Fragment #188

#188

O mighty Eros, renowned myth weaver

Desire sparks the life of imagination

To gain knowledge of erotic things, is

The paramount pursuit in life

The tale will be told of my love, Phaon

Adored by Sappho, even though

Hymenaios never joined us as one

                   This love was everlasting

And through the years it grew and grew

No matter I married, had a child or two

My thoughts remained steadfast on you

                   My eternal lover

Will we be re-united again

That is my wish and my hope

I can only pray that Fate unfolds

                   A happy and fruitful end

Fragment #156

#156

Far more sweet-sounding than my lyre

Golder than gold is your honey-toned voice

When I hear the sound, O, my heart does rejoice

It kindles within me, evermore, divine desire

When will we be together I beseech you to know

As you travel o’er the wondrous world where I want to go

I’m left on this lonely island, my lovely Lesbos,

With only young maidens to teach the fine art

Of wooing and winning a mate, while most

Shall succeed, I can’t get you out of my heart

It’s thee I want for me eternally

How long will I have to wait

You always determine my fate

As I look out to the sea, diurnally

Fragment #147

#147

Someone will remember us, o’er the ages

Love as infinite as ours, I say will definitely

Endure, even if forgotten, even in another time

Someone shall recall, evoke the essence of

This unique commitment, plaud its unselfishness,

A poetess will take her plume in hand and

Expound to future lovers, the beauty of a

Caress, the tenderness of a kiss, the sheer

Pleasure in which we indulged, O Paphian

Beauty, inspire us as before, to entrust that

Our names be carved out of the Parian marble

To make people wonder who we were

Fragment #130

#130

Eros, the melter of limbs, now again stirs me—

Sweetbitter, unmanageable creature who steals in

Needs he no contrivance on his part, from the tree

He’ll simply pick the apple, the plumpest one when

He spots the juiciest, most tender, like the honeybee

He’ll dive right in, get his fill while luxuriating in the glen

He who brings love to others, in love he’ll never be

He’s heard all the stories, his only desire is to be free

No devices he devises, no instruments, no techniques do we see

When he is done with me, after he’s been with me, the wind

Will glide him away till another day and time when he

Has the desire for me will he for me selectively send 

Insurmountable he’ll wield his tricks effortlessly

And I’ll take in hand with his inspiration my pen

And write of the sweet yet bitter tune of flaming ecstasy

With him as stimulations my verses will flow, never to end

Fragment #128

#128

Here now, I call upon thee, three-blessed companions  

Of Kyprogeneia, O tender Graces, beauty, splendor and love

And Muses with the beautiful hair, you sisters nine of Pieria

To aid me in my memory to tell the story of Andromache

And her undying love for the hero, Hector, how she came

Across the sea from Thebes to mighty Ilios, her barge

Was met by chariots fastened to the strongest stallions, the

Whole city came out of its walls to chant the welcoming

Phrases, the colored banners were flying, the trumpets

Blaring, heralds proclaimed the blessed event of her arrival

Come to wed Troy’s favored son, the image of the gods

The festive banquets that were held, the dazzling dancing

The silver cups overflowing with the finest wines, as the

Proud father rose, O gallant Priam, and gave his blessing

To the gorgeous couple, she with the violets in her lap

To have a happy life and bear many children and live in

Peace but sadly, this was not to be their fate, the gods had

Other plans as Hector fought Achilles outside his city’s gates

Fragment #127

#127

Here once again, we will try to gain inspiration

My faithful pupils, listen to the Muses, what do you hear

Gongyla of Kolophon, are you leaving the gold bracelets

As an offering to Kypris, will she kindle longing in

Your breast, kindle it so you may write verses to be

Sung, Anagora of Miletos, have you woven garlands

As love messages to the boys of Mytilene

What has been their response, are you lamenting

Their silence or rejoicing at young men leading horses

By you, Eunika of Salamis, do you have the castanets,

Are you ready to dance to a song of enchantment,

O Muses, I hear your thoughts coming with the cool breeze

Pick up your lyres, my fair maidens, let’s begin to play

Fragment #123

#123

Just now gold-sandled Dawn

Is bringing the night to an end

I wanted time to stand still or

To be slowed down like the

Night Athena stalled the horses

Of Dawn for the reunion of

Odysseus with Penelope, for

You are so seldom with me—

But now I am rewarded, I felt

As if time was an endless

Commodity, your love-making

Was so virile and varied, we

Could not have done all those

Wonders in just one night, it was

As if we were on our honeymoon

Wrapped in love, never having

Enough of one another, always

Going back for more delights

And pleasure, I could end my

Life before rosy-hued Aurora

Brings another day, but won’t

Because I always hope that

Chance will bring us back

One more time, my endless wish

As I brush you for one more kiss

Fragment #117, 117A, 117B

#117, 117A, 117B

May you fare well, and put your violets away

A new day will dawn, my bride, you will be changed

Be happy tonight and let the bridegroom fare well

In your bridal chamber, all has been prepared

Scents of myrrh, cassia, frankincense permeate

Gleaming silver cups, ivory inlaid bed, gold of polished doors

Will now be closed, let the love-making begin

On this nuptial evening, sing Hymenaois, of blessed yoking 

O, the song of Adonis, will stir the fires of passion

Fragment #111

#111

Up with the roof

Hymenaios

Lift it, carpenters

Hymenaios—

The bridegroom is coming in

Equal to Ares

Hymenaios

Much bigger than a big man

Hymenaios

How will I manage

          Hymenaios,

          How can I cope

He frightens me

                   Hymenaios

                   The wedding hour

Approaches

          I am startled

          Hymenaios

                   I am amazed

                   Astounded

                   Hymenaios

Help me on this night

          A bride I will be for him

          Hymenaios

                   What will

                   Tomorrow

                   Bring, Hymenaois

                  

