Thursday, August 13, 2015
Carpe Diem
Theognis 973–978 (tr. Douglas E. Gerber):
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No man, once the earth has covered him and he has gone down into the darkness, the home of Persephone, has the pleasure of listening to lyre or piper or of raising to his lips the gift of Dionysus. In view of this, I'll give my heart a good time, while my knees are nimble and my head does not shake.
οὐδεὶς ἀνθρώπων, ὃν πρῶτ᾿ ἐπὶ γαῖα καλύψῃ
εἴς τ᾿ ἔρεβος καταβῇ, δώματα Περσεφόνης,
τέρπεται οὔτε λύρης οὔτ᾿ αὐλητῆρος ἀκούων
οὔτε Διωνύσου δῶρ᾿ ἐπαειρόμενος.
ταῦτ᾿ ἐσορῶν κραδίῃ εὖ πείσομαι, ὄφρα τ᾿ ἐλαφρὰ
γούνατα, καὶ κεφαλὴν ἀτρεμέως προφέρω.
