Sappho 31 (via Longinus, On sublimity): Sappho 44 (The Wedding of Hector and Andromache). no holy place But you, O holy one, kept askingwhatis itonce againthistime[, andwhatis it that I want more than anything to happen. Book transmission is a tricky business, and often, when working with handwritten copies of ancient texts, modern scholars must determine if specific words include typos or if the mistakes were deliberate. Aphrodite asks the poet who has hurt her. on the tip She doesn't directly describe the pains her love causes her: she suggests them, and allows Aphrodite to elaborate. She was swept along [] [15] [All this] reminds me right now of Anaktoria. Mia Pollini Comparative Literature 30 Sappho's Ode to Aphrodite: An Analysis Ancient Greek poetess Sappho's "Ode to Aphrodite" and both her and its existence are cannot be overstated; consider that during Sappho's era, women weren't allowed to be writers and yet Plato still deemed Sappho the "10th muse". 5 She had been raised by the goddess Hera, who cradled her in her arms like a tender seedling. The speaker begins by describing a beautiful orchard of apple trees studded with altars which burn incense in devotion to the goddess. The first two lines of the poem preface this plea for help with praise for the goddess, emphasizing her immorality and lineage. Use section headers above different song parts like [Verse], [Chorus], etc. 30 Love shook my breast. 3 Do not dominate with hurts [asai] and pains [oniai], 4 O Queen [potnia], my heart [thmos]. [6] Hutchinson argues that it is more likely that "" was corrupted to "" than vice versa. Our text includes three of Sappho's best known poems, in part because they are the most complete. This idea stresses that Sappho and Aphrodite have a close relationship, which is unusual in Ancient Greek poetry. Other translations render this line completely differently; for example, Josephine Balmers translation of the poem begins Immortal, Aphrodite, on your patterned throne. This difference is due to contradictions in the source material itself. Carm. Some scholars question how personal her erotic poems actually are. According to the account in Book VII of the mythographer Ptolemaios Chennos (ca. Thus he spoke. .] You see, that woman who was by far supreme 7 in beauty among all humans, Helen, 8 she [] her best of all husbands, 9 him she left behind and sailed to Troy, [10] caring not about her daughter and her dear parents, 11 not caring at all. The rapid back-and-forth movements of the wings mimic the ideas of stanza six, where Aphrodite says: Though now he flies, ere long he shall pursue thee; Fearing thy gifts, he too in turn shall bring them; Loveless to-day, to-morrow he shall woo thee. his purple cloak. in return for drinking one cup [of that wine] Smiling, with face immortal in its beauty, Asking why I grieved, and why in utter longing. The poem is the only one of Sappho's which survives complete. The importance of Sappho's first poem as a religious document has long been recognized, but there is still room for disagreement as to the position that should be assigned to it in a history of Greek religious experience. 'Hymn to Aphrodite' by Sappho is a classical Greek hymn in which the poet invokes and addresses Aphrodite, the Greek goddess who governs love. For example, Queen Artemisia I is reputed to have leapt off the white rock out of love for one Dardanos, succeeding only in getting herself killed. Apparently her birthplace was either Eressos or Mytilene, the main city on the island, where she seems to have lived for some time. . Another reason for doubting that Sapphos poetry had been the inspiration for the lovers leaps at Cape Leukas is the attitude of Strabo himself. The audience is left wondering if Aphrodite will again come down from the heavens to help Sappho or ignore her prayer. Even with the help of the Goddess in the past, Sappho could not keep the affection of her lover, and she is left constantly having to fight for love with everything she has. POEMS OF SAPPHO POEMS OF SAPPHO TRANSLATED BY JULIA DUBNOFF 1 Immortal Aphrodite, on your intricately brocaded throne,[1] child of Zeus, weaver of wiles, this I pray: Dear Lady, don't crush my heart with pains and sorrows. There is, however, a more important concern. I adjure you, Euangelos, by Anubis and Hermes and by all the rest of you down below, bring [agein] and bind Sarapias whose mother is Helen, [bringing Sarapias] to this Hrais here whose mother is Thermoutharin, now, now, quick, quick. Most English translations, instead, use blank verse since it is much easier to compose in for English