Seventh-Fourth Century B.C.

Seven couches and as many tables

spread with poppy cakes and linseed and

sesame, and among the wooden flagons

were honey cakes for the young 

-- Alkman (7th Century) 

I am Lais. My pride of face

Once laughted at all the Grecian race.

At my door, lovers stood ten deep--

Goddess of Love, my mirror keep....

As I am now, I shun the glass,

And I cannot look on who I was.

-- Plato (4th Century)

If you are a simple mortal,

do not speak of tomorrow

or how long this man may be

among the happy,

for change comes suddenly

like the shifting flight

of the dragonfly.

-- Simonides  (6th Century)

I do not like the man who sits by his bowl

and sobs about sad wars,

but the rake who loves to rave about fine feats

in the arts and art of love

Anakreon  (6th Century)

Catch the apple that I throw,

If you love me.  Give me now

Your maidenhead; or if your will

Is set against me, catch it still

And think that beauty soon shall go.

-- Plato (4th Century)

Let us drink

Why wait for the lighting of the lamps?

Night is a hair's breadth away.

Take down the great goblets

From the shelf, dear friend,

For the son of Seleme and Zeus

gave us wine to forget our pains.

Mix two parts water,

One wine

and let us empty the dripping cups--

Urgently

-- Alkaios  (6th Century)

Third Century B.C.

Let's drink up: 

With wine, what original

What nuanced, what sweet fancy speech

I might hit on!

Soak me with a jug of Chian

and say,

"Haven fun, Hedylus."

For I hate wasting time unless I'm drunk.

-- Hedylos

Remember, do you remember 

those solemn words--

Springtime is loveliest,

time most elusive,

quicker than the quickest bird in the sky--

Look, your blossoms

all scattered on the earth.

-- Thymokles

Why grudge your useless maidenhead?

For Hades holds no lover's bed.

Love in our lives does very well,

But virgins are mere ash in hell.

-- Asclepiades

At play, Hermione caught and drove me.

She wore a belt of many colors

With golden letters, saying: "Love me,

And don't you mind if I'm another's."

-- Asclepiades

Sit down in the shade 

of this fine spreading laurel,

draw a welcome drink

from the sweet flowing stream,

and rest your breathless limbs 

from the harvesting--

here, where the West wind

blows over you.

-- Anythe

Drink down the strong wine:

Dawn's but the span of a finger.

And shall we wait for the lamp 

that brings good night?

Drink, drink to joy, dear friend:

for soon we'll have

A lonely night for sleeping,

and that's for ever.

-- Asclepiades

Second Century B.C.

Remember, remember, my holy words--

'Fairest beauty is most fleet.'

Beauty outstrips the swiftest birds.

Your blossoms lie about your feet.

-- Thymocles

According to the astrologers,

I Seleucus have few years

To live.  But I don't care, for if

My way to Hell is rather brief,

It's the same way for us all.

I'll just pay death an earlier call.

Water-drinkers walk the course,

But wine-guzzlers take a horse.

-- Antipater of Sidon

First Century B.C.

Let us undo these buttons my lovely,

and lie to gether naked, interlaced.

Put your long arms round my shoulders,

with nothing between our bodied, not

even those maddening flimsy pieces of underwear.

Let our breasts rub and our lips meet.

Let our murmurs throb into languid silence.

Don't use your tongue for talking, for a moment.

-- Paulos

I came across her, delightsome,

relaxed, stretched out, dreaming

in the heat of the afternoon

one arm stretching behind her head

overcome with audacity I approached her bed

taking advantage of her state

I was halfway there

before she came to her senses

struggling with her little white hands

to free herself

in spite of her resistance

we achieved the task of desire

and she burst into tears bewailing:

miserable man, you have satisfied your desire

which I have so often refused 

your payment to have

and now you will leave straight

to take another girl in your arms

you are never satisfied

you wicked pilgrims of desire

-- Paulos

O Morning Star, you enemy of love!

How lazily do you creep 

round the world tonight,

this night, while another lies warm 

beneath her cloak!

But when she lay, my slim love, in these arms,

then you did come--how quickly O Star--

To stand over us,

drenching is in your light that laughed 

at our loss.

O morning Star, you enemy of love!

-- Meleager

The lip of the wine-cup is sweet.

It tells of the touch of the mouth

Of Zenophila, prattling of love.

Happy cup!  If she could set

Her lips to my lips, she would quaff

My soul in one swallow of love.

-- Meleager

First Century A.D.

I do not wish to marry hag or child.

The young I pity, and revere the old.

A sour grape or raisin won't be mine,

Only a beauty ripening on the vine. 

-- Honestus

Her breast against my breast, 

Her skin on mine,

Her lips against my lip, with nothing in

Between Antigone and me, we lay.

I say no more.

The rest the lamp can say.

-- Marcus Argentarius

Isias my love,

with your scented breath

sweeter than any perfume:

wake up.

