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While you live give light!

 

Seikilos epitaph is the oldest surviving complete musical composition that includes musical notation. The epitaph seems to be either from the 1st or the 2nd century CE. The song, the melody of which is recorded, alongside its lyrics, in the ancient Greek musical notation, was found engraved on a tombstone from the Hellenistic town of Tralles near present-day  Aydın , Turkey. The first sentence of the lyric is translated as: While you live shine (or give light). This work is inspired by this ancient lyric.   

While you live, shine/ give light
have no grief at all
life exists only for a short while
and Time demands his due.

 

 

Hea

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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