People say that one should avoid ill fame, but tell them that without it, one cannot truly enjoy the pleasure of youth.

Here, the poet mounts a delightfully cheeky rebellion against societal caution and rigid decorum. While the world always advises guarding one's reputation, the speaker insists that a perfectly sterile, careful youth is barely youth at all. To truly experience the fire and romance of life, one must embrace a little madness—because without courted scandals and passionate risks, the thrill of being young is lost.