Poetry Codex

Social Commentaries

Fragment XLIII: Let not a base calumnious pretence

by Theognis of Megara fl. 6th century BC

Translated by John Hookham Frere (1842; Bohn 1856) · From Fragments of Theognis (Frere, 1842)

Social Commentaries

Let not a base calumnious pretence,
Exaggerating a minute offence,
Move you to wrong a friend; if, every time,
Faults in a friend were treated as a crime,
Here upon earth no friendship could have place.
But we, the creatures of a faulty race
Amongst ourselves, offend and are-forgiven:
Vengeance is the prerogative of Heaven.

Cite this poem

MLA

Megara, Theognis of. “Fragment XLIII: Let not a base calumnious pretence.” Translated by John Hookham Frere. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/theognis/43/.

Chicago

Megara, Theognis of. “Fragment XLIII: Let not a base calumnious pretence.” Translated by John Hookham Frere. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/theognis/43/.

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