Sappho: Fragment 31

William S. Annis
Aoidoi.org1 July 18, 2004

It is still the habit of some commentators to concoct melodramas as back-

ground to Sapphos poems. Im not going to do that here, but I would like to point
out a few things before you begin.
First, it is not clear that the that man referred to in the first strophe is a par-
ticular man. Sappho may well be starting off the poem with a general statement,
and given the ttij in line two, this is probably the best choice, if not the only
one.
Next, the last part of the fourth strophe is completely muddled. Im not able
to choose from the many speculations, so I have omitted what is probably the
final word of the strophe. The three words that make up the fifth strophe may not
belong in this poem at all, but are included in standard editions.
Sources: Moores 1947 Selections from the Greek Elgiac, Iambic and Lyric
Poets and Campbells 1967 Greek Lyric Poetry.
faneta moi knoj soj qoisin
mmen nhr, ttij nntij toi
sdnei, ka plsion du fwne-
4 saj pakoei

1
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1
seem, appear. = that. - - equal; is usually
taken to mean equal in luck to, as lucky as the gods.
2
= to be. = . = whoever. - - opposite,
facing; reverse, contradictory. = 2nd person singular dative.
3
= sit. () near, close to + genitive. = - -
sweet, lovely, dear; here adv. speak, sound; cry call; here an Aeolic present participle,
genitive singular feminine, depending on in the next line. The case has shifted, but the
participle refers to the addressee of the poem, the you in line 2.
4
- listen (to); answer, obey; governs not only in the previous line, but
in the next.

1
 ka gelasaj mroen, t m mn
kardan n stqesin pthsen:
j gr esdw brocwj se, fnaj
8 odn t kei:
ll kam mn glssa age, lpton
d atika cr pr padedrmhken,
pptessi d odn rhm/, pirrm-
12 beisi d kouai.
5
laugh, smile; also a Aeolic present participle, genitive singular feminine.
- - lovely; delightful, charming; attractive, attracting; here adverbial. this referring to
the situation. = dative of interest. = truly.
6
- heart; mind. - breast; feeling, understanding often in pl.
tr. frighten, alarm, make tremble, intr. tremble, cower.
7
here whenever, with the subjunctive (but note poets often omit , in indefinite clauses).
- look (at); aorist subjunctive. = briefly. voice,
sound; word; language; here partitive genitive with in the next line, nothing of word, no
word
8
come.
9
= , here entirely. tongue, mouth; language. , , ,
break to pieces; perf. with passive meaning. , -, - - thin, fine, delicte; narrow, small;
clever.
10
immediately, at once. , , , , flesh; body, person; heterclite
dative; take it with the () under of . -, -, -,
- run under, with Aeolic -- for --.
11
= - eye, here Aeolic dative plural. = see, Aeolic uses
-conjugation for Attic contract verbs. whirl, whir, make a whirring noise; the
conjugation - (*-ensi) is 3rd plural.
12
= here ear.

2
 kad d m drwj kakcetai, trmoj d
pasan grei, clwrotra d poaj
mmi, teqnkhn d lgw /pidehj
16 fanomai < ... >.
ll pn tlmaton ...
13
Moore Campbell
13
= . - sweat. = - pour down.
trembling; fear.
14
= , wholly. take, seize; this is the standard Aeolic word for which
Attic-Ionic uses . - - yellow, green; pallid, here comparative. Greeks turned
not pale from intense emotion, but yellow-green; cf. Odyssey 12.243 .
grass; meadow.
15
= I am. = infinitive to die, depending on in the next
line. - lacking, in need of + gen; take as little short of; nearly
17
bear, endure; dare; here a verbal adjective in -; but all can be dared