Laudator Temporis Acti

Theognis 719-728 (tr. Dorothea Wender):

He who has countless gold and silver, fields
Of corn-land, mules and horses is no more
Rich than the man who has just what he needs,
Comforts of belly and chest and feet, delight
From a boy or woman. When the time is right
And youth brings fitting pleasures, that is wealth
For mortals. No one takes his great estate
Down to the house of Hades when he goes;
No one can pay a ransom and escape
Death, grim disease, or the sad approach of age.

ἶσόν τοι πλουτοῦσιν, ὅτῳ πολὺς ἄργυρός ἐστιν
    καὶ χρυσὸς καὶ γῆς πυροφόρου πεδία        720
ἵπποι θ᾽ ἡμίονοί τε, καὶ ᾧ τὰ δέοντα πάρεστι
    γαστρί τε καὶ πλευραῖς καὶ ποσὶν ἁβρὰ παθεῖν,
παιδός τ᾿ ἠδὲ γυναικός, ὅταν καὶ τῶν ἀφίκηται,
    ὥρη, σὺν δ᾿ ἥβη γίνεται ἁρμοδία.
ταῦτ᾿ ἄφενος θνητοῖσι· τὰ γὰρ περιώσια πάντα        725
    χρήματ᾿ ἔχων οὐδεὶς ἔρχεται εἰς Ἀΐδεω,
οὐδ᾽ ἂν ἄποινα διδοὺς θάνατον φύγοι οὐδὲ βαρείας
    νούσους οὐδὲ κακὸν γῆρας ἐπερχόμενον.