12 Quotes by Alkaios

O violet-haired, holy,honeysmiling Psapfo

Daughter of the rock and the gray seayou fill all heartswith triumph, tortoise shell of the sea.

Let us drink. Why wait for the lighting of the lamps?Night is a hair's breadth away. Take down the great gobletsfrom the shelf, dear friend, for the son of Semele and Zeusgave us wine to forget our pains. Mix two parts water, one wine,and let us empty the dripping cups—urgently.

One and all,you have proclaimed Pittakos, the lowborn,to be tyrant of your lifeless and doomed land. Moreover, you deafen him with praise.

Come with me now and leave the land ofPelops, mighty sons of Zeus and Leda,and in kindness spread your light on us,Kastor and Polydeukes.You who wander above the long earthand over all the seas on swift horses,easily delivering mariners from pitiful death,fly to the masthead of our swift ship,and gazing over foremast and forstays,light a clear path through the midnight gloomfor our black vessel.

Zeus rumbles and a mammoth winter of snow pours from the sky; agile rivers are ice.Damn the winter cold! Pile up the burning logs and water the great flagons of red wine;place feather pillows by your head, and drink.Let us not brood about hard times. Bakchos,our solace is in you and your red wines:our medicine of grape. Drink deeply, drink.

Wash your gullet with wine for the Dog Star returnswith the hear of summer searing a thirsting earth.Cicadas cry softy under high leaves, and pour downshrill song incessantly from under their wings.The artichoke blooms, and women are warm and wanton—but men turn lean and limp for the burning Dog Star parches their brains and knees.

Why water more wine in the great bowl?Why do you drown your gullet in grape?I cannot let you spill out your life on song and drink. Let us go to sea,and not let the wintry calm of morningslip by as a drunken sleep. Had weboarded at dawn, seized rudder and spunthe flapping crossjack into the wind,we would be happy now, happy as swimming in grape. But you draped a lazy armon my shoulder, saying: 'Sir, a pillow,your singing does not lead me to ships'.

What birds are thesewildgeese—flying from precincts where the earthand oceans end—with their enormous wings and speckled throats?