Back to reality: some things are impossible, and some best avoided

We had myths in the last post, now we get back to reality. Let us see what we have today:

1. We start off with the "impossible things" sections, which begins with Sappho Edmonds 53, Lobel-Page 52, Campbell 52; this is a quote from Herodian, περὶ μονήρους λέξεως (On Peculiar Words), which goes «Σημειῶδες ἄρα τὸ οὐρανός, ὅτι ἤρξατο ἀπὸ φύσει μακρᾶς· Ἀλκαῖος δὲ εἰς ὧ ἀποφαίνεται τὸ ὄνομα – καὶ Σαπφώ· Ψαύειν δὲ οὐ δοκεῖ μοι ὠρανῶ δυσπαχέα» (οὐρανός, sky, is remarkable, because it begins with a [syllable that is] long by nature; Alcaeus sends the noun forth to an ω (i.e. starts it with omega, ὠρανός); and Sappho: I don't think I will touch the sky, ill-armed [as I am]; note: δυσπάχεα does not appear in Perseus, so I analyzed it as a negative prefix δυσ-, "ill-", "not well-", and πᾶχυς, "arm"); now that is inmetrical, so corrections must come in; Bergk 15 reads «ψαύην δ' ἐπε' οὐ δοκεῖ μοι / ὠράνω δυσπάχεα», thus making it part of a Sapphic stanza and keeping the omega start for "sky"; however, this version doesn't convince me, because it not only adds a word, but elides it in a weird way, cutting off half a diphthong which, in Sappho's time, was AFAIK read as a long monophthong; back in the days, I didn't even know the idea existed; then we have Edmonds 53, who emends the "sky" to starting with an omicron and δοκεῖ μοι to δοκίμωμι, as is now universally accepted AFAICT, but then ends the line with ὀράνω ἔσσα διπάχεα, showing some creativity; his version translates as «I don't think I will touch the sky, being two cubits [tall]»; then Lobel-Page (numbering it 52) emends in those ways and leaves δυσπάχεα as a locus desperatus, and in the critical note expresses doubts on the form ὀράνω and suggests that δοκίμοι μ' and other similar forms are possible; Campbell 52, finally, essentially has the same things, plus stating Bergk suggested δύσι πάχεσιν at the end, which probably happened in a different Bergk edition of Sappho, since the one I have definitely doesn't have such a suggestion; anyways, what I found was Campbell + δύσι πάχεσιν, which gives me a glyconian expanded with two dactyls, the same meter as Hector and Andromacha, rendered in exactly the same ways in the translations;
2. We then have another impossible thing with Edmonds 72, Lobel-Page 56, Campbell 56; this is yet another quote, this time from Chrysippus' περὶ ἀποφατικῶν (On Negatives), which reads «εἰ Σαπφὼ οὕτως ἀπεφήνατο· Οὐδ' ἴαν δοκίμοιμι ecc» (If Sappho negated this way: [quotation]); so it appears the only correction to the manuscript tradition, already done in Bergk 74 and taken up by the other editions, was δοκίμοιμι -> δοκίμωμι; nothing to see here then; oh wait: Edmonds has σοφίᾳ and ποι in l. 2, while Lobel-Page and Campbell have τεαύταν in l. 3; whatever I chose was probably Greek Wikisource; the meter is the greater Asclepiad, rendered as 9+7 syllables with rhymes both internal and external in English and Italian (which is unlike the usual rhythm imitation practice which would lead to –u–uu– –uu– –uu–u–), and simply kept in Latin;
3. Then we start the far more numerous advice section with Sappho advising her daughter not to lament (a death?); this is Edmonds 108, Lobel-Page 150, Campbell 150; this is a quote from Maxymus of Tyre's Orations, reading «Ἀναίθεται [ὁ Σωκράτης] τῇ Ξανθίππῃ ὀδυρομένῃ, ὅτι ἀπέθνησκεν, ἡ δὲ [Σαπφὼ] τῇ θυγατρί· οὐ γὰρ θέμις ἐν μουσοπόλων οἰκίᾳ θρῆνον εἶναι, οὐκ ἄμμι πρέπει τάδε» ([Socrates] was angry with Xanthippe for lamenting when he was dying; [Sappho] says to her daughter: it is not right that there be lamentation in a house that serves the Muses, this doesn't befit us»; apart from emending to Aeolic dialect (ἔμμεν) and introducing a potential (οὔ κ' ἄμμι πρέποι) at the end, Campbell doesn't change anything, leaving οἰκίᾳ as locus desperatus; he notes that Hartung suggested δόμῳ to fix the meter in l. 1, and that Lobel suggested swapping τάδε and πρέποι; this is indeed the only text difference between Campbell and Lobel-Page; Bergk 61 fiddles with the text, producing the lesser Asclepiads «Ἀλλ' οὐ γὰρ θέμις ἐν μοισοπόλῳ οἰκίᾳ / θρῆνον ἔμμεναι· οὐκ ἄμμι πρέπει τάδε»; Edmonds fiddles a little less: «Οὐ γὰρ θέμις ἐν μοισοπόλῳ οἰκίᾳ / θρῆνον θέμεν· οὐκ ἄμμι πρέπει τάδε», obtaining ionians a maiore by putting θέμεν for ἔμμεν and making a little fix in l. 1; this is essentially what I have, probably straight off Greek Wikisource; the meter is kept in Latin, and imitated as – –uu– –uu–u– in English and Italian;
4. We go on with another «it is not right» (this time οὐδὲ θέμις) with Lobel-Page and Campbell 71; this is from P.Oxy. 1787 fr. 6 and an addendum from P.Oxy. XXI; I won't go into the details of the possible restorations given by Campbell and Lobel-Page, I'll just say I probably chose whatever Bibliotheca Augustana gave and translated it; note also that The Rest of Sappho, in fr. 6.A.v, has a fusion of this with some other fragments taken from an Italian anthology, might want to check that out too; the meter was supposed to be ionians a maiore again, same rendering as before; I do, however, have to point out the development of my own text, which up to 24/5/11 in OS27 was as labeled Old below, and then in OS28 from 9/6/11 became the Final version; that is because, reflecting the Old text, we have the OS31 from 16/6/11 translation into Italian; the dates line up weird, I know; I'm guessing this is an older version that got placed into the file somewhere before I made the changes; I do not have further resolution in that gap, because Sappho files S13 and S14 are precisely from 24/5 and 9/6, so I'll just assume OS31 got stuck with an old translation;
5. Next is a sorta-kinda piece of advice, if the restoration I adopted (probably from Bibliotheca Augustana) is correct; this is from P.Oxy. 1356 folium 4a, and is Lobel-Page and Campbell 139; the papyrus apparently reads «θέοιδ[...].νεσω.[...].τι̣καδακ[... / θ̣ε̣[.].[.]η̣λ̣[.]...[      ]ηλα[.......», so my restoration involves supposing a missing sigma in l. 1; the meter I saw was x–u–x–u–uu–ux, and that is what I kept or imitated depending on target languages;
