Fragments 91–100
Original Ancient Greek
91 ποταμῶι γὰρ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμβῆναι δὶς τῶι αὐτῶι (οὐδὲ θνητῆς οὐσίας δὶς ἅψασθαι κατὰ ἕξιν ⟨τῆς αὐτῆς⟩· ἀλλ’ ὀξύτητι καὶ τάχει μεταβολῆς) σκίδνησι καὶ πάλιν συνάγει (μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ πάλιν οὐδ’ ὕστερον, ἀλλ’ ἅμα συνίσταται καὶ ἀπολείπει) καὶ πρόσεισι καὶ ἄπεισι.
92 Σίβυλλα δὲ μαινομένωι στόματι (καθ’ Ἡράκλειτον) ἀγέλαστα καὶ ἀκαλλώπιστα καὶ ἀμύριστα φθεγγομένη (χιλίων ἐτῶν ἐξικνεῖται τῆι φωνῆι) διὰ τὸν θεόν.
93 ὁ ἄναξ, οὗ τὸ μαντεῖόν ἐστι τὸ ἐν Δελφοῖς, οὔτε λέγει οὔτε κρύπτει ἀλλὰ σημαίνει.
94 ἥλιος γὰρ οὐχ ὑπερβήσεται μέτρα· εἰ δὲ μή, Ἐρινύες μιν Δίκης ἐπίκουροι ἐξευρήσουσιν.
95 ἀμαθίην γὰρ ἄμεινον κρύπτειν, (ἔργον δὲ ἐν ἀνέσει καὶ παρ’ οἶνον).
96 νέκυες γὰρ κοπρίων ἐκβλητότεροι.
97 κύνες γὰρ καταβαΰζουσιν ὧν ἂν μὴ γινώσκωσι.
98 αἱ ψυχαὶ ὀσμῶνται καθ’ Ἅιδην.
99 εἰ μὴ ἥλιος ἦν, ἕνεκα τῶν ἄλλων ἄστρων εὐφρόνη ἂν ἦν.
100 (ὁ ἥλιος ἐπιστάτης ὢν καὶ σκοπὸς ὁρίζειν καὶ βραβεύειν καὶ ἀναδεικνύναι καὶ ἀναφαίνειν μεταβολὰς καὶ) ὥρας αἳ πάντα φέρουσι.
Musean translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation of all 130 genuine fragments in Hermann Diels’s Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker (4th ed., 1922), made directly from the Ionic Greek and Latin and checked against the printed page. Words of the ancient authors who quote Heraclitus stand in round parentheses.
91 For one cannot step twice into the same river (nor touch mortal substance twice in the same state; rather, through the sharpness and speed of change) it scatters and gathers again (or rather, not again or afterward: it forms and falls away at once), and comes and goes.
92 The Sibyl, with a raving mouth (according to Heraclitus), uttering words without laughter, adornment, or perfume (reaches across a thousand years with her voice) through the god.
93 The lord whose oracle is at Delphi neither speaks nor conceals, but gives a sign.
94 For the sun will not overstep its measures; otherwise the Furies, Justice’s helpers, will track it down.
95 For it is better to hide ignorance (but that is hard in leisure and over wine).
96 For corpses are fitter to be thrown out than dung.
97 For dogs bark at whatever they do not know.
98 Souls have a sense of smell in Hades.
99 If there were no sun, there would be night, despite the other stars.
100 (The sun, as overseer and watchman, marks out, judges, displays, and brings to light the changes and) seasons that bring all things.
Plain English translation
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from the same 130 fragments. Words of the ancient authors who quote Heraclitus stand in round parentheses.
91 For you cannot step into the same river twice (or touch mortal substance twice in the same state; instead, because change is so swift and sudden) it scatters and gathers again (or rather, not again or later, but it comes together and falls away at the same time) and comes near and goes away.
92 The Sibyl, with her raving mouth (according to Heraclitus), utters words without laughter, decoration, or perfume (and reaches across a thousand years with her voice) because of the god.
93 The lord whose oracle is at Delphi neither tells nor hides, but gives a sign.
94 For the sun will not go beyond its measures. If it does, the Furies, the helpers of Justice, will find it.
95 For it is better to hide ignorance (but that is hard when relaxing and drinking wine).
96 For corpses are more fit to be thrown out than dung.
97 For dogs bark at anyone they do not know.
98 Souls sense smells in Hades.
99 If there were no sun, it would be night, despite the other stars.
100 (The sun, as overseer and lookout, defines, regulates, reveals, and brings to light the changes and) seasons that bring all things.
About this section
Fragments 91–100 is part of Fragments by Heraclitus. This page sets the Ancient Greek original beside 2 direct-source translations, so any line can be checked against the source. It is section 10 of 13 in the work, which is kept in the Greek tradition.
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