Fragment #104

#104

Evening comes and there is a returning

Eirana, you gather back the flowers we have picked

Bring together all that dazzling dawn has put asunder

Anaktoria, I’ll head out the sheep, you gather a lamb

Shepherd girls we have been today, Megara, gather a kid

Night is approaching and everything should be at home

Now is the time to gather a child to its mother

For the husband to come home to his wife

For the night fires to be lit, everyone inside

But my wild Dionysian streak is calling

To go out in the woods and dance

Let’s weave crowns with our fragrant flowers

Get the cool purple wine from the brook

Where it has chilled, come maidens fair

Let’s honor the god with goblets entwined

With his vine, farewell Apollo, we welcome

The dark, get a torch and we will frolic in

The gleaming grotto which overlooks the harbor

Dance the alluring steps Dionysus has taught

Be as free as the wind blowing our robes on high

Take off our veils, our head gear, be defiant

We’ll worship all night, have a pannuchides

With the beat of the drum, we will leap and twirl

If only we had wings, we could flutter and fly

Fragment #98B

#98B

I have always had headgear but for you Kleis I have none

The ones I prefer—spangled—where would I get them

Essential is a proper headbinder, yet the Mytilinean rulers

Won’t send any to Sicily, they punish me in this way,

If I only had something to hold your long locks, to hide

Them away with spangled linens, crown your head with flowers

These things of the Kleanaktidai who rule so painfully

Have sent me into exile as I flaunted their edicts, their decrees

Memories of my former self are pitifully, terribly leaked away

Fragment #94

#94

I simply want to be dead

Weeping she left me, fled

With many tears and said

          Oh, how badly things have turned out for us

Sappho, I swear, against my will

I leave but I love him, yes, still,

His remembrance leaves a chill

          In my being and will remain thus

And I answered her: Rejoice, go

And remember me, for you know

How we cherished you, I bestow

          My blessings on your journey, be glad

Stay, I pleaded but if not, I want

To remind you, from the very font

Of my being, our love will ever haunt

          Me, remind me of the beautiful times we had

I remember you for many crowns of violets

And roses, I have many laments and regrets

Carved in the wind are our silhouettes

          When you were at my side you put on the wreath of love

We will recall me and many woven garlands

Made of flowers and delicate filigreed bands

As we sang and danced on the shore’s golden sands

          As you put them around your soft throat and sang thereof

My memories live on and with sweet oils

And costly herbs grown in Greek soils

You anointed yourself, your glorious strands in coils

          These fragrances flow through my reveries

You came to me and on a soft bed

All my fears and frustrations had fled

Performed love-making as if we were wed

          You would let loose your longing and desire

And neither any of the sacred shrines nor any

In this holy place nor oracles nor horns of plenty

Was there from which we were absent and many

          Revelations, auguries, visions of sacred fire

The seers can’t foresee, this tragedy befallen on thine

No grove of almonds, no dance among the pine,

A song with no sound, no grapes upon the vine,

            Bare the trees, time does freeze, what gods to appease

Fragment #92

#92

Gongyla of Kolophon, you will become

A yoke mate tonight, be united in wedlock

I will lose a fine pupil but your bridegroom

          Will gain a fine wife

Your robe is painted in gold as are your

Sandals strapped to your feet and

Your headgear colored with saffron

Your bridal finery, your purple robe

Cloaks you and yet reveals your shape

Bring the crowns of hyacinth, circlets

Upon your beautiful head, bring your

          Wedding gifts of myrrh, cassia,

The perfumes from Arabia, the sheer purple

Hangings, the finely woven rugs are placed

Around your bed, all is prepared, come

          To the yoking we go

Fragment #88

#88

O Phaon, my eternal love, I’m yours

In Mytilene who we two were born or upon

The sky blue seas, wherever you may be