speakers. Thou alone, Sappho, art sole with the silence, Sole with night and dreams that are darkness, weaving Z A. Cameron, "Sappho's Prayer to Aphrodite," HThR 32 (1939) 1-17, esp. Last time, she recalls, the goddess descended in a chariot drawn by birds, and, smiling, asked Sappho what happened to make her so distressed, why she was calling out for help, what she wanted Aphrodite to do, and who Sappho desired. Translations of Sappho Miller 1 (Fr 1), 4 (Fr 4), 6 (Fr 31) . To Aphrodite. "Invocation to Aphrodite" Throned in splendor, deathless, O Aphrodite, child of Zeus, charm-fashioner, I entreat you not with griefs and bitternesses to break my spirit, O goddess; standing by me rather, if once before now . In closing the poem, Sappho begs Aphrodite to come to her again and force the person who Sappho yearns for to love her back. Yet they also offer a glimpse into the more complicated aspects of Aphrodites personality, characterizing her as a cunning woman who twists lures. The first line of Carsons translation reinforces that characterization by describing the goddess as of the spangled mind, suggesting a mazelike, ornamented way of thinking easily steered towards cunning, while still pointing to Aphrodites beauty and wealth. It introduces a third character into the poem, a she who flees from "Sappho"s affections. The lady doth protest too much, methinks is a famous quote used in Shakespeares Hamlet. I would be crazy not to give all the herds of the Cyclopes the clear-sounding song-loving lyre. Sappho realizes that her appeal to her beloved can be sustained only by the persuasiveness of Aphro-ditean cosmetic mystery. Death is an evil. Fragment 1 is an extended address from Sappho to Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. You must bring [agein] her [to me], tormenting her body night and day. 34 13. 15. Specifically, the repetition of the same verb twice in a line echoes the incantation-structure used in the sixth stanza, giving a charm-like quality to this final plea. Come to me now, Aphrodite; dispel the worries that irritate and offend me; fulfill the wishes of my heart; and fight here beside me. This only complete Sappho poem, "Hymn to Aphrodite," expresses the very human plea for help with a broken heart. Sappho 105a (via Syrianus on Hermogenes, On Kinds of Style): Just like the sweet apple that blushes on top of a branch, In this poem, Sappho expresses her desperation and heartbrokenness, begging Aphrodite to be the poet's ally. In Sapphic stanzas, each stanza contains four lines. Jim Powell writes goddess, my ally, while Josephine Balmers translation ends you, yes you, will be my ally. Powells suggests that Sappho recognizes and calls on the goddesss preexisting alliance, while in Balmer, she seems more oriented towards the future, to a new alliance. you anointed yourself. Deathless Aphrodite, throned in flowers, Daughter of Zeus, O terrible enchantress, With this sorrow, with this anguish, break my spirit. 9 But may he wish to make his sister [kasignt] [10] worthy of more honor [tm]. Get the latest updates from the CHS regarding programs, fellowships, and more! Type out all lyrics, even repeating song parts like the chorus, Lyrics should be broken down into individual lines. 26 Forth from thy father's. The imagery Sappho: Poems and Fragments study guide contains a biography of Sappho, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. It is believed that Sappho may have belonged to a cult that worshiped Aphrodite with songs and poetry. 23 The earth is often a symbol of fertility and growth (both the Greeks and the Romans has a goddess of Earth, Ceres and Demeter) since when seeds are planted then there is a "conception" as the earth sprouts that which lives. This reading, now standard, was first proposed in 1835 by Theodor Bergk,[22] but not fully accepted until the 1960s. O hear and listen! Hear anew the voice! The last stanza begins by reiterating two of the pleas from the rest of the poem: come to me now and all my heart longs for, accomplish. In the present again, the stanza emphasizes the irony of the rest of the poem by embodying Aphrodites exasperated now again. Lines 26 and 27, all my heart longs to accomplish, accomplish also continue the pattern of repetition that carries through the last four stanzas. Sappho is depressed because a woman that she loved has left in order to be married and, in turn, she is heartbroken. 4 [What kind of purpose] do you have [5] [in mind], uncaringly rending me apart 6 in my [desire] as my knees buckle? And they passed by the streams of Okeanos and the White Rock and past the Gates of the Sun and the District of Dreams. 