Texte grec :
| [1,5] ἔτι δὲ μὴ ἕνα τρόπον ἡρμοσμένους, ἀλλὰ τοὺς αὐτοὺς σφοδρούς
τε καὶ πρᾴους καὶ πολεμικοὺς ἅμα καὶ εἰρηνικοὺς καὶ νομίμους
καὶ τῷ ὄντι βασιλικούς, ἅτε οἶμαι πρὸς ἀνδρεῖον βουλόμενον εἶναι
καὶ νόμιμον ἡγεμόνα, πολλοῦ μὲν δεόμενον θάρσους, πολλῆς δὲ
καὶ ἐπιεικείας.
(6) ὁ γοῦν Τιμόθεος, εἰ καθάπερ πολεμικόν τινα διελθεῖν ᾔδει νόμον,
οὕτως ἠπίστατο αὔλημα δικαίαν καὶ φρόνιμον
καὶ σώφρονα τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ φιλάνθρωπον δυνάμενον παρασχεῖν,
μὴ πρὸς ὅπλα ὁρμῶσαν μόνον, ἀλλὰ ἐπί τε εἰρήνην καὶ ὁμόνοιαν
καὶ θεῶν τιμὰς καὶ ἀνθρώπων ἐπιμέλειαν, τοῦ παντὸς ἂν ἦν ἄξιος
Ἀλεξάνδρῳ παρεῖναί τε καὶ ἐπαυλεῖν, οὐ θύοντι μόνον,
(7) ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄλλως, ὁπότε ἢ πενθῶν ἀκρίτως τύχοι παρὰ τὴν ἀξίαν καὶ τὸ
πρέπον ἢ κολάζων πικρότερον τοῦ νομίμου καὶ ἐπιεικοῦς ἢ χαλεπαίνων
τοῖς αὑτοῦ φίλοις τε καὶ ἑταίροις ἢ ὑπερορῶν τοὺς θνητούς
τε καὶ ἀληθεῖς γονέας.
(8) ἀλλὰ γὰρ οὐ πᾶσαν ἴασιν οὐδὲ ὠφέλειαν ὁλόκληρον ἠθῶν ἱκανὴ παρασχεῖν
ἡ μουσικῆς ἐπιστήμη τε καὶ ἕξις· οὐ γὰρ οὖν, ὥς φησιν ὁ ποιητής,
οὐδ´ Ἀσκληπιάδαις τοῦτό γ´ ἔδωκε θεός·
μόνος δὲ ὁ τῶν φρονίμων τε καὶ σοφῶν λόγος, οἷοι γεγόνασιν {οἱ}
πολλοὶ τῶν πρότερον, ἀνενδεὴς καὶ τέλειος ἡγεμὼν καὶ βοηθὸς
εὐπειθοῦς καὶ ἀγαθῆς φύσεως, πρὸς πᾶσαν ἀρετὴν παραμυθούμενός
τε καὶ ἄγων ἐμμελῶς.
(9) τίς ἂν οὖν πρέπουσα καὶ ἀξία φανείη διατριβὴ τῆς σῆς προθυμίας,
καὶ πόθεν ἂν εὕροιμεν ἡμεῖς τέλειον οὕτω λόγον, ἄνδρες ἀλῆται
καὶ αὐτουργοὶ τῆς σοφίας, πόνοις τε καὶ ἔργοις ὅσον δυνάμεθα χαίροντες
τὰ πολλά, τοὺς δ´ αὖ λόγους παρακλήσεως ἕνεκεν φθεγγόμενοι
πρὸς αὑτοὺς καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀεὶ τὸν ἐντυγχάνοντα; ὥσπερ οἱ
κινοῦντες καὶ μεταφέροντες οὐκ εὔφορον βάρος φθέγγονταί τε καὶ
ᾄδουσιν ἡσυχῇ τὸ ἔργον παραμυθούμενοι, ἐργάται ὄντες, οὐκ ᾠδοί
τινες οὐδὲ ποιηταὶ μελῶν.
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Traduction française :
| [1,5] moreover, not set to a single mood but at once
vigorous and gentle, challenging to war yet also
speaking of peace, obedience to law, and true kingliness,
inasmuch as they are addressed to one who
is disposed, methinks, to be not only a brave but
also a law-abiding ruler, one who needs not only high
courage but high sense of right also. If, for instance,
the skill which Timotheus possessed in performing a
warlike strain had been matched by the knowledge
of such a composition as could make the soul just and
prudent and temperate and humane, and could arouse
a man not merely to take up arms but also to follow
peace and concord, to honour the gods and to have
consideration for men, it would have been a priceless
boon to Alexander to have that man live with him
as a companion, and to play for him, not only when
he sacrificed but at other times also : when, for
example, he would give way to unreasoning grief
regardless of propriety and decorum, or would
punish more severely than custom or fairness
allowed, or would rage fiercely at his own friends
and comrades or disdain his mortal and real
parents. But unfortunately, skill and proficiency
in music cannot provide perfect healing and complete
relief for defect of character. No indeed ! To
'quote the poet:
" E'en to Asclepius' sons granted not god this boon."
Nay, it is only the spoken word of the wise and
prudent, such as were most men of earlier times, that
can prove a competent and perfect guide and helper
of a man endowed with a tractable and virtuous
nature, and can lead it toward all excellence by
fitting encouragement and direction.
(9) What subject, then, will clearly be appropriate
and worthy of a man of your earnestness, and
where shall I find words so nearly perfect, mere
wanderer that I am and self-taught philosopher,
who find what happiness I can in toil and labour for
the most part and employ eloquence only for the
encouragement of myself and such others as I meet
from time to time ? My case is like that of men
who in moving or shifting a heavy load beguile their
labour by softly chanting or singing a tune—mere
toilers that they are and not bards or poets of song.
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