The Poems of Sappho and the Other Greek Lyricists

By Sappho

The nine lyric poets were a canon of archaic Greek composers esteemed by the scholars of Hellenistic Alexandria as worthy of critical study. The most famous of which is probably Sappho, who was born sometime between 630 and 612 BCE on the Greek island of Lesbos. The famous Library of Alexandria collected Sappho's poems into nine books; however these editions have been lost. Today only fragments of the poetess' work remains. These fragments are collected together here in this volume of " The Poems of Sappho and the Other Greek Lyricists" along with fragments of other Greek lyric poets contemporary to Sappho. Altogether we find the poetry of Alcaeus, Pythermus, Anacreon, Anacreontea, Corrina, Telesilla, Praxilla, Erinna as well as Sappho in this volume of poetry translated by Walter Petersen.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Digireads.com Publishing
• Release date: Jan 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9781420949216

Sappho

Mary Barnard (1909–2001) was a prominent American poet, translator, and biographer with many books in her repertoire. She studied Greek at Reed College and began to translate at Ezra Pound's suggestion in the 1930s. Her Assault on Mount Helicon: A Literary Memoir was published by the University of California Press in 1984. Two years later she received the Western States Book Award for her book-length poem, Time and the White Tigress. She also published prose fiction and a volume of essays on mythology as well as the original lyrics gathered in Collected Poems.  

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THE POEMS OF SAPPHO AND THE OTHER GREEK LYRICISTS

BY SAPPHO, ALCAEUS, PYTHERMUS, ANACREON, ANACREONTEA, CORINNA, TELESILLA, PRAXILLA, ERINNA

TRANSLATED BY WALTER PETERSEN

eBook ISBN 13: 978-1-4209-4921-6

ISBN 13: 978-1-4209-4920-9

This edition copyright © 2013

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CONTENTS

PREFACE

SAPPHO

TO APHRODITE (1)

TO A BELOVED MAIDEN (2)

A VISION OF HERA (3)

DEATH IS ALL I WISH FOR ME (4)

WELCOME (5)

A REBUKE (6)

CHARAXUS AND DORICHA (7)

PRAYER FOR THE RETURN OF CHARAXUS (8)

SAPPHO'S DAUGHTER CLEIS (9)

THE FAIREST THING IN ALL CREATION (10)

PARTING FROM A GIRL FRIEND (11)

THE BRIDE OF SARDIS (12)

TO GONGYLE (13)

ATTHIS (14)

(15)

(16)

HERO (17)

ERANNA (18)

A COMPARISON (19)

TO DICE (MNESIDICE) (20)

TO AN UNKNOWN FRIEND (21)

IN THE BLOOM OF HER YOUTH (22)

A GIFTED PUPIL (23)

A LOST PUPIL (24)

(25)

THE BRIDEGROOM (26)

(27)

(28)

THE BRIDE (29)

(30)

(31)

(32)

MAIDENHOOD (33)

THE BRIDAL DAY (34)

FELICITATIONS (35)

THE FATHER (36)

THE PORTER (37)

THE UNWOOED MAIDEN (38)

VESPER (39)

ANDROMACHE'S WEDDING (40-41)

A DIVINE WEDDING FESTIVAL (42)

LOVE'S TEMPEST (43)

LOVE'S ATTACK (44)

RESTLESS THROUGH LOVE (45)

MIDNIGHT SOLITUDE (46)

TO A FRIEND (47)

TO ALCAEUS (48)

A REFUSAL (49)

ANOTHER (50)

SAPPHO'S FALSE FRIENDS (51)

A CURSE (52)

ANDROMEDA (53)

(54)

GORGO (55)

THE CHILD OF POLYANAX (56)

TO A RICH BUT UNEDUCATED WOMAN (57)

SAPPHO TO HER LYRE (58)

SPURIOUS FRAGMENT TO THE MUSE (59)

SAPPHO THE PUPIL OF THE MUSES (60)

SAPPHO ON HER GENIUS (61)

HER HOPE OF IMMORTALITY (62)

SAPPHO'S SONG FOR HER GIRL FRIENDS (63)

HER LOYALTY TO HER GIRL FRIENDS (64)

SAPPHO'S TEMPERAMENT (65)

(66)

SAPPHO'S TASTES (67)

SAPPHO ON HER DEATH-BED TO HER DAUGHTER (68)

KEEP GUARD ON THY TONGUE (69)

BEAUTY (70)

WEALTH (71)

EMPTY PRIDE (72)

