A teal teardrop suspended above a glass bowl of water on a dark ledge.

Original artwork, not a still

Euripides

Waste not fresh tears over old griefs.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The speaker advises against renewing grief over losses from the past. Calling the tears fresh and the griefs old makes repeated sorrow seem like something spent again on what has already happened. The line urges release, without explaining how someone might achieve it.

Context reviewed

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