Tags
Greek, Greek Poetry, Greek Translation, poem, Poetry, Sophocles
Fire quenched, old Sophocles,
Flower of poets
Purple cluster crowned of Bacchus
Ἐσβέσθης, γηραιὲ Σοφόκλεες, ἄνθος ἀοιδῶν,
οἰνωπὸν Βάκχου βότρυν ἐρεπτόμενος.
( You will find the Greek text in the Loeb Greek Anthology, book 7, no. 20; translation is mine.)
Ἐσβέσθης: You are, it has happened to: as a fire quenched. The LSJ has “metaph. of men, become extinct, die”. (sbennumi). You are put out (as of a flame)
γηραιὲ Σοφόκλεες: Old man Sophocles (vocative, direct address)
ἄνθος: a blossom, a flower
ἀοιδῶν: of poets, singers: here of all poets, the superlative poet.
οἰνωπὸν: ruddy faced, dark complexion, with more than a whiff of drunkenness; with grapes, purple
Βάκχου: of Bacchus: here the one who acts; subjective genitive: Bacchus crowns
βότρυν: cluster of berries or grapes
erepto: a crown (not ereptomai, to feed on)