Anacreonta 38
“Let us drink wine happily
And toast Bacchus with songs,
That inventor of choral performances,
The lover of all music.
He shares the life of the Loves-
Kythera loves him too
Drunkenness was born thanks to him;
Grace was born thanks to him.
Grief takes a break when he’s around.
Pain goes to sleep too.
So once the drink is mixed,
Have the cute boys take it around.
Then grief has run away,
Mixed in with the wind-driven squall.
Let’s take a drink, then.
Let’s take a break from our worries.
What benefit is there from
Stressing over our pains?
How can we know the future?
Life is unclear to mortal-kind.
I want to get drunk and dance.
I want to douse myself in perfume and play
With handsome men
And pretty women too.”
ἱλαροὶ πίωμεν οἶνον,
ἀναμέλψομεν δὲ Βάκχον,
τὸν ἐφευρετὰν χορείας,
τὸν ὅλας ποθοῦντα μολπάς,
τὸν ὁμότροπον Ἐρώτων,
τὸν ἐρώμενον Κυθήρης,
δι᾿ ὃν ἡ Μέθη λοχεύθη,
δι᾿ ὃν ἡ Χάρις ἐτέχθη,
δι᾿ ὃν ἀμπαύεται Λύπα,
δι᾿ ὃν εὐνάζετ᾿ Ἀνία.
τὸ μὲν οὖν πῶμα κερασθὲν
ἁπαλοὶ φέρουσι παῖδες,
τὸ δ᾿ ἄχος πέφευγε μιχθὲν
ἀνεμοτρόφῳ θυέλλῃ·
τὸ μὲν οὖν πῶμα λάβωμεν,
τὰς δὲ φροντίδας μεθῶμεν·
τί γάρ ἐστί σοι <τὸ> κέρδος
ὀδυνωμένῳ μερίμναις;
πόθεν οἴδαμεν τὸ μέλλον;
ὁ βίος βροτοῖς ἄδηλος·
μεθύων θέλω χορεύειν,
μεμυρισμένος τε παίζειν
[μετὰ τῶν καλῶν ἐφήβων]
μετὰ καὶ καλῶν γυναικῶν.
