Waltey

Prevod

A cowardly miser found a golden lion and said, “I do not know what to do in this predicament. I am quite out of my wits and at a loss how to act. My love of money pulls me one way, my natural cowardice the other. What chance, what spirit, could have fashioned a lion out of gold? My soul is at war with itself over what lies before me: it loves the gold but fears the shape the gold has taken. Desire urges me to touch it; my nature bids me keep away. Oh, fortune that offers a gift yet will not let me take it! Oh, treasure that brings no pleasure! Oh, a spirit’s favor turned unkind! What, then? How shall I proceed? What plan can I devise? I shall go and bring my servants here. With strength in numbers, they can seize it, while I watch from a distance.”

This fable applies to a rich man who does not dare to touch or make use of his wealth.

Izvirnik

Δειλὸς φιλάργυρος λέοντα χρυσοῦν εὑρὼν ἔλεγεν· Οὐκ οἶδα τίς γένωμαι ἐν τοῖς παροῦσιν· ἐγὼ ἐκβέβλημαι τῶν φρενῶν, καὶ τί πράττειν οὐκ ἔχω· μερίζει με φιλοχρηματία καὶ τῆς φύσεως ἡ δειλία. Ποία γὰρ τύχη ἢ ποῖος δαίμων εἰργάσατο χρυσοῦν λέοντα; Ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἐμὴ ψυχὴ πρὸς τὰ παρόντα ἑαυτῇ πολεμεῖ· ἀγαπᾷ μὲν τὸν χρυσὸν, δέδοικε δὲ τοῦ χρυσοῦ τὴν ἐργασίαν· ἅπτεσθαι μὲν ἐλαύνει ὁ πόθος, ἀπέχεσθαι δὲ ὁ τρόπος. Ὤ τύχης διδούσης καὶ μὴ λαμβάνεσθαι συγχωρούσης! ὤ θησαυρὸς ἡδονὴν μὴ ἔχων! ὤ χάρις δαίμονος ἄχαρις γενομένη! Τί οὖν; ποίῳ τρόπῳ χρήσωμαι; ἐπὶ ποίαν ἔλθω μηχανὴν; ἂπειμι τοὺς οἰκέτας δεῦρο κομίσων, λαβεῖν ὀφείλοντας τῇ πολυπληθεῖ συμμαχίᾳ· κἀγὼ πόῤῥω ἔσομαι θεατής.

Ὁ λόγος ἁρμόζει πρός τινα πλούσιον, μὴ τολμῶντα προσψαῦσαι καὶ χρήσασθαι τῷ πλούτῳ.

Nalagam bralnik