Living
The Invitation to Youth
Translated by John Addington Symonds (1884) · From Wine, Women, and Song (1884)
Take your pleasure, dance and play,
Each with other while ye may:
Youth is nimble, full of grace;
Age is lame, of tardy pace.
We the wars of love should wage,
Who are yet of tender age;
'Neath the tents of Venus dwell
All the joys that youth loves well.
Young men kindle heart's desire;
You may liken them to fire:
Old men frighten love away
With cold frost and dry decay.
Cite this poem
MLA
The Goliards (Wandering Scholars). “The Invitation to Youth.” Translated by John Addington Symonds. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/goliards/7/.
Chicago
The Goliards (Wandering Scholars). “The Invitation to Youth.” Translated by John Addington Symonds. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/goliards/7/.
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