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You complain, friend Swift, of the length of my epigrams, but you yourself write nothing. Yours are shorter.

Martial

One genius has made many clever artists.
MARTIAL

Artist Genius Oneself
A fisherman’s walk: three steps and overboard.
MARTIAL

Man Walk
I have not hated the man, but his faults.
MARTIAL

Hate Man Mistake
A good man doubles the length of his existence; to have lived so as to look back with pleasure on our past existence is to live twice.
MARTIAL

Doubt Existence Goodness Live Man
He who writes distichs, wishes, I suppose, to please by brevity. But, tell me, of what avail is their brevity, when there is a whose book full of them?
MARTIAL

Book Himself Writing
I’m what I seem; not any dyer gave, But nature dyed this colour that I have.
MARTIAL

Color Myself Natural
While an ant was wandering under the shade of the tree of Phaeton, a drop of amber enveloped the tiny insect; thus she, who in life was disregarded, became precious by death.
MARTIAL

Ant Death Life Precious Shade Value
You ask what a nice girl will do? She won’t give an inch, but she won’t say no.
MARTIAL

Herself Woman
My poems are naughty, but my life is pure.
MARTIAL

Life Naughty Poem Purity
I would not miss your face, your neck, your hands, your limbs, your bosom and certain other of your charms. Indeed, not to become boring by naming them all, I could do without you, Chloe, altogether.
MARTIAL

Boredom Face Love Missing Myself Togetherness
You praise, in three hundred verses, Sabellus, the baths of Ponticus, who gives such excellent dinners. You wish to dine, Sabellus, not to bathe.
MARTIAL

Excellence Praise Verse Yourself
Be not too thick with anybody; your joys will be fewer, and so will pains.
MARTIAL

Happiness Joy Willing Yourself
Every epigram should resemble a bee; it should have sting, honey, and brevity.
MARTIAL

Honey Similar
What quick wit is found in sudden straits!
MARTIAL

Finding Quick Sudden
That which prevents disagreeable flies from feeding on your repast, was once the proud tail of a splendid bird.
MARTIAL

Agreement Food Movie Prevent Proud
Our days pass by, and are scored against us.
MARTIAL

Day Ourselves Pass Score

You complain, friend Swift, of the length of my epigrams, but you yourself write nothing. Yours are shorter.

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You complain, friend Swift, of the length of my epigrams, but you yourself write nothing. Yours are shorter.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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