The Voice of the Tenth Muse

Song Cycle by Patricia Van Ness

Score: Patricia van Ness (external link)

2. Come to me from Kret  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: Aeolic Greek 
δεῦρύ μ’ ἐκ Κρήτας ἐπ[ὶ τόνδ]ε ναῦον
ἄγνον, ὄππ[ᾳ τοι] χάριεν μὲν ἄλσος
μαλί[αν], βῶμοι τεθυμιάμε-
νοι [λι]βανώντῳ·
ἐν δ’ ὔδωρ ψῦχρον κελάδει δι’ ὔσδων
μαλίνων, βρόδοισι δὲ παῖς ὀ χῶρος
ἐσκίαστ’, αἰθυσσομένων δὲ φύλλων
κῶμα κατέρρει·
ἐν δὲ λείμων ἰππόβοτος τέθαλεν
ἠρίνοισιν ἄνθεσιν, αἰ δ’ ἄηται
μέλλιχα πνέοισιν [
[
ἔνθα δὴ σύ . . . . ἔλοισα Κύπρι
χρυσίαισιν ἐν κυλίκεσσιν ἄβρως
ὀμμεμείχμενον θαλίαισι νέκταρ
οἰνοχόαισον

Text Authorship:

  • by Sappho (flourished c610-c580 BCE), no title, appears in Fragments, no. 2

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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

Confirmed with The Digital Sappho


Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]

3. I urge you  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: Aeolic Greek 
[ ... ]

.]. ε .[ …. ] . [ … κ]έλομαι σ᾿ ἀ̣[είδην
Γο]γγύλαν̣ [Ἄβ]α̣νθι λαβοισαν ἀ . [
πᾶ[κτιν, ἆς̣ σε δηὖτε πόθος τ̣ . [
     ἀμφιπόταται

Text Authorship:

  • by Sappho (flourished c610-c580 BCE), no title, appears in Fragments, no. 22

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Confirmed with Digital Sappho


Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]

4. Movement IV
 (Sung text)

Language: English 
Now she stands out among
Lydian women as after sunset
the rose-fingered moon
exceeds all stars; light
reaches equally over the brine sea
and thick-flowering fields,

a beautiful dew has poured down,
roses bloom, tender parsley
and blossoming honey clover.

Pacing far away, she remembers
gentle Atthis with desire
perhaps...consumes her delicate soul;

to go there...this not
knowing...much
she sings...in the middle.

It is not easy for us to rival
the beautiful form of goddesses,
...you might have...

...
...
And...Aphrodite

...poured nectar from
a golden...
...with her hands Persuasion.

Text Authorship:

Based on:

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Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]

5. To me it seems that man has the fortune of the gods  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: Aeolic Greek 
Φαίνεταί μοι κῆνοσ ἴͅσοσ θέοισιν
ἔμμεν’ ὤνηρ, ὄττισ ἐνάντιόσ τοι
ἰσδάνει καὶ πλάσιον ἆδυ φωνεί‑
    σασ ὐπακούει

καὶ γελαίσασ ἰμέρσεν, τό μ’ ἦ μὰν
καρδίαν ἐν στήθεσιν ἐπτόαισεν.
ὠσ γὰρ ἔσ σ’ ἴδω βρόχε’ ὤσ με φώνη‑
    σ’ οὐδὲν ἔτ’ εἴκει,

ἀλλ’ ἄκαν μὲν γλῶσσα μ’ ἔαγε, λέπτον
β’ αὔτικα χρῶι πῦρ ὐπαδεδρόμακεν,
ὀππάτεσσι δ’ οὐδὲν ὄρημμ’, ἐπιβρό‑
    μεισι δ’ ἄκουαι,

κὰδ δέ μ’ ἴδρωσ κακχέεται, τρόμοσ βὲ
λαῖσαν ἄγρει, χλωροτέρα βὲ ποίασ
ἔμμι, τεθνάκην δ’ ὀλίγω ’πιδεύησ
    φαίνομ’ ἔμ’ αὔται.

