Letter 359: You, who have included all the art of the ancients in your own mind, are so silent, that you do not even let me get any gain in a letter. I, if the art of Dædalus had only been safe, would have made me Icarus' wings and come to you. But wax cannot be entrusted to the sun, and so, instead of Icarus' wings, I send you words to prove my affection.
You, who have absorbed all the art of the ancients into your own mind, maintain such silence that you will not even let me receive the benefit of a letter. If only the art of Daedalus had proved safe, I would have fashioned Icarus's wings and flown to you. But wax cannot be trusted to the sun. So instead of wings, I send you words to prove my affection. It is the nature of words to reveal the love of the heart.
So much for words. You do with them what you will, and yet, possessing all the power of speech that you do, you remain silent. I beg you: send me the fountains of words that spring from your mouth.
Human translation — New Advent (NPNF / ANF series)
Latin / Greek Original
[Πρός: Βασίλειος Λιβανίῳ]
Σὺ μὲν ὅλην τὴν τῶν παλαιῶν τέχνην ἐν τῇ σαυτοῦ κατακλείσας διανοίᾳ τοσοῦτον σιγᾷς, ὡς μηδʼ ἐν ἐπιστολαῖς ἡμῖν διδόναι τι κερδαίνειν. ἐγὼ δέ, εἴπερ ἦν ἀσφαλὲς ἡ τοῦ διδασκάλου τέχνη, ἦλθον ἂν παρὰ σοί, ποιησάμενος Ἰκάρου πτερόν. ἀλλʼ ὅμως, ἐπειδὴ οὐκ ἔστι πιστεῦσαι ἡλίῳ κηρόν, ἀντὶ τῶν Ἰκάρου πτερῶν ἐπιστέλλω σοι λόγους, δεικνύντας τὴν ἡμετέραν φιλίαν. φύσις δὲ λόγων, μηνύουσα τοὺς κατὰ ψυχὴν ἔρωτας. καὶ ταῦτα μὲν οἱ λόγοι· σὺ αὐτοὺς ἄγοις ὅπου βούλει· καὶ τηλικοῦτον κράτος κεκτημένος, σιωπᾷς. ἀλλὰ μετάστησον καὶ ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς τὰς ἀπὸ τοῦ στόματός σου τῶν λόγων πηγάς.
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