Sappho: Lyrics in the Original Greek with Translations by Willis Barnstone (Doubleday Anchor Original)

by Sappho, Willis Barnstone (Translator)

Of the classical poets of the first rank. one of the least read today is Sappho. The popular misapprehensions (and misconceptions) of the details of her personal life, the elusiveness (for translation) of her charged, compact style, and the difficulty of establishing intelligible reconstructions of the many available fragments of her work - all these have contributed to undeserved neglect among modern readers. Yet Sappho's reputation as one of the finest poets of classical antiquity remains unchallenged.

This edition introduces Sappho to the modern reader. It provides a vivid, contemporary translation, which captures the spareness and the intensity of Sappho's line. And for the reader with some familiarity with ancient Greek, the translations are printed opposite the text on which they are based, In addition, the student will find biographical notes, ancient testimonia, and a concordance to the texts.

The translator and editor, Willis Barnstone, associate professor of Comparative Literature at Indiana University, is the author of three books of poetry, and the compiler and translator of a volume of Greek lyric poetry.

The Foreword is by Andrew R. Burn, Senior Lecturer in Ancient History at the University of Glasgow.

Genres: Poetry, Classics

207 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1962

About the author

Work of Greek lyric poet Sappho, noted for its passionate and erotic celebration of the beauty of young women and men, after flourit circa 600 BC and survives only in fragments.

Ancient history poetry texts associate Sappho (Σαπφώ or Ψάπφω) sometimes with the city of Mytilene or suppose her birth in Eresos, another city, sometime between 630 BC and 612 BC. She died around 570 BC. People throughout antiquity well knew and greatly admired the bulk, now lost, but her immense reputation endured.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sappho

Reviews

[Sierra McGuire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uh it makes me more sad knowing that there is missing work now that I’ve read her work. So beautiful with such character.

[Airam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ἀρτίως μ' ἀ χρυσοπέδιλλος Αὔως

[Sam - Spines in a Line · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve heard of Sappho but never read her work so I thought it was about time, especially since the library had almost a whole shelf about her! This collection was a bit different as it had the original Greek alongside the translation. There were also A BUNCH of footnotes explaining the sources and translation decisions. There are some really beautiful poems but since most of her work is fragments, I really wanted to learn more of the meaning and context behind these – I found out there was a glossary and index that covered some of this but it was hidden behind all the translation explanation. So not the best introductory Sappho text (unless you’re a translation nerd 😛 ).

[Kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've learned that things haven't changed that much in the last 2600 years since Sappho was alive. Sappho wrote about beauty, she included some sexual innuendo in her poems, love between mother and daughter, sadness upon getting old and wrinkly, enjoyment of the world, praise of the gods - our thoughts, concerns and preoccupations seem to be pretty much the same as they ever were.

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sappho has been dear to me for years and years, and I am glad to have finally gotten around to reading all of her fragmented poetry. She is momentous and concise, and even today remains a poetic force to be reckoned with.

[RK Byers · Rating 4 out of 5]

way better than Basho.