίμως εἶναι διὰ παντὸς πάντα approvedly of the things that seem to men as
περῶντα. thou goest
through all things in thy journey."
II
II

Εἰ δ' ἄγ' ἐγὼν ἐρέω, κόμισαι δὲ σὺ μῦθον Come now, I will tell thee - and do thou
ἀκούσας, hearken to my
αἵπερ ὁδοὶ μοῦναι διζήσιός εἰσι νοῆσαι· saying and carry it away - the only two ways of
ἡ μὲν ὅπως ἔστιν τε καὶ ὡς οὐκ ἔστι μὴ search that
εἶναι, can be thought of. The first, namely, that It is,
Πειθοῦς ἐστι κέλευθος - Ἀληθείῃ γὰρ and that it is
ὀπηδεῖ - , impossible for anything not to be, is the way
of. conviction,
[5] ἡ δ' ὡς οὐκ ἔστιν τε καὶ ὡς χρεών
ἐστι μὴ εἶναι, 5 for truth is its companion.. The other,
τὴν δή τοι φράζω παναπευθέα ἔμμεν namely, that It is not,
ἀταρπόν· and that something must needs not be, - that, I
οὔτε γὰρ ἂν γνοίης τό γε μὴ ἐὸν - οὐ γὰρ tell thee, is a
ἀνυστόν - wholly untrustworthy path. For you cannot
οὔτε φράσαις. know what is
not - that is impossible - nor utter it;
III
III
... τὸ γὰρ αὐτὸ νοεῖν ἐστίν τε καὶ εἶναι.
For it is the same thing that can be thought
IV and that can be.

Λεῦσσε δ' ὅμως ἀπεόντα νόῳ παρεόντα IV

βεϐαίως·
οὐ γὰρ ἀποτμήξει τὸ ἐὸν τοῦ ἐόντος
ἔχεσθαι
οὔτε σκιδνάμενον πάντῃ πάντως κατὰ
κόσμον
οὔτε συνιστάμενον. V
V

Ξυνὸν δὲ μοί ἐστιν,

ὁππόθεν ἄρξωμαι· τόθι γὰρ πάλιν ἵξομαι
αὖθις. VI

VI It needs must be that what can be thought and

spoken of is;
Χρὴ τὸ λέγειν τε νοεῖν τ' ἐὸν ἔμμεναι· for it is possible for it to be, and it is not
ἔστι γὰρ εἶναι, possible for, what is
μηδὲν δ' οὐκ ἔστιν· τά σ' ἐγὼ φράζεσθαι nothing to be. This is what I bid thee ponder. I
ἄνωγα. hold thee
Πρώτης γάρ σ' ἀφ' ὁδοῦ ταύτης διζήσιος back from this first way of inquiry, and from
<εἴργω>, this other also,
αὐτὰρ ἔπειτ' ἀπὸ τῆς, ἣν δὴ βροτοὶ
εἰδότες οὐδὲν 5 upon which mortals knowing naught
wander in two minds; for
[5] πλάττονται, δίκρανοι· ἀμηχανίη γὰρ hesitation guides the wandering thought in
ἐν αὐτῶν their breasts, so that
στήθεσιν ἰθύνει πλακτὸν νόον· οἱ δὲ they are borne along stupefied like men deaf
φοροῦνται and blind.
κωφοὶ ὁμῶς τυφλοί τε, τεθηπότες, Undiscerning crowds, in whose eyes the same
ἄκριτα φῦλα, thing and not the
οἷς τὸ πέλειν τε καὶ οὐκ εἶναι ταὐτὸν same is and is not, and all things travel in
νενόμισται opposite directions !
κοὐ ταὐτόν, πάντων δὲ παλίντροπός ἐστι
κέλευθος. VII

