Mara L. Pratt, Myths of Old Greece(New York: Educational Publishing Company, 1896)
A poem to Aphrodite by Sappho, translated by Anne Carson:
Deathless Aphrodite of the spangled mind,
child of Zeus, who twists lures, I beg you
do not break with hard pains,
O lady, my heart
but come here if ever before
you caught my voice far off
and listening left your father's
golden house and came,
yoking your car. And fine birds brought you,
quick sparrows over the black earth
whipping their wings down the sky
through midair --
they arrived. But you, O blessed one,
smiled in your deathless face
and asked what (now again) I have suffered and why
(now again) I am calling out
and what I want to happen most of all
in my crazy heart. Whom should I persuade (now again)
to lead you back into her love? Who, O
Sappho, is wronging you?
For is she flees, soon she will pursue.
If she refuses gifts, rather will she give them.
If she does not love, soon she will love
even unwilling.
Come to me now; loose me from hard
care and all my heart longs
to accomplish, accomplish. You
be my ally.
2 comments:
My heart is crazy, too. :)
I have a book of Sappho that sits on my nightstand. She is absolutely divine.
Peace & Love.
PS...I feel a little out-of-touch, but I learned about the poet Nikki Giovanni this weekend by watching an interview with her on PBS. How did I not know of this amazing woman before? I fell in love. I think Hansel fell in love too! I definitely don't mind a love triangle with that lady--I think we can all benefit from a poetic love triangle now-and-then! I'm sure you know who she is...but if not, you must look her up!
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