Death & Dying
Epigram XV (Mair)
Translated by A. W. Mair (1921) · From Epigrams (Loeb, 1921)
Doth Charidas rest under thee? “If thou meanest the son of Arimmas of Cyrene, under me.” O Charidas, what of the world below? “Much darkness.” And what of the upward way? “A lie.” And Pluto? “A fable.” We are undone. “This that I say to you is the true tale, but if thou wouldst have the pleasant tale, a great ox costs but a copper in Hades.”
This translation is printed as prose in its source edition.
Cite this poem
MLA
Callimachus. “Epigram XV (Mair).” Translated by A. W. Mair. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/callimachus/169/.
Chicago
Callimachus. “Epigram XV (Mair).” Translated by A. W. Mair. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/callimachus/169/.
Read this poem with the Codex →