Living
The Sorrow of Life (Mackail)
Translated by J. W. Mackail (1890) · From Select Epigrams from the Greek Anthology (1890)
What path of life may one hold? In the market-place are strifes and hard dealings, in the house cares; in the country labour enough, and at sea terror; and abroad, if thou hast aught, fear, and if thou art in poverty, vexation. Art married? thou wilt not be without anxieties; unmarried? thy life is yet lonelier. Children are troubles; a childless life is a crippled one. Youth is foolish, and grey hairs again feeble. In the end then the choice is of one of these two, either never to be born, or, as soon as born, to die.
This translation is printed as prose in its source edition.
Cite this poem
MLA
Posidippus. “The Sorrow of Life (Mackail).” Translated by J. W. Mackail. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/posidippus/18/.
Chicago
Posidippus. “The Sorrow of Life (Mackail).” Translated by J. W. Mackail. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/posidippus/18/.
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