In Praise of Sappho: Greek Anthology 9.521

Sappho, the Fates granted you not a little fame for your talent

When you first saw the light of day.

For we all agree that

Your words will last forever.

Even the Thundering Father of Us All agrees:

You will be praised by all art-loving mankind

You will never lose your well-deserved praise.

Non sane tibi exiguum decus praebuit Parca

die quo primo lucem vidisti solis,

Sappho. Tibi enim loquelam annuimus ut sempiterna sit,

unaqe pater omnium annuit late-sonans;

celebraberis in omnibus cantu-digna hominibus,

neque inclytae famae eris expers.

εἰς Σαπφῶ παρὰ τῶν Μουσῶν

οὐκ ἄρα σοί γε ὄλιζον ἐπὶ κλέος ὤπασε Μοῖρα

ἤματι, τῷ πρώτῳ φῶς ἴδες ἀελίου,

Σαπφοῖ: σοὶ γὰρ ῥῆσιν ἐνεύσαμεν ἄφθιτον εἶμεν,

σὺν δὲ πατὴρ πάντων νεῦσεν ἐρισφάραγος:

μέλψῃ δ᾽ ἐν πάντεσσιν ἀοίδιμος ἁμερίοισιν,

οὐδὲ κλυτᾶς φάμας ἔσσεαι ἠπεδανά

--Greek Anthology 9.521; Translated into Latin by Hugo Grottius

 

 The Greek Anthology is a modern collection of Greek lyric poetry compiled from various sources over the course of Greco-Roman literature. The current collection was created from two major sources, one from the 10^th century CE and one from the 14^th century CE. The anthology contains authors spanning the entirety of Greek literature, from archaic poets to Byzantine Christian poets.