Love
Book XII, 125
Translated by W. R. Paton (1916–18) · From The Greek Anthology (Loeb, vol. IV, 1918)
Love in the night brought me under my mantle the sweet dream of a softly-laughing boy of eighteen, still wearing the chlamys ; and I, pressing his tender flesh to my breast, culled empty hopes. Still does the desire of the memory heat me, and in my eyes still abideth sleep that caught for me in the chase that winged phantom. O soul, ill-starred in love, cease at last even in dreams to be warmed all in vain by beauty’s images.
This translation is printed as prose in its source edition.
Cite this poem
MLA
Gadara, Meleager of. “Book XII, 125.” Translated by W. R. Paton. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/meleager/108/.
Chicago
Gadara, Meleager of. “Book XII, 125.” Translated by W. R. Paton. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/meleager/108/.
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