The Poems of Sappho: An Interpretative Rendition into English - Sappho

SPRING
Come, shell divine, be vocal now for me,
As when the Hebrus river and the sea
To Lesbos bore, on waves harmonious,
The head and golden lyre of Orpheus.
Calliope, queen of the tuneful throng,
Descend and be the Muse of melic song;
For through my frame life's tides renewing bring
The glad vein-warming vigor of the spring.
The skies that dome the earth with far blue fire
Make the wide land one temple of desire;—
Just now across my cheek I felt a God,
In the enraptured breeze, pass zephyr-shod.
Was that Pan's flute, O Atthis, that we heard,
Or the soft love-note of a woodland bird?
That flame a scarlet wing that skimmed the stream,
Or the red flash of our impassioned dream?
Ah, soon again we two shall gather fair
Garlands of dill and rose to deck our bare
White arms that cling, white breast that burns to breast,
When the long night of love shall banish rest.

ANDROMEDA
What bucolic maiden
Now thy heart bewitches,
O my Andromeda
Of the strange amours?
Round her awkward ankles
She has not the faintest
Sense of art to draw her
Long ungraceful tunic.
Yet she surely makes thee,
O my Andromeda,
For thy sweet unlawful
Love a fair requital.
Joy and praise attend thee,
In thy keen perceptive
Taste for beauty, daughter
Of Polyanax!
Of Polyanax!

EUNEICA
Aphrodite's handmaid,
Bright as gold thou earnest,
Tender woven garlands
Round thy tender neck;
Sweet as soft Persuasion,
Lissome as the Graces,
Shy Euneica, lovely
Girl from Salamis.
Slender thou as Syrinx,
As the waving reed-nymph,
Once by Pan, the god of
Summer winds, deflowered.
On thy lips whose quiver
Seems to plead for pity,
Mine shall rest and linger
Like the mouth of Pan
On the mouth of Syrinx,
When his breath that filled her
Blew through all her body
Music of his love.

GORGO
Gorgo, I am weary
Of thy love's insistence,
Thou to me appearest
An ill-favored child.
Though I am than Gello
Fonder still of virgins,
Toward thee I have never
Felt the least desire.
Yesternight I knew not
What to do, for pity
Moved my bosom deeply,
Seeing thee implore.
Harassed by alternate
Yielding and refusal,
I was half persuaded
Then to grant thy prayer.
At my door thy presence
Lingers like a shadow;
Vain wouldst thou reproach me
With appealing eyes.
Dost thou think by constant
Proofs of lasting passion,
Slowly my obdurate
Will to wear away?
Gorgo, I am weary
Of thy love's insistence,
And my strength exhausted
Grants thy wish at last.

MNASIDICA
Set, O Dica, garlands on thy lovely
Glinting mass of fine and golden tresses,
Sprays of dill with fingers soft entwining
While I stand apart to better judge.
Those who have fair wreaths about the forehead,
Breathing brentheian odor to the senses,
Ever first find favor with the Graces
Who from wreathless suppliants turn away.
Dica, Mnasidica, thou art shapely
With the flowing curves of Aphrodite;
Eyes the color of her azure ocean
Washing wide on Cyprus' languid shore.
In thy every movement grace unconscious
Sways the rhythmic poem of thy body,
Charming with elusive undulation
Like a splendid lily in the wind.
As I stand apart to judge the better
Fair effects that roses add to beauty,
All thy rays of loveliness concentered
Sun me till I swoon with swift desire.

TELESIPPA
Sleep thou in the bosom
Of thy tender girl friend,
Telesippa, gentle
Maiden from Miletus.
Like twin petals shyly
Closing to the darkness,
Dewy on your drooping
Lids shall fall her kisses.
While her arms enfold you,
On your drowsy senses
Shall her soft caresses
Seal delicious languor.
Warm from her desireful
Heart the flush of passion
On your cheek unconscious,
With her sighs shall deepen.
All the long sweet night-time,
Sleepless while you slumber,
She shall lie and quiver
With her love's mad longing.

GIRL FRIENDS