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Description of  Sappho: A New Translation of the Complete Works

1107023599 azw3 Sappho, the earliest and most famous Greek woman poet, sang her songs around 600 BCE on the island of Lesbos. Of the little that survives from the approximately nine papyrus scrolls collected in antiquity, all is translated here: substantial poems, fragments, single words - and, notably, five stanzas of a poem that came to light in 2014. Also included are new additions to five fragments from the latest discovery, and a nearly complete poem published in 2004. The power of Sapphos poetry - her direct style, rich imagery, and passion - is apparent even in these remnants. Diane Rayors translations of Greek poetry are graceful and poetic, modern in diction yet faithful to the originals. The full range of Sapphos voice is heard in these poems about desire, friendship, rivalry, family, and "passion for the light of life". In the introduction and notes, internationally respected Sappho scholar Andr Lardinois presents plausible reconstructions of Sapphos life and work, the importance of the recent discoveries in understanding the performance of her songs, and the story of how these fragments survived. Read more