Throned in splendor, deathless, O Aphrodite,
child of Zeus, charm-fashioner, I entreat you
not with griefs and bitternesses to break my
spirit, O goddess;
standing by me rather, if once before now
far away you heard, when I called upon you,
left your father's dwelling place and descended,
yoking the golden
chariot to sparrows, who fairly drew you
down in speed aslant the black world, the bright air
trembling at the heart to the pulse of countless
fluttering wingbeats.
Swiftly then they came, and you, blessed lady,
smiling on me out of immortal beauty,
asked me what affliction was on me, why I
called thus upon you,
what beyond all else I would have befall my
tortured heart: "Whom then would you have Persuasion
force to serve desire in your heart? Who is it,
Sappho, that hurt you?
Though she now escape you, she soon will follow;
though she take not gifts from you, she will give them:
though she love not, yet she will surely love you
even unwilling."
In such guise come even again and set me
free from doubt and sorrow; accomplish all those
things my heart desires to be done; appear and
stand at my shoulder.
(R. Lattimore, 1960)
1.
Artfully adorned Aphrodite, deathless
child of Zeus and weaver of wiles I beg you
please don't hurt me, don't overcome my spirit,
goddess, with longing,
but come here, if ever at other moments
hearing these my words from afar you listened
and responded: leaving your father's house, all
golden, you came then,
hitching up your chariot: lovely sparrows
drew you quickly over the dark earth, whirling
on fine beating wings from the heights of heaven
down through the sky and
instantly arrived - and then O my blessed
goddess with a smile on your deathless face you
asked me what the matter was this time, what I
called you for this time,
what I now most wanted to happen in my
raving heart: "Whom this time should I persuade to
lead you back again to her love? Who now, oh
Sappho, who wrongs you?
If she flees you now, she will soon pursue you;
if she won't accept what you give, she'll give it;
if she doesn't love you, she'll love you soon now,
even unwilling."
Come to me again, and release me from this
want past bearing. All that my heart desires to
happen - make it happen. And stand beside me,
goddess, my ally.
(J. Powell, 1993)
44.
Cyprus[
The herald came[
Idaios the swift messenger
"...and all the rest of Asia [ ] undying glory.
Hector and his companions escort a dartingeyed
woman from sacred Thebe and fair Plakia's streams,
delicate Andromache, aboard their ship
on the salt sea, and with her many golden bracelets
and scented purple robes and intricate adornments,
silver goblets past numbering and ivory."
So he said. His father leapt up eagerly
and word went to his friends throughout the spacious city.
The sons of Ilus led out mules and harnessed them
to fairwheeled carriages and all the crowd of women
and girls with slender ankles climbed on board[
and Priam's daughters separately[
And all the young unmarried men led out their stallions
and harnessed them to chariots, spirited [
] charioteers[
several verses missing
] like the very gods
] pure [
] toward Ilion,
the sweetvoiced flute and cithara were mingling,
the clash of castanets, and girls' clear voices singing
a holy song. The sound rang out and reached the sky
] wonderfully, lau[
Everywhere through the streets [
wine bowls and cups [
and myrrh and cassia and frankincense were mingling.
The women who were older raised a joyful cry
and all the men sang out on high, a lovely song
calling on Paian, the Farshooter, skilled with the lyre,
in praise of godlike Hector and Andromache.
(J. Powell, 1993)
16.
Some an army on horseback, some an army on foot
and some say a fleet of ships is the loveliest sight
on this dark earth; but I say it is what-
ever you desire:
and it is perfectly possible to make this clear
to all; for Helen, the woman who by far surpassed
all others in her beauty, left her husband -
the best of all men -
behind and sailed far away to Troy; she did not spare
a single thought for her child nor for her dear parents
but [the goddess of love] led her astray
[to desire...]
[...which]
reminds me now of Anactoria
although far away,
whose long-desired footstep, whose radiant, sparkling face
I would rather see before me than the chariots
of Lydia or the armour of men
who fight wars on foot...
(J. Balmer, 1992)
94.
"I simply wish to die."
Weeping she left me
and said this too:
"We've suffered terribly
Sappho I leave you against my will."
I answered, go happily
and remember me,
you know how we cared for you,
if not, let me remind you
...the lovely times we shared.
Many crowns of violets,
roses and crocuses
...together you set before me
and many scented wreaths
made from blossoms
around your soft throat...
...with pure, sweet oil
...you anointed me,
and on a soft, gentle bed...
you quenched your desire...
...no holy sight...
we left uncovered,
no grove...dance
...sound
(D. Rayor,1991)
31.
Like the very gods in my sight is he who
sits where he can look in your eyes, who listens
close to you, to hear the soft voice, its sweetness
murmur in love and
laughter, all for him. But it breaks my spirit;
underneath my breast all the heart is shaken.
Let me only glance where you are, the voice dies,
I can say nothing,
but my lips are stricken to silence, under-
neath my skin the tenuous flame suffuses;
nothing shows in front of my eyes, my ears are
muted in thunder.
And the sweat breaks running upon me, fever
shakes my body, paler I turn than grass is;
I can feel that I have been changed, I feel that
death has come near me.
(R. Lattimore, 1960)
31.
That man seems to me to be a god
who sits opposite you and listens to
you speaking so sweetly and close to him
and hears you too
laughing delightfully. Truly that flutters
the heart in my breast, for when for a moment I look
at you, I cannot speak at all; my tongue
is benumbed,
and a subtle flame runs immediately
beneath my flesh. My eyes see nothing at all
before them and in my ears there is a noise
of humming tops.
Sweat pours down and drenches me, and I
am all atremble and turner greener than grass
is, and I am, as far as I can see,
almost dead.
(B. Fowler, 1992)
31. [For the following, only stanzas 3 and 4 have been included.]
but my tongue goes mute...., a sudden, slender
flame invades my flesh,
my eyes go dark, my ears
are roaring,
cold sweat covers me, a trembling
seizes my body, paler than grass
am I, and little short of dead
I seem to myself
(P. Bing and R. Cohen, 1991)
my tongue is paralysed, at once
a light fire runs beneath my skin,
my eyes are blinded, and my ears drumming,
the sweat pours down me, and I shake
all over, sallower than grass:
I feel as if I'm not far off dying.
(M. L. West, 1993)
I say nothing, my tongue broken,
a delicate fire runs under my skin,
my eyes see nothing, my ears roar,
cold sweat rushes down me,
trembling seizes me,
I am greener than grass,
to myself I seem
needing but little to die.
(D. Rayor, 1991)