THE RUBBLE-STONE (73)

NO HONEY FOR ME (74)

OVERFOND MOTHERS (75)

DEATH AN EVIL (76)

THE MOON AND THE STARS (77)

THE EVENING-STAR (78)

A DELIGHTFUL SPOT (79)

CHICKPEAS (80)

DOVES (81)

THE NIGHTINGALE (82)

THE SWALLOW (83)

INVOCATION (84)

COME TO THY WORSHIPPERS (85)

A SACRIFICE (86)

A PRAYER (87)

LISTEN TO MY DREAM (88)

APHRODITE TO SAPPHO (89)

(90)

TO APHRODITE'S STATUE (91)

APHRODITE'S MAID (92)

ADONIS IS DEAD (93)

TO THE MUSES (94)

TO THE MUSES AND THE GRACES (95)

TO THE GRACES (96)

(97)

DAWN (98)

LEDA'S FIND (99)

ARES AND HEPHAESTUS (100)

HERMES (?) (101)

NIGHTLY WORSHIPPERS (102)

CRETAN DANCES (103)

A DANCE ON THE LAWN (104)

A FAIR LITTLE MAID (105)

A COMPARISON (106)

LYDIAN DYES (107)

A SOFT CUSHION (108)

FINE COVERS (109)

THE GLOOM OF NIGHT (110)

DOUBT (111)

I FLUTTER LIKE A CHILD (112)

I NEED NO ADVICE (113)

AETHOPIA (114)

TIMAS (115)

PELAGON (116)

ALCAEUS

IN WINTER (1)

IN SUMMER (2)

IN SPRING (3)

IN THE AFTERNOON (4)

AT NIGHT (5)

ON THE STORMY SEA (6)

IN GRIEF (7)

CHEER UP (8)

REJOICE! THE TYRANT IS DEAD (9)

THE VINE FIRST OF ALL (10)

NOT FASTIDIOUS (11)

WINE A MIRROR (12)

WINE AND TRUTH (13)

WINE'S STING (14)

CEASE DRINKING! SEIZE THE RUDDER! (15)

WREATHS AND MYRRH (16)

MYRRH FOR OLD AGE (17)

IN LOVE (18)

A SERENADE (19)

TO SAPPHO (20)

TO CRINO (21)

THE VIOLET-GIRDLED MAID (22)

MENON (23)

IN THE BLOOM OF HIS YOUTH (24)

THE SHIP OF STATE UNDER MYRSILUS (25)

(26)

A LATER TYRANT COMPARED WITH MELANCHRUS (27)

PITTACUS IN POVERTY (28)

A WARNING AGAINST PITTACUS (29)

PITTACUS' LAST MOVE (30)

PITTACUS IN POWER (31)

PITTACUS THE UPSTART (32)

PITTACUS' ANCESTRY (33)

PITTACUS AND DINOMENES (34)

PITTACUS' ARSENAL (35)

AN ATTEMPTED BARGAIN (36)

INSOLENCE OF THE OPPONENTS (37)

RESIGN THYSELF TO PEACE, MELANIPPUS (38)

TO ANTIMENIDES (39)

ALCAEUS' ARMORY (40)

THE STATE'S TOWER OF STRENGTH (41)

DEATH IN BATTLE (42)

THE TERROR OF THE ENEMY (43)

A PRAYER FOR VICTORY (44)

THE GOD OF WAR (45)

ACHILLES (46)

AJAX (47)

HELEN AND THETIS (48)

TO CASTOR AND POLLUX (49)

TO APOLLO (50)

TO HERMES (51)

TO ATHENA (52)

TO ATHENA (53)

ATHENA (54)

EROS (55)

POSIDON (56)

THE NYMPHS (57)

HEPHAESTUS (?) (58)

BEWARE OF THE RUBBLE-STONE (59)

MONEY MAKES THE MAN (60)

POVERTY (61)

NOTHING FROM NOTHING (62)

GUARD THY TONGUE (63)

LOVE THY NEIGHBOR (64)

WOE TO THE MAIMED (65)

COWARDICE (66)

THE SWINE BRISTLES (67)

THE ROCK OF TANTALUS (68)

A FRIEND WORTHY OF HOSPITALITY (69)

AN ANCIENT STORY (70)

TO THE LIMPET (71)

NO NEED OF WITNESSES (72)

OBSTINACY (73)

DAZED (74)

FORLORN (75)

A WOMAN'S MISERY (76)

RELIEF (77)

A DISGRACE TO THE FAMILY (78)

