Hymn to Aphrodite
Sappho Anne Burnell
Ποικιλόθρον᾽
ᾱθάνατ᾽ Αφροδιτα,
_ . | _ . | _ . . | _ . | _ _
glittering-minded
immortal Aphrodite,
παῖ Δίοσ, δολόπλοκε, λίσσομαί σε
_ . | _ . | _ . . | _ . | _ _
Daughter
of Zeus, Enchantress, I beg you ,
μή μ᾽ άσαισι μήτ᾽ ονίαισι δάμνα ,
_ . | _ . | _ . . | _ . | _ _
do not, goddess ,
tame my heart
πότνια, θῦμον .
_ . . | _ .
to despair
αλλά τυίδ᾽
έλθ᾽, αίποτα
κᾱτέρωτα
_ . | _ .
|
_ . . | _ . |
_ _
but
come now, as you used to do
τᾶσ έμασ
αύδωσ αίοισα
πήλγι
_ . | _ _ | _ . . | _ . | _ _
when, sensing my distant cries
έκλυεσ πάτροσ δε δόμον λίποισα
_ . | _ _ | _ . . | _ . | _ _
and listening
you
left your father's
χρύσιον ῆλθεσ
_ . . | _ .
golden house you-came
αρμ᾽ υποζεύξαια, κάλοι δέ σ᾽ ᾶγον
_ . | _ _ | _ . . | _ . | _ _
yoking
your chariot to your
fleet-winged
ώκεεσ
στροῦθοι περι
γᾶσ μελαίνασ
_ . | _ _ |
_ . .
| _ . | _
_
sparrows
took flight on beating wings
πύκνα δινεῦντεσ πτέρ απ᾽ ωράνω αίθε
_ . | _ _ | _ . . | _ . |
_ _
drawing
your chariot to swarthy earth
ροσ δια μέσσω.
_ . . |
_ .
down through the
airs between
αῖψα δ᾽ εχίκοντο,
συ δ᾽, ῶ μάσαιρα
_ . | _ . |
_ . . | _ . | _ _
then you were here, and you , my queen
μειδιάσαισ᾽
αθάνατῳ προσώπῳ,
_ . |_ _ | _ . . | _
. |
_ _
smiled your eternal smile, asked what
ήρε όττι δηῦτε πέπονθα κώττι
_ . | _ . | _ . . | _ . | _ _
was it had troubled me this time, what
δῆγτε κάλημι
_ . . | _ .
caused me to call once more
κώττι
μοι μάλιστα θέλω
γένεσθαι
_
. | _ . | _ . . |
_ .
| _
_
what could it be that
I wished for
μαινόλᾳ θύμῳ, τίνα δηῦτε πείθω
_ . | _
. | _ . . | _ . | _ _
in
my unruly heart ? Whom shall I persuade
μαῖσ άγην εσ σαν φιλότᾱτα τίσ τ, ῶ
_ . | _ _ | _ . . | _ . | _ _
back again into your love, Sappho ?
Πσάπφ᾽, αδίκηει
;
_ . . | _ .
who does you wrong today ?
και γάρ αι
φεύγει, ταχέωσ
διώξει ,
_
. | _ _ | _ . . | _ . | _ _
if she hides
now, she will soon seek
αι δε δῶρα
μη δέκετ αλλά δώσει,
_ . | _ . | _ . . | _ . | _ _
if she scorns gifts, she soon will give
αι δε μη φίλει
ταχέωσ φιλήσει,
_ . | _ . | _ . . | _ . | _ _
if she
despises, yet will she love
κωυκ εθέλοισα
.
_ . . | _ .
even
reluctantly
ἔλθε
μοι καὶ νῦν,
χαλεπᾶν δὲ λῦσον
_ . | _ _ | _ . . | _ . | _ _
come
again, now, release me from
εκ μερίμναν
όσσα δέ μοι τέλεσσαι
_ . | _ . | _ . . | _ . | _ _
this inescapable care grant
θῦμοσ ιμμέρρει τέλεσον, συ δ᾽ αύτα
_ . | _ _ | _ . . | _ . | _ _
all that
my heart desires and
σύμμαχοσ έσσο.
_ . . | _ .
be my friend