Sappho
Throned in splendor, deathless, O Aprhodite 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 call upon you, left your father's dwelling place and descended yoking the golden
charior to exquisit doves, who drew you down in speed aslant the black world, the bright air trembling at the heart to the pulse of countless fluttering wing beats.
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
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.
Sappho 2
Peer of the gods he seemeth to me, the blissful man who sits and gazes at thee before him, close beside, thee sits, and in silence hears thee silverly speaking,
Laughing love's low laughter, Oh this, this only stirs the troubled heart in my breast to tremble! For should I but see thee a little moment, straight is my voice hushed;
Yea, my tongue is broken, and though me 'neath the flesh impalpable fire rungs tingling. Nothing see mine eyes, and a voice of roaring waves in my ears soungs;
Sweat runs down in rivers, a tremor seizes all my limbs, and paler than grass in autumn, caught by pains of menacing death, I falther, lost in the love-trance.
Sappho 13
Some there are who say that the fairest thing seen on the black earth is an arrar of horsemen, some men, marching, some would say ships,
but I say she whom one loves best
is the loveliest. Light were the work to make this plain to all. Since she who surpassed in beauty all mortality beside, Helen, chose that man as the noblest.
Who destroyed the glory of Troy entirely. Not the thought of child, nor beloved parents, was remembered, after the Queen of Cyprus' won her at first sight.
Since young brides have hearts that can be persuaded easily, light things, palpitant to passion as am I, remembering Anaktoria who has gone from me
and whose lovely walk and the shining pallor of her face I would rather see before my eyes than Lydia's chariots in all their glorry armored for battle.
Sappho 93
Like the sweet apple which reddens upon the topmost bough A-top on the topmost twig, which the pluckers forgot somehow, Forgot it not, nay,
but got it not, for none could get it till now.
Sappho 94
Like the wild hyacinth flower, which on the hills is found, which the passing feet of the sheperds for ever tear and wound, until the purple blossom is trodden into the ground.
Sappho 52
The moon hath left the sky;
Lost is the Pleiands' light;
It is midnight
And time slips by;
But on my couch alone I lie.
Sappho 90
Oh, my sweet mother, 'tis in vain,
I cannot weave as once I wove,
So 'wildered is my heart and brain
With thinking of that youth I love.
Sappho 68
Thou liest dead and there will be no memory left behind
Of thee or thine in all the earth, for never didst thous bind
The roses of Pierian streams upon thy brow; thy doom
Is now flit with unknown ghosts in cold and nameless gloom,
Sappho 119
This dust was Timas'; ere her bridal hour
She lies in Proserpina's gloomy bower;
Her virgin playmates from each lovely head
Cut with sharp steel their locks, the strewments for the dead.
Sappho 95
O Hesperus! Thou bringest all things home;
All that the garrish day hath scattered wide;
The sheep, the goat, back to the welcome fold;
Thou bring'st the child, too, to his mother's side.
Sappho
Deathless Aprhodite of the spanled mind
child of Zeus, who twist lures, I beg you
do not break with hard pains,
O lady, my heart
but come here if ever before
you caught my voice far off
and listening left your father's
golden house and came,
yoking your car. And fine birds brought you,
quick sparrows over the black earth
whipping through their wings down the sky
through midair
they arrived. But you O blessed one,
smiled in your deathless face
and asked what I have suffered and why
I am calling out
and what I want to happen most of all
in my crazy heart. Who should I persuade
to lead you back into her love? Who, O
Sappho is wronging you
For if she flees gifts, rather will she give tham
If she does not love, soon she will love
even unwilling
Come to me nw loose me from hard
care and all my heart longs
to accomplish, accomplish. You
be my ally
Sappho
He seems to me equal to gods that man
whoever he is who opposite you
sits and listens close
to your sweet speaking
and love laughing of it
puts the heart in my chest on wings
for when I look at you, even a moment, no speaking
is left in me
no: tongue breaks and thin
fire is racing under my skin
and in eyes no sight and drumming
fills ears
and cold sweat holds me and shaking
grips me all, greener than grass
I am and dead or almost
I seem to me
But all is to be dared, because even a person of poverty
Sappho
for gold haired Phoibos whom Kroos' daughter bore
after she mingled with Kronos' high named son
But Artemis swore the great oath of the gods:
By your head! forever virgin shall I be
untamed on solitary mountains
Come, nod yes to this for my sake!
So she spike. Then the father of blessed gods nodded yes.
virgin deershooter wild one the gods
call her as her name.
Eros comes nowhere near her
Sappho
Dead you will lie and never memory of you
will there be nor desire into the aftertime for you do not
share in the roses
of Pieria, but invisible too in Hades' house
you will go your way among dim shapes. Having been breathed out.
Sappho
I want to say something but shame
prevents me
yet if you had a desire for good or beautiful things
and your tongue were not concocting some evil thing to say
shame would not hold down your eyes
but rather you would speak about what is just
Sappho
I simply want to be dead
Weeping she left me
with many tears and said this
Oh how badly things have turned out for us
Sappho, I swear, against my will I leave you.
And I answered her
Rejoice, go and
remember me. For you know how we cherished you
But if not, I want
to remind you
and beautiful times we had.
For many crowns of violets
and roses
at my side you put on
and many woven garlands
made of flowers
around your soft throat.
And with sweet oil
costly
you annoint yourself
and on a soft bed
delicate
you would let losse your longing
and neither any nor any
holy place nor
was there from which we were absent
no grove no dance
no sound
