A poetic theme mourning the transience of beauty and life, typically asking 'where are they now?' about people, places, or glory that once existed.
From Latin 'ubi sunt qui ante nos fuerunt?' (where are those who were before us?). A favorite theme of medieval poets who looked at ruins and asked where all the great people went.
Medieval poets looked at ancient ruins and asked 'where are they NOW?' Where are the kings, the beauties, the warriors? GONE! It's the oldest sad question: everything passes. But the question itself survives forever! ðŸ°â“
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