11 The catastrophic [lugr] pain [oni] in the past, he was feeling sorrow [akheun] . [33] Arguing for a serious interpretation of the poem, for instance, C. M. Bowra suggests that it discusses a genuine religious experience. He is dying, Aphrodite; The poetry truly depicts a realistic picture of the bonds of love. irresistible, The exact reading for the first word is . in the mountains And tear your garments It begins with an invocation of the goddess Aphrodite, which is followed by a narrative section in which the speaker describes a previous occasion on which the goddess has helped her. Hymenaon, Sing the wedding song! 6 Let him become a joy [khar] to those who are near-and-dear [philoi] to him, 7 and let him be a pain [oni] to those who are enemies [ekhthroi]. Poetry of Sappho Translated by Gregory Nagy Sappho 1 ("Prayer to Aphrodite") 1 You with pattern-woven flowers, immortal Aphrodite, 2 child of Zeus, weaver of wiles, I implore you, 3 do not devastate with aches and sorrows, 4 Mistress, my heart! Hymn to Aphrodite by Sappho is a classical Greek hymn in which the poet invokes and addresses Aphrodite, the Greek goddess who governs love. It is through you visiting Poem Analysis that we are able to contribute to charity. .] Greek meter is quantitative; that is, it consists of alternating long and short syllables in a regular pattern. 4. A whirring of wings through mid-air. Here, she explains how the goddess asked why the poet was sad enough to invoke a deity for help. 1 [. Some sources claim that Aphrodite was born of the sea foam from Kronos' dismembered penis, whereas others say that Aphrodite was the daughter of Zeus and Dione. The goddess interspersed her questions with the refrain now again, reminding Sappho that she had repeatedly been plagued by the trials of lovedrama she has passed on to the goddess. You have the maiden you prayed for. However, this close relationship means that Sappho has a lot of issues in the romance department. Taller than a tall man! Posidippus 122 ed. 14 [. She seems to be involved, in this poem, in a situation of unrequited love. Sappho then states her thesis clearly at the beginning of the second stanza. In addition, it is one of the only known female-written Greek poems from before the Medieval era. While Sappho seems devastated and exhausted from her failed love affairs, she still prays to Aphrodite every time she suffers from rejection. Its the middle of the night. However, when using any meter, some of the poems meaning can get lost in translation. I implore you, dread mistress, discipline me no longer with love's anguish! Rather than shying away from her debt, "Sappho" leans into her shared history with the goddess and uses it to leverage her request, come here if ever before/you caught my voice far off. Aphrodite has an obligation to help her because she has done so in the past. Honestly, I wish I were dead. of our wonderful times. She asks Aphrodite to instead aid her as she has in the past. Despite gender dynamics in this poem, Aphrodite explains that love changes quickly. It is spoken by Queen Gertrude. Aphrodite has power, while Sappho comes across as powerless. 1 Close by, , 2 O Queen [potnia] Hera, your [] festival [eort], 3 which, vowed-in-prayer [arsthai], the Sons of Atreus did arrange [poien] 4 for you, kings that they were, [5] after first having completed [ek-telen] great labors [aethloi], 6 around Troy, and, next [apseron], 7 after having set forth to come here [tuide], since finding the way 8 was not possible for them 9 until they would approach you (Hera) and Zeus lord of suppliants [antiaos] [10] and (Dionysus) the lovely son of Thyone. Virginity, virginity On the other hand, A. P. Burnett sees the piece as "not a prayer at all", but a lighthearted one aiming to amuse. One of her common epithets is "foam-born," commemorating the goddess' birth from the seafoam/sperm of her heavenly father, Kronos. Poem Analysis, https://poemanalysis.com/sappho/hymn-to-aphrodite/. Thats what the gods think. I tell you [b] As the poem begins with the word "'", this is outside of the sequence followed through the rest of Book I, where the poems are ordered alphabetically by initial letter. resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. Instead, he offers a version of those more versed in the ancient lore, according to which Kephalos son of Deioneus was the very first to have leapt, impelled by love for Pterelas (Strabo 10.2.9 C452). are the sparrow, the dove, the swan, the swallow, and a bird called iynx. So, the image of the doves is a very animated illustration