ἀληθέστατα λέγεις,
you say what is very true.
λέγω τὸ ἔμοιγε πονηρότατον καὶ χαλεπώτατον,
I say what for me at least is a very painful and a very difficult business.
μὴ ἀθύμει· πολλὰ ἔχει κακὰ ὁ βίος, παγκάκιστον δὲ τὸν ἀπελπισμόν,
don’t despair; there are many bad things in life, but the worst is despair.
τῶν δὲ ἀγαθῶν ἐν τῷ βίῳ τί βέλτιστον;
and of the good things in life which is best?
ἡ πίστις, faith.
ὡς λέγει ὁ προφήτης Ἀμβακούμ· ὁ δίκαιος ἐκ πίστεως ζήσεται,
as the prophet Habakkuk says, the just man shall live by faith.
οὗ οὐκ ἔχει λόγον ἀληθέστερον ἡ ἁγία γραφή,
a word than which nothing more true is found in holy scripture.
πατὴρ τῆς ἀνδρείας ἡ πίστις, ἀνδρεία δὲ τῶν ἀνδρικῶν ἔργων πατήρ,
faith is the father of courage, and courage is the father of manly deeds.
κάλλιστα λέγεις, admirable.
καλὸς ὁ λόγος, κάλλιον δὲ τὸ ἔργον,
a beautiful saying, but more beautiful is the deed.