Friday, September 26, 2025
Pleasure
Theognis 1063-1068 (tr. Douglas E. Gerber):
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In youth you are free to sleep all night with an age-mate
and satisfy your craving for lovemaking;
you may carouse and sing with a piper.
No other pleasure compares with these
for men and women. What are wealth and respect to me?
Pleasure combined with good cheer surpasses everything.
ἐν δ᾿ ἥβῃ πάρα μὲν ξὺν ὁμήλικι πάννυχον εὕδειν,
ἱμερτῶν ἔργων ἐξ ἔρον ἱέμενον·
ἔστι δὲ κωμάζοντα μετ᾿ αὐλητῆρος ἀείδειν· 1065
οὐδέν τοι τούτων ἄλλ᾿ ἐπι τερπνότερον
ἀνδράσιν ἠδὲ γυναιξί. τί μοι πλοῦτός τε καὶ αἰδώς;
τερπωλὴ νικᾷ πάντα σὺν εὐφροσύνῃ.
