You burn us
[38]
Absence
I long and yearn for
[36]
Goatherd
Goatherd
a rose
longing
sweat
[74a (lines 2, 4) 74b (line 2)
74c (line 2)]
Shall I?
I don’t know what to do.
I think yes—and then no.
[51]
Pleasure
On a soft pillow
I will lay down my limbs
[46]
Encounter
Finding something
desires
Carry out a plan
suddenly
I call out from my heart.
for all you want to win
fight for me
persuaded by a voluptuous woman
as you know very well
[60]
Homecoming
You came and I went mad about you.
You cooled my mind burning with longing.
[48]
Desire
Nor
desire
but together
a flower
desire
I was happy
[78]
A God
And this
disastrous
god
I swear did not love
but now because
and the cause neither
nothing much
[67a]
Absent
Away
from her
yet she became
like gods
sinful Andromeda
a blessed one
didn’t hold back
her insolence
sons of Tyndareus
gracious
no longer innocent
Megara
[68a]
Of Those Unwilling to Take the Bitter with the Sweet
I care for neither honey
nor the honeybee
[146]
Endure
Bring about?
I want
to hang on
she said
[76]
I Shall
As long as you want to
[45]
RETURN, GONGYLA
To a Friend Gone, Remember
Honestly I wish I were dead.
When she left me she wept
profusely and told me,
“Oh how we’ve suffered in all this.
Psapfo, I swear I go unwillingly.”
And I answered her,
“Be happy, go and remember me,
you know how we worshiped you.
But if not, I want
to remind you
of beautiful days we shared,
how you took wreaths of violets,
roses and crocuses,
and at my side
tied them in garlands
made of flowers
round your tender throat,
and with sweet myrrh oil
worthy of a queen
you anointed your limbs
and on a soft bed
gently you would satisfy
your longing
and how there was no
holy shrine
where we were absent,
no grove
no dance
no sound”
[94]
Beauty in a Man
A man who is beautiful is beautiful to see
but a good man at once takes on beauty.
[50]
Atthis
I loved you Atthis once long ago.
You seemed to me a little child and graceless.
[49]
Her Friends
For you the beautiful ones my thought
is unchangeable
[41]
Sweetbitter
Eros loosener of limbs once again trembles me,
a sweetbitter beast irrepressibly creeping in
[130]
Return, Gongyla
A deed
your lovely face
if not, winter
and no pain
I bid you, Abanthis,
take up the lyre
and sing of Gongyla as again desire
floats around you
the beautiful. When you saw her dress
it excited you. I’m happy.
The Kypros-born once
blamed me
for praying
this word:
I want
[22]
You Can Free Me
I hoped for love
When I look at you face to face
not even Hermioni
seems to be your equal.
I compare you to blond Helen
among mortal women.
Know that you can free me
from every care,
and stay awake all night long
on dewy riverbanks
[23]
Kydro
I’m waiting
to offer you a good thing
in sacrifices
but going there
we know
is labor
later toward
Kydro say
I am coming
[19]
You in Sardis
In Sardis
her thoughts turn constantly to us here,
to you like a goddess. She was happiest
in your song.
Now she shines among Lydian women
as after sunset
the rosy-fingered moon
surpasses all the stars, and her light reaches
equally across the salt sea
and over meadows steeped in flowers.
Lucent dew pours out profusely
on blooming roses,
on frail starflowers and florid honey clover.
But wandering back and forth she remembers
gentle Atthis and for your pain
a heavy yearning consumes her
but to go there
the mind
endlessly is singing
[96 (lines 1–20)]
Afroditi and Desire
It is not easy for us to equal
the goddesses
in beauty of form Adonis
desire
and
Afroditi
poured nectar from
a gold pitcher
with hands Persuasion
the Geraistion shrine
lovers
of no one
I shall enter desire
[96 (lines 21–37)]
A Handsome Man
Stand and face me, my love,
and scatter the grace in your eyes
[138]
Myths
All would
say
that my tongue
tells tales
and for a greater
man
[18]
Paralysis
Sweet mother, now I cannot work the loom.
Sleek Afroditi broke me with longing for a boy.
[102]
Behind a Laurel Tree
You lay in wait
behind a laurel tree
and everything
was sweeter
women
wandering
I barely heard
darling soul
such as I now am
you came
beautiful
in your garments
[62]
Companions
For my companions,
now of these things I shall sing beautifully
[160]
Lito and Niobi
Lito and Niobi were deep friends
[142]
As Long As There Is Breath
You might wish
a little
to be carried off
Someone
sweeter
you al
so know
forgot
and would say
yes
I shall love as long as there is breath in me
and care
I say I have been a strong lover
hurt
bitter
and know this
no matter
I shall love
[88a (lines 5–11, 13–17,
19–20, 22–24); b (line 15)]
Return
I have flown to you like a child to her mother.
[25 INCERT.]
