---
type: article
status: Published
slug: "sappho-1"
title: "Fragment 1 (Ode to Aphrodite)"
author: "Sappho"
tradition: "greek"
language: "grc"
genre: "lyric"
period: "6th c. BCE"
source_url: "https://el.wikisource.org/wiki/Ύμνος_προς_την_Αφροδίτη"
certainty: observed
source: "https://el.wikisource.org/wiki/Ύμνος_προς_την_Αφροδίτη"
unknowns: none known
---
# Fragment 1 (Ode to Aphrodite)

## Original

Ποικιλόθρον’ ἀθάνατ’ Ἀφρόδιτα,
παῖ Διός, δολόπλοκε, λίσσομαί σε
μή μ’ ἄσαισι μηδ’ ὀνίαισι δάμνα,
πότνια, θῦμον·

ἀλλά τυῖδ’ ἔλθ’, αἴ ποτα κἀτέρωτα
τᾶς ἔμας αὔδως ἀίοισα πήλυι
ἔκλυες, πάτρος δὲ δόμον λίποισα
χρύσιον ἦλθες

ἄρμ’ ὐπαζεύξαισα, κάλοι δέ σ’ ἆγον
ὤκεες στροῦθοι περὶ γᾶς μελαίνας
πύκνα δίννεντες πτέρ’ ἀπ’ ὠράνω αἴθερος
διὰ μέσσω.

αἶψα δ’ ἐξίκοντο, τὺ δ’, ὦ μάκαιρα,
μειδιάσαισ’ ἀθανάτῳ προσώπῳ,
ἤρε’ ὄττι δηὖτε πέπονθα κὤττι
δηὖτε κάλημι,

κὤττι ἔμῳ μάλιστα θέλω γένεσθαι
μαινόλᾳ θύμῳ· τίνα δηὖτε πείθω
μαῖς ἄγην ἐς σὰν 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 ἰμμέρρει, τέλεσον· σὺ δ’ αὔτα
σύμμαχος ἔσσο.

## Translation — Mouseia

> Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the original source for fidelity, modern clarity, beauty, symbolism, and structure.

Rich-throned, deathless Aphrodite,
child of Zeus, weaver of wiles, I beg you:
do not crush my heart with grief and anguish,
Lady;

but come here, if ever at another time,
hearing my voice from far away,
you listened, and, leaving your father’s
golden house, came,

yoking your chariot; lovely, swift
sparrows bore you over the black earth,
whirling their close-beating wings down from heaven,
through midair.

Swiftly they arrived; and you, blessed goddess,
smiling with your deathless face,
asked what I had suffered now, and why
I called you now,

and what, above all, I wished to happen
in my maddened heart: “Whom now shall I persuade
to lead into your love? Who, O
Sappho, wrongs you?

For if she flees, soon she will pursue;
if she does not accept gifts, she will give them;
if she does not love, soon she will love,
even against her will.”

Come to me now as well; release me from
harrowing care, and all my heart
yearns to see fulfilled, fulfill; and you yourself
be my ally.

## Translation — Mouseia

> Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from the complete surviving Greek ode.

Immortal Aphrodite on your patterned throne, daughter of Zeus, weaver of traps: I beg you, do not crush my heart, lady, with weariness and pain.

But come here, if ever in the past you heard my voice from far away, and listened, and left your father's golden house, and came,

harnessing your chariot. Beautiful, swift sparrows brought you around the dark earth, beating their wings thick and fast, down from heaven through the middle of the sky.

They arrived at once. And you, blessed one, smiling with your immortal face, asked what I was suffering this time, and why I was calling this time,

and what I most wanted to happen in my maddened heart: "Whom shall I persuade this time to come into your love? Who is wronging you, Sappho?

Even if she runs away, soon she will chase you. If she refuses gifts, soon she will give them. If she does not love you, soon she will love, even against her will."

Come to me now as well. Free me from harsh worries. All that my heart longs to see accomplished, accomplish it. And you yourself be my ally in the fight.

## Translation — Public domain

> Complete public-domain translation made directly from the original source text.

Immortal Aphrodite of the broidered throne, daughter of Zeus, weaver of wiles, I pray thee break not my spirit with anguish and distress, O Queen.

But come hither, if ever before thou didst hear my voice afar, and listen, and leaving thy father's golden house camest with chariot yoked, and fair fleet sparrows drew thee, flapping fast their wings around the dark earth, from heaven through mid sky.

Quickly arrived they; and thou, blessed one, smiling with immortal countenance, didst ask What now is befallen me, and Why now I call, and What I in my mad heart most desire to see.

'What Beauty now wouldst thou draw to love thee? Who wrongs thee, Sappho?

For even if she flies she shall soon follow, and if she rejects gifts shall yet give, and if she loves not shall soon love, however loth.'

Come, I pray thee, now too, and release me from cruel cares; and all that my heart desires to accomplish, accomplish thou, and be thyself my ally.