of Sapphos experiences with both love and rejection. She names Aphrodite in connection with the golden mansions of Olympos and Aphrodites father, Zeus. Come now, luxuriant Graces, and beautiful-haired Muses. You with pattern-woven flowers, immortal Aphrodite. assaults an oak, 9 Poseidon Petraios [of the rocks] has a cult among the Thessalians because he, having fallen asleep at some rock, had an emission of semen; and the earth, receiving the semen, produced the first horse, whom they called Skuphios.And they say that there was a festival established in worship of Poseidon Petraios at the spot where the first horse leapt forth. [1] It was preserved in Dionysius of Halicarnassus' On Composition, quoted in its entirety as an example of "smooth" or "polished" writing,[2] a style which Dionysius also identifies in the work of Hesiod, Anacreon, and Euripides. even when you seemed to me and said thou, Who has harmed thee? However, a few of them still shine through, regardless of the language or meter: Beautiful-throned, immortal Aphrodite,Daughter of Zeus, beguiler, I implore thee,Weigh me not down with weariness and anguishO thou most holy! (Sappho, in Ven. [24], Sappho asks the goddess to ease the pains of her unrequited love for this woman;[25] after being thus invoked, Aphrodite appears to Sappho, telling her that the woman who has rejected her advances will in time pursue her in turn. of the topmost branch. and throwing myself from the white rock into the brine, Thus seek me now, O holy Aphrodite!Save me from anguish; give me all I ask for,Gifts at thy hand; and thine shall be the glory,Sacred protector! [31] Sappho's Homeric influence is especially clear in the third stanza of the poem, where Aphrodite's descent to the mortal world is marked by what Keith Stanley describes as "a virtual invasion of Homeric words and phrases". Then Ptolemaios launches into a veritable catalogue of other figures who followed Aphrodites precedent and took a ritual plunge as a cure for love. .] .] . She explains that one day, the object of your affection may be running away from you, and the next, that same lover might be trying to win your heart, even if you push them away. Again love, the limb-loosener, rattles me I would not trade her for all Lydia nor lovely. In the ode to Aphrodite, the poet invokes the goddess to appear, as she has in the past, and to be her ally in persuading a girl she desires to love her. Thus, you will find that every translation of this poem will read very differently. Nagy). The moon shone full One ancient writer credited Aphrodite with bringing great wealth to the city of Corinth. Little is known with certainty about the life of Sappho, or Psappha in her native Aeolic dialect. Im older. Sappho begs Aphrodite to listen to her prayer, reminding the goddess that they have worked well together in the past. Both interpretations are convincing, and indeed, the temporal ambiguity of the last line resonates with the rest of the poem, which balances the immortal perspective of a goddess with the impatience of human passion. With its reference to a female beloved, the "Ode to Aphrodite" is (along with Sappho 31) one of the few extant works of Sappho that provides evidence that she loved other women. 11 And now [nun de] we are arranging [poien] [the festival], 12 in accordance with the ancient way [] 13 holy [agna] and [] a throng [okhlos] 14 of girls [parthenoi] [] and women [gunaikes] [15] on either side 16 the measured sound of ululation [ololg]. With the love of the stars, Kristin. I hope you find it inspiring. Yet the stanza says nothing specific about this particular woman. In "A Prayer To Aphrodite," Sappho is offering a prayer, of sorts, to the goddess of love. The Ode to Aphrodite comprises seven Sapphic stanzas. So, with just this phrase, Sappho describes her breath as frantic, her mind as confused, and her emotions as frenzied. [] In the poem we find grounds for our views about her worship of Aphrodite, [] her involvement in the thasos, [] and her poetic . Like wings that flutter back and forth, love is fickle and changes quickly. . Not all worship of Aphrodite was centered on joy and pleasure, however. 20 once I am intoxicated, with eyebrows relaxed. ground. Raise high the roofbeams, carpenters! Sappho's Prayer to Aphrodite A. Cameron Published 1 January 1939 Art, Education Harvard Theological Review The importance of Sappho's first poem as a religious document has long been recognized, but there is still room for disagreement as to the position that should be assigned to it in a history of Greek religious experience. Nevertheless, she reassured Sappho that her prayer would be answered, and that the object of her affection would love her in return. Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. The contrast between the white and dark feathers mimics the poets black-and-white perception of love. 3 The girl [pais] Ast [. [5] Another possible understanding of the word takes the second component in the compound to be derived from , a Homeric word used to refer to flowers embroidered on cloth. Sappho had several brothers, married a wealthy man named Cercylas and had a daughter, Cleis. But come, dear companions, Because you are dear to me and passionate love [ers] for the Sun has won for me its radiance and beauty.2. calling on Apollo Pn, the far-shooter, master of playing beautifully on the lyre. By shifting to the past tense and describing a previous time when Aphrodite rescued "Sappho" from heartbreak, the next stanza makes explicit this personal connection between the goddess and the poet. Prayer to Aphrodite Sappho, translated by Alfred Corn Issue 88, Summer 1983 Eternal Aphrodite, Zeus's daughter, throne Of inlay, deviser of nets, I entreat you: Do not let a yoke of grief and anguish weigh Down my soul, Lady, But come to me now, as you did before When, hearing my cries even at that distance Manchester Art Gallery, UK / Bridgeman. 1 O Queen Nereids, unharmed [ablabs] 2 may my brother, please grant it, arrive to me here [tuide], 3 and whatever thing he wants in his heart [thmos] to happen, 4 let that thing be fulfilled [telesthn]. 5 But come here, if ever before, when you heard my far-off cry, you And you came, leaving your father's house, yoking The form is of a kletic hymn, a poem or song that dramatizes and mimics the same formulaic language that an Ancient Greek or Roman would have used to pray to any god. In other words, it is needless to assume that the ritual preceded the myth or the other way around. In these lines, the goddess acts like a consoling mother figure to the poet, calling her , which is a diminutive form of Sapphos name. [30] Ruby Blondell argues that the whole poem is a parody and reworking of the scene in book five of the Iliad between Aphrodite, Athena, and Diomedes. gifts of [the Muses], whose contours are adorned with violets, [I tell you] girls [paides] 2 [. [19] Its structure follows the three-part structure of ancient Greek hymns, beginning with an invocation, followed by a narrative section, and culminating in a request to the god. Sappho creates a remembered scene, where Aphrodite descended from Olympus to assist her before: " as once when you left your father's/Golden house; you yoked to your shining car your/wing-whirring sparrows;/Skimming down the paths of the sky's bright ether/ O n they brought you over the earth's . By placing Aphrodite in a chariot, Sappho is connecting the goddess of love with Hera and Athena. Her main function is to arouse love, though not in an earthly manner; her methods are those of immortal enchantment. 11 And Iaware of my own self 12 I know this. And then Aphrodite shows, and Sappho's like, "I've done my part. SAPPHO'S PRAYER TO APHRODITE. This puts Aphrodite, rightly, in a position of power as an onlooker and intervener. For instance, when Sappho visited Syracuse the residents were so honored they erected a statue to commemorate the occasion! One of her poems is a prayer to Aphrodite, asking the goddess to come and help her in her love life. The Ode to Aphrodite survived from antiquity. Among those who regard the occasion for the poem (Sappho's rejeaion) as real but appear to agree that the epiphany is a projection, using (Homeric) literary fantasy in externalizing the . While Aphrodite flies swiftly from the utmost heights of heaven, Sappho is on earth, calling up. Compel her to bolt from wherever she is, from whatever household, as she feels the love for Sophia. Come to me now, if ever thou in kindnessHearkenedst my words and often hast thouhearkened Heeding, and coming from the mansions goldenOf thy great Father. The repetitive syntax of Carsons translation, as in the second line If she refuses gifts, rather will she give them, which uses both the same grammatical structure in both phrases, and repeats the verb give, reflects similar aesthetic decisions in the Greek. 10. Sappho also uses the image of Aphrodites chariot to elevate and honor the goddess. Like a sweet-apple This is a reference to Sappho's prayer to Aphrodite at the end of Sappho 1, ("free me from harsh anxieties," 25-26, trans. She entreats the goddess not to ignore her pleadings and so break a heart which is already stricken with grief.