WEATHERCOCKS AND EXILE
Fury
When anger is flooding through your chest
best to quiet your reckless barking tongue
[158]
Abuse
Often
those
I treat well are just the ones
who most harm me
vainly
You I want
to suffer
In me
I know it
[26 (lines 1–5, 9–12)]
Gorgo
By now they have had enough of Gorgo
[144]
Andromeda
Andromeda in a beautiful exchange,
“Psapfo, why ignore Afroditi rich in blessings?”
[133a, b]
Atthis Disappearing
Atthis, now the mere thought of me
is hateful and you fly off to Andromeda
[131]
Where Am I?
But you have forgotten me
or you love some man more than me
[129a, b]
A Ring
Crazy woman
why are you bragging to me about a ring?
Madden
Don’t madden
my mind
Delicate Girl
Delicate girl
once again
I leaped
and wandered
[5a, b, c INCERT.]
Andromeda, What Now?
What farm girl dolled up in a farm dress
captivates your wits
not knowing how to pull her rags down to her ankles?
[57]
Hello and Goodbye
A hearty good day to the daughter of the house
of Polyanax
[155]
Mika
You have done wrong, Mika,
I won’t allow you to
faithless you chose love in the house
of Penthilos
A sweet song
in honey voice
sings
clear nightingales
over dew fields
[71]
Alkaios Speaks and Psapfo Responds
“I want to say something to you but shame
disarms me”
“If you longed for the good or beautiful
and your tongue were not concocting evil,
shame would not cover your eyes.
Rather you would speak about the just,”
[137]
In My Pain
My pain drips
May terrifying winds carry off him
who blames me
[37]
From Her Exile
For you Kleis I have no embroidered
headband and no idea
where to find one while the Mytilinian rules
These colorfully embroidered
headbands
these things of the children of the Kleanax
In exile
memories terribly wasted away
[98b]
Protect My Brother Haraxos
O Kypris and Nereids, I pray you
to sail my brother home unharmed
and let him accomplish all
that is in his heart
and be released from former error
and carry joy to his friends
and bane to enemies and let no one
bring us more grief.
Let him honor me his sister.
But black torment
suffering for early days,
citizens accused.
Was it over millet seed?
Pure Kypris, put aside
old anger and free him from
evil sorrow
[5]
To My Brother Haraxos
By giving
good fame
your beauty and nobility
to such friends
you sicken me with pain
Blame you? Swollen
Have your fill of them
For my thinking it is poorly done
and all night I understand baseness
Other
Minds
the blessed
[3]
To Afroditi About Her Brother’s Lover
Blessed one
May he be released from his past wrongs
with luck
now in harbor
Kypris, may she feel your sharp needles
and may she Doriha not go on crowing
how he came back a second time
to his desired love.
[15]
Doriha
Doriha
commands them
not to come
she is arrogant
like young men
who are loved
[7]
SECRET OF MY CRAFT
Holy Tortoise Shell
Come holy lyre speak to me
and become a voice!
[118]
Some Honored Me
Some honored me by giving me
the secret of their works
[32]
Graces
Holy Graces with arms of roses,
come to me, daughters of Zeus
[53]
Singer
Towering is the Lesbian singer
compared to those in other lands
[106]
Graces and Muses
Come to me now tender Graces
and Muses with beautiful hair
[128]
The Muses
Muses come here again to me
leaving the gold house
[127]
Happiness
Wealth without virtue is no harmless neighbor
but by mixing both you are on the peak of joy.
[148]
Light
I cannot imagine in the future any girl
who looks on the light of the sun
who will have your skill and wisdom.
[56]
SANDAL
A Swan’s Egg Containing Kastor and Polydeukis
They say that Lida once found an egg
hidden and the color of hyacinth
[166]
Comparisons
Far sweeter in sound than a lyre
more golden than gold
far whiter than an egg
[156, 167]
A Swallow
O Irana, why is king Pandion’s daughter
now a swallow waking me?
[135]
Jason’s Cloak
A mingling of all kinds of colors
[152]
Robe
robe
colored with saffron
purple robe
cloak
garland crowns
beauty
Phrygian purple
rugs
[92]
Chickpeas
Gold broom grew on riverbanks
[143]
Purple Handcloth
These purple handcloths
perfumed
she sent you from Phokaia
are expensive gifts
[101]
Beauty of Her Friends
Mnasidika is more beautifully formed
than even soft Gyrinno
[82a]
On Going Bareheaded
Rebuff other ways
as quickly as you can
and you, Dika, with your soft hands take stems
of lovely anise and
loop them in your locks.
The blessed Graces love to gaze at one in flowers
but turn their backs on one whose hair is bare.
[81]
Sandal
Colorful straps covered
her feet
in beautiful Lydian work
[39]
Garment
She was wrapped all around with a delicate
woven cloth
[100]
DREAM AND SLEEP
Dawn with Gold Arms
Go
so we can see
Lady Dawn
with gold arms.
Doom
[6 (lines 7, 8, 10, 11, 14)]
Sleep
May you sleep
on your tender girlfriend’s breasts
[126]
Black Sleep
When all night long
sleep closes down
and the eyes the black sleep of night
The Complete Poems of Sappho Page 6