6. «May the gods immediately praise the tearless», said the previous fragment; so praise to someone who can control the outbursts of their sadness; and talking about outbursts, we move to Edmonds 137 Lobel-Page 158 Campbell 158, a piece of advice about controlling one's words during fits of anger; this is a quote from Plutarch, reading «Ἐν ὀργῇ σεμνότερον οὐδὲν ἡσυχίας οὔσης, ὡς ἡ Σαπφὼ παραινεῖ, σκιδναμένης ἐν στήθεσιν ὀργῆς πεφυλάχθαι γλῶσσαν μαψυλάκταν» (In times of anger nothing is more revered than silence, as Sappho advises: as anger spread through my heart I guarded my fast-barking tongue); the text in the quote is inmetrical and implying something to support that perfect infinitive; Bergk emends to μαψυλάκαν γλῶσσαν πεφύλαχθαι, fixing the meter but keeping the implied something; Edmonds emends to γλῶσσαν μαψυλάκαν πεφύλαχθε, fixing the implied something problem with a perfect imperative, but giving l. 2 a different meter than l. 1; Lobel-Page prints the quote text, adding that «recte monet Bergk infin[itivum] esse Plutarchi» (Bergk correctly warns that the infinitive is Plutarch's); Campbell, following Seidler (mentioned also by Lobel-Page) emends to μαψυλάκαν γλῶσσαν πεφύλαχθαι, which is probably the Bibliotheca Augustana text I translated, and has the implied something problem, but solves the meter problem; the Paracritical Note only notes the implied something problem; the meter I saw was –uu–x–uu–x, two adonians, and that is what I kept in Latin; the other translations use mere hendecasyllabics with rhymes; also, it seems I have a two anaclases, one double and one single, in l. 2 of the Latin version, which scans –uu–uu– – –u;
   About the translations; so; on 15/8/10 I made the translations of the "Infinitive" version with μαψυλάκαν γλῶσσαν πεφύλαχθαι; on 8/9/10, writing some of the Paracritical note, I remark that I found the γλῶσσαν μαψυλάκαν πεφύλαχθε version, presumably from Edmonds, and add the translations to it as changes to the other ones; in the note, they look exactly like those below in the Imperative tab, except the English l. 2 starts with "You stop"; the relevant extract of the note was then copied from the diary to the SPN file, expanding these alternate translations, and rendering that line as "Do stop"; this happened in SPN1, thus within 12/9; the current version is from 19:46 on 16/9/23; or at least, I think that's the correction I thought up; I definitely thought of it within 19:47:~30 that evening; there's actually another change from SPN1 I had previously missed: my->your; because of course; I just forgot about that when writing that thing into the diary;
   But there's more, in that, on 17/9/23 at 20:03, I remade the imperative version in English so it would have the right rhythm (I was singing it to the tune of "Finché del vino han calda la testa" from Don Giovanni, probably), and on 19/9/23 at 14:28 I do the same with the infinitive version;
7. We keep on the theme of rage with Sappho claiming she has a simple soul not prone to rage; this is Bergk 77, Edmonds 74, Lobel-Page and Campbell 120, and is a quote from the Etymologicum Magnum, reading «Ἀβακής· κέχρηται αὐτῷ Σαπφώ, οἶον· Ἀλλά τις οὐκ ἔμμεν παλιγκότων ὀργάνων ἀλλ' ἀβακὴν τὰν φρένα ἔχω, ἀντὶ τοῦ ἡσύχιον καὶ πρᾷον» (ἀβακής, "gentle"; Sappho used it thus: "But I am not one of those spiteful with rage, but I have a calm heart", instead of "silent and mild"); Bergk, Lobel-Page and Campbell correct the text the same way as me; Edmonds additionally emends παλιγκότων to παλίγκοτος, which is very sensible, but I keep the text I started from (probably Bibliotheca Augustana); the meter is xx–uu––uu–ux (lesser Asclepiad), and was kept or imitated;
8. The next poem, in Edmonds' restoration which I took up, has a similar claim to the above; this is Edmonds 35 and Lobel-Page and Campbell 3, and is from P.Berol. 5006 (first 10 lines) and P.Oxy. 424 (the rest); given that I just took the notation from Bibliotheca Augustana and the restorations from Edmonds, I won't say what Lobel-Page and Campbell do; I just note that both sources have been transcribed;
   Also, Diehl has a wholly different restoration, which is included at the end of the post; more precisely, at the end you will find two nav-tabs: the default one is the Diehl version, with an Italian translation in the same meter as the older translations, and the non-default tab is the Edmonds restoration with an updated version of the Italian translation; both of these translations are commented on in an item further down;
   The meter is Sapphic stanzas, and is rendered as usual; coming to the histories:
   
   1. All three translations have their first line (the δώσην from the super-incomplete first stanza) translated somewhere between 9/1 and 1/2/11, I'd say probably on 1/2 as I updated the files fragment, since it is not in the "new in Sappho" file from that day;
   2. The first translation to be completed is the Italian, which appears in the tacuinum poematum (the poem noteblock) under the date of night between 10 and 11/3/11, done in bed the night after comprehending what the fragment said (as per diary); the tacuinum reports exactly the manuscript version, while the final version, modulo a tweak for which see below, is found in the "new in Sappho" file from 16-17/3/3;
   3. The diary from 16/4/11 then tells us that, after a Latin translation test, I translated the whole thing into Latin and stanza 1 into English; this resonates quite well with the manuscripts on the printout from early Jan 2011, where we find ll. 1-6 (counting from the first complete stanza) of the English and all of the Latin; I suppose the diary was a bit imprecise on this;
   4. The rest of the English "manuscript" version is left unaltered from the final version, which, along with the Latin, first appears in the 26/4/11 "new in Sappho" file; the next item shows all the tweaks that happened between that file and the final version;
   5. On 20/9/21 at 14:00, I noted that the -qu' in amicosqu' in the Latin version is perfectly superfluous and out of place, so I decided to remove it, and I also changed «I’ve become your] tell-off,[ your he]art [enjoy / All] th[is may;» to its current form in the English; on 2/10/22 at 13:01 I change «Se restai coi nobili» to «Se tu stai coi nobili» to avoid the archaism;
   6. On 16/5/23 I realize I doubled the "tu" thanks to that Italian tweak, so I try to fix it several times, and eventually land on «Se compagno ai nobili, non ai buoni / Né ai belli (or) sei.» at 14:57, and the below version at almost 15; I also make a tweak to the English, changing "How great ill" to "What great ill" at 14:42.
