Sappho is perhaps best known for her "erotic" fragments, which seem to have burned through the now-marred papyrus. The feeling has come down to us as "Eros," left untranslated here. Eros is the child of Póros (Resource/Plenty) and Penía (Poverty/Lack). The plenty is desire - an intense state of longing to merge with another. This aspect has come through in English but Sappho is equally interested in lack -- the bodily system failure that comes with.
Eros detaches me
Like an oak tree ripped – my wits – from glades.
Set fire to me,
Sappho, first.
I don't know which way to race – there are two minds in me.
You came, and I desired
And you cooled my burning with thirst.
Untie my anxiety;
Drops atop an ache bay
For all night feasting.
Soft laps ... in your lap ... wrapped in linen.
You smeared yourself until the rose was sealed
With plasma,
Strummed and stretched the flesh of mattress ...
Penetrable ...
Erupting lack.
I brushed against … but not, I suppose, the sky.
No ... it wasn't love.
And the cause?
Nothing much.
Who’s this country girl … at work on my mind ...
Girl who wears a skirt … from the country ...
Doesn't know ... how to pull the leggings up
Above her ankles.
As for Sappho … among the doves,
Whose cold stirred the beating of their wings.
Indeed I loved you Atthi, long ago ...
When you were a girl and seemed so small, graceless.
But if you cared about us
Procure a younger to bed
For I can't stomach living with you
Procure a younger to bed
For I can't stomach living with you
Even though I am an older woman.
How can the hurt go on
Kypris, when one loves
And won't release the pain
Heedlessly tearing me,
The one with buckled knees?
I want you ... Goddess ... to suffer this
But I know it too well myself.
Oh Mother I can't weave --
Desire broke me.
Eros swings loose my limbs again,
The pleasure pain serpent jurisdiction.
Across the hill
The rose
...
Glistens
Hunger
Moan
Dripping
Mm
-------------------------------------------
47
Ἔρος δ᾿ ἐτίναξέ μοι
φρένας, ὠς ἄνεμος κὰτ ὄρος δρύσιν ἐμπέτων.
38
ὄπταις ἄμμε
Σαπφὼ πρώτῳ.
51
οὐκ οἶδ᾿ ὄττι θέω· δύο μοι τὰ νοήμ⟨μ⟩ατα
48
ἦλθες, ἔγω δέ σ᾿ ἐμαιόμαν,
ὂν δ᾿ ἔψυξας ἔμαν φρένα καιομέναν πόθῳ.
23
... τὰι σᾶι
παίσαν ...
δροσόεν]τας ὄχθοις
ταιν
παν]νυχίσ[δ]ην
100
ἀμφὶ δ’ ἄβροισ’ . . . λασίοισ’ εὖ ⟨ϝ’⟩ ἐπύκασσε.
94
καὶ πο̣λ̣λ̣ῳ[ ] . μύρῳ
βρενθείῳ . [ ]ρ̣υ[ . . ]ν
ἐξαλείψαο κα̣[ὶ βασ]ι̣ληίῳ,
καὶ στρώμν[αν ἐ]πὶ μολθάκαν
ἀπάλαν πα . [ ] . . .ων
ἐξίης πόθο̣[ν ] . νίδων,
52
ψαύην δ᾿ οὐ δοκίμωμ᾿ ὀράνω δυσπαχέα
67a
]ων μα . [
κ]αὶ τοῦτ’ ἐπικε . [
δ]αίμων ὀλοφ . [
οὐ μὰν ἐφίλησ̣[
νῦν δ’ ἔννεκα[
τὸ δ’ αἴτιον οὐτ[
ο̣ὐδὲν πόλυ[ . ] . [
]υδ’[.
67b
].ουδε[
]τ̣αυτα.[
]λαισιμ[
]πλήονι̣[
]’ ἀμφ[
].σθεο.[
]έ̣ρως.[
57
τίς δ᾿ ἀγροΐωτις θέλγει νόον . . .
ἀγροΐωτιν ἐπεμμένα στόλαν . . .
οὐκ ἐπισταμένα τὰ βράκε ᾿ ἔλκην ἐπὶ τὼν σφύρων;
42
ἡ δὲ Σαπφὼ … ἐπὶ τῶν περιστερῶν·
ταῖσι <δὲ> ψῦχρος μὲν ἔγεντ᾿ ὀ θῦμος,
πὰρ δ᾿ ἴεισι τὰ πτέρα
49
ἠράμαν μὲν ἔγω σέθεν Ἂτθι πάλαι πότα·
***
σμίκρα μοι παίς ἔμμεν᾿ ἐφαίνεο κἄχαρις.
121
ἀλλ’ ἔων φίλος ἄμμι
λέχος ἄρνυσο νεώτερον·
οὐ γὰρ τλάσομ’ ἔγω συνοί-
κην ἔοισα γεραιτέρα
26
πῶς̣ κε δή τις οὐ θαμέω̣ς̣ ἄσαιτ̣ο,
Κύπρι, δέσ̣π̣ο̣ι̣ν̣’̣, ὄτ̣τ̣ι̣ν̣α δὴ̣ φι̣λ̣[είη
καὶ] θέλοι μάλιστα π̣ά̣λ̣ι̣ν̣ κάλ̣[εσσαι;
ποῖ]ον ἔχησθα
νῶν] σ̣άλοισι̣ μ’ ἀλεμά̣τ̣ω̣ς̣ δ̣αΐ̣σ̣δ̣[ην
ἰμέρ]ῳ λύσαντ̣ι̣ γ̣όν̣’ ω̣μ̣ε – [
. . . ]. α . α .. [ . . ] α̣ι̣μ’ ο̣ὐ̣ π̣ρ̣ο[. . .] . ερησ[
. . . ]νε̣ερ . [ . ] αι̣
] . . . [ . . ] σέ θέλω [
. . . τοῦ]το πάθη[ν
]ι . αν, ἔγω δ’ ἐμ’ αὔτᾳ
τοῦτο σύνοιδα
] . [ . ] . τοις [ . . . .] .
]εναμ[
] . [ . ] . [
102
γλύκηα μᾶτερ, οὔτοι δύναμαι κρέκην τὸν ἴστον
πόθῳ δάμεισα παῖδος βραδίναν δι’ Ἀφροδίταν.
130
Ἔρος δηὖτέ μ’ ὀ λυσιμέλης δόνει,
γλυκύπικρον ἀμάχανον ὄρπετον
74a
]ων ἔκα[
]αιπόλ[
]μ.[
]βροδο[
]ο̣νθ[
]φαιμ[
74b
]α[
]ποθο̣[
].ώβα̣[
74c
].[
]ας ἴδρω
].υζ̣αδ.[
]ι̣ν[
74d
].[.].ε[
]ν̣πο.[
]μ̣[
Go to The Digital Sappho