by Sappho (flourished c610-c580 BCE)
Translation © by Diane J. Rayor
οἰ μὲν ἰππήων στρότον οἰ δὲ πέσδων
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.
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Confirmed with Digital Sappho
Text Authorship:
- by Sappho (flourished c610-c580 BCE), no title, appears in Fragments, no. 16 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Patricia Van Ness , "Some say an army of horseme", 1998, copyright © 1998, first performed 1998 [ soprano and mixed chorus ], from The Voice of the Tenth Muse, no. 6
Score: Patricia van Ness [external link]
Publisher: Patricia van Ness [external link]  [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in English, a translation by Diane J. Rayor , copyright © 1991 ; composed by Patricia Van Ness.
Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2026-02-15
Line count: 23
Word count: 106
On the throne of many hues, Immortal Aphrodite
Language: English  after the Aeolic Greek
On the throne of many hues, Immortal Aphrodite [ ... ]
This text may be copyright, so we will not display it until we obtain permission to do so or discover it is public-domain.
Text Authorship:
- by Diane J. Rayor , copyright © 1991 [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Patricia Van Ness , "On the throne of many hues, Immortal Aphrodite", 1998, first performed 1998 [ soprano and mixed chorus ], from The Voice of the Tenth Muse, no. 7
Score: Patricia van Ness [external link]
Publisher: Patricia van Ness [external link]  [sung text checked 1 time]
This text was added to the website: 2026-02-15
Line count: 28
Word count: 173