πα? Δ?οσ, δολ?πλοκε, λ?σσομα? σε
μ? μ σαισι μ?τ ν?αισι δ?μνα,
π?τνια, θ?μον.
λλ? τυ?δ λθ?, α?ποτα κ?τ?ρωτατ?σ ?μασ α?δωσ α?οισα π?λγι
κλυεσ π?τροσ δ? δ?μον λ?ποισαχρ?σιον ?λθεσ
ρμ ποζε?ξαια, κ?λοι δ? σ γον κεεσ στρο?θοι περ? γ?σ μελα?νασπ?κνα δινε?ντεσ πτ π ρ?νω
α?θεροσ δι? μ?σσω.
α?ψα δ χ?κοντο, σ? δ?, ? μ?σαιρα
μειδι?σαισ θ?νατ? προσ?π?,
ρ ττι δη?τε π?πονθα κ?ττιδ?γτε κ?λημι
κ?ττι μοι μ?λιστα θ?λω γ?νεσθαι
μαιν?λ? θ?μ?, τ?να δη?τε πε?θω
μα?σ ?γην ?σ σ?ν φιλ?τατα τ?σ τ, ?
∏σ?πφ?, ?δ?κηει;
κα? γ?ρ α? φε?γει, ταχ?ωσ δι?ξει,
α? δ? δ?ρα μ? δ?κετ ?λλ? δ?σει,
α? δ? μ? φ?λει ταχ?ωσ φιλ?σει,
κω?κ ?θ?λοισα.
λθε μοι κα? ν?ν, χαλεπ?ν δ? λ?σον κ μερ?μναν ?σσα δ? μοι τ?λεσσαιθ?μοσ ?μμ?ρρει τ?λεσον, σ? δ? α?τα
σ?μμαχοσ ?σσο. [transcription]
Immortal Aphrodite of the shimmering thone, daughter of Zeus, weaver of wiles, I pray thee crush not my spirit with anguish and distress, O Queen. But come hither if ever before thou didst hear my voice afar, and hearken, and leaving the golden house of thy father, camest with chariot yoked, and swift birds drew thee, their swift pinions fluttering over the dark earth, from heaven through mid-space. Quickly they arrived; and thou blessed one with immortal countenance smiling didst ask: What now is befallen me and why now I call and what I in my heart's madness, most desire. What fair one now wouldst thou draw to love thee? Who wrongs thee Sappho? For even if she flies she shall soon follow and if she rejects gifts, shall soon offer them and if she loves not shall soon love, however reluctant. Come I pray thee now and release me from cruel cares, and let my heart accomplish all that it desires, and be thou my ally.
I
Shimmering-throned immortal Aphrodite,
Daughter of Zeus, Enchantress, I implore thee,
Spare me, O queen, this agony and anguish,
Crush not my spirit
II
Whenever before thou has hearkened to me--
To my voice calling to thee in the distance,
And heeding, thou hast come, leaving thy father's
Golden dominions,
III
With chariot yoked to thy fleet-winged coursers,
Fluttering swift pinions over earth's darkness,
And bringing thee through the infinite, gliding
Downwards from heaven,
IV
Then, soon they arrived and thou, blessed goddess,
With divine contenance smiling, didst ask me
What new woe had befallen me now and why,
Thus I had called the.
V
What in my mad heart was my greatest desire,
Who was it now that must feel my allurements,
Who was the fair one that must be persuaded,
Who wronged thee Sappho?
VI
For if now she flees, quickly she shall follow
And if she spurns gifts, soon shall she offer them
Yea, if she knows not love, soon shall she feel it
Even reluctant.
VII
Come then, I pray, grant me surcease from sorrow,
Drive away care, I beseech thee, O goddess
Fulfil for me what I yearn to accomplish,
Be thou my ally.
------------------------------------------
φ?ινετα? μοι κ?νοσ ?σοσ τη?οισιν
μμεν ?νερ ?στισ ?ναντ?οσ τοι ζ?νει κα? πλασ?ον ?δυφωνε?σασ ?πακο?ει
κα? γαλα?σασ ?μμερ?εν τ? δ μ?ν
καρδ?αν ?ν στ?θεσιν ?πτ?ασεν,
σ γ?ρ ε?ιδον βροχ?ωσ σε, φ?νασο?δ?ν ?τ ικει,
λλ? κ?μ μ?ν γλ?σσα ?αγε, λ?πτονδ? α?τικα χρ? π?ρ ?παδεδρ?μακεν,
ππ?τεσσι δ? ο?δ?ν ορημ?,?πιρρ?μβεισι δ κουαι.
δ? μ δρωσ κακχ?εται, τρ?μοσ δ?πα?σαν ?γρει χλωροτ?ρα δ? πο?ασ
μμι, τεθν?κην δ λιγω ?πιδε?ηνφα?νομαι [?λλα].
