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Lament of Simonides (Ancient Greek Musical Fragment Arranged for Solo Lyre in the Just Intonation of Antiquity)

from A Well Tuned Lyre - The Just Intonation of Antiquity by Michael Levy

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This lovely melody, also written in the ancient Greek Hypophrygian Mode, can possibly be attributed to the ancient Greek poet & musician, Simonedes of Ceos. Simonides of Ceos (ca. 556 BC-469 BC) was one of the 9 great Greek lyric poets. He was born at Loulis on Kea. During his youth he taught poetry and music, and composed paeans for the festivals of Apollo. He was included, along with Sappho and Pindar, in the canonical list of nine lyric poets by the scholars of Hellenistic Alexandria. Further details can be found at:

www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/Bios/SimonidesOfCeos.html

The lyrics:
Ἄνθρωπος ἐὼν μήποτε φάσηις
ὅ,τι γίνεται αὔριον,
μηδ᾿ ἄνδρα ἰδὼν ὄλβιον,
ὅσον χρόνον ἔσσεται·
ὠκεῖα γὰρ οὐδὲ τανυπτερύγου μυίας
οὕτως ἁ μετάστασις

In English:

"You are a human, therefore seek not to foretell
what tomorrow may bring,
nor how long ones happiness may last.
For not even the flutter of the fly's wing
is as fast as change"

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Michael Levy UK

Michael Levy is a composer for the recreated lyres of antiquity,

Michael has collaborated with the Rufus Wainwright - Rufus Orchestrated Michael's "Hymn to Zeus" in 2 scenes of his second opera, "Hadrian".

In 2022 - 2023, Michael collaborated with the iconic American artist, Jeff Koons – his music for ancient Greek kithara was the soundscape of Koon’s sculpture, “Apollo Kithara”.
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