Ben-Hur Translation Page 16: Simonides the Jew

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After the surprise meeting with the beautiful Egyptian girl and his hated enemy, Messala, Ben-Hur seeks out his father’s former slave, the wealthy Simonides.

Postquam improvise occurrerit in pulchram Ægyptiam inimicissimumque Messalam, Benhur quærit patris libertum, divitem Simonidam.

Ἐπειδὴ ἐξαίφνης ἀπήντησε τῇ τε καλῇ Αἰγυπτίᾳ καὶ τῷ ἐχθίστῳ Μεσσάλᾳ, ὁ Βενὼρ ζητεῖ τὸν τοῦ πατρὸς ἀπελεύθερον, τὸν πλούσιον Σιμωνίδην.

Tell your master that one who as a child he held upon his knee desires to speak with him.

Dic domino tuo: quidam, quem puerulum supra genibus habuisti, cupit colloqui tecum.

Εἶπε τῷ κυρίῳ σου ὅτι τις, ὃν παιδίον ὄντα ἐπὶ τῶν γονάτων ἔσχες, ἐπιθυμεῖ διαλέγεσθαί σοι.

To my trained eye you appear more Jewish than Roman, good sir. Follow me!

Mihi experto magis videris Judæus quam Romanus, bone vir. Sequere me!

Ἐμοὶ ἐμπείρῳ ὄντι μᾶλλον δοκεῖς Ἰουδαῖος ἢ Ῥωμαῖος, ἀγαθὲ ἄνερ. Ἀκολούθει μοι.

Suspicious at first, Simonides is soon convinced by the young man’s remarkable story that he is truly the son and heir of the house of Hur…

Cum primum suspicax fuerit, Simonides mox mira juvenis fabula sibi persuadet eum vero filium ac heredem domus Hur esse.

Πρῶτον ὕποπτος γενόμενος, ὁ Σιμωνίδης ταχέως πείθεται τῷ τοῦ νεανίου θαυμασίῳ μύθῳ ὅτι οὗτος δὴ υἱὸς καὶ κληρόνομος τοῦ οἴκου Ὤρ ἐστιν.

..and so, after the terrible misfortunes that befell me and my family, I gained wealth and position in Rome. Now I am returning to Jerusalem where I shall resume my rightful name.

..et post terribilia quæ mihi familiæque acciderant, dives potensque factus sum Romæ. Nunc autem revertor Jerosolyma, ubi meo nomine justo revocabor.

..καὶ μετὰ τὰ δεινὰ ἐμοὶ καὶ τῷ οἴκῳ συμβάντα, πλούσιός τε καὶ δυνατὸς ἐγενόμην. Νῦν δὲ ἐπανέρχομαι εἰς τὰ Ἱεροσόλυμα, ὅπου τῷ ὀνόματί μου τῷ δικαίῳ ἀνακαλέσομαι.

Thus my prayers are answered, for I have protected and enlarged your fortune hoping against hope that you still lived.

Ergo preces meæ exauditæ sunt, etenim protexi atque auxi rem tuam, cum præter spem sperarem te adhuc vivere.

Αἱ ἄρα προσευχαί μου εἰσηκούσθησαν, καὶ γὰρ πεφύλαχά τε καὶ ηὔξηκα τὴν οὐσίαν σου,
παρ' ἐλπίδα ἐλπίζων σε ἔτι ζῆν.

Believe me, good Simonides, the fate of my mother and sister is now my chief concern. Until I find their graves I shall not cease my search for them.

Mihi crede, bone Simonide, quid acciderit matri sororique quam maxime mihi curæ est. Donec invenero sepulcra eorum, non desinam quærere eas.

Ἐμοὶ πίστευε, ἀγαθὲ Σιμωνίδα, περὶ τῶν τῇ τε μητρὶ καὶ τῇ ἀδελφῇ γενομένων ὡς μαλίστα μέλει μοι. Ἕως ἂν εὕρω τοὺς τάφους αὐτῶν, οὐ μὴ ἀποπαύσομαι τοῦ αὐτὰς ζητεῖν.

I keep agents in Jerusalem, but not a word has been heard about your mother and Tirzah since the day they were cast into the Roman prison.

Procuratores habeo Jerosolymis, nihil autem de matre tua Thersaque auditum est ex quo in Romanorum carcerem conjectæ sunt.

Ἐπιτρόπους μὲν ἔχω ἐν τοῖς Ἱεροσολύμοις, οὐδὲν δὲ περὶ τῆς τε μητρός σου καὶ τῆς Θερσὰ ἠκούσθη ἐξ οὗ εἰς τὸ τῶν Ῥωμαίων δεσμωτήριον ἐνεβλήθησαν.

You are now the wealthiest subject of the Roman empire. Had you not returned, I would have devoted these riches to the destruction of all our Roman tyrants.

Nunc ditissimus in Romanorum regno civis es. Nisi reversus esses, contulissem opes istas ad omnes Romanos dominos nostros perdendos.

Νῦν πλουσιώτατος ἐν τῇ τῶν Ῥωμαίων βασιλείᾳ πολίτης εἶ. Εἰ μὴ ἐπεστράφης, ἐπεμελήσαμην ἂν ταύτης τῆς εὐπορίας ὅπως πάντες οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι, οἱ ἡμέτεροι δεσπόται, ἀπολλύωσιν.

I swear by the God of Israel that it shall be done as you have planned. I say, curse Rome and all the Romans!

Juro per Deum Israël sic fore ut parasti. Maledictam, inquam, Romam simul cum omnibus Romanis!

Ὄμνυμι τὸν Θεὸν τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ οὕτω γενήσεσθαι ὥσπερ παρεσκεύασαι. Κατάρατος οὖν ἡ Ῥώμη πᾶσιν τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις.

The time draws near when something can be done. For years a strange rumor has been about that a great leader will soon appear among the Jews.

Tempus appropinquat aliquid fieri posse. Per multos enim annos opinio mira est ducem magnum brevi appariturum inter Judæos.

Ὁ χρόνος ἐπέρχεταί τι πράττειν. Διὰ γὰρ πολλοὺς ἐνιαυτοὺς ἀκοὴ θαυμασία τίς ἐστιν μέγαν ἡγεμόνα ἐν βραχεῖ φανήσεσθαι ἐν τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις.

I have heard from Balthasar, a wise and learned traveler from Egypt , of a child he saw many years ago whom he swears was born to be king of the Jews.

Audivi ex Baltassar, sapientis doctique viatoris ex Ægypto, abhinc multos jam annos se vidisse puerum et jurare eum natum esse ut rex Judæorum esset.

Ἤκουσα τοῦ Βαλτασάρ, σοφοῦ τε καὶ πολυμαθοῦς ὁδοιπόρου ἀπ' Αἰγύπτου ὄντος, πάλαι πολλὰ ἤδη ἔτη παιδίον ἰδόντος καὶ ὀμνύντος τοῦτο γεννηθῆναι ὥστε τὸν τῶν Ἰουδαίων βασιλέα εἶναι.

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