9. The previous fragment, if Edmonds' restoration is correct, has καλοκἀγαθία (kalokagathia) expressed in the beginning, when Sappho says «κωὐ κάλων κἄσλων» (and not the handsome and good); this concept is very well expressed in Bergk 102 Edmonds 58 Lobel-Page 50 Campbell 50, a quote by Galen's Exhortation to learning reading thus: «Ἄμεινον οὖν ἐστιν, ἐγνωκότας τὴν μὲν τῶν μειρακίων ὥραν τοῖς ἠρινοῖς ἄνθεσιν ἐοικυῖαν, ὀλιγοχρόνιόν τε τὴν τέρψιν ἔχουσαν, ἐπαινεῖν καὶ τὴν Λεσβίαν λέγουσαν· Ὁ μὲν γὰρ καλὸς ὅσσον ἰδεῖν πέλεται, ὁ δὲ κἀγαθὸς αὐτίκα καὶ καλὸς ἔσται» (it is not better, since we know the time around 20 years of age is like spring flowers, and has short-lived enjoyment, to commend the Lesbian poet when she says: for he who is handsome stays [handsome] only when he is seen, but he who is also good will immediately also be handsome); the only controversy is how to fix the "[handsome]", that is, the fact that πέλεται seems to be missing a predicate noun; Bibliotheca Augustana follows Campbell and Lobel-Page in adding κάλος at the end of l. 1; Bergk adds ἀγαθός; Edmonds changes the line to «Ὀ μὲν γὰρ κάλος <εἴς κάλος> ὄσσον ἴδην πέλει»; in any case these are glyconians expanded with two dactyls, like Hector and Andromacha aka Sappho 44, and are rendered the same way; oh, according to the Paracritical Note we have the version κὔστερον ἔσσεται somewhere, perhaps TCPOS or Greek Wikisource;
10. Speaking of καλοκἀγαθία (kalokagathia), we proceed with Bergk 83 Edmonds 100 Lobel-Page and Campbell 148, which expresses a similar concept, substituting handsomeness and goodness with money and virtue; I do not report the quote because it merely paraphrases the text; I do not discuss controversies because I only mention I took The Complete Poems of Sappho's l. 1, which carries out the easy fix to the meter there by adding τᾶς in front of ἀρέτας, and fiddled with l. 2 autonomously to reach the same meter while keeping the concept of the locus desperatus found in that line – I also got the alternate version ἀ δ' ἀμφοτέρων κρᾶσις ἔχ' εὐδαιμονίας τὸ ἄκρον, which I thought up again at 15:56 on 18/5/23; said meter is is ionians a maiore, kept or imitated in the translations;
    22/4/23 1:44, coming to history-edit this, I thought of τᾷ δ' ἀμφοτέρων κράσει ἔν' εὐδαιμονίας τό γ' ἄκρον, which I hopefully remember to implement in the editions and the videos; in fact, I'm gonna implement it here too, since it doesn't affect the translations, and that elision on kráseï (κράσ‹εϊ› εὐδαιμονίας τό ‹γ’› ἄκρον) seems just made up to me;
    Anyway, the histories:
    
    1. The Italian is the first to be started; in particular, l. 1 is found, as «Perché il denar senza virtù non è sicur compagno,», as an S9 residue not in OSs, thus between 21/12/10 and 5/1/11; the printout of the fragments from after that date has the manuscript of l. 2 and the annotation of the below l. 2, both of which are S11 residues, thus from within 1/2/11; the last thing is the tweak, which leads from the Untweaked to the Tweaked version below, and is found on the poem noteblock after the next item; this gives two versions of the second line, both not satisfactory to me; so on 16/4/24 at 12:03 I thought of «L'uso di ambedue di contentezza ha sicur guadagno», and still wasn't satisfied, so on 21/4/24 at 0:15 I went "di grande gioia", and eventually «Dall'uso di entrambi di letizia viene un gran guadagno», which gives us the Final version below;
    2. Then we have the lost English translation; this is found at the start of a page of the poem noteblock, right after the date "10/1 nct in lct"; now, that date is incorrect and must be 10/2, otherwise this would be from before S11, yet it was lost; therefore, it means "night between 10/2 and 11/2/11 in bed"; the manuscript reads «Richness wþout virtue as a mate doþ certaintỳ disdain; / Using of them both of happyiness doþ bring a certain ṛegain.»;
    3. Then we have the Latin, manuscripted on the printout SP6 from 5/1/11, and found as an OS24 residue, thus from within 7/5/11; also, all versions of the list in OS23 from 4/5 say "ac lat e en", so both those translations were, as far as I knew, still to be done on 4/5; the manuscript reads «At divitiæ, virtus eis ni, tibi dant pericla; / Ambobus adutiAt lætitiæ magnum adest usu' aearum ambum.»;
    4. Finally, the Blog English, which is simply a residue of S13, thus between 17/5/11 and 24/5/11;