IN THE NICK OF TIME (79)

BLESSED WHO WIN YOU (80)

ONLY THE NOBLE (81)

MIGRATING DUCKS (82)

AUTUMN'S BLOOM (83)

GENTLE WINDS (84)

BETWEEN THE EARTH AND THE SKY (85)

THE COTTABUS GAME (86)

PYTHERMUS

ANACREON

TO ARTEMIS (1)

WINE, WOMAN, AND SONG (2)

EROS KING OVER ALL (3)

EROS THE BRONZE-SMITH (4)

EROS' DICE (5)

A BOUT WITH EROS (6)

RADIANT LOVE (7)

THE ROCK OF LEUCAS (8)

LOVE UNREQUITED (9)

TOO OLD (10)

PRAYER TO DIONYSUS FOR CLEOBULUS (11)

CLEOBULUS (12)

CLEOBULUS (?) (13)

TO SMERDIES (14)

LEUCASPIS (15)

SIMALUS (16)

MEGISTES (17)

MEGISTES (18)

PYTHOMANDRUS (19)

ERXION (20)

UNNAMED BOY FAVORITES (21)

(22)

(23)

A LESBIAN MAIDEN (24)

A COY THRACIAN MAIDEN (25)

SPURN NOT OLD AGE, MAIDEN (26)

PAST THE PRIME OF LIFE (27)

UNLOVED ASTERIS (28)

I HAVE HAD ENOUGH (29)

THE CUP-BEARER (30)

THE RIGHT MIXTURE (31)

LET ME DRINK (32)

MODERATION IN DRINK (33)

INTOXICATED (34)

THIRSTY (35)

IN THE HALLS OF ZEUS (36)

THE DANCE OF THE MUSES (37)

MUSIC AND DANCE (38)

CLOVER GARLANDS (39)

THREE WREATHS FOR EACH (40)

THE FESTIVAL OF DIONYSUS (41)

PERFUMED OINTMENT (42)

ANACREON'S POPULARITY (43)

ANACREON'S DESIRES (44)

ANACREON'S MODERATION IN LOVE (45)

ANACREON AND HIS TOWNSMEN (46)

ANACREON'S SHIELD (47)

ANACREON IN OLD AGE (48)

A SPRINKLING OF GRAY (49)

TO ARISTOCLIDES (50)

WAR OF FACTIONS (51)

RETURN TO THE FATHERLAND (52)

THE RUINED CITY-WALL (53)

A WARRIOR (54)

ARES' FRIENDS (55)

ON A CHARIOT (56)

CARIAN SHIELDS (57)

THE COURSE OF THE SPEAR (58)

EURYPYLE AND ARTEMON (59)

ARTEMON (60)

STRATTIS (61)

ALEXIS (62)

THE HEN-PECKED HUSBAND (63)

GASTRODORA (64)

A BARBAROUS VOICE (65)

THE MILESIANS (66)

STORMY DECEMBER (67)

THE FRIGHTENED FAWN (68)

TO A SWALLOW (69)

HIDDEN REEFS (70)

MIDST LAUREL AND OLIVE (71)

THE COTTABUS GAME (72)

GOOD AT QUOITS (73)

AT THE THALYSIA (74)

PERSUASION (75)

FEARLESS (76)

UNRELENTING (77)

A CHALLENGE (78)

DECEITFUL (79)

STUNNED (80)

DESPONDENCY (81)

DISHONORABLE (82)

DEFAMED AMONG NEIGHBORS (83)

THE MISCHIEVOUS AND THE PORTER (84)

MODEST STRANGERS (85)

RETURNING FROM THE WASH (86)

LIKE A SPARTAN MAID (87)

MULES (88)

NOT MINE IS LOVE OF STRIFE OR BATTLE (89)

IN SPITE OF MYSELF (90)

NO MORE VISITS (91)

AGATHON (92)

TIMOCRITUS (93)

AN OFFERING TO DIONYSUS (94)

AN OFFERING TO HERMES (95)

AN OFFERING TO THE GODS (96)

AN OFFERING TO DIONYSUS (97)

TO APOLLO (98)

TO HERMES (99)

TO HERMES (100)

CLEENORIDES (101)

A CLOAK (102)

PHIDOLES' HORSE (103)

PYTHON'S SHIELD (104)

AN OFFERING TO DIONYSUS (105)

MYRON'S COW (106)

ANACREONTEA

A VISION OF ANACREON (1)

THE LYRE OF HOMER (2a)

A PICTURE (2b)