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And something from the past just comes and stares into my soul
My poem "Anthology" has been accepted by Cabinet des Fées. It quotes Sappho. Before the Pleiades start setting, goodnight.
. . . ἔγω δὲ κῆν᾽ ὄτ-
τω τις ἔραται . . .
. . . ἔγω δὲ κῆν᾽ ὄτ-
τω τις ἔραται . . .
no subject
. . . ἔγω δὲ κῆν᾽ ὄτ-
τω τις ἔραται . . .
"But I say the fairest is
Whomever you love"
Or something to that effect, yes?
(I did look it up to check that it did appear to be the Sappho bit that I thought it was--my Greek was never good and its beyond rusty now.)
Good night! Are you going to have a look at the Pleiades? An you are, I hope it's a nice view. And that you sleep well.
no subject
Thank you!
Or something to that effect, yes?
Yes, although κάλλιστον belongs to the previous phrase:
ο]ἰ μὲν ἰππήων στρότον οἰ δὲ πέσδων
οἰ δὲ νάων φαῖσ᾽ ἐπ[ὶ] γᾶν μέλαι[ν]αν
ἔ]μμεναι κάλλιστον, ἔγω δὲ κῆν᾽ ὄτ-
τω τις ἔραται·
Some say a host of cavalry, some of foot soldiers,
others of ships is on the dark earth
the most beautiful thing, but I say it is just this,
whatever someone loves . . .
Rendering elision into English annoys me. Others [say a host] of ships takes up too much repetition, but there's a limit to how much an uninflected language can be torqued to match the original. I have no idea if the translation I've just provided is comprehensible without bracketed help.
Are you going to have a look at the Pleiades?
No, it's another fragment of Sappho:
δέδυκε μὲν ἀ σελάννα
καὶ Πληΐδαες, μέσαι δὲ
νύκτες, παρὰ δ’ ἔρχετ’ ὤρα,
ἐγὼ δὲ μόνα κατεύδω.
The moon has set
and the Pleiades, it is mid-
night, and the hours pass,
and I lie alone.
At least this one breaks down into English-compliant intonation units . . . (And even if it did not, I would still find it beautiful.)
no subject
There are analogous problems translating Japanese (--Japanese poetry, I mean).
no subject
Most welcome!
Yes, although κάλλιστον belongs to the previous phrase:
Right. It's tricksome excerpting things like that, as if the situation weren't already tricksome enough as it were.
Rendering elision into English annoys me. Others [say a host] of ships takes up too much repetition, but there's a limit to how much an uninflected language can be torqued to match the original. I have no idea if the translation I've just provided is comprehensible without bracketed help.
Yes, it is a frustrating situation.
It's comprehensible to me, but I've read a number of different translations of that poem at one time or another, so my comprehension probably doesn't count.
No, it's another fragment of Sappho:
Right, that one. I'd forgot about the Pleiades being in it. Mea culpa.
At least this one breaks down into English-compliant intonation units . . . (And even if it did not, I would still find it beautiful.)
Agreed on all counts. (It's a little too close to home, but that's likely a part of what makes it beautiful.)