Complete Works of Sappho Read online

  καὶ τὰν ἔπ᾽ ὄσσοισ ἀμπέτασον χάριν.

  Face me, loved one; and unveil the beauty in your eyes.

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  27

  Χρύσεοι δ᾽ ἐρέβινθοι ἐπ᾽ αἰόνων ἐφύοντο.

  And gold stretched along the shores.

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  28

  καὶ ποθήω καὶ μάομαι.

  I desire and I seek.

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  29

  Λάτω καὶ Νιόβα μάλα μὲν φίλαι ἦσαν ἔταιραι.

  Lato and Niobe were the dearest of friends.

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  30

  Μνάσεσθαί τινά φαμι καὶ ὔστερον ἀμμέων.

  I believe men will remember us in the future.

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  31

  Ἠράμαν μὲν ἔγω σέθεν, Ἄτθι, πάλαι πότα.

  I loved you, Atthis, a long time ago.

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  32

  Σμίκρα μοὶ παῖσ ἔμμεν ἐφαίνεο κἄχαρισ.

  To me you seemed a small and ungainly child.

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  33

  Ἄλλ᾽ ὄνμὴ μαγαλύννεο δακτυλίω πέρι.

  Foolish woman! Be not proud for a ring.

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  34

  Οὐκ οἶδ᾽ ὄττι θέω, δύο μοι τὰ νοήματα.

  I do not know what to do: I have two minds.

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  35

  Πσαύην δ᾽ οὐ δοκίμοιμ᾽ ὀράνω δύσι πάχεσιν.

  With both my arms, I do not seek to touch the sky.

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  36

  Ὤσ δὲ παῖσ πέδα μάτερα πεπτερύτωμαι.

  So like a child calling its mother, I tremble.

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  37

  Ἦροσ ἄγγελοσ ἰμερόφωνοσ ἄήδων.

  The messenger of spring, the sweet-toned nightingale.

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  38

  Ἕροσ δαὖτέ μ᾽ ὀ λυσιμέλεσ δόνει,

  γλυκύπικρον ἀμάχανον ὄρπετον.

  Now inescapable Love overcomes and shakes my soul, filling me with bitter-sweetness.

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  39

  Ἄτθι σοὶ δ ἔμεθέν μεν άπήχθετο

  φροντίσδεν, ἔπι δ᾽ Ἀνδρομέδαν πότῃ.

  But to you, Athis, thinking of me is hateful, as you flee to Andromeda.

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  40

  Ἕροσ δαὖτ᾽ ὲτίναξεν ἔμοι φρένασ,

  ἄνεμοσ κατ ὄροσ δρύσιν ἐμπέσων.

  Now Eros stirs my soul, a mountain wind overwhelming the oak trees.

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  41

  Ὄτα πάννυχοσ ἄσφι κατάγρει.

  Sleep holds them all night long.

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  42

  Ἄγε δὴ χέλυ δῖά μοι φωνάεσσα γένοιο.

  Come, O divine being, give up your thoughts to me.

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  43

  Κἀπάλαισ ὐποθύμιδασ

  πλέκταισ ἀμπ᾽ ἀπαλᾳ δέρᾳ

  And gracefully woven garlands on a tender neck.

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  44

  Γέλλωσ παιδοφιλωτέρα.

  Likes children more than Gello.

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  45

  Μάλα δὴ κεκορημένασ Γόργωσ.

  So tired of Gorgo.

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  46

  Ἕγω δ᾽ ἐπὶ μαλθάκαν τύλαν σπολέω μέλεα.

  So on a soft cushion I place down my limbs

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  47

  Κῆ δ᾽ ἀμβροσίασ μὲν κράτηρ ἐκέκρατο,

  ᾽Ερμᾶσ δ᾽ ἔλεν ὄλπιν θέοισ οἰνοχόησαι.

  κῆνοι δ᾽ ἄπα πάντεσ καρχήσια τ᾽ ἦχον

  κάλειβον ἀράσαντο δὲ πάμπαν ἔσλα

  τῳ γάμβρῳ.

  And the bowl of ambrosia was mixed, Hermes taking the ladle to pour for the gods; then all held their cups and offered their libation, wishing good fortune to the bridegroom.

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  48

  Δέδυκε μεν ἀ σελάννα

  καὶ Πληΐαδεσ, μέσαι δὲ

  νύκτεσ πάρα δ᾽ ἔρχετ᾽ ὤρα,

  ἔγω δὲ μόνα κατεύδω.