11. Talking about money, we move to an advice not to boast about a ring; this link is probably my fantasy, as the advice wasn't to boast about the richness of the woman's partner, but rather that he was going to marry her; in any case, this is Bergk 39 Edmonds 51 Lobel-Page inc. 5 v. 2 Campbell inc. 5(a), and it's a quote from Herodian (cfr. another fragment here) reading «Ἐφυλαξάμην δὲ διαλέκτους διὰ τόδ'· ἄλλ' ἄν μοι μεγαλύνεο δακτυλίῳ πέρι» (I went cautious on dialects because of this: but boast about a ring with me); Bergk removes the ἄν, Edmonds corrects it to ὂν like the others, Edmonds also doubles the nu in μεγαλύνεο and makes δακτυλίῳ into a genitive as the others; I honestly don't see why one should split τόδ' and get a locus desperatus with a weird δ' at the start of the line, instead of reading τόδ' and eliminating that problem; in other words, why should one create Campbell and Lobel-Page's problem instead of adopting Edmonds' solution? Because they didn't like an elision before a high dot, I assume; well I like a locus desperatus even less :); in any case, the meter is glyconians expanded with two dactyls, for which ditto to above; oh I also noticed the emendation of μοι to μὴ, which is decidedly appropriate, is there in Bergk, stops after Edmonds, and restarts in TCPOS or Bibliotheca Augustana; that is what I followed back in the days of translation;
12. Speaking of rings and marriage, here comes a piece of advice: find a younger bride than me, for I am old; this is Bergk 49, Edmonds 99, Lobel-Page 121, Campbell 121, and is a quote from Strobaeus reading «Σαπφοῦς· Ἀλλ' ἔων φίλος ἄμμιν λέχος ἄρνησον νεώτερον οὐ γὰρ τλάσομ' ἔγω ξυνοικεῖν νέ' οὖσα γεραίτερα» (by Sappho: [quote]); now Bergk's emendation features a few correct corrections which were followed by others, but also νέῳ εὖσα, which features the non-Aeolic εὖσα (Doric only AFAIK), and was corrected by Edmonds to νέῳ ἔσσα, with synekphonesis, and also a smart fix in the ἄμμεσιν, which was doffed for some reason; Lobel-Page and Campbell read ἔοισα γεραίτερα, and that is what got to me, though Edmonds' version is closer to the tradition; if I were to work on this now, I'd go for «Ἀλλ' ἔων φίλος ἄμμεσιν / λέχος ἄρνυσο νεώτερον / οὐ γὰρ τλάσομ' ἔγω συνοί- / κην νέῳ ἔσσα γεραίτερα», but that is not what I did back then; I kept the Campbell text, except trying to get my glyconians back by splitting λέχος between lines and having ἄρνῡσο, which would be metri causa since the natural length is ἄρνῠσο; as glyconians, these are kept in Latin and imitated by –u–uu–u– in English and Italian;
13. We end with a generic piece of advice: live quietly and don't mess around; this is Bergk 114 Edmonds 78 Lobel-Page 145 Campbell 145; it is a quote from a scholarly commentary on the Argonautics by Apollonius of Rhode, reading «χέραδες λέγονται οἱ σωροὶ τῶν μικρῶν λίθων - μέμνηται καὶ Σαπφώ· Μὴ κενὴ χεράδος (heaps of small stones are called χέραδες, "jetsam" – Sappho also remembers this: stir not the jetsam); I admit I took "jetsam" off Edmonds; another source for the same quote gives μὴ κίνει χέραδας, generating a controversy: χέραδος or χέραδας? The latter was chosen by Bergk and Edmonds, and I would choose it now as it looks like an accusative, while the genitive-looking former was Lobel-Page and Campbell's choice, for reasons I cannot comprehend; the meter is xx–uu–, a partial glyconian, and that was kept or imitated; I may have chosen the apparent genitive out of laziness, I don't remember;
14. The above fragment is a nice summary to the next poem, which is far closer to us than all the above Sappho, both in time and in language; the post ends with Chaucer's Balade de bon conseyl, or Ballad of good advice, which definitely fits into this advice post, and is delightfully welcomed because it requires no critical note whatsoever :). A file created 24/6/2009 10:55 and edited the following day 18:06 dates the translation and informs us that «get in submissiveness» was originally «r'ceive in submissiveness» and was changed for ease of pronunciation. And on 14/6/23 at 21:28 I change it further to «take in submissiveness».
15. So here we are, at the end. Basically, I came back to LPC 3, thinking it could be a wonderful illustration of how tenuous our reconstructions can be, given how different the two restorations are. In preparation for a future video, I look at the Diehl supplementum and find some integrations in the apparatus criticus, which I take up immediately.
    After understanding what it says (well, I start when I still have κἀπορίστης in my mind, hence the two lots of translation), I translate the Diehl restoration to Italian in two lots: the first two and a half line of the first complete stanza are from 12/5/23 19:59-20:05, corrected on 13/5 as I finish the translation because ἀπέλλης is not a future or an aorist but a present, the rest of the translation is from 13/5/23 at 23:48-0:08, aside from that very incomplete stanza which I only did as I added this stuff and the manuscripts here, on 16/5/23 at 0:02. Also, in the afternoon of 16/5 I wonder if the incomplete stanza is best interpreted as the desiderative optative «[–u–x Giusto trovar tu possa / Non favo]rir[mi.» I've translated or a potential optative. Since the latter produces a better-sounding translation, I choose it, and the translation is from 16:36 on 16/5.
