lyric poems by Sappho & illustrations
vintagephoto
01: dreamy songs & illustrations
02: autumn songs & illustrations
03: loveology songs & illustrations
I really, really love Greek mythology and poems. When I worked in a small library in Florence three years ago, I spent one morning copying down some lyric poems by Sappho. I'm afraid I can't remember which book and translation I copied them from (I know it wasn't If Not, Winter by Anne Carson...not that that helps). The poems were numbered instead of titled. Most of the ones I copied were love poems. I wish I knew how they were sung, but anyway, I really enjoyed their simplicity. I just found the notebook with the poems, so I thought I'd share them here with accompanying illustrations :P
Credits: I've linked to the photographer/artist when I could; if I couldn't, I linked to where I found the picture. Click the links for the originals, the pictures are slightly cropped (but un-resized) to make things a little neater.
Sasha Nikitin Twenty-Seven
You know the place: then
Leave Crete and come to us
waiting where the grove is
pleasantest, by precincts
sacred to you; incense
smokes on the altar, cold
streams murmur through the
apple branches, a young
rose thicket shades the ground
and quivering leaves pour
down deep sleep; in meadows
where horses have grown sleek
among spring flowers, dill
scents the air. Queen! Cypriah!
Fill our gold cups with love
stirred into clear nectar
monty-china Twenty-two
You may forget but
Let me tell you
this: someone in
some future time
will think of us
weheartit Sing me no songs of daylight,
for the sun is the enemy of lovers
Sing instead of shadows and darkness,
and memories of midnight
Marie Hochhaus Thirteen
It’s no use
Mother dear, I
can’t finish my
weaving
You may
blame Aphrodite
soft as she is
she has almost
killed me with
love for that boy
Jimmy Backius Twenty-four
Say what you please
Gold is God’s child;
neither worms nor
moths eat gold; it
is much stronger
than a man’s heart
laurenrosenbaum (elycerose) Sixteen
Sleep, darling
I have a small
daughter called
Cleis, who is
like a golden
flower
I wouldn’t
take all Croesus’
kingdom with love
thrown in, for her
laceandflora Four
If you will come
I shall put out
new pillows for
you to rest on
Alasdair Mclellan Twenty-one
You will say
See, I have come
back to the soft
arms I turned from
in the old days
Eveline Tarunadjaja Three
Without warning
As a whirlwind
swoops on an oak
Love shakes my heart
Bruce Weber Five
Thank you, my dear
You came, and you did
well to come: I needed
you. You have made
love blaze up in
my breast-bless you!
Bless you as often
as the hours have
been endless to me
while you were gone
Andy Julia Nineteen
Afraid of losing you
I ran fluttering
like a little girl
after her mother
stas_kulesh Twenty-three
The nightingale’s
The soft-spoken
announcer of
Spring’s presence
keels Eighteen
With his venom
Irresistible
and bittersweet
that loosener
of limbs, Love
reptile-like
strikes me down
Elliott Ewritt Six
I was so happy
Believe me, I
prayed that that
night might be
doubled for us
Jimmy Backius Ten
At noontime
When the earth is
bright with flaming
heat falling straight down
the cricket sets
up a high-pitched
singing in his wings
nigellus Eleven
I took my lyre and said:
Come now, my heavenly
tortoise-shell: become
a speaking instrument
peaceofmind (leesa) One
Awed by her splendor
Stars near the lovely
moon cover their own
bright faces
when she
is rounded and lights
earth with her silver