Poems (Ripley)/Sappho
SAPPHO
Sweet Sappho! Peerless Pagan queen of song!
To thee does immortality belong!
Fair central glory of the Lesbian Isle
And art's soft wile.
To thee does immortality belong!
Fair central glory of the Lesbian Isle
And art's soft wile.
Thou didst pour out in Greek, thy native tongue,
The sweetest songs, that in thy day were sung!
And all did own, that genius rare of thine,
Wholly divine!
The sweetest songs, that in thy day were sung!
And all did own, that genius rare of thine,
Wholly divine!
Thou wert among the Lesbian maidens fair,—
Though small, and dark, and crowned with dusky hair,
(Because of thy sweet soul) the fairest one
'neath Lesbian sun.
Though small, and dark, and crowned with dusky hair,
(Because of thy sweet soul) the fairest one
'neath Lesbian sun.
In thy sweet youth, among thy girl friends fair,
Didst weave of violets and maidenhair
Full many a garland in thy leisure hours
In leafy bowers.—
Didst weave of violets and maidenhair
Full many a garland in thy leisure hours
In leafy bowers.—
For thou didst love to see thus garlanded
The Lesbian maidens, who by thee were led
In paths of music and the art divine
Where thou didst shine.
The Lesbian maidens, who by thee were led
In paths of music and the art divine
Where thou didst shine.
And very lovely was thy native isle,
Where blossoms opened 'neath the golden smile
Of southern suns—of many forms and hues
Drenched in soft dews.
Where blossoms opened 'neath the golden smile
Of southern suns—of many forms and hues
Drenched in soft dews.
But yet, for thee, the rose was queen of flowers—
The fairest far, that bloomed in southern bowers:
Where nightingales made glorious in May
The close of day.
The fairest far, that bloomed in southern bowers:
Where nightingales made glorious in May
The close of day.
And on the shores of the Aegean Sea,
Which circled all thy native isle and thee—
Thy beauty-loving soul didst gaze upon
The shells thereon—
Which circled all thy native isle and thee—
Thy beauty-loving soul didst gaze upon
The shells thereon—
And marvel at their tinted loveliness.—
The while, perchance, 'neath green trees' leafiness
Thou soughtest the bath in cool, deep tideless sea,
Thy maids and thee.
The while, perchance, 'neath green trees' leafiness
Thou soughtest the bath in cool, deep tideless sea,
Thy maids and thee.
And as through spicy grove and flower-strewn glade,
Thou didst retrace thy steps—from out the shade
Tall marble statues gleamed along thy way
In snowy array.
Thou didst retrace thy steps—from out the shade
Tall marble statues gleamed along thy way
In snowy array.
And temples strewn with precious jewels and gold
And broideries, and cups of matchless mould,
Where thou didst worship at the Pagan shrine
Both thee and thine.
And broideries, and cups of matchless mould,
Where thou didst worship at the Pagan shrine
Both thee and thine.
Ah, thou didst sing of love, till on thee fell
The glamour of it. Then thou didst seek to quell
Its conquering force, because to thee it came—
Unsought—it came.
The glamour of it. Then thou didst seek to quell
Its conquering force, because to thee it came—
Unsought—it came.
And all thy radiant life was filled with care.—
The burden was too great for thee to bear,
And thou didst lay aside thy golden lyre,
Once thy desire.
The burden was too great for thee to bear,
And thou didst lay aside thy golden lyre,
Once thy desire.
Then thou didst learn the deathlessness of love,
And summoned Aphrodite from above,
And thou didst plead with her in piteous prayer—
With Venus fair.
And summoned Aphrodite from above,
And thou didst plead with her in piteous prayer—
With Venus fair.
What mattered wealth to thee, or world's applause?
Sweet rest thou couldst not find. Then thou didst pause
Upon the rocks and thy bright soul didst free
Deep in the sea.
Sweet rest thou couldst not find. Then thou didst pause
Upon the rocks and thy bright soul didst free
Deep in the sea.