Living
Maxims of Theognis: But in youth ’tis best
Translated by Rev. J. Banks (Bohn, 1856) · From Hesiod, Callimachus and Theognis (Bohn, 1856)
But in youth ’tis best to sleep beside an equal-in-age, satisfying the desire of works of-love: ’tis better too to sing with a piper accompanying you, when you go a revelling: than this nought, look you, else is more delightsome to men and women. What to me are riches and dignity? Delight along with good cheer surpasses everything.
This translation is printed as prose in its source edition.
Codex Note
Literal prose translation by the Rev. J. Banks (Bohn, 1856), printed as prose: the plain-sense companion to Frere’s verse version. Banks’s hyphenated compounds are his own.
Cite this poem
MLA
Megara, Theognis of. “Maxims of Theognis: But in youth ’tis best.” Translated by Rev. J. Banks. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/theognis/322/.
Chicago
Megara, Theognis of. “Maxims of Theognis: But in youth ’tis best.” Translated by Rev. J. Banks. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/theognis/322/.
Read this poem with the Codex →