Nietzche wrote that nobility was the ability to appreciate those things in life that are worth appreciating. Kind of like Ballet, or Opera, or a host of other things that a majority of people cannot appreciate, because they possess less nobility of soul. It's not a put down. It's just how it is. But that nerdiness you speak of, well, it's a million times better than being an empty headed bore. Or a human being with no nobility at all, who a more charitable person than myself would describe as a "simple soul," which to me is really just a grunting, rooting creature pursuing only comfort, riches and snacks.
Sappho is one of my favorite poets from antiquity and her works on love for both sexes, human nature and relationships are remarkable. She truly is one of history's most influential female poets. A film about her life and work should really be done! For fans of Sappho, check out my Google page and look under my first Poetry album. There I have a collection of her surviving published works posted. So beautiful listening to Hall read Sappho in the poet's native tongue!
From what I understand, Sappho was a professional composer who was hired to compose songs for various people celebrating weddings, births and other special events. Her fame was well established and although unusual for a woman to have such stature, but there were other women composers. Most Greek poetry was sung, not recited as verse. Thankfully there are many Greek revivalists attempting to present this material. It is sad that there was not a translation of the poetry that was presented in this video.
here are various translations that I found online! i find the differences in tone and word choice really interesting, perhaps someone else here might, too! (the actual poem reading starts at 4:35 ) As Translated by Alcaei Manes You're always prattling that Charaxos is coming With a full ship; while Zeus (I think) and all The other Gods may know, you should not Reckon such affairs - Rather, you should send me, bidding I Entreat Queen Hera - much and often - That Charaxos may arrive, With his ship intact And that he find us safe. Let us leave All other matters to the Gods: For calm from raging storms Comes suddenly; Should the King of Olympus will That a divine helper descend To dissolve men's troubles, they become Happy and blessed. And we too, should Larichos be Idle in his manhood, Will swiftly be released from much Heavy distress. TRANSLATED BY WILLIAM LOGAN Say what you like about Charaxos, that’s a fellow with a fat-bellied ship always in some port or other. What does Zeus care, or the rest of his gang? Now you’d like me on my knees, crying out to Hera, “Blah, blah, blah, bring him home safe and free of warts,” or blubbering, “Wah, wah, wah, thank you, thank you, for curing my liver condition.” Good grief, gods do what they like. They call down hurricanes with a whisper or send off a tsunami the way you would a love letter. If they have a whim, they make some henchmen fix it up, like those idiots in the Iliad. A puff of smoke, a little fog, away goes the hero, it’s happily ever after. As for Larichos, that lay-a-bed lives for the pillow. If for once he’d get off his ass, he might make something of himself. Then from that reeking sewer of my life I might haul up a bucket of spring water. The Brothers Poem; translated by Christopher Pelling [. . .] Oh, not again - ‘Charaxus has arrived! His ship was full!’ Well, that’s for Zeus And all the other gods to know. Don’t think of that, But tell me, ‘go and pour out many prayers To Hera, and beseech the queen That he should bring his ship back home Safely to port, And find us sound and healthy.’ For the rest, Let’s simply leave it to the gods: Great stormy blasts go by and soon Give way to calm. Sometimes a helper comes, if that’s The way Zeus wills, and guides a person round To safety: and then blessedness and wealth Become one’s lot. And us? If Larichus would raise his head, If only he might one day be a man, The deep and dreary draggings of our soul We’d lift to joy. TRANSLATED BY GOOGLE TRANSLATE: but that's what Harraxon is alive you are full. my name is Zeus such universes as in the past this is true, and do and do they went to reign it looks like a savanna Vasa Harraxon either. other than that we always rejoice; it was for a long time I have gone. I pray thee the demon of pain is pounding groceries and polyols; and so on Larychos and Chipmunk is well known, and less of the burden of void we have resolved. Original Greek λεσθαι πόλλα λίσσεσθαι βασίληαν Ἤραν ἐξίκεσθαι τυίδε σάαν ἄγοντα νᾶα Χάραξον κἄμμ’ ἐπεύρην ἀρτέμεας. τὰ δ’ ἄλλα πάντα δαιμόνεσσιν ἐπιτρόπωμεν· εὐδίαι γὰρ ἐκ μεγάλαν ἀήταν αἶψα πέλονται. τῶν κε βόλληται βασίλευς Ὀλύμπω δαίμον’ ἐκ πόνων ἐπάρωγον ἤδη περτρόπην, κῆνοι μάκαρες πέλονται καὶ πολύολβοι· κἄμμες, αἴ κε τὰν κεφάλαν ἀέρρη Λάριχος καὶ δή ποτ᾽ ἄνηρ γένηται, καὶ μάλ’ ἐκ πόλλαν βαρυθυμίαν κεν αἶψα λύθειμεν.
Actually, very little is known about Sappho. It's interesting how people like Edith Hall fill in the blanks according to their own personal desires and biases. In other words, she is mythologizing, which of course, is exactly how heroes and gods came to be in the first place.
Auroral immortal Aphrodite, child of God, artful weaver, I beg you, O my Queen, neither with ache nor anguish conquer my spirit! But come to me-come to me now! Once, long ago, you heard my cry from afar, and from the golden house of your father you came to me, swift and beautiful astride your chariot down to our dark world, escorted by sparrows with fast-fluttering wings whirling round in the heaven-heat of summer. Swiftly they came; and you, o blessed one, your undying face smiling, asked me: ‘Why yet again are you suffering? Why yet again have you called me?’ What most of all did I desire for myself in my passion-heated heart? ‘Who, this time, am I to persuade to love you? Who wrongs you, Sappho? If she flees, soon she shall pursue you. If she refuses your gifts, soon she shall give them. And if she does not love you, soon she shall love you even if she resists.’ Come to me now and free me from my delirious agony. Fulfil what my heart desires and be my ally in the wrestle of love.
are these the now infamous papyri fragments illegally sold by Dirk Obbink during his tenure as curator of the Egyptian collection at the Sackler Library in Oxford whence he stole them?
Ancient greek existed in many dialects, some harder than others. This is one reason why Sappho has been lost through the ages as she wrote in a relatively obscure dialect.
chris6770 actually the ancient greek don't sound like this...they are closer to modern greek..the majority of our words come from ancient greek almost with the same form and accent
La interpretación de los poemas y canciones de Safo la posicionan como "lesbiana" pero, qué pasa si las obras de Safo no son tomadas como autobiográficas, o más bien no son tomadas desde la literalidad? Creo que Safo, como profeta y filósofa, ocupa su métrica para empoderar a las mujeres, no para plantearlas como "su amor sexual". Creo que el término hacia ella como "lesbiana" fue despectivo para no posicionarla como referentes a la altura de Homero, entre otros.
An adonic (Latin: adoneus) is a unit of Aeolic verse, a five-syllable metrical foot consisting of a dactyl followed by a trochee. The last line of a Sapphic stanza is an adonic.
οκ...I am from Greece and what she is reciting has nothing to do neither with Ancient Greek nor Greek in general. It sounds like complete gibberish haha. Seriously it would make more sense if someone Greek would have read it. At least the pronunciation would have been legit..
I agree. I'm surprised that a scholar of her renown would not attempt to learn the ancient Greek pronunciation better. I picked up on how she said "Era", for "Hera". The aspirate on the H in ancient Greek = Ήρα is definitely there in all the ancient texts, but she left it out. Strange.
