Sappho: The Mary Barnard Translation

by Sappho, Melissa Mueller (Editor), Mary Barnard (Translator)

A lavish collector’s edition and authoritative translation of the great lyric poet Sappho—alongside the original Greek for the first time.

The one hundred poems and fragments in this volume are almost all that remains of the legendary poet Sappho. Yet in Mary Barnard’s unparalleled, immensely moving translation, the spirit of Sappho comes alive.

As Melissa Mueller describes in the new introduction to this classic translation, to encounter Sappho in the distinctly original voice of Barnard is to encounter her anew. A respected poet in her own right, Barnard wove these fragments into a compellingly cohesive collection that follows a woman’s life journey. Intimate and incisive, these verses hold a playfulness that allows Sappho’s voice to reverberate into the present.

Now with Mueller’s compilation of the original Greek alongside each poem, this elegant edition of Barnard’s long-celebrated translation is an essential addition to any poetry lover’s collection.

260 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication September 1, 2026

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