The Complete Poems of Sappho

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The Complete Poems of Sappho Page 5

by Willis Barnstone

took you from heaven down to mid sky

  over the black earth

  and soon arrived. O blessed one,

  on your deathless face a smile,

  you asked me what I am suffering

  and why I call you,

  what I most want to happen

  in my crazy heart. “Whom shall I persuade

  again to take you into her love? Who,

  O Psapfo, wrongs you?

  If she runs away, soon she will pursue.

  If she scorns gifts, now she will bribe.

  If she doesn’t love, soon she will love

  even unwillingly.”

  Come to me now and loosen me

  from blunt agony. Labor

  and fill my heart with fire. Stand by me

  and be my ally.

  [1]

  Afroditi of the Flowers at Knossos

  Leave Kriti and come here to this holy

  temple with your graceful grove

  of apple trees and altars smoking

  with frankincense.

  Icy water babbles through apple branches

  and roses leave shadow on the ground

  and bright shaking leaves pour down

  profound sleep.

  Here is a meadow where horses graze

  amid wild blossoms of the spring and soft winds

  blow aroma

  of honey. Afroditi, take the nectar

  and delicately pour it into gold

  wine cups and mingle joy with

  our celebration.

  [2]

  Moon and Women

  The moon appeared in her fullness

  when women took their place around the altar

  [154]

  Dancers at a Kritan Altar

  Kritan women once danced supplely

  around a beautiful altar with light feet,

  crushing the soft flowers of grass.

  [16 INCERT.]

  In Time of Storm

  Brightness

  and with good luck

  we will reach the harbor

  and black earth

  We sailors have no will

  in big blasts of wind,

  hoping for dry land

  and to sail

  our cargo

  floating about

  Many

  labors

  until dry land

  [20]

  To Lady Hera

  Be near me Lady Hera while I pray

  for your graceful form to appear,

  to which the sons of Atreus prayed,

  those dazzling kings

  who did bountiful deeds,

  first at Troy, then on the sea,

  but sailing the road to this island,

  they could not reach it

  till they called on you and Zeus god of suppliants,

  and Dionysos lovely son of Thyoni.

  Now be gentle and help me too

  as in old days,

  holy and beautiful

  virgin

  in circles

  to sail safely

  to the shrine

  [17]

  Invitation

  Invitation for one

  not all

  to come to a feast

  for Hera accomplishing

  as long

  as

  I am alive

  [9]

  Sacrifice

  To you I will pour wine

  over flesh of a white goat

  [40 INCERT. (13)]

  Death of Adonis

  Afroditi, delicate Adonis is dying.

  What should we do?

  Virgins, beat your breasts

  and tear your garments.

  [140]

  Adonis Gone

  O for Adonis!

  [168]

  To Afroditi

  O gold-crowned Afroditi,

  if only I could win this lot!

  [33]

  Afroditi

  Queen

  to you

  a horse

  [87e, f]

  Afroditi to Psapfo

  Both you Psapfo and my servant Eros

  [159]

  Days of Harshness

  Quiet

  Zeus

  of the goatskin shield

  and Kythereia

  I pray

  holding a good heart,

  and if ever

  like other days when you left Kypros,

  hear my prayer

  and come

  to my

  severities

  [86]

  Artemis on Solitary Mountains

  Gold-haired Phoebus borne by Koios’s daughter

  after she joined with Kronos’s son Zeus god of high clouds

  and high name.

  Artemis swore the great oath of the gods to Zeus:

  “By your head, I shall always be a virgin

  untamed, hunting on peaks of solitary mountains.

  Come, grant me this grace!”

  So she spoke. Then the father of the blessed gods

  nodded his consent. Now gods and mortals

  call her by her thrilling eponym, The Virgin Deer Hunter.

  Eros, loosener of limbs, never comes near her

  [44a]

  Artemis

  blame

  delicate

  Artemis

  [84]

  NIGHTINGALE

  Evening Star

  Hesperos, you bring home all the bright dawn

  scattered,

  bring home the sheep,

  bring home the goat, bring the child home

  to her mother.

