Horace: Quotes about time

Horace was Roman lyric poet. Explore interesting quotes on time.
Horace: 184   quotes 19   likes

“At times the world sees straight, but many times the world goes astray.”
Interdum volgus rectum videt, est ubi peccat.

Horace book Epistles

Book II, epistle i, line 63
Epistles (c. 20 BC and 14 BC)

World , Time

“For why do you hasten to remove things that hurt your eyes, but if anything gnaws your mind, defer the time of curing it from year to year?”
Nam cur quae laedunt oculum festinas demere; si quid est animum, differs curandi tempus in annum?

Horace book Epistles

Book I, epistle ii, lines 37–39; translation by C. Smart
Epistles (c. 20 BC and 14 BC)

Time , Hurt

“Now is the time for drinking, now the time to dance footloose upon the earth.”
Nunc est bibendum, nunc pede libero pulsanda tellus.

Horace book Odes

Nunc est bibendum, nunc pede libero
pulsanda tellus.
Book I, ode xxxvii, line 1
Odes (c. 23 BC and 13 BC)

Drink , Time , Dance

“As we speak cruel time is fleeing. Seize the day, believing as little as possible in the morrow.”
Dum loquimur, fugerit invida Aetas: carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero.

Horace book Odes

Book I, ode xi, line 7
John Conington's translation:
:In the moment of our talking, envious time has ebbed away,
Seize the present, trust tomorrow e'en as little as you may.
Odes (c. 23 BC and 13 BC)

Time

“He wins every hand who mingles profit with pleasure, by delighting and instructing the reader at the same time.”
Omne tulit punctum qui miscuit utile dulci, lectorem delectando pariterque monendo.

Horace Ars Poetica

Source: Ars Poetica, or The Epistle to the Pisones (c. 18 BC), Line 343

Pleasure , Time