600 BC: How Can Someone Not Be Hurt and Hurt Again

Sappho and Erinna in a Garden at Mytilene 1864 by Simeon Solomon 1840-1905

πῶϲ κε δή τιϲ οὐ θαμέω̣ϲ̣ἄϲαιτ̣ο,
Κύπρι, δέϲπ̣ ̣ο̣ιν̣ ̣’, ὄττινα [δ]η̣ ̀ φιλ̣́ ̣[ηϲι,]
[κωὐ] θέλοι μάλιϲτα πάθα̣ν̣χ̣άλ̣[αϲϲαι;]
[ποῖ]ον ἔχηϲθα

[νῶν] ϲά̣ λοιϲί μ’ ἀλεμά̣τω̣ ̣ϲ̣ δ̣αιϲ̣̈́ δ̣ ̣[ην
[ἰμέ]ρω⟨ι⟩ λύ{ι}̣ ϲαντι γ̣όν’ ωμε-̣ [x
[ ̣ ̣ ̣] ̣α ̣α ̣ ̣[ ̣ ̣]α̣ιμ̣ ’ ο̣ὐ̣ π̣ρο̣ [0–3] ̣ερηϲ[
[ – ⏑ ]νε̣ερ ̣[ ̣]αι̣

[ c.8 ] ̣ ̣ ̣[ ̣ ̣] ϲέ, θέλω[ ⏑ – x
[ – ⏑ – x τοῦ]το πάθη[ν ⏑ – x
[ – ⏑ – x – ] ̣αν, ἔγω δ’ ἐμ’ αὔται
τοῦτο ϲύνοιδα

How can someone not be hurt and hurt again,
Queen Aphrodite, by the person one loves,
and not want above all less suffering?
[What] do you have

[in mind], to idly rend me shaking
[from desire] loosening my knees?
… not …

… you, I wish …
… to suffer this …
… I know
this about myself.

Sappho (Diane Rayor, translator)

Image:
Simeon Solomon: Sappho and Erinna in a Garden at Mytilene (1864)

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