Here is a symbol for you:

this garland

is in full, fresh bloom now;

but towards morning

you will see it wither.

Take it in your hands;

and think of your beauty.

-- Marcus Argentarius

Psyllus brought a whorish stable

To entertain young men in style.

He preyed on weakness, and was able

To deal in flesh and make his pile.

He lies dead here.  But don't throw stones,

Traveller, nor urge on others.

Spare the complacent pander's bones--

He kept young men from seducing mothers.

-- Marcus Argentarius

I loved a girl called Alcippe,

And talked her round,  and secretly

Brought her to bed.  We hid and feared

Our loving might be overheard.

Her mother soon popped in her head,

"My daughter, we go halves," she said.

-- Marcus Argentarius

I refuse to become a shower of gold,

A bull or swan as in days of old.

Let Zeus do tricks.  

Corinna's more than willing,

If I remain human and give her a shilling.

-- Bassus

Second Century A.D.

a silver-ankled girl

was bathing in a brook,

letting the water flood down

on the golden apples of her milky breasts.

When she walked,

her round hips rolled and flowed

more liquid than water.

Her arm reached down

to shield her swelling belly,

not all--

but all her hand could hide

-- Rufinus

Let us wash each other's body

Prodike

and crown ourselves

and swill neat wine

from bigger jugs

life's joy is miniscule

then age mars

the residue

and at last death

-- Rufinus

I send this wreath, my Rhodoclea,

Made by my hands from every flower.

Lily and rose and anemone,

Narcissus and violet woven lie.

Wear it, and put off your pride.

The wreath and you both bloom and fade.

-- Rufinus

I am provoked

by the delicious boy next door.

His laugh of complicity is not

that of a novice.

He is twelve years old.

Green grapes my be touched,  but his ripe

chastity will be guarded.

-- Strato

Meeting a lovely boy face to face

I may strive to avert my eyes--

I may succeed,

but must at once glance back.

-- Strato

I like all young men.  I will not choose

A brother from a brother

For his beauty.  One for one charm I use,

Another for another.

-- Strato

Prodike, I warned you, age is coming,

Love is lagging and dissolving.

Wrinkles like harpies hold you in,

Crab mouth, gray hair, tired flesh, dry skin....

Who wants you now, my haughty one--

We pass you like a roadside tomb.

-- Rufinus

Third-Sixth Century A.D.

Once while plaiting a wreath

I found Eros among the roses.

I grabbed him by the wings

and dipped him in the wine

and drank him down.

Now inside my limbs

he tickles me with his wings.

-- Julianus, Prefect of Egypt (6th c)

This is life and nothing else is.

Life is pleasure.  Damn dull care!

Man shall live no more than this.

Now, there's wine and women fair,

Flowers and dance.  Live well today:

What comes tomorrow none can say.

-- Pallas (5th c)

The Tomb of Anakreon

I have sung this often,

even in the grave will I shout it:

Drink:

for you must put on this mantle of dust.

-- Julianus, Prefect of Egypt (6th c)

Bees do not plough nor dig their honey;

They bribe the flower of the spring,

So I work at Love with money,

Which culls the sweetest offering.

-- Macedonius the Consul  (6th c)

Sweet, my friends, is Lais' smile,

Sweet the tears that milk her eye.

Yesterday, she put awhile

Her head on me and gave a sigh.

I asked, "Why do you weep?"  She said,

"Men lie and leave.  I am afraid."

-- Paulus Silentiarius  (6th c)

But the brief pleasure of life!

But the headlong fuge of time passing!

Waking, sleeping, playing, contriving

With time against us,

Marching always against us,

Swerving us to our end--

And that's nothing.

-- Pallas (5th c)

Anonymous Sources

Bring Homer's lyre but mute

the cords of savage war.

Bring wine cups and the laws

of proper revelry.

I shall get drunk and dance

at our party, and even

roar on my tanging lyre.

yet with a tempered fury.

Bring Homer's lyre but mute

the cords of savage war

I wish I were the wind, and you

walking along the seashore,

would uncover your breasts,

and let me touch them

as I blow.

How good it is to roam

on the ripe grassy meadows

where the sweet wind drifts;

look at the grapevines,

and lie under the leaves

with a soft girl in my arms

who is willing and warm.

Boy, hold my wreath for me.

The night is black, the path is long,

And I am completely and beautifully drunk.

Nevertheless I will go

To Themison's house

And sing beneath his window.

You need not come with me:

Though I may stumble,

He is a steady lamp for the feet of love.

Perfume sweet I send you,

gracing not you but the perfume:

You are yourself

the perfume of the perfume.

If gold could buy life,

I would guard my wealth

with jealous desire,

and when death came

he would take some

and leave me alone.

Yet being mortal

I cannot prolong

my life, so why

should I cry or moan?

If we must die,

what good is gold?

So bring sweet wine,

and when I've drunk

bring my good friends.

I'll lie on a soft bed

and be lost in love.