  The moon and the Pleiades set; it is midnight. Time passes and I lie alone.

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  49

  Πλήρησ μὲν ἐφαίνετ᾽ ἀ σελάννα

  αἰ δ᾽ ὠσ περὶ Βῶμον ἐσταθησαν.

  The full moon rose; the women stood, as though around an altar.

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  50

  Κρήσσαι νύ ποτ᾽ ὦδ᾽ ἐμμελέωσ πόδεσσιν

  ὠρχεῦντ᾽ ἀπάλοισ ἀμφ᾽ επόεντα Βῶμον

  πόασ τέπεν ἄνθοσ μάλακον μάτεισαι.

  Therefore, at times, the Cretan women, soft-footed, dance in time around the resplendent altar, trampling the luscious bloom of grass.

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  51

  Ἄβρα δηὖτε παχήᾳ σπόλᾳ ἀλλόμαν.

  Lightly, I leapt in the caressing garment.

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  52

  Φαῖσι δὴ ποτα Λήδαν ὐακινθίνων

  [ὐπ᾽ ἀνθέων] πεπυκαδμένον

  εὔρην ὤιον.

  They say Leda once discovered an egg beneath the hyacinths.

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  53

  Ὀφθάλμοισ δὲ μέλαισ νύκτοσ ἄωροσ.

  And murky-eyed Sleep, the child of Night.

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  54

  Χρυσοφάη θεράπαιναν Άφροδίτασ.

  Shining like gold the handmaiden of Aphrodite.

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  55

  Ἕχει μὲν Ανδρομέδα κάλαν ἀμοίβαν.

  Andromeda received a beautiful prize.

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  56

  Πσάπφοι τί τὰν πολύολβον Ἀφρόδιταν;

  Sappho, why do you worship Aphrodite, who is the happiest?

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  57

  Δεῦτέ νυν ἄβραι Χάριτεσ, καλλίκομοί τε Μοῖσαι.

  Now, come, tender Graces and graceful-haired Muses.

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  58

  Πάρθενον ἀδύφωνον.

  The sweet-toned maiden.

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  59

  Κατθνάσκει Κυθέρἠ, ἄβροσ Ἄδωνισ, τί κε θεῖμεν,

  Καττύπτεσθε κόραι καὶ κατερείκεσθε χίτωνασ.

  Tender Adonis now dies, O Cythera, what can we do?

  O maidens, beat your breasts and tear your garments.

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/>   60

  Ὄ τὸν Ἄδωνιν.

  O, Adonis.

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  61

  Ἕλθοντ᾽ ἐξ ὀράνω πορφυρίαν [ἔχοντα]

  περθέμενον χλάμυν.

  Coming from the heavens, dressed in purple robes.

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  62

  Βροδοπάχεεσ ἄγναι Χάριτεσ, δεῦτε Διοσ κόραι.

  Come, rose-armed Graces, Zeus’ virgin daughters.

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  63

  ...Ὀ δ᾽ Ἄρευσ φαῖσι κεν Ἄφαιστον ἄγνη Βίᾳ.

  Yet Ares claimed he would drag Hephaestus with force.

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  64

  —— Πολλὰ δ᾽ ἀνάριθμα

  ποτήρια καλαίφισ.

  You drain innumerable drinking cups.

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  65

  Κατθάνοισα δὲ κείσεαι πότα, κωὐ μναμοσύνα σέθεν

  ἔσσετ᾽ οὔτε τότ᾽ οὔτ᾽ ύ᾽στερον. οὐ γὰρ πεδέχεισ βρόδοων

  τῶν ἐκ Πιερίασ ἀλλ᾽ ἀφάνησ κἠν᾽ ᾽Αῖδα δόμοισ

  φοιτάσεισ πεδ᾽ ἀμαύρων νέκυων ἐκπεποταμένα.

  Forever you shall lie dead nor will there be any remembrance of you then, as you have none of Pieria’s; instead you shall wander unknown in the house of Hades, mingling with the shadowy dead.

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  66

  Οὐδ᾽ ἴαν δοκίμοιμι προσίδοισαν φάοσ ἀλίω

  ἔσσεσθαι σοφίαν πάρθενον ἐισ οὐδένα πω χρόνον τοιαύταν.

  I believe the woman that has your wisdom will never see the sunlight.

