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Learn about the life and legacy of Sappho, the ancient Greek lyric poet who wrote about love, loss, and the beauty of nature. Discover 10 of her best poems, some fragmentary and some complete, that capture her style and subject-matter.
The poem reflects the conventions of early Greek poetry, particularly its focus on beauty and eroticism. It captures the longing and vulnerability of human desire, aligning with the themes explored by other contemporaries during this period.
Sep 7, 2023 · Much earlier poetry had been liturgical, ceremonial, or courtly: in various ways emphatically public. But much of Sappho's work is intimate and putatively private, addressed to specific women or to her friends; and her tone of colloquial familiarity anticipates medieval and modern practice.
- Contents
- ‘Glittering-Minded Deathless Aphrodite’
- ‘Be Here, by Me’
- ‘Come to Me Here from Crete’
- ‘The Stars Around The Beautiful Moon’
- ‘He Is Dying, Cytherea, Your Tender Adonis,’
- ‘Some Say Horsemen, Some Say Warriors’
- ‘He’s Equal with The Gods, That Man’
- ‘But You, O Dika, Wreathe Lovely Garlands in Your Hair,’
- Fragments, on Love and Desire
Glittering-Minded deathless Aphrodite, I beg you, Zeus’s daughter, weaver of snares, Don’t shatter my heart with fierce Pain, goddess, But come now, if ever before You heard my voice, far off, and listened, And left your father’s golden house, And came, Yoking your chariot. Lovely the swift Sparrows that brought you over black earth A whirring of w...
Be here, by me, Lady Hera, I pray Who answered the Atreides, Glorious kings. They gained great things There, and at sea, And came towards Lesbos, Their home path barred Till they called to you, to Zeus Of suppliants, to Dionysus, Thyone’s Lovely child: be kind now, Help me, as you helped them…
Come to me here from Crete, To this holy temple, where Your lovely apple grove stands, And your altars that flicker With incense. And below the apple branches, cold Clear water sounds, everything shadowed By roses, and sleep that falls from Bright shaking leaves. And a pasture for horses blossoms With the flowers of spring, and breezes Are flowing ...
The stars around the beautiful moon Hiding their glittering forms Whenever she shines full on earth… Silver…
He is dying, Cytherea, your tender Adonis, What should we do? Beat your breasts, girls, tear your tunics…
Some say horsemen, some say warriors, Some say a fleet of ships is the loveliest Vision in this dark world, but I say it’s What you love. It’s easy to make this clear to everyone, Since Helen, she who outshone All others in beauty, left A fine husband, And headed for Troy Without a thought for Her daughter, her dear parents… Led astray… And I recal...
He’s equal with the Gods,that man Who sits across from you, Face to face, close enough, to sip Your voice’s sweetness, And what excites my mind, Your laughter, glittering. So, When I see you, for a moment, My voice goes, My tongue freezes. Fire, Delicate fire, in the flesh. Blind, stunned, the sound Of thunder, in my ears. Shivering with sweat, col...
But you, O Dika, wreathe lovely garlands in your hair, Weave shoots of dill together, with slender hands, For the Graces prefer those who are wearing flowers, And turn away from those who go uncrowned.
II
Remembering those things We did in our youth… …Many, beautiful things…
III
…Again and again…because those I care for best, do me Most harm…
IV
You came, and I was mad for you And you cooled my mind that burned with longing…
Sappho was an ancient Greek lyric poet from the island of Lesbos. She wrote around 10,000 lines of poetry, only a small fraction of which survives. Only one poem is known to be complete; in some cases as little as a single word survives.
Fragment Number [e]SourcesMeter [f]No. Of LinesP. Oxy. 2288; Dionysius of Halicarnassus28PSI 130017 [g]Fragment 3P. Berol. 5006; P. Oxy. 42418Fragment 4P. Berol. 500610POEMS OF SAPPHO. TRANSLATED BY JULIA DUBNOFF. 1. Immortal Aphrodite, on your intricately brocaded throne,[1] child of Zeus, weaver of wiles, this I pray: Dear Lady, don’t crush my heart. with pains and sorrows. 5 But come here, if ever before, when you heard my far-off cry,
Feb 12, 2018 · A guide to the life and works of Sappho, the ancient Greek poet who composed lyrics on love, beauty and women. Learn about her birth, education, songs, and legacy in this article that explores her fragmented remains and their historical and cultural context.
