Virgil, Aeneid VIII.364-365
Melphi speaks
Aude, hospes, contemnere opes et te quoque dignum
finge deo rebusque veni non asper egenis.
The priest translates
«Dare, guest, to despise wealth; shape yourself, you too, to be worthy of the god, and come without disdain into our poor estate.»
And interprets
This line speaks to you of courage, but an unusual kind: the courage not to be dazzled by luxury. Perhaps lately you feel pushed to measure everything by money, home, status, and you feel worth less if you do not have enough. The line tells you the opposite: greatness shows in the ability to feel at home even where things are simple. This is not the time to chase appearances. It is the right time to appreciate what you have, to accept a modest invitation with gratitude, to choose people by their heart and not by their bank balance.
The historical translations
Questa fu la sua reggia. E tu v’alloggia,
E tu ’l gradisci, e le delizie e gli agi
Spregiando, imita in ciò Tirinzio e dio,
E del tugurio mio meco t’appaga.
he made his own. Dare, O illustrious guest,
to scorn the pomp of power. Shape thy soul
to be a god's fit follower. Enter here,
and free from pride our frugal welcome share.”