Sappho -fragment 2
The Ode to Anactoria
That man seems to me peer of gods, who sits in thy presence,
and hears close to him thy sweet speech and lovely laughter;
that indeed makes my heart flutter in my bosom. For when I
see thee but a little, I have no utterance left, my tongue is
broken down, and straightway a subtle fire has run under my
skin, with my eyes I have no sight, my ears ring, sweat pours
down, and a trembling seizes all my body; I am paler than
grass, and seem in my madness little better than one dead. But
I must dare all, since one so poor ...
H. T. Wharton
That man seems to me peer of gods, who sits in thy presence,
and hears close to him thy sweet speech and lovely laughter;
that indeed makes my heart flutter in my bosom. For when I
see thee but a little, I have no utterance left, my tongue is
broken down, and straightway a subtle fire has run under my
skin, with my eyes I have no sight, my ears ring, sweat pours
down, and a trembling seizes all my body; I am paler than
grass, and seem in my madness little better than one dead. But
I must dare all, since one so poor ...
H. T. Wharton
2 comments:
Dear Elaine,
thank you for visiting my Blog and your comment. Now I browse your wonderful site and find one of my favourite poems, which I read for the first time when I was 16, quite a long time ago.
It is a fragmentary poem (old Greek language) by Sappho, a female poet and teacher of a girl school on the Island LESBOS - from hence the name Lesbian for women who are in love with each other.
Anactoria was one of her young students who she had fallen in love with - but, nobody really knows whether these are just virtual love song, written as contribution to ART or not.
The author you added must be the translator who very nicely translated the poem into the English language. I read the poem in German, of course, but after so many years still remember its phrases -
I'll be back...
Gabriele
GABI,YESSSSSSSSSSSSS I KNOW FROM LONGTIME AGO TO,OH ...HAVE MANY TRANSLATIONS NEXT TIME I WILL GIVE ONE MORE,KISSES
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