85
Τί με Πανδίονισ ὦ ῎ραννα χελίδων;
Why pretty swallow, Pandion's child, do you pester me?
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86
Ἀμφὶ δ᾽ ἄβροισ λασίοισ εὖ ϝε πύκασσεν.
She wrapped herself in gossamer clothes.
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87
Γλύκεια μᾶτερ, οὔ τοι δύναμαι κρέκην τὸν ἴστον,
πόθῳ δάμεισα παῖδοσ βραδίναν δἰ Ἀφρόδιταν.
My sweet mother, defeated by gentle Aphrodite's spell, longing for a youth, I no longer weave the cloth.
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88
Ἴψοι δὴ τὸ μέλαθρον,
Υ᾽μήναον
ἀέρρετε τέκτονεσ ἄνδρεσ,
Υ᾽μήναον
γάμβροσ ἔρχεται ἶσοσ Ά᾽ρευϊ,
[Υ᾽μήναον]
ανδροσ μεγάλο πόλυ μείζων
[Υ᾽μήναον]
Raise high the roof beams, workers! Hymenaeus! Like Ares, here comes the bridgroom! Hymenaeus! Taller than the tallest men! Hymenaeus!
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89
Πέρροχοσ ὠσ ὄτ᾽ ἄοιδοσ ὀ Λέσβοισ ἀλλοδάποισιν.
He towers like the lyrist of Lesbos above all men of other lands.
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90
Οἶον τὸ γλυκύμαλον ἐρεύθεται ἄκρῳ ἐπ᾽ ὔσδῳ
ἄκρον ἐπ᾽ ἀκροτάτῳ λελάθοντο δὲ μαλοδρόπνεσ,
οὐ μὰν ἐκλελάθοντ᾽, ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἐδύναντ᾽ ἐπίκεσθαι.
The sweet apple reddens on the branch, the very top branch, which the gatherers missed; no, they did not miss, but could not reach.
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91
Οἴαν τὰν ὐάκινθον ἐν οὔρεσι ποίμενεσ ἄνδρεσ.
πόσσι καταστείβοισι, χαμαι δ᾽ ἐπιπορφύρει ἄνθοσ.
On the hills the shepherds trample the flower underfoot and it lies on the group, darkening in decay.
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92
Ϝέσπερε, πάντα φέρων, ὄσα φαίνολισ ἐσκέδασ᾽ αγωσ,
φέρεισ οἴν, φέρεισ αἶγα, φέρεισ ἄπυ ματέρι παῖδα.
Evening, you bring all that light morning scattered, you herald the sheep, the goat and restore the child to its mother.
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93
Ἀϊπάρθενοσ ἔσσομαι.
I shall be a maid forever.
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94
Δώσομεν, ἦσι πάτερ.
Let us give, says the father.
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95
Θυρώρῳ πόδεσ ἐπτορόγυιοι
τὰ δὲ σάμβαλα πεμπεβόνα,
πίσυγγοι δὲ δέκ᾽ ἐξεπόνασαν.
To the gate-keeper, seven feet long and sandals of five bull hides, with work for ten cobblers.
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96
Ὄλβιε γάμβρε, σοὶ μὲν δὴ γάμοσ, ὠσ ἄραο
ἐκτετέλεστ᾽ ἔχεισ δὲ πάρθενον, ἄν ἄραο.
Happy bridegroom, now your wedding has come as you wished, and you have your desired maiden.
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97
Μελλίχιοσ δ᾽ ἐπ᾽ ἰμμέρτῳ κέχυται προσώποῳ.
As a sweet expression steals across her beautiful face.
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98
Ὀ μὲν γὰρ κάλοσ, ὄσσον ἴδην, πέλεται [ἄγαθοσ]
ὀ δὲ κἄγαθοσ αὔτικα καὶ κάλοσ ἔσσεται.
He who is beautiful to look on is good, and he who is good will soon be beautiful.
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99
Ἦῤ ἔτι παρθενίασ επιβάλλομαι;
Do I still yearn for maidenhood…
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100
Χαίροισα ηύμφα, χαιρέτω δ᾽ ὀ γάμβροσ.
The bride enters rejoicing, let the bridegroom rejoice too.
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101
Τίῳ, σ᾽, ὦ φίλε γάμβρε, κάλωσ ἔικάσω;
ὄρπακι βραδίνῳ σε κάλιστ᾽ ἔικάσδω.
To what may I compare you, dear bridegroom?
Most like a tender shoot.
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102
...Χαῖρε, νύμφα,
Χαῖρε, τίμιε γαμβε, πόλλα.
Hail bride, and hail all, noble bridegroom!
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103
Οὐ γὰρ ἦν ἀτέρα παῖσ, ὦ γάμβρε, τοαύτα.
O bridegroom, there is no other maiden like her.
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104
Παρθενία, παρθενία, ποῖ με λίποισ᾽ ἀποίχῃ;
Οὐκέτι ἤξω πρὸσ σέ, οὐκέτι ἤξω.
