The things I keep

If only I could retain what goes in through my ears!!!!!

καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ τὰ μὲν ὅσσα καρήατι τῆμος ἔδωκα
ξανθὰ σὺν εὐόδμοις ἁβρὰ λίπη στεφάνοις,
ἄπνοα πάντ’ ἐγένοντο παρὰ χρέος, ὅσσα τ’ ὀδόντων
ἔνδοθι νείαιράν τ’ εἰς ἀχάριστον ἔδυ,
καὶ τῶν οὐδὲν ἔμεινεν ἐς αὔριον· ὅσσα δ’ ἀκουαῖς
εἰσεθέμην, ἔτι μοι μοῦνα πάρεςτι τάδε.

For all the soft gleaming ointments which I then put on my head, together with fragrant garlands, certainly lost their scent in no time; and of all that passed between my teeth and plunged into my ungrateful belly nothing remained next morning; but the only things which I still keep are those that I took in through my ears.

Callimachus Causes fr 43
From the Penguin book of Greek verse