Since memories die with men, that's as near as one gets to immortality

[sovay]

δάκρυα μὲν Ἑκάβῃ τε καὶ Ἰλιάδεσσι γυναιξὶ
Μοῖραι ἐπέκλωσαν δὴ τότε γεινομέναις,
σοὶ δέ, Δίων, ῥέξαντι καλῶν ἐπινίκιον ἔργων
δαίμονες εὐροίας ἐλπίδας ἐξέχεαν.
κεῖσαι δ’ εὐρυχόρῳ ἐν πατρίδι τίμιος ἀστοῖς,
ὦ ἐμὸν ἐκμήνας θυμὸν ἔρωτι Δίων.

Tears for Hekabe and the women of Troy
the Fates spun out as soon as they were born,
but for you, Dion, composing success on success,
the gods poured out plentiful hopes.
Now you lie in the broad familiar earth, the honor of your countrymen—
but, oh, you maddened my heart with love, Dion.

—Plato for Dion, Palatine Anthology 7.99

Comments

[clarionj.livejournal.com]

δάκρυα μὲν Ἑκάβῃ τε καὶ Ἰλιάδεσσι γυναιξὶ

I want to be able to read this! There's so much to do in this world. It's funny, but my daughter said a few weeks back that she wants to learn every language. Now, she goes online and just looks up random things in random languages. I should show her this; there's something about the alphabet even that's so curious and apopealing.

As for the translation--I just love that line "but, oh, you maddened my heart with love, Dion."

[sovay]

I should show her this; there's something about the alphabet even that's so curious and apopealing.

It's a wonderful language . . .

[liveavatar.livejournal.com]

I love that line too; it's a wonderful reading. (hoists a glass of ...well, orange juice, but you get the idea... in Dion's name -- to Dion and all those remembered in poetry)

Excellent icon choice, though it's of a nasty evil culture-stealing Roman. :)

[sovay]

I love that line too; it's a wonderful reading.

This was the first piece of real Greek I ever read, halfway through my first semester; when I had learned enough to realize, re-reading The Mask of Apollo, that the translation at the front looked nothing like literal. And we had just studied participles and therefore there was no grammar in this epigram that I didn't know already, so I read it; and it made me happy. It still does. I'm glad you like.

Excellent icon choice, though it's of a nasty evil culture-stealing Roman. :)

But such a lovely example of the species! : )

[mer-moon.livejournal.com]

Aw. I want to be able to read that, too. Those strangers, that other alphabet. But, very lovely translation.

[sovay]

Those strangers, that other alphabet.

I can never argue with people wanting to learn Greek!