Sappho

Sappho was a musician. Her poetry is lyric, that is, composed to be sung to the lyre.

It seems that she knew and loved women as deeply as she did music.

You will have memories

Because of what we did back then

When we were new at this,

Yes, we did many things, then – all

Beautiful …

That fellow strikes me as god’s double,

Couched with you face to face, delighting

In your warm manner, your amiable

Talk and inviting

Laughter – the revelation flutters

My ventricles, my sternum and stomach.

The least glimpse, and my lost voice stutters,

Refuses to come back

Because my tongue is shattered. Gauzy

Flame runs radiating under

My skin; all that I see is hazy,

My ears all thunder.

Sweat comes quickly, and a shiver

Vibrates my frame. I am more sallow

Than grass and suffer such a fever

As death should follow.

But I must suffer further, worthless

As I am …

But when you lie dead

No one will notice later or feel sad

Because you gathered no sprays from the roses

Of the Pierian Muses.

Once lost in Hades’ hall

You will be homeless and invisible –

Another shadow flittering back and forth

With shadows of no worth.

I beg you, Empress, do not smite me

With anguish and fever

But come as often, on request,

(Hearing me, heeding from afar,)

And there they were, and you, sublime

And smiling with immortal mirth,

There is a boy, and lust

Has crushed my spirit

I loved you once, years ago, Atthis,

When your flower was in place.

You seemed a gawky girl then, artless,

Without grace.

Atthis, you looked at what I was

And hated what you saw

And now, all in a flutter, chase

After Andromeda.

… because

The people I most strive to please

Do me the worst injuries …

By giving me creations of their own

My girls have handed me renown.

And this next charming ditty I –

In honour of my girls –

Shall sing out prettily.