Aesopic Proverbs 51-60: Crows, Pigs, and Raw Recruits

51.
“This egg came from that crow.”
Interpretation:
“The fruit of every tree will become a clear reproach when the tree puts forth its nature [shoots?].”
Τοῦτο τὸ ὠὸν ἀπ’ ἐκείνου τοῦ κόρακος.
῾Ερμηνεία.
Δῆλος ἔλεγχος ὁ καρπὸς γενήσεται
Παντὸς δένδρου <φυέντος> ἣν ἔχει φύσιν.

52.
“The sow sees barley in its dreams.”
Interpretation:
“Everyone dreams looking upon those things toward which his mind is inclined.”
῾Η ὗς εἰς τοὺς ὀνείρους κριθὰς βλέπει.
῾Ερμηνεία.
᾿Ονειροπολεῖται ἅπας ἐκεῖνα βλέπων,
Εἰς ἅπερ ἔχει τὴν γνῶσιν κεκλιμένην.

53.
“When the rustic man eats, he rages at the fish.”
Interpretation:
“The inexperienced hedonist, if he ever gets hold of pleasure, loses his mind and grows excessively insolent.”
Χωρικὸς φαγὼν ἰχθὺν ἐμάν<η>.
῾Ερμηνεία.
Τρυφῶν ἄπειρος, ἣν λάχῃ τρυφήν ποτε,
<Τὸν νοῦν ἀπολλὺς> εἰς ἄγαν φρυάττεται.

54.
“The horse runs to its birth.”
Interpretation:
“Subsequent progeny guard the character of their family for those from whom they sprang.”
῞Ιππος εἰς γένος τρέχει.
῾Ερμηνεία.
Πρὸς τοὺς ἐξ ὧν ἐγεννήθησαν οἱ μετέπειτα
Τὸν τρόπον φυλάττουσιν τῆς συγγενείας.

55.
“The raw recruit is a poison to the ship.”
Interpretation:
“Inexperience is a hard thing, and even more so when the wave of the sea tyrannizes over the ship.”
᾿Ιδιώτης εἰς πλοῖον φάρμακον.
῾Ερμηνεία.
Χαλεπὸν ἀπειρία κἀκεῖσε μᾶλλον,
῎Ενθα κῦμα θαλάσσης τυραννεῖ σκάφος.
56.
“A well-born horse does not kick.”
Interpretation:
“The one who receives the good-breeding of nature will maintain it by the gentleness of manners.”
῞Ιππος εὐγενὴς οὐ λακτίζει.
῾Ερμηνεία.
Εὐγένειαν ὁ λαχὼν τὴν τῆς φύσεως
Ταύτην φυλάττει πραότητι τῶν τρόπων.

57.
“Tell the truth to your doctor and your lawyer.”
Interpretation:
“It is not wise to hide either an affliction of the body or the presence of an illness in one’s vitals.”

᾿Ιατρῷ καὶ νομικῷ τὴν ἀλήθειαν λέγε.
῾Ερμηνεία.
Κρύπτειν οὐ πρέπει οὔτε πάθος σώματος
Οὔτε κτῆσιν <τὴν οὖσ>αν ἐν καιρῷ νόσου.

58.
“Of moderate… < >”
Interpretation:
“Those who honor wealth and have many possessions say farewell to poverty forever.”
Μετρίου φί< >
῾Ερμηνεία.
Πλοῦτον τιμῶντες οἱ χρημάτων ἔμπλεοι
Τῇ πενίᾳ λέγουσιν χαίρειν <εἰς> ἀεί.
59.
“The one not looking through a sieve is blind.”
Interpretation
“The man who has gotten the beginnings of understanding, if he does not think prudently, will be reproached with blindness.”
῾Ο μὴ βλέπων διὰ κοσκίνου τυφλός ἐστιν.
῾Ερμηνεία.
᾿Αφορμὰς εἰς σύνεσιν εἰληφὼς ἀνήρ,
Εἰ μὴ φρονοίη, τυφλώττειν ἐλέγχεται.

60.
“The lyre string laughs just once.”
Interpretation:
“Sallies of wit can only delight stupidity for a while. When they linger, they cause pain.”
Χορδὴ ἅπαξ γελᾶται.
῾Ερμηνεία.
Χαριεντισμοῦ λόγος ἀπαιδευσίαν
Πρὸς ὀλίγον τέρπει· εἰ δ’ ἐπιμένει λυπεῖ.