Maidenhood, maidenhood, why have you left me?
Never again shall I return to you.
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105
Φαίνεταί ϝοι κῆνοσ...
To himself he appears...
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106
Ὠΐω πόλυ λευκότερον.
Something much whiter than an egg.
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107
Μήτ᾽ ἔμοι μέλι μήτε μέλισσα.
Neither honey nor bee...
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108
Μὴ κίνη χέραδασ.
Do not disturb the pebbles.
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109
Ὄπτιασ ἄμμε.
You burn us.
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110
Ἠμιτύβιον σταλάσσον.
A dripping cloth.
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111
Τὸν ϝὸν παιδα καλει.
She called him her son.
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112
Παιδεσ, ἄφωνοσ ἐοῖσα τόδ᾽ ἐννέπω, αἴ τισ ἔρνται,
Φωνὰν ἀκαμάταν κατθέμενα πρὸ ποδῶν,
Ἀιθοπίᾳ με κόρᾳ Λατοῦσ ἀνέθηκεν Ἀρίστα
Ἐρμοκλειδαία τῶ Σαοναϊάδα,
σὰ πρόπολοσ, δέσποινα γυναικῶν, ᾆ σὺ χαρεῖσα
πρόφρων ἁμετέρον εἰκκλέϊσον γενεάν.
Maidens, though I am dumb, yet I speak thus. If any find and put at your feet someone with a constant voice. To Aethopia, daughter of Leto, I was consecrated by Arista, daughter of Hermokleides Saonaiades, your servant, queen of women. May you bless and glorify our house.
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113
Τιμάδοσ ἄδε κόνισ, τὰν δὴ ρπὸ γάμοιο θανοῦσαν
δέξατο φερσεφόνασ κύανεοσ θάλαμοσ,
ασ καὶ ἐποφθιμένασ πᾶσαι νεοθᾶγι σιδάρῳ
ἄλικεσ ιμμερτὰν �
�ρᾶτοσ ἔθεντο κόμαν.
Here is the dust of Timas, who was received in Persephone’s dark chamber, ceased before her wedding; when she died all of her handmaidens sheared with sharpened metal their beautiful hair.
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114
Ἄνθἐ ἀμέργουσαν παῖδ᾽ ἄγαν ἀπαλάν.
The gentlest maiden gathering flowers.
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115
Πόλυ πάκιδοσ ᾽αδυμελεστέρα, χρύσω χρυσοτέρα.
The lyre, far sweeter in tone, sweeter than gold and more golden.
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116
Ρ᾽οδοπτήχεισ και ἐλικώπιδεσ καὶ καλλιπάρῃοι
καὶ μειλιχοφωνοι.
With rose-touched cheeks and darting eyes and voices as sweet as honey.
117
Υμμες πεδὰ Μοίσαν ἰ]ο̣κ[ό]λ̣πων
κάλα δῶρα, παῖδες,
σπουδάσδετε καὶ τὰ]ν̣ φιλἀοιδον
λιγύραν χελύνναν·
ἔμοι δ᾽ἄπαλον πρίν] π̣οτ᾽ [ἔ]ο̣ντα
χρόα γῆρας ἤδη
ἐπέλλαβε, λεῦκαι δ’ ἐγ]ένοντο
τρίχες ἐκ μελαίναν·
βάρυς δέ μ’ ὀ [θ]ῦμο̣ς̣ πεπόηται, γόνα
δ’ [ο]ὐ φέροισι,
τὰ δή ποτα λαίψηρ’ ἔον ὄρχησθ’ ἴσα
νεβρίοισι.
τὰ <μὲν> στεναχίσδω θαμέως· ἀλλὰ τί
κεν ποείην;
ἀγήραον ἄνθρωπον ἔοντ᾽ οὐ δύνατον
γένεσθαι
καὶ γἀρ π̣[ο]τ̣α̣ Τίθωνον ἔφαντο
βροδόπαχυν Αὔων
ἔρωι φ̣ . . α̣θ̣ε̣ισαν βάμεν’ εἰς
ἔσχατα γᾶς φέροισα[ν,
ἔοντα̣ [κ]ά̣λ̣ο̣ν καὶ νέον, ἀλλ’
αὖτον ὔμως ἔμαρψε
χρόνωι π̣ό̣λ̣ι̣ο̣ν̣ γῆρας, ἔχ[ο]
ν̣τ’ ἀθανάταν ἄκοιτιν.
Be joyous, girls, for the fragrant-flowered Muses’ lovely gifts, and for the clear harmonious lyre. But my once tender body is now seized by old age; my hair is white instead of dark; my heart has grown heavy; my knees will not hold me, though once they were as nimble for dancing as fawns.
How I often regret - but why complain? Never to grow old, when you are mortal, is impossible. A tale tells how Tithonus was once smitten by rose-armed Dawn, whom he carried off to the world’s end. He was handsome and young then, but eventually grey age overcame him, the husband of an immortal wife.
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Complete Works of Sappho Page 3
