Fragment 1 (Ode to Aphrodite)
Complete public-domain translation made directly from the original source text. Ancient Greek source edition on el.wikisource.org
Ancient Greek
Ποικιλόθρον’ ἀθάνατ’ Ἀφρόδιτα,παῖ Διός, δολόπλοκε, λίσσομαί σεμή μ’ ἄσαισι μηδ’ ὀνίαισι δάμνα,πότνια, θῦμον·
ἀλλά τυῖδ’ ἔλθ’, αἴ ποτα κἀτέρωτατᾶς ἔμας αὔδως ἀίοισα πήλυιἔκλυες, πάτρος δὲ δόμον λίποισαχρύσιον ἦλθες
ἄρμ’ ὐπαζεύξαισα, κάλοι δέ σ’ ἆγονὤκεες στροῦθοι περὶ γᾶς μελαίναςπύκνα δίννεντες πτέρ’ ἀπ’ ὠράνω αἴθεροςδιὰ μέσσω.
αἶψα δ’ ἐξίκοντο, τὺ δ’, ὦ μάκαιρα,μειδιάσαισ’ ἀθανάτῳ προσώπῳ,ἤρε’ ὄττι δηὖτε πέπονθα κὤττιδηὖτε κάλημι,
κὤττι ἔμῳ μάλιστα θέλω γένεσθαιμαινόλᾳ θύμῳ· τίνα δηὖτε πείθωμαῖς ἄγην ἐς σὰν φιλότατα; τίς σ’, ὦΨάπφ’, ἀδικήει;
καὶ γὰρ αἰ φεύγει, ταχέως διώξει,αἰ δὲ δῶρα μὴ δέκετ’, ἀλλὰ δώσει,αἰ δὲ μὴ φίλει, ταχέως φιλήσεικωὐκ ἐθέλοισα.
ἔλθε μοι καὶ νῦν, χαλέπαν δὲ λῦσονἐκ μερίμναν, ὄσσα δέ μοι τέλεσσαιθῦμος ἰμμέρρει, τέλεσον· σὺ δ’ αὔτασύμμαχος ἔσσο.
English · Historical edition · Public domain
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.