Venice masks

Monday 14 January 2013

Some an army of horsemen - Sappho

Some an army of horsemen, some an army on foot
and some say a fleet of ships is the loveliest sight
on this dark earth; but I say it is what—
ever you desire:

and it is possible to make this perfectly clear
to all; for the woman who far surpassed all others
in her beauty, Helen, left her husband—
the best of all men—

behind and sailed far away to Troy; she did not spare
a single thought for her child nor for her dear parents
but (the goddess of love) led her astray
(to desire...)

(...which)
reminds me now of Anactoria
although far away

Sappho (c620 - c570 BC) Lesbos, Ancient Greece
Translated by Josephine Balmer

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