Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Poets Never Die

Et latet et lucet Phaethontide condita gutta,
ut videatur apis nectare clusa suo.
Dignum tantorum pretium tulit illa laborum:
credibile est ipsam sic voluisse mori.

Encased & shining in a bead of amber
The bee looks trapped in its own nectar:
A fit close to sweet toils, it lies
Coffined in honey — as any bee would wish.

Un’ape in gocciola
d’ambra fu avvolta,
sì che in suo nettare
sembra gioir.
Di sue bell’opere
mercede ha colta:
forse in tal foggia
volle morir.

Martial, Epigrams, Book 4, XXXII
English translation by Peter Whigham
Italian translation by P. M.

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