    As for the other nav-tab, well, I need an Italian translation for the video, and I'm trying to use as much as I can of the old one, because it's not particularly terrible, and because the creative rhyme "vecchi - orecchi - me chi" is something I'm kinda proud of :). We'll see if I end up changing it so much that I count it as a remake in the index. For now I've only fixed the mistranslation of eslōn as "good" and klýtōn as "noble" in ll. 1-2, with various attempts, the one reported below being from 19:39 on 14/5/23. I then finish the review in two lots on 16/5/23: first the first 3 stanzas (not counting the incomplete one) 12:50-13:16, then, after lunch, the last stanza, 14:14-14:16, with two small tweaks done in adding it to the post, where the original read «[Con migli͜ori] c[ure; poiché cresciut]a / [Sono] se[mplice, e che ogni dio m’aiuta». 17/6/23, as I cut the video, at 15:47 I consider turning "bambinesco" to "puerile", but I'm not entirely convinced, so I'll ask Calcagno what he thinks and come back here if I decide to implement it.

With all that done, let's get to the poems!

Ψαύην δ' οὐ δοκίμωμ' ὀράνω δύσ‹ι› πάχε‹σιν›. Io non oso toccar colle mi͜e düe braccia͜ il ciel. Οὐδ' ἴαν δοκίμωμι προσίδοισαν φάος ἀλίω ἔσσεσθαι σοφίαν πάρθενον εἰς οὐδένα πω χρόνον τοιαύταν. Credo͜ impossibil ch’una che      a ’l sol vedere vale Possa͜ ancor ma͜i vantar per sé      abilità cotale In qualche tempo. οὐ γὰρ θέμις ἐν μοισοπόλων ‹δόμωι› θρῆνον θέμεν· οὔ κ’ ἄμμι πρέποι τάδε. Presso͜ un che le Muse serve non si pu͜ò Far lamento; né a no͜i s’addice ci͜ò. Old Final [. . . . . . οὐδὲ θέ]μις σε Μίκα [. . ]ελα[ . . ] ἀ̣λ̣λά σ’ ἔγωὐκ ἐάσω [… ]ν̣ φιλότ[ατ’] ἤλεο Πενθιλήᾱν̣[ [. . . . . ]δᾰ κᾰ̣[κό]τροπ’, ἄμμα[ [. . . . . . . ] μέλ̣[ος] τι γλύκερον . [u–x 5 . . . . . . . ]α μελλιχόρων[ος –x x–uu, – –u ἀεί]δει, λίγυραι δ᾽ ἄη[δοι . . . . . . . . . . . ] δροσ[ό]εσσα[–x] [x–uu – –uu – né li]ce che tu, Mica, [x–uu – –uu] non ti lascerò [u–x x–uu – –u] di Pentilo all’amo[re] salta [x–uu – –uu – –u] ma[li]gne, veste [x–uu – –uu] qualche dolce canto. [–x 5 [MISSING] x–uu – –uu] canta, e ca[nti] colla dolce x–uu – –uu – –] rugi[͜a]dosa [–x] [. . . . . . οὐδὲ θέ]μις σε Μίκα [. . ]ελα[ . . ] ἀ̣λ̣λά σ’ ἔγωὐκ ἐάσω [… τὰ]ν̣ φιλότ[ατ’] ἤλεο Πενθιλήᾱν̣[ [. . . . . ]δᾰ κᾰ̣[κό]τροπ’, ἄμμα[ [. . . . . . . ] μέλ̣[ος] τι γλύκερον . [u–x 5 . . . . . . . ]α μελλιχόφων[ος –x x–uu, – –u ἀεί]δει, λίγυραι δ᾽ ἄη[ται . . . . . . . . . . . ] δροσ[ό]εσσα[–x] [x–uu – –uu – né li]ce che tu, Mica, [x–uu – –uu –] ma non ti lascerò [x [x–uu – l]’amo[re]͜ ha͜i scelto delle Pentilée [x–uu – –uu – –u] ma[li]gne, veste [x–uu – –uu – –] qualche dolce can[to 5 x–uu – –uu – –] dalla dolce vo[ce x–uu – –uu can]ta, e stridenti bre[zze x–uu – –uu – –] rugi[͜a]dosa [–x] θέοι δ’ [ἐπαι]νέσ‹σ›ω[σιν αὔ]τικ’ ἀδακ[ρυτον] θε[. . .]ηλ[. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]ηλα[ E chi non pi[ange] i divi [su]bito [lo]di[no] x–u– x–u –uu –ux Infinitive Imperative σκιδναμένας ἐν στήθεσιν ὄργας μαψυλάκαν γλῶσσαν πεφύλαχθαι. Mentre la rabbia mi prendeva ’l cuore Frenat’ho alla lingua ’l van clamore σκιδναμένας ἐν στήθεσιν ὄργας γλῶσσαν μαψυλάκαν πεφύλαχθε. Mentre la rabbia vi prendeva ’l cuore Frenate alla lingua ’l van clamore xx ἀλλά τις οὐκ ἔμμι παλιγκότων ὄργαν, ἀλλ᾽ ἀβάκην τὰν φρέν’ ἔχω. ux xx non m’inasprisco nella rabbia i͜o, No, ché l’animo mio semplice s’è. ux . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ] δώσην. 