Ἀτέκμαρτος ὁ πᾶς βίος οὐδὲν ἔχων πιστὸν πλανᾶται
συντυχίαις· ἐλπὶς δὲ φρένας παραθαρσύνει· τὸ δὲ μέλλον ἀκριβῶς
οἶδεν οὐδεὶς θνατὸς ὅπᾳ φέρεται·
θεὸς δὲ πάντας †ἐν κινδύνοις θνατοὺς† κυβερνᾷ·
ἀντιπνεῖ δὲ πολλάκις εὐτυχίᾳ δεινά τις αὔρα.
(Hermolochus, fr. 1)
Baffling is one’s whole life, without anything certain and led astray by incidents. Hope emboldens one’s heart; but no mortal knows the future clearly and where it is leading to: a god steers all †mortals among dangers†. Often an awful wind blows against good fortune. (tr. Pauline A. LeVen)
Crambe Repetita 