W/W: A Bittersweet Farewell, Sappho fr. 94

A Bittersweet Farewell

Name: Sappho Date:   d. 570 BCE Region:   Lesbos [modern Greece] Citation:    Fragment 94

“I wish I were dead,” she wept as she left me.

She said this to me and more.

Lamenting the terrible things that we’ve suffered, 

She said, “O Sapph’! I am not leaving you willingly!”

But I replied,

“Go on now, and keep in mind

How much I have cherished you.

Or if you can’t, I want you to remember

All of the good things that we had, too.

You were wearing crowns of violets and roses and crocuses by my side,

You were wearing perfume fit for a queen,

Upon a soft bed

You were satisfying

The yearnings of your heart.”

 

τεθνάκην δ’ ἀδόλως θέλω· ἄ με ψισδομένα κατελίμπανεν πόλλα καὶ τόδ’ ἔειπέ̣ μοι· ̔ ὤιμ’ ὠς δεῖνα πεπόνθαμεν, Ψάπφ’, ἦ μάν σ’ ἀέκοισ΄ ἀπυλιμπάνω.’ τὰν δ’ ἔγω τάδ’ ἀμειβόμαν· ̔ χαίροισ’ ἔρχεο κἄμεθεν μέμναισ’, οἶσθα γὰρ ὤς σε πεδήπομεν· αἰ δὲ μή, ἀλλά σ’ ἔγω θέλω ὄμναισαι... [1] . . . καὶ κάλ’ ἐπάσχομεν· πο̣λλοις γὰρ στεφάνοις ἴων καὶ βρόδων κροκ̣ίων τ’ ὔμοι . . .πὰρ ἔμοι περεθήκαο, καὶ πό̣λλαις ὐπαθύμιδας πλέκταις ἀμφ’ ἀπάλαι δέραι ἀνθέων ἔ̣βαλες πεποημμέναις, καὶ πο̣λ̣λ̣ῳ. . . μύρῳ βρενθείῳ...... ἐξαλείψαο κα̣ὶ βασι̣ληίῳ, καὶ στρώμναν ἐπὶ μολθάκαν ἀπάλαν... ἐξίης πόθο̣ν.. νίδων…

“O utinam mortuam essem!” Hoc multis cum lacrimis dicto, illa me relinquit, multa de terribilis quae passae sumus querens, “O Psappham!”  Illa mi dicit, se non sua sponte me relinquere. Sed ego contra: “Valeas, et quantum te coluerim in animo habeto. Aut, si hoc nequeas, Velim, si te omnia bona  quae inter nos fieri soleant, memineris. Coronas violarum  rosarumque  crocorumque multas  mecum gerebas Et serta floribus multa in collo tenero  te ornabant, et tibi tempora multo regibus decente nardo destillabant, et in lecto molle  tibi desiderium tuum allevabas. Translated into Latin by Kris Masters

Sappho [d. 570 BCE, modern Greece] was universally applauded by the ancient world as the “Tenth Muse.” Because she was one of the earliest Greek lyric poets, there is very little definitive information on Sappho’s life.  It is generally agreed that Sappho was a wealthy noblewoman from the island of Lesbos who had three brothers and a daughter named Kleis. She used her prominent social position to support a cohort of other women artists, and composed many poems about them, expressing her love for them, praising their beauty, and celebrating their marriages. Whereas earlier Greek poetry was epic poetry with serious themes of gods, warfare, and the state, Sappho’s lyric poetry was emotional, intimate and personal. Her poetry centered around womanhood and womanly love, providing rare insight into the time period. The modern terms “sapphic” and “lesbian” reveal the longevity of her impact upon modern culture. Unfortunately, although her poetry was universally revered by the Greeks and Romans alike, Sappho’s works only exist as fragments, adding mysterious allure to her larger-than-life status but unfortunately hindering our understanding of her life and thoughts.

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 [1] This poem was found in a fragmentary state, with numerous words unintelligible or missing.