4 Αἰ κλ]ύτων μέν τ’ ἐπ[πότεαι πεδ’ ἄνδρων κωὐ κ]άλων κἄσλων, ἐ[νέπεις δὲ χαίρην τοὶς φί]λοις, λύπης τέ μ[ε, σοὶ γένεσθαι φαὶς ἔ]μ’ ὄνειδος, 8 ἦτορ] οἰδήσαις, ἐπὶ τα̣[ῦτ’ ἀρέσκε͜ο καρδ]ίαν· ἄσαιο· τὸ γὰρ ν̤[όημμα τὦ]μον οὐκ οὔτω μ[αλάκως χόλᾳ παί- δων] διάκηται· 12 ἀλλὰ] μὴ̣ δ̣ό̣αζε· [γέροντας ὄρνῑς οὐκ ἄγρη βρό]χ̣ις· συνίημ[’ ἔγω σε οἶ πρὶν ἐσπό]λ̣ης κακότατο[ς, οἴῳ δ’ ἀντετέθη]μεν 16 δαΐῳ. Σὺ δ’ ὦ]ν ἀτέραις, με[μήλων λῳόνων, τίθ]η φρένας· εὔ[κολον γὰρ νῶν τράφοισ]α̣ τοὶς μάκα[ρας σάφ’ οἶδ’ ἔ- μοι παρέοντας.] 20 Manuscript Final ………… ………… ………… Ch’eg̣ḷị darà. 4 Se restai coi nobili, non coi buoni Né coi belli tu, aed auguri buoni Agli amici dài, e dolor mi doni, Chèd, orgoglioso 8 Fatto, me tuo biasimo dici, 'l cuore Godati, e≲sisazi, poiché≳ l'umore Nero dei fanciul non ha nel mio cuore] FacileDocile sposo; 12 Dubbi non aver: gl'uccelli vecchi Trappola non prende; <so cogl’>orecchi <A qual grande male sei> giunto, e a me chi È contraposto, 16 E qual sia; tu dunque 'l tuo pe⇓tto[cuore] muta <Con migliori cure; poich’io>, cresciuta Poi c'ho mente semplice, <so m’aiuta> Ogni dio tosto 20 ………… ………… ………… Ch’eg̣ḷị darà. 4 [Se] tu [insiem coi no]bili, [non coi] buoni Né [co͜i b]elli s[tai], ed a[uguri buoni Agli͜ a]mici [dà͜i], e dolor [mi] doni Poi ch’, [orgogli͜oso] 8 Fatto, [m]e tuo bi͜asimo [dici], [’l cuo]re [Godati],͜ e si sazi, po͜iché [l’umore Nero de͜i fanci͜ul] non ha nel [m]i͜o c[uore] F[acile] sposo; 12 Dubbi non avere: [gl’uccelli vecchi Trap]pola [non prende]; so cogl’orecchi [A qual gra]nde male [se͜i giun]to,͜ [e͜ a me chi È contrappo]sto, 16 [E qual si͜a; tu dun]que ’l tuo cuore mu[t]a [Con migli͜ori] c[ure; po͜i ch’]i͜o, [cresciut]a Po͜i [c’ho mente] se[mplice, so, m’aiuta Ogni di͜o tosto]. 20 ὀ μὲν γὰρ κάλος ὄσσον ἴδην πέλεται ‹κάλος›, ὀ δὲ κἄγαθος αὔτικα καὶ κάλος ἔσ‹σε›ται. Chi bell’è, sol per farsi veder, ‹bello› resterà, Chi͜ invec’anche buon’è, bello subito pur sa‹r›à. Ὀ πλοῦτος ἄνευ ‹τᾶς› ἀρέτας οὐκ ἀσίνης πάροικος, Τᾷ δ' ἀμφοτέρων κράσ‹ει ἔν'› εὐδαιμονίας τό ‹γ'› ἄκρον Untweaked Tweaked Final Il denaro senza ‹la› virtù non è sicur compagno, L’uso di entrambi di letizi͜a ha sicur guadagno. Il denaro senza ‹la› virtù non è sicur compagno, L’uso di entrambi di letizi͜a porta gran guadagno. Il denaro senza ‹la› virtù non è sicur compagno, Dall'uso di entrambi di letizia viene un gran guadagno. {δ’} ἀλλὰ μὴ μεγαλύν‹ν›εο δακτυλίω πέρι. Ma tu non ti vantar dell’anello ch’al dito ha͜i. ἀλλ᾽ ἔων φίλος ἄμμι λέ- χος ἄρνῡσο νεώτερον· οὐ γὰρ τλάσομ’ ἔγω συνοί- κην ἔοισα γεραιτέρα. Ma, essendomi ͜amato, tu Prendi giovane sposa, orsù: ’Nfatti io non ti sposerò, Caro, po͜i ch’i miei͜ anni ho. μὴ κίνη χέραδας Ghi͜ai͜a lasci͜a dov’è Flee fro the prees and dwelle with sothfastnesse; Suffyce unto thy good, though it be small, For hoord hath hate, and climbing tickelnesse, Prees hath envye, and wele blent overal. Savour no more than thee bihove shal, Reule wel thyself that other folk canst rede, And trouthe thee shal delivere, it is no drede. Tempest thee noght al croked to redresse In trust of hir that turneth as a bal; Gret reste stant in litel besinesse. Be war therefore to sporne ayeyns an al, Stryve not, as doth the crokke with the wal. Daunte thyself, that dauntest otheres dede, And trouthe thee shal delivere, it is no drede. That thee is sente, receyve in buxumnesse; The wrastling for this world axeth a fal. Her is non hoom, her nis but wildernesse; Forth, pilgrim, forth! Forth, beste out of thy stal! Know thy countree, look up, thank God of al; Hold the heye wey and lat thy ghost thee lede, And trouthe thee shal delivere, it is no drede. Envoy Therfore, thou Vache, leve thyn old wrecchedness; Unto the world leve now to be thral. Crye him mercy, that of his hy goodnesse Made thee of noght, and in especial Draw unto him, and pray in general For thee, and eek for other, hevenlich mede; And trouthe thee shal delivere, it is no drede.