VII For this shall never be proved, that the things

that are not
Οὐ γὰρ μήποτε τοῦτο δαμῇ εἶναι μὴ are; and do thou restrain thy thought from this
ἐόντα· way of inquiry.
ἀλλὰ σὺ τῆσδ' ἀφ' ὁδοῦ διζήσιος εἶργε Nor let habit force thee to cast a wandering
νόημα· eye upon this
μηδέ σ' ἔθος πολύπειρον ὁδὸν κατὰ devious track, or to turn thither thy
τήνδε βιάσθω, resounding ear or thy
νωμᾶν ἄσκοπον ὄμμα καὶ ἠχήεσσαν
ἀκουήν 5 tongue; but do thou judge the subtle
refutation of their
[5] καὶ γλῶσσαν, κρῖναι δὲ λόγῳ discourse uttered by me.
πολύδηριν ἔλεγχον
ἐξ ἐμέθεν ῥηθέντα. VIII

VIII One path only is left for us to

Μόνος δ' ἔτι μῦθος ὁδοῖο
λείπεται ὡς ἔστιν· ταύτῃ δ' ἐπὶ σήματ'
ἔασι
πολλὰ μάλ', ὡς ἀγένητον ἐὸν καὶ
ἀνώλεθρόν ἐστιν,
ἐστι γὰρ οὐλομελές τε καὶ ἀτρεμὲς ἠδ'
ἀτέλεστον·
[5] οὐδέ ποτ' ἦν οὐδ' ἔσται, ἐπεὶ νῦν
speak of, namely, that It is. In it are very many
tokens that
what is, is uncreated and indestructible, alone,
complete,
immovable and without end. Nor was it ever,
nor will it be; for
5 now it is, all at once, a continuous one. For
what kind of origin
for it. will you look for ? In what way and from
ἔστιν ὁμοῦ πᾶν, what source
ἕν, συνεχές· τίνα γὰρ γένναν διζήσεαι could it have drawn its increase ? I shall not
αὐτοῦ; let thee say nor
πῇ πόθεν αὐξηθέν; οὔτ΄ ἐκ μὴ ἐόντος think that it came from what is not; for it can
ἐάσσω neither be
φάσθαι σ' οὐδὲ νοεῖν· οὐ γὰρ φατὸν thought nor uttered that what is not is. And, if
οὐδὲ νοητόν it came from
ἔστιν ὅπως οὐκ ἔστι. Τί δ' ἄν μιν καὶ
χρέος ὦρσεν 10 nothing, what need could have made it
arise later rather than
[10] ὕστερον ἢ πρόσθεν, τοῦ μηδενὸς sooner ? Therefore must it either be altogether
ἀρξάμενον, φῦν; or be not at
οὕτως ἢ πάμπαν πελέναι χρεών ἐστιν ἢ all. Nor will the force of truth suffer aught to
οὐχί. arise besides
Οὐδὲ ποτ' ἐκ μὴ ἐόντος ἐφήσει πίστιος itself from that which in any way is.
ἰσχύς Wherefore, Justice does
γίγνεσθαί τι παρ' αὐτό· τοῦ εἵνεκεν οὔτε not loose her fetters and let anything come
γενέσθαι into being or pass
οὔτ' ὄλλυσθαι ἀνῆκε Δίκη χαλάσασα
πέδῃσιν, 15 away, but holds it fast.
" Is it or is it not ? " Surely it is adjudged, as it
[15] ἀλλ' ἔχει· ἡ δὲ κρίσις περὶ τούτων ἐν needs must
τῷδ΄ ἔστιν· be, that we are to set aside the one way as
ἔστιν ἢ οὐκ ἔστιν· κέκριται δ' οὖν, unthinkable and
ὥσπερ ἀνάγκη, nameless (for it is no true way), and that the
τὴν μὲν ἐᾶν ἀνόητον ἀνώνυμον (οὐ γὰρ other path is real
ἀληθής and true. How, then, can what is be going to be
ἔστιν ὁδός), τὴν δ' ὥστε πέλειν καὶ in the
ἐτήτυμον εἶναι.
Πῶς δ' ἂν ἔπειτα πέλοιτὸ ἐόν; πῶς δ' ἄν 20 future ? Or how could it come into being ?
κε γένοιτο ; If it came into
being, it is not; nor is it if it is going to be in the
[20] εἰ γὰρ ἔγεντ', οὐκ ἔστι, οὐδ' εἴ ποτε future. Thus is
μέλλει ἔσεσθαι. becoming extinguished and passing away not
Τὼς γένεσις μὲν ἀπέσϐεσται καὶ to be heard of.
ἄπυστος ὄλεθρος. Nor is it divisible, since it is all alike, and there
Οὐδὲ διαιρετόν ἐστιν, ἐπεὶ πᾶν ἐστιν is no more
ὁμοῖον· of it in one place than in another, to hinder it
οὐδέ τι τῇ μᾶλλον, τό κεν εἴργοι μιν from holding
συνέχεσθαι, together, nor less of it, but everything is full of
οὐδέ τι χειρότερον, πᾶν δ' ἔμπλεόν ἐστιν what is.
ἐόντος.