π?ν τ?λματον [......] [transcription]
That one seems to me the equal of the gods, who sits in thy presence and hears near him thy sweet voice and lovely laughter; that indeed makes my heart beat fast in my bosom. For when I see thee even a little I am bereft of utterance, my tongue is useless and at once a subtle fire races under my skin, my eyes see nothing, my ears ring, sweat pours forth and all my body is seized with trembling. I am paler than [dried] grass and seem in my madness little better than dead, but I must dare all ...
I
Peer of the gods, the happiest man I seem
Sitting before thee, rapt at thy sight, hearing
Thy soft laughter and they voice most gentle,
Speaking so sweetly.
II
Then in my bosom my heart wildly flutters,
And, when on thee I gaze never so little,
Bereft am I of all power of utterance,
My tongue is useless.
III
There rushes at once through my flesh tingling fire,
My eyes are deprived of all power of vision,
My ears hear nothing by sounds of winds roaring,
And all is blackness.
III
Down courses in streams the sweat of emotion,
A dread trembling o'erwhelms me, paler than I
Than dried grass in autumn, and in my madness
Dead I seem almost.
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Ο]? μ?ν ?ππ?ων στρ?τον ο? δ? π?σδων
ο? δ? ν?ων φα?σ π? γ?ν μ?λαιναν
]μμεναι κ?λλιστον ?γω δ? κ?ν??ττω τ?σ ?παται. [transcription]
II
π?]γχυ δ? ε?μαρεσ σ?νετον π?ησαι
π?]ντι τ[ο?]τ?. ? γ?ρ π?λυ περσκ?πεισα
κ?]λλοσ ?νθρ?πων ?λ?να [τ?]ν ?νδρα
[κρ?ννεν ?ρ]ιστον, [transcription]
III
σ τ? π?ν] σ?βασ τρο?α[σ ?]λεσσ[ε,κω?δ? πα]?δοσ ο?δε [φ?λ]ων το[κ]?ων
μ?λλον] ?μν?σθη, ?[λλ?] παρ?γαγ? α?ταν
π?λε φ?λει]σαν, [transcription]
IV
ροσ. ε?κ]αμπτον γαρ [?ε? τ? θ?λυ]α? κ?] τισ κο?φωσ τ[? π?ρον ν]ο?σ?.
ο?]δ? ν?ν, ?νακτορ?[α, τ]? μ?μναι
δ?] παρειο?σασ, [transcription]
V
τ?]σ κε βολλο?μαν ?ρατ?ν τε β?μα
κ]αμ?ρυγμα λ?μπρον ?δην προσ?πω
η τ? λ?δων ?ρματα κ?ν ?πλοισι
πεσδομ]?χεντασ [transcription]
VI
ε? μεν ?δ]μεν ο? δ?νατον γ?νεσθαι
λ?στ?] ?ν νθρ?ποισ, πεδ?χην δ ραστηαι,
[τ?ν π?δειχ?ν ?στι βρ?τοισι λ?ον]
[? λελ?θεσθαι.] [transcription]
With the emendations by Mr. J.M. Edmonds, the reprinting of which he has been kind enough to permit, a nearly literal rendering would be as follows:
Some say that the fairest thing upon the dark earth is a host of horsemen, and some say a host of foot soldiers, and others again a fleet of ships, but for me it is my beloved. And it is easy to make anyone understand this. When Helen saw the most beautiful of mortals, she chose for best that one, the destroyer of all the honour of Troy and though not much of child or dear parent, but was led astray by Love, to bestow her heart far off, for woman is ever easy to lead astray when she thinks of no account what is near and dear. Even so, Anactoria, you do not remember, it seems, when she is with you, one the gentle sound of whose footfall I would rather see than all the chariots and mail-clad footmen of Lydia. I know that in this world man cannot have the best; yet to pray for a part of what was once shared is better than to forget it...
I
A troop of horse, the serried ranks of marchers,
A noble fleet, some think these of all on earth
Most beautiful. For me naught else regarding
Is my beloved.
II
To understand this is for all most simple,
For thus gazing much on mortal perfectino
And knowing already what life could give her,
Him chose fair Helen,
III
Him the betrayer of Ilium's honour.
The recked she not of adored child or parent,
But yielded to love, and forced by her passion,
Dared Fate in exile.
IV
Thus quickly is bent the will of that woman
To whom things near and dear seem to be nothing.
So mightest thou fail, My Anactoria,
If she were with you.
V
She whose gentle footfall and radiant face
Hold the power to charm more than a vision
Of chariots and the mail-clad battalions
Of Lydia's army.
V
So must we learn in world made as this one
Man can never attain his greatest desire,
[But must pray for what good fortune Fate holdeth,
Never unmindful.]