Plato Songtext
von Mestís

There were judges seated, who commanded the just, after they
Had given judgment on them and had found their sentences
In front of them, to ascend by the heavenly way on the right
Hand, and in like manner the unjust were bidden by them to
Descend by the lower way on the left hand; these also bore
The symbols of their deeds, but fastened on their backs
He drew near; and they told him that he was to be the messenger
Who would carry the report of the other world to men; and they bade
Him hear and see all that was to be heard and seen in that place
Then he beheld and saw on one side the souls departing at
Either opening of heaven and earth with sentence had been
Given on them; and at the two other openings other souls
Some ascending out of the earth dusty and worn with
Travel; some descending out of heaven clean and bright
And arriving ever and anon they seemed to have come from a
Long journey, and they went forth with gladness into the
Meadow, where they encamped as at a festival; and those who
Knew one another embraced and conversed, the souls which came
From earth curiously enquiring about the things above; and
The souls which came from heaven about the things beneath


And they told one another of what had happened by the way, those from
Below weeping and sorrowing at the remembrance of the things which
They had endured and seen in their journey beneath the earth (now
The journey lasted a thousand years), while those from above were
Describing heavenly delights and visions of inconceivable beauty
The story, Glaucon, would take too long to tell; but the sum
Was this: He said that for every wrong which they had done
To any one they suffered tenfold; or once in a hundred years
Such being reckoned to be the length of man′s life; and
The penalty being thus paid ten times in a thousand years
If, for example, there were any who had been the cause of many
Deaths, or had betrayed or enslaved cities or armies; or been
Guilty of any other evil behaviour, for each and all of their
Offences they received punishment ten times over; and the rewards
Of beneficence and justice and holiness were in the same proportion
I need hardly repeat what he said concerning young children
Dying almost as soon as they were born. Of piety and
Impiety to gods and parents, and of murderers, there were
Retributions other and greater far which he described
He mentioned that he was present when one of the spirits asked
Another, "Where is Ardeas the great?" Now this Ardeas lived a
Thousand years before the time of Er; he had been the tyrant of some
City of Pamphylia; and had murdered his aged father and his elder
Brother, and was said to have committed many other abominable crimes
The answer of the other spirit was, "He comes not hither and will
Never come." And this, said he, was one of the dreadful sights which
We ourselves witnessed; we were at the mouth of the cavern, and
Having completed all our experiences, were about to reascend, when of
A sudden Ardeas appeared and several others; most of whom were
Tyrants; and there were also besides the tyrants private individuals
Who had been great criminals; they were just, as they fancied
About to return into the upper world, but the mouth, instead of
Admitting them, gave a roar, whenever any of these incurable
Sinners or some one who had not been sufficiently punished tried
To ascend; and then wild men of fiery aspect, who were standing by
And heard the sound, seized and carried them off; and Ardeas and
Others they bound head and foot and hand, and threw them down and
Flayed them with scourges, and dragged them along the road at the
Side, carting them on thorns like wool, and declaring to the passers-
By what were their crimes; and that they were deemed the enemy to
Be cast into hell; and of all the many terrors which they had
Endured, he said that there was none like the terror which each of
Them felt at that moment; lest they should hear the voice. And when
There was silence, one by one they ascended with exceeding joy
These, said Er, were the penalties and retributions, and there were
Blessings as great; now when the spirits which were in the meadow had
Carried seven; when they were fastened to this, carried them to
Atropos, whose final threats had made them irreversible; whence
Without turning round they passed beneath the throne of Necessity
And when they had all passed, they marched on in escort and
Aid to the plane of Forgetfulness; whence was the barren waste
Destined unto twins of Virtue; and then towards evening they
Encamped by the river of Unmindfulness, whose water no vessel
Could hold, unless they were all obliged to drink a certain
Quantity; and those who were not saved by wisdom drank more
Than was necessary; and each one as he drank forgot all things
Now after they had gone to rest, about the middle of the night there
Was a thunderstorm and earthquake; and then in
An instant they were driven upwards in all manner
Of ways to their birth, like stars shooting
He himself was hindered from drinking the water; but in what manner
Or by what means he returned to the body he could not say, only
In the morning, awaking suddenly, he found himself lying on the pyre
But thus, Glaucon, the tale has been saved and has not perished, to
Save us if we are obedient to the words "do"; and we shall pass
Safely over the river of Forgetfulness
And our soul will not be defiled
Wherefore my counsel is that we hold fast ever to the heavenly
Way and follow after justice and virtue always; considering that
The soul is immortal and able to endure every sort of good and
Every sort of evil, thus shall we live dear to one another and
To the gods, both while remaining here within; like conquerors
In the gates we go out to gather gifts and receive our reward
And it shall be well with us both in this life and in the
Pilgrimage of a thousand years which we have been describing
THE END