Carpe Diem — Odes I.11
Carpe Diem — Odes I.11
Horace
Seek not to inquire—for it is unlawful to know—what end the gods have destined for me and for thee, Leuconoë; and abstain from consulting the Chaldaean figures. How much better it is, whatever shall happen, patiently to endure; whether Jupiter may have allotted us more winters, or whether this be the last, which now dashes the Tyrrhene Sea upon the opposing rocks.
Be wise; rack your wine; and cut off your extended hope to a small space. While we are talking, envious time will have fled away: seize the present day, placing as little trust as possible in the morrow.
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c. 23 BC. Translation by Christopher Smart, 1767. · Translated by Christopher Smart
