Transmissions: Three Translations of Sappho

1 August 2012

‘Transmissions’ comprises of creative translations and selective re-orderings of some fragmentary works of ancient Greek poet Sappho. These compilations emphasise the occasionally violent and manipulative nature of Sappho’s poems, the potential for multiple interpretations through lacunae, and some possible implications of imposing narratives on a poet about whom we know so little and whose works survive only in pieces.


Needlepoint

γλύκηα μᾶτερ, οὔτοι δύναμαι κρέκην τὸν ἴστον
πόθῳ δάμεισα παῖδος βραδίναν δι’ Ἀφροδίταν [fr. 102]
[κ]αὶ τοῦτ’ ἐπικε.      
δ]αίμων ὀλοφ.[fr. 67A]
Ἔρος δηὖτέ μ’ ὀ λυσιμέλης δόνει,
γλυκύπικρον ἀμάχανον ὄρπετον [fr. 130]
καὶ ποθήω καὶ μάομαι [fr. 36]
στᾶθι κἄντα φίλος
καὶ τὰν ἐπ’ ὄσσοισ’ ὀμπέτασον χάριν [fr. 138]
… κὰτ ἔμον στάλαγμον … [fr. 37]
οὐ μὰν ἐφίλησ̣      
νῦν δ’ ἔννεκα [fr. 67A ctd]
ὄπταις ἄμμε [fr. 38]
τὸν δ’ ἐπιπλάζοντ’ ἄνεμοι φέροιεν
καὶ μελεδώναις. [fr. 37 ctd]



Breakage

ἦλθες, ἔγω δέ σ’ ἐμαιόμαν,
ὂν δ’ ἔψυξας ἔμαν φρένα καιομέναν πόθῳ. [fr. 48]
ψαύην δ’ οὐ δοκίμωμ’ ὀράνω δυσπαχέα [fr. 52]

] ςαν• ἔγω τε γαρ [
φιλη [ ] μ’ ἆς κεν ἔνη μ’ [

] φίλα φαΐμ’ ἐχύρα γέ[νεςθαι

]… δ’ ὀνίαρ[ο]ς
] πίχρος ὔμ [fr. 88B]
]θαμέω[ς
ὄ]ττινα[ς γάρ]
[εὖ θέω, κῆνοί με μά]λιστα πά[ντων]
σίνοντα]ι.
]ἀλεμάτ[ων
. . .
]σέ• θέλω
τοῦ]το πάθη[ν.
]λαν• ἔγω δ᾽ ἔμ᾽ [αὔται]
[τοῦτο σύ]νοιδα… [fr. 26]
].αι δ’ ἄμα[
].ανθος•[
]μερον [fr. 78]



Transmission/“Stitching-Up”

Ἠράμαν μὲν ἔγω σέθεν, Ἄτθι, πάλαι πότα
Σμίκρα μοὶ παῖσ ἔμμεν ἐφαίνεο κἄχαρισ [fr. 49]

Οἴαν τὰν υάκινθον ἐν οὔρεσι ποίμενες ἄνδρες
πόσσι καταστείβοισι, χάμαι δ’ ἐπιπορφύρει ἄνθος. [fr. 105A]

Ἄτθι, σοὶ δ’ ἔμεθέν μεν ἀπήχθετο
φροντίσδην, ἐπὶ δ’ Ἀνδρομέδαν πότῃ. [fr. 131]

Τίς δ’ ἀγροιῶτίς τοι θέλγει νόον
οὐκ ἐπισταμένα τὰ βράκε’ ἔλκην ἐπὶ τῶν σφύρων; [fr. 57]

.… Ἔμεθεν δ’ ἔχεισθα λάθαν [fr. 129A]
Ἤ τιν’ ἄλλον
[μᾶλλον] ἀνθρώπων ἔμεθεν φίλησθα. [fr. 129B]

Σκιδναμένας ἐν στήθεσιν ὄργας
μαψυλάκαν γλῶσσαν πεφύλαχθαι. [fr. 158]

Ἕχει μὲν Ανδρομέδα κάλαν ἀμοίβαν [fr. 133]

Sweet mother, I am unable to weave
yearning for a boy, broken by delicate Aphrodite,
         and this
destructive god
Eros limb-loosener excites me, again,
sweetbitter, irresistible, creeping creature.
         I long and seek
         Stand, face me, beloved,
         open your eyes wide and freely
as my pain drips.
I insist I did not love
         now because
                  You roast me
Fearsome winds carry away he
who blames me.


 
 
 
You came, I was maddened -
you cooled my mind, burnt with yearning:
            I don’t imagine touching the sky with both arms.
Yes, I
will love            as long as in me
            I judge myself to have been a strong lover,
            painful bitter
often    for those
I favour are the ones who hurt me
            worst of all
You, I wish
            to suffer            in myself this
I know
all together
blossom
desire.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



 
I loved you dearly long ago, Atthis, when
you seemed to me a little, graceless child

such as the hyacinth on the mountain that
shepherd men press underfoot, breaking the blossom

but thoughts of me, Atthis, are grievous to you,
you have fled to Andromeda.

What rustic girl charms you now,
not having the wisdom to arrange her skirts?

You forget me,
or maybe you love some man more than me.

When anger swells in my breast,
it is better to guard my idly barking tongue.

Andromeda has indeed a beautiful reward.





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One Response to Transmissions: Three Translations of Sappho

  1. pscottier says:

    I can’t comment on the translations as translations, but phrases such as ‘limb-loosener’ (which spellcheck keeps trying to correct to limb loosened) and ‘idly barking tongue’ are wonderful. Thank you Siobhan.

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