Social Commentaries
Fragment XLVII: Yes! Drench me with invective! not a stain
Translated by John Hookham Frere (1842; Bohn 1856) · From Fragments of Theognis (Frere, 1842)
Yes! Drench me with invective! not a stain
From all that angry deluge will remain !
Fair harmless water, dripping from my skin,
Will mark no foulness or defect within.
As the pure standard gold of ruddy hue,
Prov’d by the touchstone, unalloy’d and true ;
Unstain’d by rust, untarnish’d to the sight ;
Such will you find me ;—solid, pure, and bright.
Cite this poem
MLA
Megara, Theognis of. “Fragment XLVII: Yes! Drench me with invective! not a stain.” Translated by John Hookham Frere. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/theognis/47/.
Chicago
Megara, Theognis of. “Fragment XLVII: Yes! Drench me with invective! not a stain.” Translated by John Hookham Frere. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/theognis/47/.
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