  [104a]

  Hesperos

  Of all stars the most beautiful

  [104b]

  Moon

  Stars around the beautiful moon

  conceal their luminous form

  when in her fullness she shines

  on the earth

  in silver

  [34]

  Earth

  Earth is embroidered

  with rainbow-colored garlands

  [168c]

  Nightingale

  Nightingale with your lovely voice

  you are the herald of spring

  [136]

  Cicada

  Flaming summer

  charms the earth with its own fluting,

  and under leaves

  the cicada scrapes its tiny wings together

  and incessantly

  pours out full shrill song

  [101a]

  Doves Playing Dead

  When their souls grew cold they dropped

  their wings to their sides

  [42]

  Of Gello Who Died Young, Whose Ghost Haunts Little Children

  She was even fonder

  of children than Gello.

  [178]

  World

  I could not hope

  to touch the sky

  with my two arms

  [52]

  Eos

  Lady Dawn

  [157]

  Dawn

  Suddenly

  Dawn in gold sandals

  [123]

  WALKING TO A WEDDING

  Hair Yellower Than Torch Flame

  My mother used to say

  in her youth

  it was a great ornament to wear

  a purple ribbon

  looped in her hair. But a girl

  with hair yellower than torch flame

  need wear just

  a wreath of blooming

  flowers, or lately maybe

  a colorful headband

  from Sardis

  or some Ionian city

  [98a]

  Time of Youth

  You will

  remember

  we did these things

  in our youth,

  many and beautiful things.

  In the city

  for us the harsh

  We live

  opposite

  a daring

 
person

  stone foundation

  thin-voiced

  [24a, b, c]

  Of a Young Lover

  When I was young I wove garlands

  [125]

  My Daughter

  I have a beautiful child like a gold flower

  in form. I wouldn’t trade

  my darling Kleis for all Lydia or lovely . . .

  [132]

  Wildflowers

  A tender girl picking wildflowers

  [122]

  The Virgin

  Like a sweet apple reddening on a high branch,

  on the tip of the topmost branch and forgotten

  by the apple pickers—no, beyond their reach.

  Like a hyacinth in the mountains that shepherd men

  trample down with their feet, and on the earth

  the purple flower

  [105a, c]

  Girl

  A sweet-voiced girl

  [153]

  Remorse

  Do I still long for my virginity?

  [107]

  Words with Virginity

  Virginity, virginity, where have you gone, leaving me

  abandoned?

  No longer will I come to you. No longer will I come.

  [114]

  The Lyre Speaks

  Tell of the bride with beautiful feet

  let Artemis

  the violet-robed daughter of Zeus

  let the violet-robed put aside her anger.

  Come holy Graces and Pierian Muses

  when songs are in the heart

  listening to a clear song

  The bridegroom annoying companions

  her hair placing the lyre

  Dawn with gold sandals

  [103]

  Wedding of Andromache and Hektor

  From Kypros

  a herald came

  Idaos the swift-running Trojan messenger

  telling of the wedding’s imperishable fame in all Asia:

  “Hektor and his companions are bringing dancing-eyed

  delicate Andromache on ships over the salt sea

  from holy Thibai and Plakia’s flowing waters

  along with many gold bracelets and purple

  fragrant clothes, exquisite adornments

  and countless silver cups and ivory.”

  He spoke, and Hektor’s dear father sprang to his feet

  and news spread to friends throughout the spacious city.

  Instantly the sons of Ilos, founder of Troy,

  yoked mules to carriages with smooth-running wheels,

  and a whole crowd of women and slender-ankled virgins

  climbed aboard.

  The daughters of Priamos came in their own carts,

  and young unmarried men yoked stallions to chariots.

  In great spirit

  charioteers

  moved like gods

  holy all together

  and set out for Ilion

  in a confusion of sweet-voiced flutes and kithara

  and small crashing castanets,

  and young virgins sang a loud heavenly song

  whose amazing echo pierced the ether of the sky.

  Everywhere in the streets

  were bowls and cups.

  Myrrh and cassia and frankincense rode on the wind.

