Now were wise Cheiron in his cavern dwelling yet, and had our
sweet-voiced songs laid haply some fair magic on his soul, then had
I won him to grant to worthy men some healer of hot plagues, some
offspring of Leto's son, or of her son's sire[3].

And then in a ship would I have sailed, cleaving the Ionian sea, to
the fountain of Arethusa, to the home of my Aitnaian friend, who
ruleth at Syracuse, a king of good will to the citizens, not envious
of the good, to strangers wondrous fatherly. Had I but landed there
and brought unto him a twofold joy, first golden health and next this
my song of triumph to be a splendour in his Pythian crown, which of
late Pherenikos[4] won by his victory at Kirrha--I say that then
should I have come unto him, after that I had passed over the deep
sea, a farther-shining light than any heavenly star.

But I am minded to pray to the Mother[5] for him, to the awful goddess
unto whom, and unto Pan, before my door nightly the maidens move in
dance and song.

Yet, O Hieron, if thou art skilled to apprehend the true meaning of
sayings, thou hast learnt to know this from the men of old; _The
immortals deal to men two ill things for one good._ The foolish cannot
bear these with steadfastness but the good only, putting the fair side
forward.

But thee a lot of happiness attendeth, for if on any man hath mighty
Destiny looked favourably, surely it is on a chief and leader of a
people.