{"collection":"Classics","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/cla/usappho/sph04.htm","path":"cla/usappho/sph04.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/cla/usappho/sph04.htm","text":"I\n\u039f]\u1f30 \u03bc\u1f72\u03bd \u1f30\u03c0\u03c0\u03ae\u03c9\u03bd \u03c3\u03c4\u03c1\u03cc\u03c4\u03bf\u03bd \u03bf\u1f30 \u03b4\u1f72 \u03c0\u03ad\u03c3\u03b4\u03c9\u03bd\n \u03bf\u1f30 \u03b4\u1f72 \u03bd\u03ac\u03c9\u03bd \u03c6\u03b1\u1fd6\u03c3\u1fbd \u1f10\u03c0\u1f76 \u03b3\u1fb6\u03bd \u03bc\u03ad\u03bb\u03b1\u03b9\u03bd\u03b1\u03bd\n \u1f14]\u03bc\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9 \u03ba\u03ac\u03bb\u03bb\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03bf\u03bd \u1f14\u03b3\u03c9 \u03b4\u1f72 \u03ba\u1fc6\u03bd\u1fbd\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u1f44\u03c4\u03c4\u03c9 \u03c4\u1f76\u03c3 \u1f14\u03c0\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1\u03b9.\u00a0[transcription]\n \nII\n\u03c0\u03ac]\u03b3\u03c7\u03c5 \u03b4\u1fbd \u03b5\u1f54\u03bc\u03b1\u03c1\u03b5\u03c3 \u03c3\u03cd\u03bd\u03b5\u03c4\u03bf\u03bd \u03c0\u03cc\u03b7\u03c3\u03b1\u03b9\n \u03c0\u03ac]\u03bd\u03c4\u03b9 \u03c4[\u03bf\u1fe6]\u03c4\u1fbd. \u1f00 \u03b3\u1f70\u03c1 \u03c0\u03cc\u03bb\u03c5 \u03c0\u03b5\u03c1\u03c3\u03ba\u03cc\u03c0\u03b5\u03b9\u03c3\u03b1\n \u03ba\u03ac]\u03bb\u03bb\u03bf\u03c3 \u1f00\u03bd\u03b8\u03c1\u03ce\u03c0\u03c9\u03bd \u1f18\u03bb\u03ad\u03bd\u03b1 [\u03c4\u1f78]\u03bd \u1f04\u03bd\u03b4\u03c1\u03b1\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0[\u03ba\u03c1\u03af\u03bd\u03bd\u03b5\u03bd \u1f04\u03c1]\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03bf\u03bd,\u00a0[transcription]\n \nIII\n\u1f42\u03c3 \u03c4\u1f78 \u03c0\u1f70\u03bd] \u03c3\u03ad\u03b2\u03b1\u03c3 \u03c4\u03c1\u03bf\u0390\u03b1[\u03c3 \u1f44]\u03bb\u03b5\u03c3\u03c3[\u03b5,\n \u03ba\u03c9\u1f50\u03b4\u1f72 \u03c0\u03b1]\u1fd6\u03b4\u03bf\u03c3 \u03bf\u1f54\u03b4\u03b5 [\u03c6\u03af\u03bb]\u03c9\u03bd \u03c4\u03bf[\u03ba]\u03ae\u03c9\u03bd\n \u03bc\u1fb6\u03bb\u03bb\u03bf\u03bd] \u1f10\u03bc\u03bd\u03ac\u03c3\u03b8\u03b7, \u1f00[\u03bb\u03bb\u1f70] \u03c0\u03b1\u03c1\u03ac\u03b3\u03b1\u03b3\u1fbd \u03b1\u1f54\u03c4\u03b1\u03bd\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u03c0\u1fc6\u03bb\u03b5 \u03c6\u03af\u03bb\u03b5\u03b9]\u03c3\u03b1\u03bd,\u00a0[transcription]\n \nIV\n\u1f68\u03c1\u03bf\u03c3. \u03b5\u1f54\u03ba]\u03b1\u03bc\u03c0\u03c4\u03bf\u03bd \u03b3\u03b1\u03c1 [\u1f00\u03b5\u1f76 \u03c4\u1f78 \u03b8\u1fc6\u03bb\u03c5]\n \u03b1\u1f34 \u03ba\u03ad] \u03c4\u03b9\u03c3 \u03ba\u03bf\u03cd\u03c6\u03c9\u03c3 \u03c4[\u1f78 \u03c0\u03ac\u03c1\u03bf\u03bd \u03bd]\u03bf\u03ae\u03c3\u1fc3.\n \u03bf\u1f50]\u03b4\u1f72 \u03bd\u1fe6\u03bd, \u1f08\u03bd\u03b1\u03ba\u03c4\u03bf\u03c1\u03af[\u03b1, \u03c4]\u1f7a \u03bc\u03ad\u03bc\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u03b4\u1f74] \u03c0\u03b1\u03c1\u03b5\u03b9\u03bf\u1fd6\u03c3\u03b1\u03c3,\u00a0[transcription]\n \nV\n\u03c4\u1fb6]\u03c3 \u03ba\u03b5 \u03b2\u03bf\u03bb\u03bb\u03bf\u03af\u03bc\u03b1\u03bd \u1f14\u03c1\u03b1\u03c4\u03cc\u03bd \u03c4\u03b5 \u03b2\u1fb6\u03bc\u03b1\n \u03ba]\u03b1\u03bc\u03ac\u03c1\u03c5\u03b3\u03bc\u03b1 \u03bb\u03ac\u03bc\u03c0\u03c1\u03bf\u03bd \u1f34\u03b4\u03b7\u03bd \u03c0\u03c1\u03bf\u03c3\u03ce\u03c0\u03c9\n \u03b7 \u03c4\u1f70 \u03bb\u03cd\u03b4\u03c9\u03bd \u1f04\u03c1\u03bc\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1 \u03ba\u1f00\u03bd \u1f44\u03c0\u03bb\u03bf\u03b9\u03c3\u03b9\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u03c0\u03b5\u03c3\u03b4\u03bf\u03bc]\u03ac\u03c7\u03b5\u03bd\u03c4\u03b1\u03c3\u00a0[transcription]\n \nVI\n\u03b5\u1f76 \u03bc\u03b5\u03bd \u1f34\u03b4]\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd \u03bf\u1f54 \u03b4\u03cd\u03bd\u03b1\u03c4\u03bf\u03bd \u03b3\u03ad\u03bd\u03b5\u03c3\u03b8\u03b1\u03b9\n \u03bb\u1ff7\u03c3\u03c4\u1fbd] \u1f40\u03bd\u1fbd \u1f00\u03bd\u03b8\u03c1\u03ce\u03c0\u03bf\u03b9\u03c3, \u03c0\u03b5\u03b4\u03ad\u03c7\u03b7\u03bd \u03b4\u1fbd \u1f04\u03c1\u03b1\u03c3\u03c4\u03b7\u03b1\u03b9,\n [\u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd \u03c0\u03ad\u03b4\u03b5\u03b9\u03c7\u03cc\u03bd \u1f10\u03c3\u03c4\u03b9 \u03b2\u03c1\u03cc\u03c4\u03bf\u03b9\u03c3\u03b9 \u03bb\u1ff7\u03bf\u03bd]\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 [\u1f22 \u03bb\u03b5\u03bb\u03ac\u03b8\u03b5\u03c3\u03b8\u03b1\u03b9.]\u00a0[transcription]\n \nWith the emendations by Mr. J.M. Edmonds, the reprinting of which he has been kind enough to permit, a nearly literal rendering would be as follows:\nSome say that the fairest thing upon the dark earth is a host of horsemen, and some say a host of foot soldiers, and others again a fleet of ships, but for me it is my beloved. And it is easy to make anyone understand this. When Helen saw the most beautiful of mortals, she chose for best that one, the destroyer of all the honour of Troy and though not much of child or dear parent, but was led astray by Love, to bestow her heart far off, for woman is ever easy to lead astray when she thinks of no account what is near and dear. Even so, Anactoria, you do not remember, it seems, when she is with you, one the gentle sound of whose footfall I would rather see than all the chariots and mail-clad footmen of Lydia. I know that in this world man cannot have the best; yet to pray for a part of what was once shared is better than to forget it...\nA troop of horse, the serried ranks of marchers,\n A noble fleet, some think these of all on earth\n Most beautiful. For me naught else regarding\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Is my beloved.\nTo understand this is for all most simple,\n For thus gazing much on mortal perfectino\n And knowing already what life could give her,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Him chose fair Helen,\nHim the betrayer of Ilium's honour.\n The recked she not of adored child or parent,\n But yielded to love, and forced by her passion,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Dared Fate in exile.\nThus quickly is bent the will of that woman\n To whom things near and dear seem to be nothing.\n So mightest thou fail, My Anactoria,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0If she were with you.\nShe whose gentle footfall and radiant face\n Hold the power to charm more than a vision\n Of chariots and the mail-clad battalions\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Of Lydia's army.\nSo must we learn in world made as this one\n Man can never attain his greatest desire,\n [But must pray for what good fortune Fate holdeth,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Never unmindful.]","title":"The Poems of Sappho: 3: Some say that the fairest thing u...","type":"page"}