25 Wherefore all holds together; for what is; is
in contact with what is.
[25] Τῷ ξυνεχὲς πᾶν ἐστιν· ἐὸν γὰρ ἐόντι Moreover, it is immovable in the bonds of
πελάζει. mighty chains, without
Αὐτὰρ ἀκίνητον μεγάλων ἐν πείρασι beginning and without end; since coming into
δεσμῶν being
ἔστιν ἄναρχον ἄπαυστον, ἐπεὶ γένεσις and passing away have been driven afar, and
καὶ ὄλεθρος true belief has cast them away.
τῆλε μάλ' ἐπλάχθησαν, ἀπῶσε δὲ πίστις It is the same, and it rests in the self-same
ἀληθής. place, abiding in itself.
Ταὐτόν τ' ἐν ταὐτῷ τε μένον καθ' ἑαυτό
τε κεῖται 30 And thus it remaineth constant in its place;
for hard necessity
[30] χοὔτως ἔμπεδον αὖθι μένει· keeps it in the bonds of the limit that holds it
κρατερὴ γὰρ Ἀνάγκη fast on every side.
πείρατος ἐν δεσμοῖσιν ἔχει, τό μιν ἀμφὶς Wherefore it is not permitted to what is to be
ἐέργει, infinite; for it is in need of nothing ; while, if it
οὕνεκεν οὐκ ἀτελεύτητον τὸ ἐὸν θέμις were infinite, it would stand in need of
εἶναι· everything. It is the
ἔστι γὰρ οὐκ ἐπιδεές· μὴ ἐὸν δ' ἂν same thing that can be thought and for the
παντὸς ἐδεῖτο. sake of which the thought exists ;
Ταὐτὸν δ' ἐστὶ νοεῖν τε καὶ οὕνεκεν ἔστι
νόημα. 35 for you cannot find thought without
something that is, to which it is
[35] Οὐ γὰρ ἄνευ τοῦ ἐόντος, ἐν ᾧ betrothed. And there is not, and never shall be,
πεφατισμένον ἐστιν, any time other, than that which
εὑρήσεις τὸ νοεῖν· οὐδὲν γὰρ <ἢ> ἔστιν is present, since fate has chained it so as to be
ἢ ἔσται whole and immovable.
ἄλλο πάρεξ τοῦ ἐόντος, ἐπεὶ τό γε Μοῖρ' Wherefore all these things are but the names
ἐπέδησεν which mortals
οὖλον ἀκίνητόν τ' ἔμεναι· τῷ πάντ' ὄνομ' have given, believing them, to be true –
ἔσται,
ὅσσα βροτοὶ κατέθεντο πεποιθότες εἶναι 40 coming into being and passing away, being
ἀληθῆ, and not being,
change of place and alteration of bright colour.
[40] γίγνεσθαί τε καὶ ὄλλυσθαι, εἶναί τε Where, then, it has its farthest boundary, it is
καὶ οὐχί, complete on
καὶ τόπον ἀλλάσσειν διά τε χρόα φανὸν every side, equally poised from the centre in
ἀμείϐειν. every direction,
Αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ πεῖρας πύματον, like the mass of a rounded sphere; for it
τετελεσμένον ἐστί cannot be greater or
πάντοθεν, εὐκύκλου σφαίρης ἐναλίγκιον
ὄγκῳ, 45 smaller in one place than in another. For
μεσσόθεν ἰσοπαλὲς πάντῃ· τὸ γὰρ οὔτε there is nothing
τι μεῖζον which is not that could keep it from reaching
out equally, nor
[45] οὔτε τι βαιότερον πελέναι χρεόν is it possible that there should be more of what
ἐστι τῇ ἢ τῇ. is in this place
Οὔτε γὰρ οὐκ ἐὸν ἔστι, τό κεν παύοι μιν and less in that, since it is all inviolable. For,
ἱκνεῖσθαι since it is equal
εἰς ὁμόν, οὔτ' ἐὸν ἔστιν ὅπως εἴη κεν in all directions, it is equally confined within
ἐόντος limits.
τῇ μᾶλλον τῇ δ' ἧσσον, ἐπεὶ πᾶν ἐστιν
ἄσυλον· 50 Here shall I close my trustworthy speech
οἷ γὰρ πάντοθεν ἶσον, ὁμῶς ἐν πείρασι and thought about the truth.
κύρει. Henceforward learn the opinions of mortals,
giving ear to the deceptive ordering of my
[50] Ἐν τῷ σοι παύω πιστὸν λόγον ἠδὲ words.
νόημα Mortals have settled in their minds to speak of
ἀμφὶς ἀληθείης· δόξας δ' ἀπὸ τοῦδε two forms, one of which
βροτείας they should have left out, and that is where