Cǣlō tēndĕrĕ brāchĭă tāct’ ĕgŏ nōn cōnōr. I dare not try to touch the big sky with my two small arms. Nōn crēdō pŏtĭs ūmquām fĭĕrī lūcĕm hăbēnt’ ōclīs Sŏlīs pu͞ellăm hăbēr’ ūllăm ĕām tēmpŭ’ pĕrītĭăm Tālēm su͞am. I think that ne’er a girl that look      upon the sun’s light does Upon such skill will get to look:      this thing in no time was, And in none will be. Fās nōn ĕnĭm ēst po͞etăë̆ īn ‹dŏmū› Quĕrī; nĕquĕ vōs hǣc dĕcĕānt quĭdĕm. No lament’s allowed where a Muse-servant lives. Nor to you as rightful any god this gives. [x–uu – –uu –] tē [nĕquĕ] Mīcă [fā]s ēst [x–uu – –uu sē]d nōn ĕquĭdēm sĭnām tē Ămīcĭt[ĭām –uu] lēxtī tĭbĭ Pēnthĭlēăm [x–uu – –uu – –u] mă[lī]gnă, vēstĭs [x–uu – –uu] quīdām [uu] cān[tŭ’] dūlcĭs. [x–uu – –uu –] vō[cĕ]quĕ dūlcĭ’ [–x x–uu – –uu cān]tāt, strĭdŭlīquĕ vē[ntī x–uu – –uu – –uu] rōr[ĕ] plēnă[ [x–uu, – –uu, – – and nor c]an you, Mica, [x–uu, – –uu, – –u] but I won’t let you [x–uu, –] you chose the friends[hip] of the Penthile͜an girls [x–uu, – –uu, – –] ev’[li]sh [–u] dress [x x–uu, – –uu] some sweet so[ng] [u, –u–x 5 x–uu, – –uu, – –u] the sweet-voic[ed –x x–uu, – –u is sin]ging, and the screeching breezes [x–uu, – –uu, – –uu] d[e]wy [–x] [La͞u]dē[nt] dĕī nūllās qu’ hăbēt lăc[rĭmās stă]tĭm x–u– x–u –uu –ux And m[ay] th' Gods him who [sheds] no tea[rs very] quickly [pra]ise x–u– x–u –uu –ux Infinitive Imperative Cōrdă rĕplēnt’ īrā rĕtĭnu͞issĕ Īnmĕdĭtātă lătrāntēm līnguăm. Original Rhythmic remake As rage was taking over all my heart, I stopped fast-barking tongue’s noise’s a part As rage was taking over my heart, I stopped my tongue which idly would bark. Cōrdă rĕplēnt’ īrā rĕtĭnētĕ Īnmĕdĭtātă lătrāntēm līnguăm. Original Rhythmic remake As anger doth take over all your heart, Stop ye fast-barking tongue’s noise’s a part Should anger e'er take over your heart Stop ye your tongue that idly doth bark! Ēxăcērbŏr ĕg’ īr’ ha͞ud, mĭhĭ sīmplĭcĕm Mēntēm c’ īps’ hăbĕām. –uu–ux xx I do not get stubborn in anger, no, For the mind that I have simple is. –ux Manuscript Final ………………… ………………… ………………… Ēssĕ dătūrụ̆m. 4 CumSi viris bnotis neque si bonis tu Atque pulchris stasque, iubes valere Tu͞os amicos, ac mihi das dolorem, Me dtiṇbi dicens 8 Reprehensionemi', Spesuperbia, his Gaudeat cor; se pleat; ac mihi nam Cogitatio nonsic P̣facil' haud capit bi- lem puerorum. 12 Dubi' haud habe: laqueus nam aves Non capit senes; ego te scio quam Magna mala carpseri' feceris atque quantum Contr' ego ponar 16 Hostem. Ergo pectora muta, curas Meliores dans tibi: simplicem nam' ipsa Mente ialta perbene misci͞o beatos Mecum adesse. 20 ………………… ………………… ………………… Ēssĕ dătūrụ̆m. 4 [Sī vĭrīs nō]tīs [nĕquĕ sī b]ŏnīs tū Ātquĕ pūlchrīs stā[squĕ, iŭbēs vălērĕ Tu͞os ă]mīcōs, āc mĭ[hĭ] dās dŏlōrĕm, [M]ē [tĭbĭ dīcēns] 8 Rēprĕhēnsĭōnĭ’, [sŭp]ērbĭā, hī[s Ga͞udĕāt cō]r; sē plĕăt; āc [mĭ]hī năm Cō[gĭtāti͞o] sīc f[ăcĭl’] ha͞ud căpīt [bī- lēm pŭĕrōrŭm;] 12 Dūbĭ’ ha͞ud hăbē: [lăqu]ĕūs năm [āvēs Nōn căpīt sĕnēs; ĕgŏ tē] scĭō [quăm Māgnă] māl[ă fēcĕ]rĭs [ātquĕ quāntŭm Cōntr’ ĕgŏ pōn]ăr 16 [Hōstĕm. Ērgō] pēctŏră mūt[ă], cū[rās Mēlĭōrēs dāns tĭbĭ;] sīm[plĭc’ īpsă Mēntĕ āltā pērbĕnĕ sci͞o] bĕā[tōs Mēcŭm ădēssĕ]. 20 Manuscript Final ………… ………… ………… [–u] will give. 4 If with noble men, not with good or nice You do stay, and wish all your friends a nice Time, and grieve me, for, proud, not wise, You to me say 8 I've become your tell-off, your heart enjoy All this may; with it satiand be satisfiedsfied be: a boy Is m]y h[eart] not e[asily] made, [a boy Raging away;] 12 Don’t you doubt [though: never did old a bird By a tr]ap [get caught]; fully well [I’]ve heard [What gre]at ill [you’ve come to, and ’tis not blurred To me what foe 16 I’]ve [against; you there]fore, with be[tter care In it,] chan[ge] your heart; [for, since I do bea]r Easily [contempted a mind, th’ go]ds [bear Help t’ me, I know]. 20 ………… ………… ………… [–u] will give. 4 [If with no]ble men, [not] with good or [n]ice You do s[tay], and w[ish all your fr]iends [a nice Time], and grief do give m[e, for, pr]oud, not wise, You to me [say 8 I'm now your] reproach,[may your he]art [enjoy All of] th[is;] and be satisfied; [a boy Is m]y h[eart] not e[asily] made, [a boy Raging away;] 12 Don’t you doubt [though: never did old a bird By a tr]ap [get caught]; fully well [I’]ve heard [How gre]at ill [you’ve come to, and ’tis not blurred To me what foe 16 I’]ve [against; you there]fore, with be[tter care In it,] chan[ge] your heart; [for, since I do bea]r Easily [contempted a mind, th’ go]ds [bear Help t’ me, I know]. 