ar.

Friend, fare thee well: I send to thee this honey mingled with white
milk, and the dew of the mixing hangeth round about it, to be a drink
of minstrelsy distilled in breathings of Aiolian flutes; albeit it
come full late.

Swift is the eagle among the birds of the air, who seizeth presently
with his feet his speckled prey[6], seeking it from afar off; but in
low places dwell[7] the chattering daws. To thee at least, by the will
of throned Kleio, for sake of thy zeal in the games, from Nemea and
from Epidauros and from Megara hath a great light shined.

[Footnote 1: I. e. commemorating the Nemean games and the victories
obtained by citizens of Aigina there.]

[Footnote 2: There seems to have been a stream of this name in Aigina,
as well as in Boeotia.]

[Footnote 3: Cheiron's mother.]

[Footnote 4: Sent from Aigina to Apollo's temple at Delphi.]

[Footnote 5: This is very obscure: Boeckh said that the longer he
considered it the more obscure it became to him. Donaldson 'is
inclined to think that Pindar is speaking with reference to the
Pythagorean division of virtue into four species, and that he assigns
one virtue to each of the four ages of human life (on the same
principle as that which Shakespeare has followed in his description of
the seven ages) namely temperance as the virtue of youth, courage of
early manhood, justice of mature age, and prudence of old age.']

[Footnote 6: Snakes.]

[Footnote 7: Or 'on vile things feed.']

IV.

FOR TIMASARCHOS OF AIGINA,

WINNER IN THE BOYS' WRESTLING-MATCH.

* * * * *

The date of this ode is unknown: we can only infer, from the way in
which Athens is spoken of, that it was written before the war between
that state and Aigina. It seems to have been sung on the winner's
return home, very likely in a procession through the streets.

* * * * *

Best of physicians for a man's accomplished toil is festive joy:
and the touch of songs, wise daughters of the Muses, hath power of
comforting. Less doth warm water avail to bathe limbs for soothing
than words of praise married to the music of the lyre. For speech is
longer-lived than act, whensoever by favour of the Graces the tongue
hath drawn it forth out of the depth of the heart.

Be it the prelude of my hymn to dedicate it to Zeus the son of Kronos,
and to Nemea, and to the wrestling of Timasarchos; and may it have
welcome in the Aiakids' st