«medio tutissimus ibis» — or «You’ll go safest in the middle», from Ovid, Metamorphoses II, 137. Advice to Phaethon, who was about — disastrously — to drive the chariot of the sun.
Les mer»It is perhaps better for us to totter insecurely on the edge of an unknown abyss than simply to close our eyes and deny its existence. Leszek Kolakowski Metaphysical Horror
Les mer»My beast, my age, who will try to look you in the eye, and weld the vertebrae of century to century, with blood? Creating blood pours out of mortal things: only the parasitic shudder, when the new world sings. As long as it still has life, the creature lifts its bone, and, along the secret […]
Les mer»At ej du kan, dig visst forlades, – men aldrig at du ikke vil . . . Det er viljen, som det gælder. Viljen frigør eller fælder. I en krisetid nytter det ikke å forsøke sig med prutning, å nøie sig med å være en brøk i stort, en brøk i småt, en brøk i […]
Les mer»«arma virumque cano» — or «Arms and the man I sing». The most famous line in the whole of Latin poetry, the first line of the first book of Virgil’s Aeneid.
Les mer»I have studied the Science of departures, in night’s sorrows, when a woman’s hair falls down. The oxen chew, there’s the waiting, pure, in the last hours of vigil in the town, and I reverence night’s ritual cock-crowing, when reddened eyes lift sorrow’s load and choose to stare at distance, and a woman’s crying is […]
Les mer»Min själ älskat så de främmande länderna, som hade den intet hemland. I fjärran land stå de stora stenarna på vilka mina tankar vila. Det var en främling som skrev de sällsamma orden på den hårda tavla, som heter min själ. Dagar och nätter ligger jag och tänker på saker som aldrig hänt: min törstiga […]
Les mer»Floderna löpa under broarna, blommorna lysa vid vägarna, skogarna böja sig susande till marken. För mig är intet mera högt eller lågt, svart eller vitt, sen jag har sett en vitklädd kvinna i min älskades arm. Edith Södergran
Les mer»«quousque tandem abutere, Catilina, patientia nostra» — or «How long Catiline will you abuse our patience?». The famous first line of Cicero’s first speech against Catiline, attacking the would-be revolutionary (or innocent stooge), Catiline. But you can substitute any adversary for Catiline.. ‘quousque tandem abutere, Boris, patientia nostra?»
Les mer»«perfer et obdura! dolor hic tibi proderit olim» — or «Be patient and put up with it; one day this pain will pay dividends». That’s Ovid (Amores III, XIa) reflecting on the insults of his mistress –
Les mer»