20 Vīsū, pūlchĕr ĭ’ qu’ ūnŭm ădēst, ĭtă sōl’ ĕrĭt, Quī bōnū’st quŏquĕ, pūlchĕr ĕrīt stătĭm ētiăm ĭs. He who’s beautiful, ‹beautiful› just to be seen will stay, Who’s good too, he w‹il›l also be beautiful right away. Āt dīvĭtĭǣ, vīrtŭs ĕīs nī, tĭbĭ dānt pĕrīclă; Āt lǣtĭtĭǣ māgnŭm ădēst ūsŭ’ ĕārŭm āmbû̆m. Lost Blog Richness without virtue as a mate doth certaintỳ disdain; Using of them both of happiness doth bring a certain gain. Money without virtue is indeed a very dang’rous neighbour, But if you do use the two of them you’ll surely be much gayer. Sēd nĕ tū glŏrĭārĕ vĕlīs t’ ănŭlō tŭō. Don’t go round full of pride for the ring on your finger there. Nōbīs sēd cŭm ămātŭ’ sīs Spōns’ hăbē iŭvĕnēm tĭbī: Nūbĕr’ ha͞ud pătĭār tĭbī Ĕnīm, sīm sĕnĭōr c’ ĕgŏ. But, beïng my beloved, to find Younger wife than I am do mind: I won’t suffer to marry you For I’ve lived for years quite a few. Glārĕām nĕ mŏvē Leave the jetsam alone Flee from the crowd and dwell with certainty; Suffice unto thy good, though it be small, For hoard hath hate, and wealth uncertainty, Crowd has envy, and wealth deceives in all. Enjoy no more than what befit thee shall, Rule well thyself that other folk canst read, And truth then shalt thee save, it is no dread. Trouble thee naught all crooked to redress In trust of it which turneth as a ball1; Great slumber stays in little business. Be careful not to kick against an awl, Strive not, as doth the crock against the wall Control thyself, that control others’ deed, And truth then shalt thee save, it is no dread. What thee is sent, take in submissiveness; The fighting for this world asks for a fall. Here is no home, here’s naught but wilderness; Forth, pilgrim, forth! Forth, best out of thy stable! Know thy country, look up, thank God of all; Keep the high way, and let thy ghost thee lead, And truth then shalt thee save, it is no dread. Envoy Therefore, thou Vache2, leave thy old wretchedness; Unto the world now stop your being slave. Cry him mercy, that of his high goodness Made thee from nothing, and in specïal Draw unto him, and pray in general For thee, and also all heavenly made; And truth then shalt thee save, it is no dread.

¹ bal, in middle English, indicated any round body; in this case, hir that turneth as a bal refers to the wheel of Fortune.
² Possibly a courtier known to Chaucer who was out of favour for several years in the late fourteenth-century (Sir Philip de la Vache, 1348–c.1408).

• Sappho LPC 3, Diehl version
• Sappho LPC 3, Edmonds version

[–u– τύ κεν δοκίμοις χάριν μοι οὐκ ἀπυ]δώσην [συμφ]ύτων μέντ' ἐπτ[ατόνοις λύραισι καὶ κ]άλων κἄσλων ἐ[πέων ἀπέλλης τοὶς φί]λοις, λύπης τέ μ[ε, κἀπορίπτης εἰς ἔ]μ' ὄνειδος. [ᾦ κεν] οἰδήσαις ἐπί τ[ᾷ τε λώβᾳ καρδί]αν ἄσαιο· τὸ γὰρ [νόημμα τὦ]μον οὐκ οὔτω μ[αλάκως πρὸς ὄργαν σὰν] διάκηται. ...]. μη̣δ̣ [...

Tu] di dar[mi forse rifiuteresti Il tuo favore.] Di] p[arole] nobili e [b]elle, [na]te [Per le lire, musiche] ept[atonate, Cacci via gli a]manti, e di biasmo ondate, Con m[io] dolore, [Getti su di] me. Di c[osì insultare Me il tuo cu]or si sazi, ma non sperare [Che coll'ira] f[acil sia] contagiare [Questo m]io [cuore. ...]. nor(?) [...

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ] δώσην. 4 Αἰ κλ]ύτων μέν τ’ ἐπ[πότεαι πεδ’ ἄνδρων κωὐ κ]άλων κἄσλων, ἐ[νέπεις δὲ χαίρην τοὶς φί]λοις, λύπης τέ μ[ε, σοὶ γένεσθαι φαὶς ἔ]μ’ ὄνειδος, 8 ἦτορ] οἰδήσαις, ἐπὶ τα̣[ῦτ’ ἀρέσκε͜ο καρδ]ίαν· ἄσαιο· τὸ γὰρ ν̤[όημμα τὦ]μον οὐκ οὔτω μ[αλάκως χόλᾳ παί- δων] διάκηται· 12 ἀλλὰ] μὴ̣ δ̣ό̣αζε· [γέροντας ὄρνῑς οὐκ ἄγρη βρό]χ̣ις· συνίημ[’ ἔγω σε οἶ πρὶν ἐσπό]λ̣ης κακότατο[ς, οἴῳ δ’ ἀντετέθη]μεν 16 δαΐῳ. Σὺ δ’ ὦ]ν ἀτέραις, με[μήλων λῳόνων, τίθ]η φρένας· εὔ[κολον γὰρ νῶν τράφοισ]α̣ τοὶς μάκα[ρας σάφ’ οἶδ’ ἔ- μοι παρέοντας.] 20

… … … Che [x] darà. [Se] tu [non coi] nobili [b]elli e buoni Ma [coi n]oti r[esti, ed] a[uguri buoni [Fai ai tuoi a]mici, e dolor [mi] doni, [Tutto orgogli͜oso,] 8 Onta tua [chiamando]mi, che [il cuo]re [Goda in ciò] e si sazi, ché [un nero umore Bambinesco] inver non ha nel [m]i͜o c[uore] D[ocile] sposo; 12 Dubbi non avere: [gli uccelli vecchi Non cadranno in trap]pola; i miei orecchi Sanno [a qual gr]an mal [tu sia giun]to,͜ [e͜ a me chi Sia contrappo]sto, 16 [E qual si͜a; tu dun]que il tuo cuore mu[t]a [Con migli͜ori] c[ure: poiché cresciut]a [Sono] se[mplice, che ogni dio m’aiuta Non m'è nascosto]. 20