Living
The Breath of Life (Mackail)
Translated by J. W. Mackail (1890) · From Select Epigrams from the Greek Anthology (1890)
Breathing thin air into our nostrils we live and look on the torch of the sun, all we who live what is called life; and are as organs, receiving our spirits from quickening airs. If one then chokes that little breath with his hand, he robs us of life, and brings us down to Hades. Thus being nothing we wax high in hardihood, feeding on air from a little breath.
This translation is printed as prose in its source edition.
Cite this poem
MLA
Alexandria, Palladas of. “The Breath of Life (Mackail).” Translated by J. W. Mackail. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/palladas/163/.
Chicago
Alexandria, Palladas of. “The Breath of Life (Mackail).” Translated by J. W. Mackail. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/palladas/163/.
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