Amani, London
This poem is widely considered the most famous archaic Greek lyric poem by the Greek poet Sappho from the island of Lesbos. It has been a real treat to immerse myself in the numerous translations and adaptations of this poem, in order to create my own. Thank you to everyone who helped me with this translation.
φάινεταί μοι κῆνος ἴσος θέοισιν
ἔμμεν ὤνερ, ὄττις ἐναντίος τοι
ἰσδάνει καὶ πλάσιον ἆδυ φωνεί-
σας ὐπακούει
καὶ γελαίσας ἰμερόεν τό μ᾽ ἦ μάν
καρδίαν ἐν στήθεσιν ἐπτόησεν·
ὠς γὰρ εἰσίδω βροχέως σε, φώνας
οὐδὲν ἔτ᾽ ἴκει·
ἀλλὰ κάμ μὲν γλῶσσα ἔαγε, λέπτον
δ᾽ αὔτικα χρῷ πῦρ ὐπαδεδρόμηκεν,
ὀππάτεσσι δ᾽ οὐδὲν ὄρημ᾽,ἐπιρρόμ-
βεισι δ᾽ ἄκουαι.
καδ δέ μ᾽ ἴδρως κακχέεται, τρόμος δὲ
παῖσαν ἄγρει, χλωροτέρα δὲ ποίας
ἔμμι, τεθνάκην δ᾽ ὀλίγω ᾽πιδεύης
φαίνομαι […].
ἀλλὰ πᾶν τόλματον …
He seems to me, that man, like a god,
Whoever sits facing you,
closely listening to your
sweet speaking,
And loveable laughing,
It truly makes my heart flutter in my chest.
For when I look at you, even briefly,
No sound yet comes,
My tongue is torn,
A subtle flame rushes under my skin
And darkness masks my eyes
And my ears fill with ringing.
Cold sweat passes over me,
Trembling seizes me entirely,
I am paler than grass,
A blink away from death.
But it all must be endured, ...
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