Poetry Codex

Living

Nepenthe (Mackail)

by Anonymous (Greek Anthology) various, 7th c. BC – 10th c. AD

Translated by J. W. Mackail (1890) · From Select Epigrams from the Greek Anthology (1890)

Living

How was I born? whence am I? why did I come? to go again: how can I learn anything, knowing nothing? Being nothing, I was born; again I shall be as I was before; nothing and nothing-worth is the human race. But come, serve to me the joyous fountain of Bacchus; for this is the drug counter-charming ills.

This translation is printed as prose in its source edition.

Cite this poem

MLA

Anonymous (Greek Anthology). “Nepenthe (Mackail).” Translated by J. W. Mackail. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-greek-anthology/1212/.

Chicago

Anonymous (Greek Anthology). “Nepenthe (Mackail).” Translated by J. W. Mackail. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-greek-anthology/1212/.

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