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Sappho

Sappho Quotes

Lyric poet

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Famous Sappho Quotes

“Some say cavalry and others claim infantry or a fleet of long oars is the supreme sight on the black earth. I say it is the one you love. And easily proved. Did not Helen, who far surpassed all in beauty, desert the best of men her husband and king and sail off to Troy and forget her daughter and dear parents? Merely love's gaze made her bend and led her from her path. These tales remind me now of Anaktoria who is gone. And I would rather see her supple step and motion of light on her face than chariots of the Lydians or ranks of foot soldiers in bronze. Now this is impossible yet among the living I pray for a share and unexpectedly”

“O Kypris and the Nereids, I pray you to sail my brother home unharmed and let him accomplish all that is in his heart and be released from former error and carry joy to his friends and bane to enemies and let no one bring us more grief. Let him honor me his sister. But black torment suffering for early days, citizens accused. Was it over millet seed? Pure Kypris, put aside old anger and free him from evil sorrow”

“Those lovely gifts of the fragrant-breasted Muses, girls, seek them eagerly in thrilling song of the lyre. Old age has grasped my earlier delicate skin and my black hair has become white, my spirit turned heavy, my knees no longer carry me nimble for dancing like a fawn. About these things I groan. What can I do? For a human not to grow old is impossible. They say Dawn, dazzled by love, took Tithonos in her rose arms to the utter end of the earth. Once beautiful and young, time seized him into gray old age, husband of a deathless wife.”