Today's Greek Proverb

Today's Greek Proverb, transliterated in Betacode: "Glukei=a o)pw/ra fu/lakos e]kleloipo/tos," is quite interesting. The Latin translation, "Jucunda poma, si procul custodia.", I read as, "Fruit trees are delightful if their custodian is away."

The Greek has three words in the genitive case, one of them being a perfect active participle, and 'opwra' in the dative case. The last two words in the sentence appear to constitute a 'genitive absolute' syntax: "..., while the custodian is away". It is not clear to me why 'opwra' should be dative (perhaps 'dative of respect?), nor why 'Glukeia' genitive. How wonderful it would be if someone more expert at Byzantine Greek would post a helpful comment!

In the meantime, my reading: "There is more delight with the fruit tree of high Summer, if the custodian is away." The LSJ Greek Lexicon indicates 'opwra' hss a metaphorical use as "life's summer, the time of youthful ripeness" and "ripe virginity". One may find a 'carpe diem' sense here like Robert Herrick's lines:
"Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying;
And this same flower that smiles today,
Tomorrow will be dying."