Look to your health. Boreas chills the dawn,

and over the shivering land spreads a veil of mist,

drawn from the river, squeezed from the fist

of winter. By evening, from the wind-torn

skies, merciless rain will often tumble down,

sometimes with storms as the clouds turn inky-black

and thicken, with a flash and a loud crack

of thunder. Everyone fears the farms might drown. 

from Works and Days, XLV

The ancient Greek poet Hesiod is best known for two poems, the Theogony and the Works and Days. The Theogony gives an account of the creation of the universe andthe war between the Titans and Olympians, while Works and Days offers plain-speaking advice on everything from how to cut timber for a plough to behaviour best avoided at a holy banquet. Hesiod's Calendar brings each poem to life in two robustly colloquial sonnet sequences. Saxton's fresh and witty treatment re-imagines the original texts for modern readers, in poetry that is faithful to the mythic power and the vivid immediacy of the ancient works. The poet’s introduction and detailed notes provide a fascinating insight into a dialogue between two poets across the centuries.

Cover illustration: Copyright © Rachel Tudor Best.