the gods have set for you, for me;
not attempt the Babylonian
reckonings Leuconoë. How much
better to endure whatever comes,
whether Jupiter grants us additional
winters or whether this is our last,
which now wears out the Tuscan Sea
upon the barrier of the cliffs! Be
wise, strain the wine; and since life
is brief, prune back far-reaching
hopes! Even while we speak, envious
time has passed: pluck the day,
putting as little trust as possible in
tomorrow!"
- Quintus Horatius Flaccus
The ode above is one of Horace's most famous of the many odes he created throughout his lifetime. By using natural metaphors he pushes us to accept the pleasures around us in everyday life. He frowns upon the aspect of depending on remote aspirations for the future. "Pluck the day" is he immortal motto "Carpe Diem"
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