  Old women shouted in happiness

  and all the men sang out with thrilling force,

  calling on far-shooting Paean Apollo nimble on the lyre

  and sang to godlike Hektor and Andromache.

  [44]

  Walking to a Wedding

  Yes you were once a child

  come sing these things

  talk to us and give us

  your grace

  We are walking to a wedding, and surely

  you know too, but quickly as you can

  send the young virgins away. May gods

  have

  Yet for men road to

  great Olympos

  [27]

  Song to the Groom

  What are you like, lovely bridegroom?

  You are most like a slender sapling.

  [115]

  Song for the Bride

  O bridegroom, there is no other woman now

  like her

  [113]

  Lesbian Bride

  O beautiful, O graceful girl

  [108]

  Guarding the Bride

  Take care of her

  O bridegrooms

  O kings of cities!

  [161]

  Chamber

  Room

  the bride with her beautiful feet

  now

  for me

  [103b]

  Hermis at a Wedding

  There a bowl of ambrosia

  was mixed, and Hermis

  took the jug and poured wine for the gods

  and then they all

  held out cups and poured

  libations and prayed for all blessings

  for the groom.

  [141a, b]

  Fragments

  Carry

  Arheanassa

  once

  in lovely

  heard

  virgins

  of the springs

  [103C, a, b]

  To Hymen, Wedding God

  High! Raise the roof!

  O Hymen.

  Lift it up, carpenters!

  O Hymen.

  The bridegroom is coming, the equal of Aris,

  O Hymen.

  taller than a giant!

  O Hymen!

  [111]

  Song to Groom and Bride

  Happy groom, your marriage you prayed for

  has happened. You have the virgin bride

  of your prayer.

  You the bride are a form of grace,

  your eyes honey.

  Desire rains on your exquisite face.

  Afroditi has honored you exceedingly

  [112]

  Night Song

  Night

  Virgins

  will all night long sing

  of the love between you and your bride

  in her violet robe.

  Wake and call out young men

  of your age,

  and tonight we shall sleep less than

  the bright-voiced nightingale

  [30]

  A Guard outside the Bridal Chamber, Who Keeps the Bride’s Friends from Rescuing Her

  The doorkeeper’s feet are seven fathoms long.

  It took five oxhides for his sandals

  and ten shoemakers to cobble them together.

  [110]

  End of a Party

  Beautiful

  he throws peace into frenzy

  and exhaustion and dumbs the mind.

  Sitting

  But come, my friends.

  Soon daybreak.

  [43 (lines 3–9)]

  YOU BURN US

  Seizure

  To me he seems equal to gods,

  the man who sits facing you

  and hears you near as you speak

  softly and laugh

  in a sweet echo that jolts

  the heart in my ribs. Now

  when I look at you a moment

  my voice is empty

  and can say nothing as my tongue

  cracks and slender fire races

  under my skin. My eyes are dead

  to light, my ears

  pound, and sweat pours over me.

  I convulse, greener than grass

  and feel my mind slip as I go

  close to death.

  Yet I must suffer, even poor

  [31]

  Alone

  The moon has set and

  the Pleiades. Middle

  of the night, time spins

  away and I lie alone.

  [168b]

  Emptiness

  Never have I found you more repulsive,

  O Irana.

  [91]

  E
ros

  Love shook my heart like wind

  on a mountain punishing oak trees.

  [47]

  Love

  Eros came out of heaven,

  dressed in a purple cape

  [54]

  Supreme Sight on the Black Earth

  Some say cavalry and others claim

  infantry or a fleet of long oars

  is the supreme sight on the black earth.

  I say it is

  the one you love. And easily proved.

  Didn’t Helen, who far surpassed

  all in beauty, desert the best of men

  her husband and king

  and sail off to Troy and forget

  her daughter and dear parents? Merely

  love’s gaze made her bend

  and led her

  from her path.

  These tales

  remind me now of Anaktoria

  who is gone.

  And I would rather see her supple step

  and motion of light on her face

  than chariots of the Lydians or ranks

  of foot soldiers in bronze.

  Now this is impossible

  yet among the living I pray for a share

  unexpectedly.

  [16]

  To Eros

 

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