by Sappho (flourished c610-c580 BCE)
Translation © by Walter Jens (1923 - 2013)

Φαίνεταί μοι κῆνοσ ἴͅσοσ θέοισιν
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.

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Text Authorship:

  • by Sappho (flourished c610-c580 BCE)

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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 81

Language: German (Deutsch)  after the Aeolic Greek 
Gottgesegnet, nah den Himmlischen, mag er sein, jener Mann
 [ ... ]
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Composition:

    Set to music by Aribert Reimann (b. 1936), no title, 2000, first performed 2000 [ soprano, 3 violins, 2 violoncellos, contrabass, English horn, bassoon, and contrabassoon ], from Drei Gedichte der Sappho, no. 2

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This text was added to the website: 2009-10-03
Line count: 16
Word count: 120