Epitaph
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For other uses of the term Epitaph, please see Epitaph (disambiguation).
An epitaph (ἐπιτάφιος literally: "on the gravestone" in ancient Greek) is text honoring the deceased, most commonly inscribed on a tombstone or plaque. Traditionally an epitaph is in verse, but there are exceptions. Many poets have been known to compose their own epitaphs prior to their death.
Many are quotes from holy texts, or aphorisms. A good epitaph is considered to be one that is memorable, or at least makes one think. A wry trick of many successful epitaphs is to 'speak' to the reader and warn them about their own mortality; another is a request of the reader to get off their resting place, as often it would require the reader to stand on the ground above the coffin to read the inscription. Some record achievements, (e.g. past politicians note the years of their terms of office) but nearly all (excepting the tomb of the unknown soldier, where this is impossible) note name, date of birth and date of death.
Contents |
[edit] Famous Epitaphs
Workers of all lands, unite. The philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it.
- —Karl Marx, Highgate Cemetery, London
O xein', angellein Lakedaimoniois hoti têde/
keimetha tois keinôn rhêmasi peithomenoi
Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by
that here, obedient to their law, we lie.
- — Simonides's epigram at Thermopylae
Fly
Quoth the Raven,
"Nevermore."
- — Edgar Allan Poe, from his poem The Raven.
I lie somewhere over here
- — Werner Heisenberg, as in Uncertainty Principle.
When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say,
For Their Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today
- The Kohima Epitaph which is on the World War II War Memorial for the Allied fallen at the battle of Kohima. Written by John Maxwell Edmonds (1875-1958), an English classicist, suggested for the memorial by Major John Etty-Leal, the GSO II of the 2nd Division, another classical scholar.
Hodie mihi, cras tibi
- — Famous Latin epitaph: mine today, yours tomorrow
No greater friend, no worse enemy
- — Lucius Cornelius Sulla, Roman Dictator
Non fui, fui, non sum, non curo
- — Famous Latin epitaph: I was not, I was, I am not, I do not care
Don't Try
- — Poet Charles Bukowski
Good friend, for Jesus' sake forbear,
To dig the dust enclosed here.
Blest be the man that spares these stones,
And cursed be he that moves my bones.
- — From the grave of William Shakespeare
Here lie the ashes of Dorothy Parker (1893-1967) Humorist, writer, critic, defender of human and civil rights. For her epitaph she suggested "Excuse My Dust". This memorial garden is dedicated to her noble spirit which celebrated the oneness of humankind, and to the bonds of everlasting friendship between black and Jewish people.
- — From the grave of Dorothy Parker
Nature, and nature's laws,
Lay hid in night,
God said, let Newton be!
And all was light.
- — from the grave of Newton, a poem from Alexander Pope
SWIFT has sailed into his rest;
Savage indignation there
Cannot lacerate his breast.
Imitate him if you dare,
World-besotted traveller; he
Served human liberty.
- — by and for Jonathan Swift, translated from Latin by William Butler Yeats
Cast a cold eye
On life, on death
Horseman, pass by!
Stranger by the roadside, do not smile
When you see this grave, though it is only a dog's,
My master wept when I died, and his own hand
Laid me in earth and wrote these lines on my tomb.
- — (unknown origin)
This Grave
contains all that was mortal
of a
YOUNG ENGLISH POET
who
on his Death-Bed
in the Bitterness of his heart
at the Malicious Power of his enemies
desired these words to be engraven on his Tomb Stone
"HERE LIES ONE
WHOSE NAME WAS WRIT IN WATER"
FEB 24 1821
She did it the hard way.
Here lies one of the most intelligent animals who ever appeared on the face of the earth.
Never Born, Never Died—Only visited this planet Earth between December 11, 1931 and January 19, 1990.
- — Rajneesh
That's all folks!
I hope for nothing. I fear nothing. I am free.(translated)
Dúirt mé leat go raibh mé breoite
- — Spike Milligan, translation: "I told you I was ill"
J. R. R. Tolkien is buried next to his wife, and on their tombstone the names "Beren" and "Lúthien" are engraved, a fact that sheds light on the love story of Beren and Lúthien which is recorded in several versions in his works.
3.14159265358979323846264338327950288...
- — Ludolph van Ceulen, he was so proud of his achievement, computing π (pi) to 35 digits, that he ordered it to be inscribed on his tombstone.
Finally I am becoming stupider no more
- — Paul Erdos, Hungarian mathematician.
Här det jordiska af Kraus, det himmelska lefver i hans toner, (Here the earthly [remains] of Kraus - The heavenly live in his music)
- — Joseph Martin Kraus, German-Swedish composer.
Here lies Jiri Wolker, poet, who loved world,
and for its justice wanted to fight.
Before he could jerk his heart into battle out,
he died, only when he twentyfour was.
- — Jiri Wolker, Czech poet
Here was buried Thomas Jefferson
Author of the Declaration of American Independence
Of the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom
And Father of the University of Virginia
- — While a fairly bland epitaph in itself, it is notable for what it does not do: it does not mention the fact that Thomas Jefferson had been President of the United States for a full two terms.
Life's a jest, and all things show it.
I thought so once, and now I know it.
- — John Gay, English poet.
[edit] Other Epitaphs
Beware ye people passing by,
As you are now, so once was I,
And as I am now, so must you be,
Prepare for death and follow me.
- — Birdville Cemetery, Haltom City, Texas
He went too far in the search of flowers. (translated)
- — China, from a father on his son's tombstone
'Here lies Diophantus,' the wonder behold. Through art algebraic, the stone tells how old: 'God gave him his boyhood one-sixth of his life, One twelfth more as youth while whiskers grew rife; And then yet one-seventh ere marriage begun; In five years there came a bouncing new son. Alas, the dear child of master and sage After attaining half the measure of his father's life chill fate took him. After consoling his fate by the science of numbers for four years, he ended his life.'
- — Diophantus of Alexandria (upon solving the riddle, his age at death is found to be 84)
[edit] References
 |
This article is missing citations and/or footnotes. Please help improve this article by providing appropriate sources according to Wikipedia's style guidelines and policies regarding neutral point of view, original research, and verifiability. (help) |