Text Authorship:

  • by Sappho (flourished c610-c580 BCE)

See other settings of this text.

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

6. Some say an army of horseme  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: Aeolic Greek 
ο]ἰ μὲν ἰππήων στρότον οἰ δὲ πέσδων
οἰ δὲ νάων φαῖσ’ἐπ[ὶ] γᾶν μέλαι[ν]αν
ἔ]μμεναι κάλλιστον, ἔγω δὲ κῆν’ ὄτ-
τω τις ἔραται·

πά]γχυ δ’ εὔμαρες σύνετον πόησαι
π]άντι τ[ο]ῦ̣τ’, ἀ γὰρ πόλυ περσκέ̣θ̣ο̣ι̣σ̣α
κ̣άλ̣λο̣ς̣ [ἀνθ]ρώπων Ἐλένα [τὸ]ν ἄνδρα
τ̣ὸν̣ [πανάρ]ι̣στον

κ̣αλλ[ίποι]σ̣’ ἔβα ’ς Τροΐαν πλέοι̣[σα
κωὐδ[ὲ πα]ῖδος οὐδὲ φίλων το[κ]ήων
πάμ[παν] ἐμνάσθη, ἀλλὰ παράγ̣α̣γ̣’ α̣ὔταν
              ]σαν 
              ]αμπτον γὰρ [  
         ]. . . κούφως τ[             ]οησ[.]ν
. .]μ̣ε̣ νῦν Ἀνακτορί[ας ὀ]ν̣έ̣μναι-
σ’ οὐ ] παρεοίσας·
τᾶ]ς κε βολλοίμαν ἔρατόν τε βᾶμα
κἀμάρυχμα λάμπρον ἴδην προσώπω
ἢ τὰ Λύδων ἄρματα κἀν ὄπλοισι 3
πεσδομ]άχεντας.

           ].μεν οὐ δύνατον γένεσθαι
           ].ν ἀνθρωπ[. . . π]εδέχην δ’ ἄρασθαι

        τ’ ἐξ ἀδοκή[τω.

Text Authorship:

  • by Sappho (flourished c610-c580 BCE), no title, appears in Fragments, no. 16

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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

Confirmed with Digital Sappho


Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]

7. On the throne of many hues, Immortal Aphrodite

Score: Patricia van Ness [external link] Publisher: Patricia van Ness [external link]

Note: this is a multi-text setting

9. Movement IX  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: Aeolic Greek 
[ ... ]

πο̣[λλοις γὰρ στεφάν]οις ἴων
καὶ βρ[όδων κρο]κ̣ίων τ’ ὔμοι
κα . .[           ] πὰρ ἔμοι περεθήκαο,

καὶ πό̣[λλαις ὐπα]θύμιδας
πλέκ[ταις ἀμφ’ ἀ]πάλᾳ δέρᾳ
ἀνθέων ἔ̣[βαλες] πεποημμέναις,

καὶ πο̣λ̣λ̣ῳ[             ] . μύρῳ
βρενθείῳ . [            ]ρ̣υ[ . . ]ν
ἐξαλείψαο κα̣[ὶ βασ]ι̣ληίῳ,

καὶ στρώμν[αν ἐ]πὶ μολθάκαν
ἀπάλαν πα . [         ] . . .ων
23.ἐξίης πόθο̣[ν           ] . νίδων,


κωὔτε τις[           οὔ]τ̣ε̣ τι
ἶρον οὐδυ[                  ]
ἔπλετ’ ὄππ̣[οθεν ἄμ]μες ἀπέσκομεν,

οὐκ ἄλσος . [                χ]ό̣ρος
    ]ψόφος
   ] . . .οιδιαι

Text Authorship:

  • by Sappho (flourished c610-c580 BCE), no title

Go to the general single-text view

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

Confirmed with The Digital Sappho


Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]
Total word count: 563