Homeric Epigrams
Oracle, Riddle, Epitaph
In Ios isle, your dam's land,
dead be you laid:
but of young lads' riddling
keep watch and ward.
In old age in Ios by the sea, he spoke to
some fisher-boys, who set him a riddle.
HOMER: Huntsmen of the wild wave,
what have we caught?
Aught or nought?
BOYS: What caught
Not brought:
What not caught
brought.
HOMER: What did we catch?
What price your fathers?
A Tiny patch:
Few ewes, few wethers.
They told him the answer was lice.
Homer remembered the oracle, and so composed his own epitaph.
As he walked off he slipped on some clay, and fell on his side. He
died two days later.
This earth hides
Homer's hallowed head:
he who honoured the heroes
here lies dead.
Translated by Tim Adès
Page(s) 223
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