Ten Translations of Hadrian’s Final Poem

Sweet stray, wanderer who stopped
here in my body, friend,
where will you depart to
so completely stripped, stiff, pale,
now in solitude
amuse yourself!

*

Little soul, little wanderer, peeking out
from my body’s cover, host and lodger
which now change place
a little pale, a little stiff, naked,
with no more pillow talk...

*

Pilgrim, wanderer, drifter, soul
annexed to my body
as its guest and companion,
to what places will you venture
this pale, stiff, naked, I’ll not
listen to your jokes.

*

Twinkling little soul, wandering
companion, my body’s stranger,
where to now
that all your light has fled
and stiff, naked, nothing amuses you
anymore.

*

Soulful pleasing, wandering
life, stranger yet companion
to my corpse
which now changes its place,
where will you go, little stiff,
naked pallor
with no sense of humor?

*

Little soul, spirit, pleasing
pep-talk to my body
drifting away, to what
rough country
will you go—naked, pale
without your badinage?

*

Little daimon, sweet mote
hovering before
my body, its one-time guest
and companion,
which now leave for places
cold and barren,
where jokes fall on deaf ears.

*

Little soul, spirit, stray
that wandered into my flesh,
its host and companion,
where will you go now
that I am so pale, stiff, bare,
without your usual jibes.

*

Soul, little vagabond rambling
my body, pleasing host and friend
to my body, which now
it leaves, naked, pale, too stiff
to be made sport of.

*

Sliver soul, wandering animus,
companion and my body’s guest,
where to now
that your light had dimmed
barren, stiff, with no one
to laugh with.