ἐσθῆτι δὲ χρῶνται ἀραχνίοις λεπτοῖς, πορφυροῖς. αὐτοὶ δὲ σώματα μὲν οὐκ ἔχουσιν, ἀλλ᾽ ἀναφεῖς καὶ ἄσαρκοί εἰσιν, μορφὴν δὲ καὶ ἰδέαν μόνην ἐμφαίνουσιν, καὶ ἀσώματοι ὄντες ὅμως συνεστᾶσιν καὶ κινοῦνται καὶ φρονοῦσι καὶ φωνὴν ἀφιᾶσιν, καὶ ὅλως ἔοικε γυμνή τις ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτῶν περιπολεῖν τὴν τοῦ σώματος ὁμοιότητα περικειμένη· εἰ γοῦν μὴ ἅψαιτό τις, οὐκ ἂν ἐξελέγξειε μὴ εἶναι σῶμα τὸ ὁρώμενον· εἰσὶ γὰρ ὥσπερ σκιαὶ ὀρθαί, οὐ μέλαιναι. γηράσκει δὲ οὐδείς, ἀλλ᾽ ἐφ᾽ ἧς ἂν ἡλικίας ἔλθῃ παραμένει. οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ νὺξ παρ᾽ αὐτοῖς γίνεται, οὐδὲ ἡμέρα πάνυ λαμπρά· καθάπερ δὲ τὸ λυκαυγὲς ἤδη πρὸς ἕω, μηδέπω ἀνατείλαντος ἡλίου, τοιοῦτο φῶς ἐπέχει τὴν γῆν. καὶ μέντοι καὶ ὥραν μίαν ἴσασιν τοῦ ἔτους· αἰεὶ γὰρ παρ᾽ αὐτοῖς ἔαρ ἐστὶ καὶ εἷς ἄνεμος πνεῖ παρ᾽ αὐτοῖς ὁ ζέφυρος.
notes
αὐτοὶ δὲ: “as for themselves”
ἀναφεῖς: nom. pl. masc. (ἀν-ἁφη), “untouchable”
ἐμφαίνουσιν: “they manifest”
καὶ ἀσώματοι ὄντες ὅμως: concessive, “and although being bodiless, still....”
συνεστᾶσιν: perf. of συν-ἵστημι, “they subsist”
φωνὴν ἀφιᾶσιν: pr. of ἀφ-ἵημι, “they speak”
καὶ ὅλως: “and generally”
τὴν...ὁμοιότητα: “the resemblance”
περικειμένη: pr. part. nom. s. modifying ψυχὴ, “having put about itself”
εἰ μὴ ἅψαιτό τις: future less vivid cond., “unless someone were to touch”
ἅψαιτό: ao. opt. of ἅπτω
ἐξελέγξειε: ao. opt. of ἐξελέγχω, “he would not refute”
μὴ εἶναι: ind. st. after ἐξελέγξειε, “that what they were seeing was not a body”
ἐφ᾽ ἧς ἂν ἡλικίας ἔλθῃ (ao. subj.): indefinite temporal clause “at whatever age he arrives”
οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ: “there is not even”
τὸ λυκαυγὲς: “the grey twilight”
μηδέπω ἀνατείλαντος ἡλίου: gen. abs., “sun not yet risen”
ἀνατείλαντος: ao. part. of ἀνατέλλω
ἴσασιν: pr. 3 pl. of οἶδα, “they know”
vocabulary
ἐσθής, -ῆτος, ἡ: dress, clothing
ἀράχνιον, τό: a spider's web
λεπτός, -ή, -όν: fine
πορφύρεος: purple
ἀναφής, -ές: not to be touched, impalpable
ἄσαρκος, -ον: without flesh, lean
μορφή, ἡ: shape
ἰδέα, ἡ: form
ἐμφαίνω: exhibit
ἀσώματος, -ον: incorporeal
συνίστημι: subsist
ἀφίημι: send forth, discharge
ὅλως: wholely
γυμνός, -ή, -όν: naked, unclad
περιπολέω: go around or about
ὁμοιότης, -ητος, ἡ: likeness, resemblance
περίκειμαι: lie round about
γοῦν: at any rate, any way
ἅπτω: touch
ἐξελέγχω: refute
σκιά, -ᾶς, ἡ: a shadow
μέλας: black
γηράσκω: grow old, become old
ἡλικία, ἡ: time of life, age
παραμένω: stay beside or near, stand by
λυκαυγής, -ές: of or at twilight
μηδέπω: nor as yet, not as yet
ἀνατέλλω: make to rise up or to grow up
ἐπιχέω: pour over
ὥρα, ἡ: period, season
αἰεί: always, for ever
ἔαρ, τό: spring
ἄνεμος, ὁ: wind
πνέω: blow
Ζέφυρος, ὁ: Zephyrus, the west wind