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Λέγουσιν αἱ γυναῖκες· «Ἀνάκρεον, γέρων εἶ, λαβὼν ἔσοπτρον ἄθρει κόμας μὲν οὐκ ἔτ᾽ οὔσας, ψιλὸν δέ σευ μέτωπον.» ἐγὼ δὲ τὰς κόμας μέν, εἴτ᾽ εἰσὶν εἴτ᾽ ἀπῆλθον, οὐκ οἶδα· τοῦτο δ᾽ οἶδα, ὡς τῷ γέροντι μᾶλλον πρέπει τὸ τερπνὰ παίζειν, ὅσῳ πέλας τὰ Μοίρης.
Show a transliteration: DIN | ISO 843
Note on TransliterationsAuthorship
- by Anacreon (c582BCE - c485BCE), "Εις εαυτον", appears in Odes, no. 11 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)
- by Carl Loewe (1796 - 1869), "Εις εαυτον", 1815?, also set in German (Deutsch) [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Carl Loewe.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Stefan Stocker.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Lawrence Sisk) , "On himself", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Ernest Falconnet) , "Sur lui-même", first published 1847
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 11
Word count: 44
The women say: "Anacreon, you are old. Look at yourself in a mirror; Your hair is gone; Your forehead is bald." But whether the hairs are there, Or they have gone away, I do not know. But this I know: It is better for an old man To sing and dance His way to his fate.
Authorship
- Translation from Greek (Ελληνικά) to English copyright © 2019 by Lawrence Sisk, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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This text was added to the website: 2019-12-10
Line count: 11
Word count: 56