μάνθανε κόσμον ἐμῶν ἐπέων ἀπατηλὸν they go astray from the truth.
ἀκούων.
Μορφὰς γὰρ κατέθεντο δύο γνώμας 55 They have assigned an opposite
ὀνομάζειν· substance to each, and marks distinct from
τῶν μίαν οὐ χρεών ἐστιν - ἐν ᾧ one another. To the
πεπλανημένοι εἰσίν - one they allot the fire of heaven, light, thin, in
every direction
[55] τἀντία δ' ἐκρίναντο δέμας καὶ the same as itself, but not the same as the
σήματ' ἔθεντο other. The other is
χωρὶς ἀπ' ἀλλήλων, τῇ μὲν φλογὸς opposite to it, dark night, a compact and heavy
αἰθέριον πῦρ, body. Of these
ἤπιον ὄν, μέγ'ἐλαφρόν, ἑωυτῷ πάντοσε
τωὐτόν, 60 I tell thee the whole arrangement as it
τῷ δ' ἑτέρῳ μὴ τωὐτόν· ἀτὰρ κἀκεῖνο seems to men,
κατ' αὐτό in order that no mortal may surpass thee in
τἀντία νύκτ' ἀδαῆ, πυκινὸν δέμας knowledge.
ἐμϐριθές τε.
IX
[60] Τόν σοι ἐγὼ διάκοσμον ἐοικότα
πάντα φατίζω, Now that all things have been named light and
ὡς οὐ μή ποτέ τίς σε βροτῶν γνώμη night; and the things
παρελάσσῃ. which belong to the power of each have been
assigned to these
IX things and to those, everything is full at once
of light and dark night,
Αὐτὰρ ἐπειδὴ πάντα φάος καὶ νὺξ both equal, since neither has aught to do with
ὀνόμασται the other.
καὶ τὰ κατὰ σφετέρας δυνάμεις ἐπὶ τοῖσί
τε καὶ τοῖς, X
πᾶν πλέον ἐστὶν ὁμοῦ φάεος καὶ νυκτὸς
ἀφάντου And thou shalt know the origin of all the
ἴσων ἀμφοτέρων, ἐπεὶ οὐδετέρῳ μέτα things on high,
μηδέν. and all the signs in the sky, and the
resplendent works of the
X glowing sun’s clear torch, and whence they
arose. And thou
Εἴσῃ δ' αἰθερίαν τε φύσιν τά τ' ἐν αἰθέρι shalt learn likewise of the wandering deeds of
πάντα the round-faced
σήματα καὶ καθαρᾶς εὐαγέος ἠελίοιο
λαμπάδος ἔργ' ἀίδηλα καὶ ὁππόθεν 5 moon, and of her origin. Thou shalt know,
ἐξεγένοντο, too, the heavens
ἔργα τε κύκλωπος πεύσῃ περίφοιτα that surround us, whence they arose, and how
σελήνης Necessity took
them and bound them to keep the limits of the
[5] καὶ φύσιν, εἰδήσεις δὲ καὶ οὐρανὸν stars . . .
ἀμφὶς ἔχοντα
ἔνθεν ἔφυ τε καὶ ὥς μιν ἄγους΄ XI
ἐπέδησεν Ἀνάγκη
πείρατ' ἔχειν ἄστρων. How the earth, and the sun, and the moon,
and the sky that is
XI common to all, and the Milky Way, and the
outermost Olympos,
πῶς γαῖα καὶ ἥλιος ἠδὲ σελήνη and the burning might of the stars
αἰθήρ τε ξυνὸς γάλα τ' οὐράνιον καὶ arose.
ὄλυμπος
ἔσχατος ἠδ' ἄστρων θερμὸν μένος XII
ὡρμήθησαν
γίγνεσθαι. The narrower circles are filled with unmixed
fire, and those
XII surrounding them with night, and in the midst
of these rushes
Αἱ γὰρ στεινότεραι πλῆντο πυρὸς their portion of fire. In the midst of these
ἀκρήτοιο, circles is the divinity that directs
αἱ δ' ἐπὶ ταῖς νυκτός, μετὰ δὲ φλογὸς the course of all things; for she rules over all
ἵεται αἶσα· painful birth and all begetting,
ἐν δὲ μέσῳ τούτων δαίμων ἣ πάντα
κυϐερνᾷ· 5 driving the female to the embrace of the
πάντα γὰρ <ἣ> στυγεροῖο τόκου καὶ male, and the male to that of the female.
μίξιος ἄρχει
XIII
V πέμπουσ' ἄρσενι θῆλυ μιγῆν τό τ'
ἐναντίον αὖτις First of all the gods she contrived Eros.
ἄρσεν θηλυτέρῳ.
XIV
XIII
Shining by night with borrowed light,
Πρώτιστον μὲν Ἔρωτα θεῶν μητίσατο wandering round the earth.
πάντων ...
XV
XIV
Always straining her eyes to the beams of the
Νυκτιφαὲς περὶ γαῖαν ἀλώμενον sun.
ἀλλότριον φῶς
XVa
XV

