Sappho: a new translation of the complete works - diane j. rayor

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 Sapphos poetry ‒ her direct style, rich imagery, and passion ‒ is apparent even in these remnants.

Diane Rayors translations of Greek poetry are graceful, modern in diction yet faithful to the originals.

Sapphos voice is heard in these poems about love, friendship, rivalry, and family.

In the introduction and notes, André Lardinois plausibly reconstructs Sapphos 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 Neris 2021 Greek edition and revisions of over seventy fragments.