I swear, in front of Zeus, I declare

My love toward the heavens shine

Nothing can loosen these ties that bind

I knew you would be willing to be mine

Not a slight love but grandiose and divine

I am ready to be carried away, beloved

Did you hear someone say I was free

Not me, not true, who can love more sweetly

Than you, and you yourself know what I say

Was it you who forgot to bring me flowers

You who didn’t bring me Aphrodite’s sacred honey

I know full well someone will say you don’t care

You hurt me and yes I am only mortal

But I shall love thee as long as there is in me

A breath to breathe, you will be a care of mine

Truthfully, I say I have been a strong lover

Believing in you in times when all hope was gone

In my painful odyssey, I never gave up on you

I have shed bitter tears over you and your actions

You running away and leaving me, but you come back

To me and know this, I shall always be here for you

I will do whatever you want me to do

You know I shall love you forever

My body trembles at the thought of you

A new dawn for us to embark on another excursion

I have no need of weapons in Eros’ arsenal

Secure am I, aware of your undying commitment

Fragment #82

#82

Mnasidika, more finely shaped than soft Gyrinno

O mighty goddess, mother Hera, we are gathered

At your sanctuary for the annual choosing of the

Beauty of the day, I play upon my golden lyre

And if each and every beautiful Lesbian girl will dance

Nothing should interfere with your supreme decision

But now Alkaois joins the radiant precinct, a singer

Of songs like I, don’t stop the graceful gliding as

More finely shaped women appear, this one is whiter

Than milk, that more delicate than roses, what a

Gorgeous gathering to honor you, Queen of the Gods,

Who shall you choose, it’s a pity most of them will lose

Fragment #81

#81

You know I despise an uncovered head, hair

Without a crown, quick as possible, Eirana

Take these flowers, weave them swiftly

But you, Dika, bind your hair with lovely crowns

Tying stems of anise together in your soft hands

For the blessed Graces prefer to look on one who wears flowers

And turn away from those without a crown

Fragment #71

#71

I care for you, Mika, dearest companion

But I will not allow you to ruin yourself

Because you chose the love of Penthelids

          Those evil turning ones

Will make you suffer, some sweet song

I will render in honey voice and clear

Caught by the piercing breezes that blow

          We are wet with dew

The son of Orestes founded this clan

And while the one you love is fair

He and his family are too caught up

          In the political intrigues

To allow you to lead a peaceful life

To bear children who do not fear

Exile or worst, murder, try to find

          Another that you love

Far from the political sphere, I sing

Of love and harmony, that’s what

I want for you, please do listen to me

          Please do abide

Fragment #63

#63

O Morpheus, I dream of black desires in the uttermost deep

An outline of you, my love, you come roaming and when sleep

I implore, sweet god, terribly from pain set me free

Passionately, to hold the strength separate, I’ll agree

My love outweighs all but I expect not to share

Nothing of the blessed ones, they can’t know how much I care

Alas, I would not be like this if I could be with you

These toys for other times, if I only knew

But the curse of love, but may it happen to me

All I have given, why can’t you give a part of thee

Fragment #58

#58

Mortality weighs heavy on my heart

I must find my love before you depart

Full of colorful flowers is my garden cart

                   I search, I search

I can’t bear the burden of him running away

As I finger this vessel bitten with acid in the clay

What will lift these doubts, what will allay

                   As I stagger, lurch

Melancholy the music you in yonder days did flow

Your flute makes a way with the mouth slow

Bring the beautiful gifts, children bestow

                   Song-delighting, clear-sounding lyre

I play, though all my skin old age already has wrinkled

My hair turned white after black it always twinkled

My legs and my knees do not carry me fast in this sprinkle

