I recognized the pressed grass of the turf familiar to me; the grass was bent from our weight.
I lay down and touched the place where you had been; the grass, once pleasing, first drank up my tears.
§15.151Quin etiam rami positis lugere videntur §15.152Frondibus, et nullae dulce queruntur aves; §15.153Sola virum non ulta pie maestissima mater §15.154Concinit Ismarium Daulias ales Ityn.
Indeed, even the branches seem to mourn, their leaves shed, and no birds complain sweetly; only the most sorrowful mother, having avenged her husband in an unholy way, the Daulian bird, sings of Ismarian Itys.
The bird sings of Itys, Sappho of her deserted love — thus far; all other things are silent as in the middle of the night.
§15.157Est nitidus vitroque magis perlucidus omni §15.158Fons sacer — hunc multi numen habere putant — §15.159Quem supra ramos expandit aquatica lotos, §15.160Una nemus; tenero caespite terra viret.
There is a sacred spring, shining and more transparent than any glass — many think a divinity dwells here — above which a water-lotus spreads its branches, a grove in itself; the earth is green with tender turf.
Here, when I, weeping, had laid down my weary limbs, a Naiad stood before my eyes.
§15.163Constitit et dixit: 'quoniam non ignibus aequis §15.164Ureris, Ambracia est terra petenda tibi.
She stood and said: 'since you are burned by unequal fires, the Ambracian land must be sought by you.
§15.165Phoebus ab excelso, quantum patet, adspicit aequor — §15.166Actiacum populi Leucadiumque vocant.
Phoebus looks down from on high upon the sea, as far as it stretches — people call it Actian and Leucadian.
From here Deucalion, inflamed by love of Pyrrha, threw himself down, and pressed the waters with unharmed body.
Without delay, his altered love fled from the submerged chest of the drowned man, and Deucalion was relieved of his fire.
§15.171Hanc legem locus ille tenet.
That place holds this law.
pete protinus altam §15.172Leucada nec saxo desiluisse time!' §15.173Ut monuit, cum voce abiit; ego territa surgo, §15.174Nec lacrimas oculi continuere mei.
Seek at once high Leucas, and do not fear to leap down from the rock!' As she advised, she vanished with her voice; I rise terrified, nor did my eyes restrain their tears.
I shall go, O nymph, and seek the rocks you showed me; let fear, conquered by insane love, be far away!
§15.177Quidquid erit, melius quam nunc erit! aura, subito §15.178Et mea non magnum corpora pondus habe!
Whatever it will be, it will be better than now! Winds, support me, and hold my body, which is no great weight!
You too, gentle Love, place your wings beneath me as I fall, lest I, dead, be a reproach to the Leucadian water!
§15.181Inde chelyn Phoebo, communia munera, ponam, §15.182Et sub ea versus unus et alter erunt: §15.183Grata lyram posui tibi, Phoebe, poetria Sappho: §15.184Convenit illa mihi, convenit illa tibi. §15.185Cur tamen Actiacas miseram me mittis ad oras, §15.186Cum profugum possis ipse referre pedem?
Then I will dedicate my lyre to Phoebus, a gift common to both of us, and beneath it there will be a verse or two: "Gratefully I, the poetess Sappho, have dedicated this lyre to you, Phoebus; it suited me, and it suits you." Why, however, do you send wretched me to the Actian shores, when you yourself could bring back your fleeing foot?
You can be more healing to me than the Leucadian wave; both in beauty and in merits you will be my Phoebus.
Or can you, O crueler than any rocks and wave, if I should die, bear the blame for my death?
Ah, how much better could my breast have been joined with yours, than to be given to be cast down from the rocks!
Phaon, these are those things which you used to praise, and which seemed to you so often to be full of genius.
§15.195Nunc vellem facunda forem! dolor artibus obstat, §15.196Ingeniumque meis substitit omne malis.
Now I wish I were eloquent! grief stands in the way of my art, and all my genius has stopped because of my misfortunes.
§15.197Non mihi respondent veteres in carmina vires; §15.198Plectra dolore iacent muta, dolore lyra.
My old powers do not answer me for songs; the plectrum lies silent from grief, the lyre from grief.
§15.199Lesbides aequoreae, nupturaque nuptaque proles, §15.200Lesbides, Aeolia nomina dicta lyra, §15.201Lesbides, infamem quae me fecistis amatae, §15.202Desinite ad citharas turba venire mea!
Lesbian women of the sea, daughters to be married and already married, Lesbian women, whose names are sung on the Aeolian lyre, Lesbian women, you whom I loved and who made me infamous, cease to come in crowds to my lyre!
§15.203Abstulit omne Phaon, quod vobis ante placebat, §15.204Me miseram, dixi quam modo paene 'meus!'
Phaon has taken away everything that pleased you before — ah, wretched me! whom I almost just now called 'mine'!
§15.205Efficite ut redeat; vates quoque vestra redibit.
Bring it about that he returns; your poetess also will return.
§15.206Ingenio vires ille dat, ille rapit.
He gives strength to my genius, he snatches it away.
§15.207Ecquid ago precibus, pectusve agreste movetur?
Do I achieve anything with my prayers, or is his wild heart moved?
§15.208An riget, et Zephyri verba caduca ferunt?
Or is it stiff, and do the West Winds carry away my fruitless words?
§15.209Qui mea verba ferunt, vellem tua vela referrent; §15.210Hoc te, si saperes, lente, decebat opus.
I wish that those who carry my words would bring back your sails; this task befitted you, slow one, if you were wise.
Or if you are returning, and votive gifts are prepared for your ship, why do you tear our breast with delay?
§15.213Solve ratem! Venus orta mari mare praestat amanti.
Loose the ship! Venus, risen from the sea, makes the sea safe for a lover.
§15.214Aura dabit cursum; tu modo solve ratem!
The breeze will give the course; you only loose the ship!
Cupid himself, sitting in the stern, will steer; he himself will spread the sails and gather them with his tender hand.
§15.217Sive iuvat longe fugisse Pelasgida Sappho — §15.218Non tamen invenies, cur ego digna fugi — §15.219Hoc saltem miserae crudelis epistula dicat, §15.220Ut mihi Leucadiae fata petantur aquae!
Or if it pleases you to have fled far from Pelasgian Sappho — yet you will not find why I deserved to be fled — at least let a cruel letter say this to wretched me, so that the fate of the Leucadian water may be sought by me!