Hybrias the Cretan | Song of a Cretan warrior | My wealth’s a burly spear and brand

by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

Translation by Thomas Campbell (1777 - 1844)

YBPIOY

Language: Greek (Ελληνικά)

Ἔστι μοι πλοῦτος μέγας Sopu καὶ 
ξίφος καὶ τὸ καλὸν λαισήϊον, πρόβλημα χρωτός" 
τούτῳ γὰρ ἀρῶ, τούτῳ θερίξω,
τούτῳ πατέω τὸν ἁδὺν οἶνον am’ ἀμπέλω"
τούτῳ δεσπότας μνοΐας κέκλημαι.

τοὶ δὲ μὴ τολμῶντ' ἔχειν δόρυ καὶ 
ξίφος καὶ τὸ καλὸν λαισήϊον, πρόβλημα χρωτός, 
πάντες γόνυ πεπτηῶτες ἁμὸν
.......προσ > κυνέοντί με δεσπόταν
καὶ μέγαν βασιλῆα φωνέοντες

Confirmed with Walter George Headlam, A book of Greek verse, Publisher Cambridge, University Press, 1907, p.28

Show a transliteration: DIN | ISO 843

Note on Transliterations

Text Authorship:

by Anonymous / Unidentified Author, "YBPIOY" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

[ None yet in the database ]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

Also set in English, a translation by Thomas Campbell (1777 - 1844) , "Hybrias the Cretan" ; composed by Mary Hannah Brahe.
- Go to the text.

Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2025-07-29
Line count: 10
Word count: 56

My wealth’s a burly spear and brand

Language: English after the Greek (Ελληνικά)

My wealth’s a burly spear and brand,
And a right good shield of hides untanned, 
       Which on my arm I buckle:
With these I plough, I reap, I sow,
With these I make the sweet vintage flow, 
       And all around me truckle.

But your wights that take no pride to wield 
A massy spear and well-made shield,
       Nor joy to draw the sword ; 
Oh, I bring those heartless, hapless drones 
Down in a trice on their marrow-bones,
       To call me king and lord.

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with Walter George Headlam, A book of Greek verse, Publisher Cambridge, University Press, 1907, p.29

Text Authorship:

by Thomas Campbell (1777 - 1844), "Hybrias the Cretan" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Based on:

a text in Greek (Ελληνικά) by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist , "YBPIOY"
- Go to the text page.

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

by Mary Hannah (May) Brahe (1884 - 1956), "Song of a Cretan warrior", published c1912 [ voice and piano ], Melbourne : The Pianola Co [sung text not yet checked]

Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2025-07-29
Line count: 12
Word count: 83