Palinode · 250c–250e
1那是至福的密仪,我们亲身参与;那时我们自身完整无缺,尚未沾染日后等着我们的种种祸患。我们在纯净的光辉中受了启示、亲眼观照那些完整、单纯、宁定而有福的显象;我们自身也是纯净的,还不曾被囚禁在这具如今随身带着、称作"身体"的东西里——像牡蛎被锁在壳中一样。
GRμακαριωτάτην, ἣν ὠργιάζομεν ὁλόκληροι μὲν αὐτοὶ ὄντες καὶ ἀπαθεῖς κακῶν ὅσα ἡμᾶς ἐν ὑστέρῳ χρόνῳ ὑπέμενεν, ὁλόκληρα δὲ καὶ ἁπλᾶ καὶ ἀτρεμῆ καὶ εὐδαίμονα φάσματα μυούμενοί τε καὶ ἐποπτεύοντες ἐν αὐγῇ καθαρᾷ, καθαροὶ ὄντες καὶ ἀσήμαντοι τούτου ὃ νῦν δὴ σῶμα περιφέροντες ὀνομάζομεν, ὀστρέου τρόπον δεδεσμευμένοι.
ENthe most blessed of mysteries, which we celebrated in a state of perfection, when we were without experience of the evils which awaited us in the time to come, being permitted as initiates to the sight of perfect and simple and calm and happy apparitions, which we saw in the pure light, being ourselves pure and not entombed in this which we carry about with us and call the body, in which we are imprisoned like an oyster in its shell.
2这一席话,就算是我献给"记忆"的吧:正因这记忆,出于对那时所见的眷恋,我才说得长了些。
GRταῦτα μὲν οὖν μνήμῃ κεχαρίσθω, δι᾽ ἣν πόθῳ τῶν τότε νῦν μακρότερα εἴρηται·
ENSo much, then, in honor of memory, on account of which I have now spoken at some length, through yearning for the joys of that other time.
3至于"美"——正如方才所言——它当年在那些神圣存在之列,也曾熠熠生辉地存在着;而我们来到此世以后,仍能凭着我们最清晰的那一种感官,见它最清晰地闪耀。
GRπερὶ δὲ κάλλους, ὥσπερ εἴπομεν, μετ᾽ ἐκείνων τε ἔλαμπεν ὄν, δεῦρό τ᾽ ἐλθόντες κατειλήφαμεν αὐτὸ διὰ τῆς ἐναργεστάτης αἰσθήσεως τῶν ἡμετέρων στίλβον ἐναργέστατα.
ENBut beauty, as I said before, shone in brilliance among those visions; and since we came to earth we have found it shining most clearly through the clearest of our senses;
4因为在通过身体而来的诸感官当中,视觉对我们最为敏锐;然而"明智"却无法被它看见——否则,明智若能把自身某种如此清晰的影像送入眼帘,该会激起何等强烈可畏的爱恋啊!其余一切可爱之物(别的理型)也都如此。
GRὄψις γὰρ ἡμῖν ὀξυτάτη τῶν διὰ τοῦ σώματος ἔρχεται αἰσθήσεων, ᾗ φρόνησις οὐχ ὁρᾶται—δεινοὺς γὰρ ἂν παρεῖχεν ἔρωτας, εἴ τι τοιοῦτον ἑαυτῆς ἐναργὲς εἴδωλον παρείχετο εἰς ὄψιν ἰόν—καὶ τἆλλα ὅσα ἐραστά·
ENfor sight is the sharpest of the physical senses, though wisdom is not seen by it, for wisdom would arouse terrible love, if such a clear image of it were granted as would come through sight, and the same is true of the other lovely realities;
5唯独"美",在如今得了这样的命分:它最为显明,也最惹人爱恋。
GRνῦν δὲ κάλλος μόνον ταύτην ἔσχε μοῖραν, ὥστ᾽ ἐκφανέστατον εἶναι καὶ ἐρασμιώτατον.
ENbut beauty alone has this privilege, and therefore it is most clearly seen and loveliest.