Face to face

 

 

Εἶδον σαφῶς τι οἱ θεοὶ οὐχ ἡμῖν δήλως λέγουσι, μηδὲ φέρουσιν ἡμᾶς ἀποκρίνασθαι. Πρὶν ἂν ἐκεῖνο τὸ ἔπος ἐξ ἡμῖν ἕλκηται, τὶ ὀφείλωσιν ἄκουσαι τὸν λῆρον ὃν νέμομεν ὅτι λέγομεν; Πῶς ἡμᾶς συναντήσωσιν εἰς ὦπα, πρὶν ἂν ἔχωμεν ὦπας;

 

(Eîdon saphôs ti hoi theoi ouch hēmîn dḗlōs légousi, mēde phérousin hēmâs apokrínasthai. Prin an ekeîno to épos ex hēmîn hélkētai, ti opheílōsin ákousai ton lêron hon némomen hóti légomen? Pôs hēmâs synantḗsōsin eis ôpa, prin an échōmen ôpas?)

 

I saw well why the gods do not speak to us openly, nor let us answer.  Till that word can be dug out of us, why should they hear the babble that we think we mean? How can they meet us face to face till we have faces?

 

—C. S. Lewis, Prin An Echomen Opas (Till We Have Faces)