                   An old doe, not like fawns near

Age has taken its toll but what could I do

O Aphrodite, it is not possible to become young and new

But I can still at dawn with arms of roses of every hue

                   Bringing to the ends of the earth

I love him and am yet seized with desire

I am his rightful wife flaming on fire

My mind still imagines heady nights, to this I aspire

                   Love I might bestow, and mirth

But I love delicacy, gracefulness and fathomless fun

You gave me all of this, and this to me sparing me none

You still give the brilliance and beauty of the sun

Desire has allotted to few

Grant me another time with him, fight with me to accomplish

My desire, my cravings, my loves, they never will diminish

Be with me till the crowning and ultimate finish

                   Where love springs eternally new

Fragment #45

#45

O, Phaon, as long as you want me

Faithfully, by your side I will be

My saffron skirt draped to my knee

                   My lyre awaiting

Eternal hope rests in my bosom

I sing my verses to you, I hum

Entrenched—I appear to be numb

                   Anticipating

Your broken promises, they distress

Wound deeply, but I love you no less

Let Boreas blow you to my caress

                   Passion ne’er abating

Fragment #43

#43

O lovely Kypris, I beg you to come down

To this mortal realm, where your renown

Is unsurpassed and weave a flower crown

                   Beautiful he is

His striking looks and stature stirs up still things

More venerated, exhaustion the mind, than kings

My emotions, my feeling settles down then springs

                   But come, O beloveds

Kypris pleads, bringing us together, for day is near

Pledge your vows of love, heartfelt, true and sincere

You brighten up this tremendous terrestrial sphere

                   Bring us together, I plea

Fragment #39

#39

Look at me, adorned, the feet

By spangled straps covered

Beautiful Lydian work finely

          Wrought in my skirt

Embroidered with delicacy and

Daintiness are the roses on my robe

My headgear of the finest linen

          Embellished with purple dye

Phaon has sailed to fabulous Sardis

And carried home to me all the

Luxuries of Lydia, so I might appear

          As some eastern divinity

Inlaid, my jewels around neck and arm

Look at me, Phoan, in my refined

Sensuality, I only have to begin

          Pouring nectar

To feel as beautiful as a goddess,

Tonight, our fires will burn more

Luxuriously as I behold you, my beloved

          Fairer than Adonis

Fragment #33

#33

If only, I, O gold crowned Aphrodite

Could win this lot, could you allow me

To have some good fortune, this I plea

                   Let the heavens decree

Would this guarantee a love to last

I would forget about those of the past

Try to choose a new one quick and fast

                   Your blessing is cast

I wouldn’t know what to do if I was happy

Poets have to lament, bewail, not be flappy

And foolish, not be sentimental, silly, sappy

                   I must take a nappy

I know it’s not in the stars for me to win

I just have to bear it and smile, grin

Let’s call for the drawing to begin

                   So my hapless hope can end

Fragment #31

#31

O Kypris, help me when

You can, I feel a thin

Fire is racing under skin

          Harken men

I have the need to possess

To you and only you I confess

I know that you will always bless

          Who I caress

Though I may stray

Out on the beautiful bay

Or in the heaped-up hay

          Come what may

What I do goes in my verse

I need new notes to rehearse

He always in my heart will be first

          I am not cursed

When I have this yearning

The fire within me burning

Away, I can’t be turning

          Until he’s returning

Fragment #30

#30

O night divine, the night Hymennios

Joins you to your wife, the stars like

Diamonds sparkle for your happiness

          As love is the Queen of the Night

Girls will leave the bride alone but linger

On the periphery all night long

So they might sing of the love between you and the bride

          With violets in her lap

Wake! And go call Demetrious and Marsyas

