Sappho
Sappho, the earliest and most famous Greek woman poet, sang her songs around 600 BCE on the island of Lesbos. Of what survives from the approximately nine papyrus scrolls collected in antiquity, all is translated here: substantial poems and fragments, including three poems discovered in the last two decades. The power of Sappho's poetry ‒ her direct style, rich imagery, and passion ‒ is apparent even in these remnants. Diane Rayor's translations of Greek poetry are graceful, modern in diction yet faithful to the originals. Sappho's voice is heard in these poems about love, friendship, rivalry, and family. In the introduction and notes, André Lardinois plausibly reconstructs Sappho's life and work, the performance of her songs, and how these fragments survived. This second edition incorporates thirty-two more fragments primarily based on Camillo Neri's 2021 Greek edition and revisions of over seventy fragments.
- Gives readers access to the most complete collection yet of Sappho's poetry in English, eloquently translated to speak to the modern audience whilst remaining accurate to the original Greek
- The thorough Introduction and notes provide all the contextual information and detailed explanations required for the reader to engage with the poems effectively
- Professional recordings of the poems are freely available for readers to enjoy at www.cambridge.org/sappho
Product details
February 2023Paperback
9781108926973
214 pages
215 × 139 × 10 mm
0.3kg
2 b/w illus.
Not yet published - available from February 2025
Table of Contents
- Note on the 2014 papyri
- Introduction
- Note on translation: from Sappho to Sappho
- Sappho
- Notes.