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A lavish collector’s edition and authoritative translation of the great lyric poet Sappho—alongside the original Greek for the first time.
The one hundred poems and fragments in this volume are almost all that remains of the legendary poet Sappho. Yet in Mary Barnard’s unparalleled, immensely moving translation, the spirit of Sappho comes alive.
As Melissa Mueller describes in the new introduction to this classic translation, to encounter Sappho in the distinctly original voice of Barnard is to encounter her anew. A respected poet in her own right, Barnard wove these fragments into a compellingly cohesive collection that follows a woman’s life journey. Intimate and incisive, these verses hold a playfulness that allows Sappho’s voice to reverberate into the present.
Now with Mueller’s compilation of the original Greek alongside each poem, this elegant edition of Barnard’s long-celebrated translation is an essential addition to any poetry lover’s collection.
Mary Barnard (1909–2001) was a prominent American poet and translator. She studied Greek at Reed College and began to translate at Ezra Pound's suggestion in the 1930s. She received the Western States Book Award for her book-length poem, Time and the White Tigress.
Melissa Mueller is Professor of Classics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and author of Sappho and Homer: A Reparative Reading.
Contents
List of Poems
Foreword to the Original Edition
Dudley Fitts
A Note on These Translations
Mary Barnard
Introduction
Melissa Mueller
THE POEMS
Notes
Bibliography
Descriptive Index