Poetry

The Aster Epigrams by Plato
(translation Percy Bysshe Shelley)
These two epigrams (from Book VII of the Greek Anthology) express Plato’s mourning and love for his recently deceased young friend. They were translated by the English poet Shelley, but the first epigram was left out of the standard collection of his works, while the second was included
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Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.
Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He is Dead.
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear
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