αἰεὶ παπταίνουσα πρὸς αὐγὰς ἠελίοιο.

XVI
XVa

ὑδατόριζον εἶπειν τὴν γῆν XVII

XVI On the right boys; on the left girls.

Ὡς γὰρ ἕκαστος ἔχει κρᾶσιν μελέων XVIII

πολυπλάγκτων,
τὼς νόος ἀνθρώποισι παρίσταται· τὸ
γὰρ αὐτό
ἔστιν ὅπερ φρονέει μελέων φύσις XIX
ἀνθρώποισιν
καὶ πᾶσιν καὶ παντί· τὸ γὰρ πλέον ἐστὶ Thus, according to men’s opinions, did things
νόημα. comp into
being, and thus they are now. In time (they
XVII think) they will
grow up and pass away. To each of these
δεξιτεροῖσιν μὲν κούρους, λαιοῖσι δὲ things men have
κούρας ... assigned a fixed name.

XVII

femina virque simul Veneris cum

germina miscent,
venis informans diverso ex sanguine
virtus
temperiem servans bene condita
corpora fingit.
nam si virtutes permicto semine
pugnent
nec faciant unam permixto in corpore,
dirae
nascentem gemino vexabunt semine
sexum.

XIX

Οὕτω τοι κατὰ δόξαν ἔφυ τάδε καί νυν

ἔασι
καὶ μετέπειτ' ἀπὸ τοῦδε τελευτήσουσι
τραφέντα·
τοῖς δ' ὄνομ' ἄνθρωποι κατέθεντ'
ἐπίσημον ἑκάστῳ.