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SAPPHO FRAGMENTS: ἀ γάρ μ´ἐγέννατ[ε]

Level One: Level Two: Level Three: Translation:

. . ] . θος· ἀ γὰρ (μέ) γέννα[τ(ερα)

ἡ γέννατερα, γέννατερας - mother, Attic γενέτειρα; 1, f.

ἡ γέννατερα, γέννατερας - mother, Attic γενέτειρα; 1, f.

ἡ γέννατερα, γέννατερας - mother, Attic γενέτειρα; 1, f.

ἐγώ, μοῦ - I; 1, f.

γάρ - for; part.

...for my mother,

σ]φᾶς ἐπ᾽ ἀλικίας μέγ[αν

ἡ ἀλικία, ἀλικίας - time of life, age; 1, f.

ἡ ἀλικία, ἀλικίας - time of life, age; 1, f.

μεγάλη, μέγα, μέγας - big; M, adj. σφή, σφόν, σφός - hers, its, his, 3rd pers. poss. adj.

ἡ ἀλικία, ἀλικίας - time of life, age; 1, f.

μεγάλη, μέγα, μέγας - big; M, adj. σφή, σφόν, σφός - hers, its, his, 3rd pers. poss. adj.

ἐπί - on; prep.

in her time, (a) great

κ]όσμον αἴ τις ἔχη φόβα<ι>ς[

ἔχω - to hold, have; i.v.

ὀ κόσμος, κόσμου - order, ornament; 2, m. ἠ φόβη, φόβης - lock of hair; 1, f.

ἔχω - to hold, have; i.v.

ὀ κόσμος, κόσμου - order, ornament; 2, m. ἠ φόβη, φόβης - lock of hair; 1, f.

τις, τι - someone, something; 3, indef. pron.

ἔχω - to hold, have; i.v.

ὀ κόσμος, κόσμου - order, ornament; 2, m. ἠ φόβη, φόβης - lock of hair; 1, f.

τις, τι - someone, something; 3, indef. pron.

αἴ - if; adv.

ornament someone could have on (her) hair

πορφύρωι κατελιξαμέ[να

καταλιγόω - to tie down, Attic καταλυγόω; a.v.

καταλιγόω - to tie down, Attic καταλυγόω; a.v.

ποφυρόεσσα, πορφυρόεν, πορφυρόεις - purple; 3, adj.

καταλιγόω - to tie down, Attic καταλυγόω; a.v.

ποφυρόεσσα, πορφυρόεν, πορφυρόεις - purple; 3, adj.

tied back with purple,

5.

ἔμμεναι μάλα τοὺτο . [

εἰμι - to be; i.v.

εἰμι - to be; i.v.

αὔτη, τοῦτο, οὖτος - demonstrative adj.

εἰμι - to be; i.v.

αὔτη, τοῦτο, οὖτος - demonstrative adj.

μάλα - very; adv.

to be this thing indeed...

ἀλλα ξανθοτέρα<ι>ς ἔχη[

ἔχω - to hold, have; i.v.

ἔχω - to hold, have; i.v.

ξανθή, ξανθόν, ξανθός - yellow to auburn; M, adj.

ἔχω - to hold, have; i.v.

ξανθή, ξανθόν, ξανθός - yellow to auburn; M, adj.

ἀλλά - but; conj.

but (those) having yellower

τα<ὶ>ς κόμα<ι>ς δάϊδος προφ[ῶσης

προφάω - to shine forth; a.v.

ἠ κόμα, κόμης - hair of the head; 1, f. ἠ δαίς, δαιδός - torch; 3, f.

προφάω - to shine forth; a.v.

ἠ κόμα, κόμης - hair of the head; 1, f. ἠ δαίς, δαιδός - torch; 3, f.

προφάω - to shine forth; a.v.

ἠ κόμα, κόμης - hair of the head; 1, f. ἠ δαίς, δαιδός - torch; 3, f.

hair than (a) shining torch

σ[τεφάνοισιν ἐπαρτία[ις

ὀ στέφανος, στέφανου - that which encircles, crown; 2, m.

ὀ στέφανος, στέφανου - that which encircles, crown; 2, m.

ὀ στέφανος, στέφανου - that which encircles, crown; 2, m.

prepare (their) crowns differently

ἀνθέων ἐριθαλέων· [

τὸ ἄνθος, ἄνθους - bloom, flower; 2, n.

τὸ ἄνθος, ἄνθους - bloom, flower; 2, n.

ἐρίθαλλος, ἐρίθαλλον - growing luxuriantly, flourishing; M, adj.

τὸ ἄνθος, ἄνθους - bloom, flower; 2, n.

ἐρίθαλλος, ἐρίθαλλον - growing luxuriantly, flourishing; M, adj.

(making them of) blooming flowers; ...

10.

μ]ιτράναν δ᾽ ἀρτιως κλ[εις

ἡ μίτρα, μίτρας - headband; 1, f. ἠ Κλείς, Κλειδός - Kleis, key; 3, f.

ἡ μίτρα, μίτρας - headband; 1, f. ἠ Κλείς, Κλειδός - Kleis, key; 3, f.

ἡ μίτρα, μίτρας - headband; 1, f. ἠ Κλείς, Κλειδός - Kleis, key; 3, f.

δέ - and; conj. ἀρτίως - just now, nearly; adv.

and recently, Kleis, (a) headband,

ποικίλαν ἀπὺ Σαρδίω[ν

αἱ Σάρδεις, Σάρδεων - Sardis, capital of Lydia, ancient kingdom in roughly present-day northwest Turkey; 3, f.

αἱ Σάρδεις, Σάρδεων - Sardis, capital of Lydia, ancient kingdom in roughly present-day northwest Turkey; 3, f.

ποικίλη, ποικίλον, ποικίλος - many-coloured, embroidered; M, adj.

αἱ Σάρδεις, Σάρδεων - Sardis, capital of Lydia, ancient kingdom in roughly present-day northwest Turkey; 3, f.

ποικίλη, ποικίλον, ποικίλος - many-coloured, embroidered; M, adj.

ἀπυ - from; prep.

(an) embroidered (one) from Sardis

. . . ] . α ονίας πόλ{ε}ις [

ἠ πόλις, πόλεως - city; 3, f.

ἠ πόλις, πόλεως - city; 3, f.

ὤνια, ὤνιον, ὤνιος - for sale, commercially imported; M, adj.

ἠ πόλις, πόλεως - city; 3, f.

ὤνια, ὤνιον, ὤνιος - for sale, commercially imported; M, adj.

... imported (from Lydian) cities...

Footnotes

  1. Text amended with proposed completed spelling of the word for "mother."
  2. This character sequence is difficult to parse, and often is not obviously translated as a result. Nevertheless, it bears a non-trivial resemblance to the verb ἐπαρτίζω "to get ready," and to the admittedly obscure noun ἐπαρτίαν, glossed παρασκευή, "preparation." Chasing references to ἐπαρτίαν further, the word ἀπαρτί, an adverb meaning "just to the contrary" turns up. Considering the overall theme of the poem, we can try an (in)cautious suggestion that this word as "prepare to the contrary," "prepare differently.
  3. Conjectured restoration.
  4. Also a conjectured restoration.
Copyright © C. Osborne 2024
Last Modified: Sunday, September 08, 2024 13:53:00