Monday, February 18, 2019

The Underestimated Superman

Plena laboratis habeas cum scrinia libris,
emittis quare, Sosibiane, nihil?
“Edent heredes” inquis “mea carmina”. Quando?
Tempus erat iam te, Sosibiane, legi.

Although you possess bookcases crammed with books,
Arduously compiled, why, Sosibianus, do you send forth nothing?
“My heirs”, you say, “will publish my lays”. When, oh, when?
’Tis already high time, Sosibianus, you should be read.

Martial, Epigrams, Book 4, XXXIII
English translation by Walter C. A. Ker

A man rests in his wooden cart used to collect saleable items such as cardboard, plastic, glass and aluminium in Jakarta, Indonesia. Photo: AFP/Bay Ismoyo.

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