Mathilde Kralik v. Meyerswalden
(1857-1944)
Song of the Sappho
Music: Mathilde Kralik von Meyerswalden
Text: Johann Gottfried Herder
Sappho was an ancient Greek poet. She is considered the most important poet of classical antiquity and has canonical meaning. Sappho lived in Mytilene on the island of Lesbos in the North Aegean, the cultural center of the 7th century BC.
Her poems have been handed down as fragments. Many important modern poets have translated the fragments, one of them is Johann Gottfried Herder, one of the most important minds of the German Enlightenment.
The text
The "Song of Sappho" is a song cycle of six songs.
1.
I can't, sweet mother
Don't weave my fabric.
A beautiful boy torments me
Bad love torments me.
γλύκηα μᾶτερ, οὔτοι δύναμαι
κρέκην τὸν ἴστον
πόθῳ δάμεισα παῖδος
βραδίναν δι 'Ἀφροδίταν
2.
The moon is already down
Down the seven stars
Is midnight! -
The hour is over
and I am still alone.
Δέδυκε μὲν ἀ σελάννα καὶ Πληίαδες ·
μέσσαι δὲ νύκτες, πάρα δʹ ἔρχετʹ ὤρα ·
ἔγω δὲ μόνα κατεύδω
3.
Oh the limb-loosing bad love torments me,
The unspeakable bird sings sweetly and bitterly,
Dearest Artis, you were once so cold to me,
Your heart turned only to Andromedes.
O girlhood, oh girlhood,
Where are you going from me
I'm not coming anymore, I'm not coming anymore
I never come to you
Ἄτθι, σοὶ δ 'ἔμεθεν μεν ἀπήχθετο φροντίσδην,
ἐπὶ δ 'Ἀνδρομέδαν πότῃ.
Παρθενία, παρθενία,
ποῖ με λίποισ 'ἀποίχῃ;
Οὐκέτι ἥξω πρὸς σε, οὐκέτι ἥξω.
4th
Lovely evening star,
You bring everything, bring wine
Bring joy and friends
Bring a little boy to mother
And what do you bring me
Ἔσπερε, πάντα φέρῃς,
ὄσα φαίνολις ἐσκέδασ 'Αὔως,
φέρῃς ὄιν, φέρῃς αἶγα,
φέρεις ἄπυ μάτερι παῖδα.
5.
Come, o Cypris, come with yours
Full golden nectar cup,
Hand him this lovely boy,
My friends and yours too.
... ὀρράνοθεν ... κατίοι [σα δεῦρυ μ † μ 'ἐς Κρητας .π [] ναῦον ἄγνον, ὄππ† [αι δὴ] χάριεν μὲν ἄλλσος μινιν ελιν ἄλδιυ ῳαμο [ανιν] λδιυ ελιυ βελιν ελιυ βετιν ῳελιν ῳελιν ελιυ βελιν ῳελιυ βετιν ῳαλμιν ελιν ῳελιυ βελιυ βενιν ῳαμλυ βεοιυ βελμ ενιν]. ἐν δ 'ὔδωρ ψῦχρον κελάδει δι' ὔσδων μαλίνων, βρόδοισι δὲ παῖς ὀ χῶρος ἐσκίαστ 'αἰθυσσομένων δὲ φύλλων κῶμα † κατέρρ [ει] · ἐν δὲ λείμων ἰππόβοτος τέθαλε ἠρινίοισιν ἄνθεσιν, αἰ δ' ἄνητοι μέλλιχα πνέοισιν [[] ἔλθε δὴ σὺ στέμ [ματ '] ἔλοισα Κύπρι, χρυσίαισιν ἐν κυλίκεσσιν ἄβρως ὀμ [με] μείχμενον θαλίαισι νέκταρ οἰνοχόαισον
2.
You will lie dead
And nobody will think yours
Nobody at all times:
Because you never touched Pierien's roses.
You will have to be inconspicuous
Go to death's apartment
And nobody will look at you
In the army of dark shadows.
κατθάνοισα δὲ κείσῃ
οὐδέ ποτα μναμοσύνα σέθεν ἔσσετ '
οὐδὲ † ποκ '† ὔστερον.
οὐ γὰρ πεδέχῃς βρόδων τῶν ἐκ Πιερίας.
ἀλλ 'ἀφάνης κἠν Ἀίδα δόμῳ φοιτάσεις
πεδ 'ἀμαύρων νεκύων ἐκπεποταμένα
The song
Biography of
Mathilde Kralik v. meyerswalden
Biography of
Johann Gottfried Herder
