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Sappho, Hymn to Aphrodite

2019, Minerva: Journal of Classical Translation

English translation of Sappho fr. 1 LP = V, the so-called "Hymn to Aphrodite"

Sappho’s ‘Hymn to Aphrodite’ fr. 1 Voigt / Lobel-Page ποικιλόθρον’ ἀθανάτἈφρόδιτα, παῖ Δίος δολόπλοκε, λίσσομαί σε, μή μ’ ἄσαισι μηδ’ ὀνίαισι δάμνα, πότνια, θῦμον, ἀλλὰ τυίδ’ ἔλθ’, αἴ ποτα κἀτέρωτα τὰς ἔμας αὔδας ἀίοισα πήλοι ἔκλυες, πάτρος δὲ δόμον λίποισα χρύσιον ἦλθες ἄρμ’ ὐπασδεύξαισα· κάλοι δέ σ’ ἆγον ὤκεες στροῦθοι περὶ γᾶς μελαίνας πύκνα δίννεντες πτέρ’ ἀπ’ ὠράνωἴθερος διὰ μέσσω· αἶψα δ’ ἐξίκοντο· σὺ δ’, ὦ μάκαιρα, μειδιαίσαισ’ ἀθανάτωι προσώπωι ἤρε’ ὄττι δηὖτε πέπονθα κὤττι δηὖτε κάλημμι κὤττι μοι μάλιστα θέλω γένεσθαι μαινόλαι θύμωι· τίνα δηὖτε πείθω .].σάγην ἐς σὰν φιλότατα; τίς σ’, ὦ Ψάπφ’, ἀδικήει; 5 10 15 20 καὶ γὰρ αἰ φεύγει, ταχέως διώξει, αἰ δὲ δῶρα μὴ δέκετ’, ἀλλὰ δώσει, αἰ δὲ μὴ φίλει, ταχέως φιλήσει κωὐκ ἐθέλοισα. ἔλθε μοι καὶ νῦν, χαλέπαν δὲ λῦσον ἐκ μερίμναν, ὄσσα δέ μοι τέλεσσαι θῦμος ἰμέρρει, τέλεσον, σὺ δ’ αὔτα σύμμαχος ἔσσο. 25 Sappho’s ‘Hymn to Aphrodite’ (transl. Martine Cuypers) Immortal Aphrodite of the dazzling throne, child of Zeus, weaver of wiles: I beg you, mistress, do not pain my heart with anguish and disturbance. Come here, if ever at some other time from far away you heard my cries and came to me. You left your father and his golden house, and yoked your chariot. Lovely sparrows bore you speedily across dark earth with whirring wings, down from heaven, straight through the sky; and there they were. You smiled, bless you, with your immortal countenance and asked: what was it now that was the matter? why was it now that I was calling? what was it most that in my crazy heart I wanted to accomplish? “Who is it now I should entice into your love? Who is it, Sappho, wrongs you? “For if she flees, soon she will chase you; offer you gifts, not spurn your presents. Does she reject you? Soon she will love you, whether she wants it or not!” So, goddess, also help me now; come free me from my heavy sorrows. All my heart’s desires fulfil, my trusted ally always.