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  67

  Τίσ δ᾽ ἀγροιῶτίσ τοι θέλγει νόον,

  οὐκ ἐπισταμένα τὰ βράκἐ ἔλκην

  ἐπί τῶν σφύρων;

  What country girl casts a spell on you, not knowing how to draw her dress from her ankles?

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  68

  Ἤρων ἐξεδίδαξ᾽ εκ Γυάρων τὰν τανυσίδρομον.

  I taught Hero of Gyara, the swift runner.

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  69

  Ἄλλά τισ οὐκ ἔμμι παλιγκότων

  ὄργαν, ἀλλ᾽ ἀβάκην τὰν φρέν᾽ ἔχω.

  I have not a harmful nature, but a calm temper.

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  70

  Αὐτὰρ ὀραῖαι στεφανηπλόκευν.

  Then the sweet maidens wove the garlands.

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  71

  —— Σύ τε κἄμοσ θερόπων Ἕροσ.

  You and my servant Eros.

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  72

  ᾽Αλλ᾽ ἔων φίλοσ ἄμμιν [ἄλλο]

  λέχοσ ἄρνυσω νεώτερον

  οὐ γὰρ τλάσομ᾽ ἔγω ξυνοίκην

  νεῳ γ᾽ ἔσσα γεραιτερα.

  For if you love me, choose another, younger spouse, for I will not suffer to live with you, as an old woman with a young man.

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  73

  Εὐμορφοτέρα Μνασιδίκα τᾶσ ἀπάλασ Γυρίννωσ.

  More pleasing is Mnasidika than tender Gyrinno.

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  74

  Ασαροτέρασ οὔγδαμ᾽ ἐπ ὦ π᾽άννα σεθεν τύχοισα.

  I never found someone more disdainful than you, O Anna.

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  75

  Σὺ δὲ στεφάνοισ, α Δίκα περθέσαθ᾽ ἐράταισ φόβαισιν,

  ὄρπακασ ἀνήτοιο συν ῤραισ᾽ ἀπάλαισι χέψιν,

  ἐγάνθεσιν ἔκ γὰρ πέλεται καὶ χάριτοσ μακαιρᾶν

  μᾶλλον προτέρην, ἀστερφανώτοισι δ᾽ ἀπυστερέφονται.

  O Dica, set garlands upon your beautiful hair, weaving plant sprigs with your delicate hands; for those who wear attractive blossoms will surely rank first, even among the Goddesses, who frown upon those without garlands.

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  76

  Ἕγω δὲ φίλημ᾽ ἀβροσύναν, καὶ μοι τὸ λάμπρον

  ἔροσ ἀελίω καὶ τὸ κάλον λέλογχεν.

  I adore elegance and for me Eros has the sun’s beauty and brilliance.

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  77

  Κὰμ μέν τε τύλαν κασπολέω.

  Down I placed the cushion.

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  78

  Ὀ πλοῦτοσ ἄνευ σεῦ γ᾽ ἀρέτα ᾽στ᾽ οὐκ ἀσίνησ πάροικοσ,

  ὴ δ ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων κρᾶσισ εὐδαιμονίασ ἔχει το ἄκρον.

  Wealth without you is nothing, and yet having both is best.

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  79

  Αυτα δὲ σύ Καλλιόπα.

  And you too, Calliope.

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  80

  Δαύοισ ἀπάλασ ἐτάρασ ἐν στήθεσιν.

  You sleep on the breast of your lover.

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  81

  Δεῦρο δηὖτε Μοῖσαι χρύσιον λίποισαι.

  Here now, you Muses, leave your golden homes…

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  82

  Ἕστι μοι κάλα πάισ χρυσίοισιν ἀνθέμοισιν

  ἐμφέρην ἔχοισα μόρφαν, Κλῆισ ἀγαπάτα,

  ἀντι τᾶσ ἔγω οὐδὲ Λυδίαν παῖσαν οὐδ᾽ ἔρανναν.

  I have a beautiful daughter formed like golden flowers, blessed Cleis, whom I treasure more than the whole of Lydia or luscious Lesbos.

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  83

  Πόλλα μοι τὰν

  Πωλυανάκτιδα παῖδα χᾶιρην.

  All joy comes to me, daughter of Polyanax.

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  84

  Ζὰ δ᾽ ἐλεξάμαν ὄναρ Κυπρογενήᾳ.

  I spoke to the Cyprian goddess in a dream.

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