by Sappho (flourished c610-c580 BCE)
Translation by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

Parting
Language: English  after the Greek (Ελληνικά) 
Truly I want to die
Such was her weeping when she said goodbye
These words her said to me
"What said calamity! Sappho, I leave you most unwillingly"
To her I made reply
"Go with good heart, but try not to forget our love in days gone by.
Else let me call to mind,
If your heart proves unkind,
the soft delightful way you leave behind.
Many a coronet of rose and violet,
Crocus and dell upon your brow you set:
Many a necklace too
Round your soft throat you threw, 
woven with me from buds of ravishing hue,
And often balm you spread of myrrh upon my head
and royal ointment on my hair you shed."

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Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):


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

This text was added to the website: 2026-06-17
Line count: 16
Word count: 117