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More's Latin epigrams, which include his Latin translations of poems from the Greek Anthology, his adaptations of other authors such as Theophrastus, and his own poems in Latin, were celebrated for their wit, humor, and erudition. They are also a good guide to More's own taste in irony, satire, and philosophy, ranging from philosophical acceptance of the inevitability of death to satire of the ignorance of astrologers, the pomposity of kings, and the tendency of portrait painters to idealize their subjects. Susan McLean, in her poetic translations of More's epigrams, tries to convey their balance and contrast, metrical elegance, urbane wit, and comic deflation.
The original Latin text of this choice of epigrams is proposed on the left page and the translation on the opposite page. The literal translation provided below the two texts is quoted from Leicester Bradner and Charles Arthur Lynch, published in the Yale edition of CM 3, part II.
Vita Ipsa Cursus ad Mortem Est
Nugamur, mortemque procul, procul esse putamus,
At methis latet haec abdita visceribus.
Scilicet ex ilia, qua primum nascimur hora,
Prorepunt iuncto vitaque morsque pede.
Partem aliquam furtim qua se metitur et ipsam
Surripit e vita quaelibet hora tua.
Paulatim morimur, momento extinguimur uno,
Sic oleo lampas deficiente périt.
Ut nihil interimat, tarnen ipso in tempore mors est.
Quin nunc, interea dum loquimur, morimur.
Literal translation
We waste our time and think that death is far, yes, far away. Actually, death lies hidden right in our bodies. The truth is that, from the very hour of our birth, life and death advance with identical step. Each hour of living steals imperceptibly from your life some part even of its very essence.
Life Itself Is a Journey Toward Death
(after Theophrastus)
We waste time, thinking death is far, far off,
but death lurks in our bodies, deep within.
Indeed, at...