ποικιλόθρον᾿ ἀθανάτ᾿ Αφρόδιτα ,
παῖ Δίος δολόπλοκε , λίσσομαί σε ,
μή μ᾿ ἄσαισι μηδ᾿ ὀνίαισι δάμνα ,
πότνια , θῦμον ,

ἀλλὰ τυίδ᾿ ἔλθ᾿ , αἴ ποτα κἀτέρωτα
τὰς ἔμας αὔδας ἀίοισα πήλοι
ἔκλυες , πάτρος δὲ δόμον λίποισα
χρύσιον ἦλθες

ἄρμ᾿ ὐπασδεύξαισα · κάλοι δέ σ᾿ ἆγον
ὤκεες στροῦθοι περὶ γᾶς μελαίνας
πύκνα δίννεντες πτέρ᾿ ἀπ᾿ ὠράνωἴθε-
ρος διὰ μέσσω ,

αἶψα δ᾿ ἐξίκοντο · σὺ δ᾿ , ὦ μάκαιρα ,
μειδιαίσαισ᾿ ἀθανάτῳ προσώπῳ
ἤρε᾿ ὄττι δηὖτε πέπονθα κὤττι
δηὖτε κάλημμι ,

κὤττι μοι μάλιστα θέλω γένεσθαι
μαινόλᾳ θύμῳ · τίνα δηὖτε πείθω
ἄψ σ᾿ ἄγην ἐς ϝὰν φιλότατα ; τίς σ᾿ , ὦ
Ψάπφ᾿ , ἀδικήει ;

καὶ γὰρ αἰ φεύγει , ταχέως διώξει ·
αἰ δὲ δῶρα μὴ δέκετ᾿ , ἀλλὰ δώσει ·
αἰ δὲ μὴ φίλει , ταχέως φιλήσει
κωὐκ ἐθέλοισα .

ἔλθε μοι καὶ νῦν , χαλέπαν δὲ λῦσον
ἐκ μερίμναν , ὄσσα δέ μοι τέλεσσαι
θῦμος ἰμέρρει , τέλεσον · σὺ δ᾿ αὔτα
σύμμαχος ἔσσο .

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 if 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 .

O Venus , beauty of the skies ,
To whom a thousand temples rise ,
Gaily false in gentle smiles ,
Full of love-perplexing wiles ;
O goddess , from my heart remove
The wasting cares and pains of love .

If ever thou hast kindly heard
A song in soft distress preferred ,
Propitious to my tuneful vow ,
A gentle goddess , hear me now .
Descend , thou bright immortal guest ,
In all thy radiant charms confessed .

Thou once didst leave almighty Jove
And all the golden roofs above :
The car thy wanton sparrows drew ,
Hovering in air they lightly flew ;
As to my bower they winged their way
I saw their quivering pinions play .

The birds dismissed ( while you remain )
Bore back their empty car again :
Then you , with looks divinely mild ,
In every heavenly feature smiled ,
And asked what new complaints I made ,
And why I called you to my aid ?

What frenzy in my bosom raged ,
And by what cure to be assuaged ?
What gentle youth I would allure ,
Whom in my artful toils secure ?
Who does thy tender heart subdue ,
Tell me , my Sappho , tell me who ?

Though now he shuns thy longing arms ,
He soon shall court thy slighted charms ;
Though now thy offerings he despise ,
He soon to thee shall sacrifice ;
Though now he freezes , he soon shall burn ,
And be thy victim in his turn .

Celestial visitant , once more
Thy needful presence I implore .
In pity come , and ease my grief ,
Bring my distempered soul relief ,
Favour thy suppliant ' s hidden fires ,
And give me all my heart desires .

φαίνεταί μοι κῆνος ἴσος θέοισιν
ἔμμεν᾿ ὤνηρ , ὄττις ἐνάντιός τοι
ἰσδάνει καὶ πλάσιον ἆδυ φωνεί-
σας ὐπακούει

καὶ γελαίσας ἰμέροεν , τό μ᾿ ἦ μὰν
καρδίαν ἐν στήθεσιν ἐπτόαισεν ·
ὠς γὰρ ἔς σ᾿ ἴδω βρόχε᾿ , ὤς με φώναι-
σ᾿ οὐδ᾿ ἒν ἔτ᾿ εἴκει ,

ἀλλὰ κὰμ μὲν γλῶσσα « μ᾿ » ἔαγε , λέπτον
δ᾿ αὔτικα χρῷ πῦρ ὐπαδεδρόμηκεν ,
ὀππάτεσσι δ᾿ οὐδ᾿ ἒν ὄρημμ᾿ , ἐπιρρόμ-
βεισι δ᾿ ἄκουαι ,

κὰδ δέ μ᾿ ἴδρως κακχέεται , τρόμος δὲ
παῖσαν ἄγρει , χλωροτέρα δὲ ποίας
ἔμμι , τεθνάκην δ᾿ ὀλίγω ᾿πιδεύης
φαίνομ᾿ ἔμ᾿ αὔτ [ ᾳ .
ἀλλὰ πὰν τόλματον , ἐπεὶ †καὶ πένητα†

He seems to me equal to gods that man whoever he is who opposite you
sits and listens close
to your sweet speaking

and lovely laughing—oh it
puts the heart in my chest on wings
for when I look at you , even a moment , no speaking
is left in me

no : tongue breaks and thin
fire is racing under skin
and in eyes no sight and drumming
fills ears

and cold sweat holds me and shaking grips me all , greener than grass
I am and dead—or almost
I seem to me .

But all is to be dared , because even a person of poverty

Il me semble être égal aux dieux
cet homme qui en face de toi
est assis et écoute de près ta voix douce

et ton rire désirable ; cela assurément
affole mon coeur dans ma poitrine ;
lorsque en effet je te regarde brièvement , alors il ne m’est plus même possible de prononcer un mot ,

mais ma voix est brisée , subtil
aussitôt un feu court sous ma peau ,
de mes yeux je ne vois rien , mes oreilles bourdonnent ,

sur moi la sueur se répand , un tremblement
me saisit tout entière , je suis plus verte que l’herbe , je me semble à moi-même presque morte .

Mais il faut tout oser ( supporter ) , puisque