τέκτων μὲν οὔ, ἐργάτης δέ τις λίθων,
not an architect, a stonemason.
ὁ γὰρ ἀληθὴς τέκτων ποιητής ἐστι· καὶ τὸ οἰκοδόμημα ὅπερ ᾠκοδόμησε χθὲς ποίημα μένει λίθινον αὔριον καὶ ἀεί, ὡς ἔστιν ἰδεῖν ἐν τῇ Αἰγύπτῳ,
for a true architect is a poet; and the edifice which he raised yesterday remains a stone poem to-morrow and for ever, as one may see in Egypt.
τίς εἶδε τὸν παῖδα ὃς ἀπέκοψε τὸν κλάδον τοῦ δένδρου ἐκείνου;
who saw the boy who cut the branch of that tree?
εἶδον ἐγώ, I saw him.
ἄγε αὐτὸν δεῦρο· μαστιγώσω τὸν κακοῦργον,
bring him to me; I will flog the rascal.
σήμερον πάντως οὐ δειπνήσει,
he shall have no dinner to-day.
ἢ δειπνήσει γε μετὰ τῶν συῶν,
or dine with the pigs.
ἐβούλευσα αὐτῷ καλὴν βουλήν,
I gave him good advice.
μάτην, in vain.
οὐκ ἤκουσε, he did not hear.