Ὅσον τὸ μεταξὺ μετὰ κορίσκης ἢ μετὰ
χαμαιτύπης τὴν νύκτα κοιμᾶσθαι. βαβαί,
ἡ στιφρότης, τὸ χρῶμα, πνεῦμα, δαίμονες.
τὸ μὴ σφόδρ’ εἶναι πάνθ’ ἕτοιμα, δεῖν δέ τι
ἀγωνιᾶσαι καὶ ῥαπισθῆναί τε καὶ
πληγὰς λαβεῖν ἁπαλαῖσι χερσίν· ἡδύ γε
νὴ τὸν Δία τὸν μέγιστον.
(Timocles, fr. 24)
What an ernormous difference between spending the night
with a free girl and with a prostitute! Damn!
The firmness of her flesh! Her color, and the smell of her breath! Ye gods!
The fact that everything’s not too ready for you, and you have
to wrestle a little, and get slapped and
punched by her soft hands. That’s nice,
by Zeus the greatest!
(tr. Stuart Douglas Olson)
Crambe Repetita 