And all the young men so that they may join the girls in song

No more than the bird with piercing voice sings out

          Shall we sleep on this fabulous flight

Fragment #27

#27

Come, happy bridegroom, let me sing

About your wedding day and the bride

You are taking to be your wife, a beauty

          She is, a prize worth the picking

Yes, you a child once declared your intention

Approach, come sing these things to us

We want you to talk to us, give us your blessing

          She has the grace of a swan

For we go to your wedding, and surely we know

To be alone, you know this, but as soon as possible

Send the girls away, may gods bring you to the

          Immortal realms you have dreamed

You’ll be as Leander swimming the Hellespont

You’ll be on the road to great Olympus, the

Greatest athlete for men to compare themselves to

          On this your wedding night

Fragment #26

#26

Sometimes it is frequently stated

I have a special place of my heart for those who are beautiful

I treat well the ones who most of all are shining bright

Some say they want to harm me

For having preferences, are they crazy or am I

You can’t love everyone, you have to have favorites

I’ll pick and choose whom I want to be with

I have my own discerning manner but once my mind

Is made up, I say it is you, I want, it is you

I don’t want others to suffer because of my actions

Understand how I am, in myself I must be free to choose

All must be aware of this trait in me

So go, fair maidens, and do your biddings

Of ones who appeal solely to you, it would be a sad world

If everyone likes and admired only the same person

Fragment #24A

#24A

O Phaon, my beloved, the only keeper of my heart

Steadfast, you will remember our pledge to never part

Happy, for we were in our youth at the beginning, the start

                             Of this saga, we did these things

My dearest, yes many and beautiful things we performed

Round Lesbos where the waters were so invitingly warm

We frolicked on the rugged coastline through many a storm

                             Waiting for what life brings

Our road was hard and treacherous but we survived, thus

Many a lover had you as did I, this we don’t need to discuss

Love at last triumphs, jubilation, as I leap to join you in Oceanus

                             Transformed, as the maenads sings

Fragment #23

#23

I was the object of desire by all Greek men

Auctioned, bartered, long ago with Menelaus when

I became his wife, for when I look at you then

                   Such as Hermione I see

Hermione and to yellowhaired Helen I liken you to

Unfortunate daughter left behind when I fled

Hark, among mortal women, know this I pled

                   I partook from every care

Paris, you could release me from my state of woe

To the far ends of the earth, I would follow, I would go

Till we came upon the dewy banks of the Trojan coast

                   A love to last all night long

Paris was different as he held me by my hips

I was the face who launched a thousand ships

Greek men would rather wage war than kiss enticing lips

                   As they strayed from their wives

I was the heroine of the greatest story ever told

I’ve heard it said after I was created, they threw away the mold

But it was a minor role I played to the feats of men so bold

                   Homer didn’t appreciate my beauty

I think it wasn’t fair the trick they pulled

With that gigantic, wooden horse, not like the story of the bull

They conquered and destroyed the Trojans but one with wool

                   Covered his head and his face

Aeneas escaped the burning city with his father on his back

The courage of Hector ran through his veins, the black

Night enveloped them as they fled from this beastly attack

                   Someday he’d avenge his people’s plight

I was taken back to Sparta by my husband, reunited

With my daughter, Hermione, who during my flight

Had married the son of Achilles but oh, no, what a night

Orestes, my nephew killed her husband

In order to be able to wed her, she had my beauty too

To him she bore Tisamenus who was a warrior true

Of the great Greeks, there remained sadly but a few

He gloriously became the ruler of Mycenae