late 7th century BC
Mimnermus
Poet of Colophon who wrote about youth, age and the shortness of life, comparing people to the leaves of spring.
Every line we carry
Each one links to its source, what it means, and the shirt in any of our looks.
- We are like leaves in spring. Enjoy the flower while it lasts.
Mimnermus compares people to the leaves that flowering spring brings out, which delight in youth for a brief span. Homer used the image before him. The season is short, so notice it while you are in it.
Fragment 2.1-4 West, our translation from the Greek