Selections from Hesiod's Works and Days II

Lines 174–181

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μηκέτ’ ἔπειτ’ ὤφελλον ἐγὼ πέμπτοισι μετειναι
ἀνδράσιν, ἀλλ’ ἢ πρόσθε θανειν ἢ ἔπειτα γενέσθαι.
νυν γὰρ δὴ γένος ἐστὶ σιδήρεον· οὐδέ ποτ’ ἠμαρ 
παύσονται καμάτου καὶ ὀϊζύος οὐδέ τι νύκτωρ 
τειρόμενοι· χαλεπας δὲ θεοὶ δώσουσι μερίμνᾱς. 
ἀλλ’ ἔμπης καὶ τοισι μεμείξεται ἐσθλὰ κακοισιν. 
Ζεὺς δ’ ὀλέσει καὶ τουτο γένος μερόπων ἀνθρώπων, 
εὐτ’ ἂν γεινόμενοι πολιοκρόταφοι τελέθωσιν.

Therefore I wish I were not among men any longer
but either to have died before now or to be born later.
For now indeed, it is the age of iron. Even at night,
stress doesn't stop: the Gods dole out hard cares.
But all the same: good will be mixed with the bad.
Zeus will even destroy this race of mortal speech,
when they will finally be born grey hair.