These four fragments (along with 94, 95, 96 and 98) are almost certainly all that is left of a book of Sappho’s poetry (one of nine) lost from the Alexandria library. In these are tantalizing hints about the practices of ancient mystery schools, from within the space where their rites occurred.
Fit …
The peplos
Made ready.
Saffron crocus.
The peplos absorbs
The murex,
The vesture
Gold.
The anadem seals,
Makes visible.
The purple
Rug
Rouses.
---
Vesper, who bears it all,
What dawn made visible,
Gathers the scattered,
Brings the wine,
Brings the goat,
Brings the child to its mother.
---
… The stars, for their part, are swiftly occluded
In their visible form by the fine-tuned moon
Whenever the swelling’s at maximal lamp
And silvers the ground.
---
Step small
For the Polyxenaktidai
... Suddenly ringing the strings
... The fret shell holds the dance
And excessive gratitude
As it vibrates like a dervish
In frenzied inspiration,
Divine flow.
Leto and the child of Zeus, Apollo ...
Temper your rites,
Lay them on again
Leaving wooded Grýnion behind,
Where the oracle performs ...
Lay the patterns on again,
Sing the ritual cry,
Make the frenzy visible.
------------------------------------------
92
π̣ε̣[
χρ[........]περ[
πέπλον[..]π̣υ̣σ̣χ̣[
καὶ κλ̣ε̣[..]σαω[
κροκοεντα[
πέπλον πορφυ[ρ.......]δ̣εξω̣[
χλαιναι περσ̣[
στέφανοι περ[
καλ[..]ο̣σ̣σ̣α̣μ̣[
φρυ[
πορφ[υρ
τ̣α̣π̣α̣[
π[
93
Ἔσπερε, πάντα φέρων,
ὄσσα φαίνετ’ Αὔως
ἐσκέδασ’, ἄγεις·
φέρεις οἶνον,
φέρεις αἶγα,
φέρεις ἄπυ μάτερι παῖδα.
97
… ἄστερες μὲν ἀμφὶ κάλαν σελάνναν
αἶψ’ ἀπίκρυπτον φάεννον εἶδος,
ὄπποτα πλήθοισα μάλιστα λάμπη
γᾶν [ἐπ’] ἀργυρίαν·
99a/c
] . γα .π̣εδὰ βαῖο̣[ν
δ̣[ . ]οῖ Πωλυανακτ[ίδ]αι̣ς ϝ..πα[
.. . . αισσαμιασι.ι̣ε.[ . ]το̣ις
ωνηρ[
χόρδαισι διακρέ̣κην και φαι.[
ὀ̣λ̣ι̣σ̣β̣ . δόκο̣ι̣σ̣⟨ι⟩ περ̣καθ . . . . ενος ταισπα.[
ου.[ . . ]σι φιλοφρ[όν]ως
ἀκρωδ[
] . . . . δ’ ἐλελίσδ̣ε̣τ̣αι πρ.τ̣ανέ̣ως φοιται.[
]ω̣ν̣ος δὲ διο[ . . ]ω.. ] . τ̣αισε[
] . υαλ̣ωδ’ .[ . ] . . ε̣νη̣τ̣ε̣[ . . ]
] . . [
99b
⊗ Λάτως] τε καὶ Δ̣ί̣[ος] πάϊ[ς
ξύσα[
] . . ε . . . [ . ]ἔπιθ̣’ ὀ̣ρ̣γία̣ν
αὐτανε[
Γρύνηαν] ὐλ̣ώ̣δη̣⟨ν⟩ λίπω̣ν
ἀγκωνα[
ἐν χρη[σ]τ̣ή̣ριον ἐκπαισ’
χρηστήρι
] … ὀργιαναιμ’ ο.
πίκ.[ ]ν ὐμνε[
ὑμνέω
εὐο[ . ]δα.
δηὖτε Π̣ω̣λ̣υ̣α̣ν̣ακτίδαν
τὸν μάρ̣γον̣ ὄν̣δ̣ε̣ι̣ξ̣α̣ι̣ θέλω
