87 “The Newest Sappho: Brothers & Kypris Songs”

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE GREEK & ENGLISH ARE REPRODUCED HERE FROM OBBINK (2016) FOR THE BENEFIT OF STUDENTS IN GSAG 2021.  THERE ARE MANY PROBLEMS WITH THESE FRAGMENTS, INCLUDING ISSUES OF AUTHENTICITY, ETHICS OF ACQUISITION AND PUBLICATION, AND EVEN THE POSSIBILITY THAT THEY ARE FORGERIES.  No support of Obbink is indicated by the reproduction of his work here.  Because the papyrus is unavailable to be seen or studied by any other scholars, it is impossible to discuss the new poems without reference to Obbink.

Obbink, Dirk. 2016. “The Newest Sappho:: Text, Apparatus Criticus, and Translation.” In The Newest Sappho: P. Sapph. Obbink and P. GC Inv. 105, Frs. 1-4, edited by Anton Bierl and André Lardinois, 13–33. Studies in Archaic and Classical Greek Song, Vol. 2. Brill. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1163/j.ctt1w76v7d.8.

The “Brother’s Song” (Fragment 58)

‘Brothers Song’ [older line-numeration in parentheses]

[p- … (?)

[1 or 5 lines missing]

[…]la[…

[…] you (?), m[

But you are always chattering for Charaxos to come

with a full ship. Zeus and all the other gods,

know these things, I think. But it is not necessary

for you to think these things.

Summon me instead and commission me to beseech

Queen Hera over and over again

that Charaxos may arrive, piloting back here

a ship that is safe,

and find us safe and sound. Let us

entrust all other things to the gods:

for out of huge gales fair weather

swiftly ensues.

All of those whom the King of Olympus wishes

a divinity as helper to now turn them

from troubles, become happy

and richly blessed.

And if Larichos lifts up his head,

if only he might one day be an established man,

the deep and dreary draggings of our soul

we’d swiftly lift to joy.

[⊗]

1 [π- (?)

2 [1 or 5 lines missing]

3 [ 3–4 ]λα̣[

4 [2–3]ϲέμα̣[

5 (1)  λλ’ ἄϊ θρύληϲθα Χάραξον ἔλθην

νᾶϊ ϲὺν πλήαι. τὰ μέν̣οἴο̣μα̣ι Ζεῦϲ

οἶδε ϲύμπαντέϲ τε θέοι· ϲὲ δ̣’οὐ χρῆ

ταῦτα νόηϲθαι,

 

 λλὰ καὶ πέμπην ἔμε καὶ κέλεϲθαι

10 (6) πόλλα λιϲ̣́ ϲεϲθαι βαϲιλ̣́ ̣η̣ ανἬ̣ ραν

ἐξίκεϲθαι τυίδε ϲάαν ἄγοντα

νᾶα Χάραξον

κἄμμ’ ἐπεύρην  ρτε̣ μ̣́ εαϲ. τὰ δ’ ἄλλα

πάντα δαιμόνεϲϲι̣ ν ἐπιτ̣ ρ̣ όπωμεν·

15 (11) εὔδιαι̣γ̣ὰρ̣ἐκ μεγάλαν  ήτα̣ν̣

αἶψα πελ̣́ ̣ο̣νται.

τῶν κε βόλληται βαϲίλευϲ Ὀλύμπω

δαίμον’ ἐκ πόνων ἐπάρωγον ἤδη

περτρόπην, κῆνοι μ̣άκαρεϲ πέλονται

20 (16) καὶ πολύολβοι·

κ̣ἄμμεϲ, αἴ κε ϝὰν κεφάλα̣ν  έρρ̣η

Λάριχ̣ οϲ καὶ δή ποτ’ ἄνη̣ ρ γένηται,

καὶ μάλ’ ἐκ πόλλαν βαρ̣υθυ̣μίαν̣κεν

24 (20) αἶψα λύθειμεν. ⊗

 

‘Kypris Song’

How can someone not be hurt and hurt again,

Kypris, Queen, whomsoever one really loves,

and not especially want respite from suffering?

What sort of thoughts do you have

to pierce me idly with shiverings

out of desire that loosens the knees […]

[…] not […

[…] …

[…] you, I wish […

[…] to suffer this […

[…]. This

I know for myself.

⊗ πῶϲ κε δή τιϲ οὐ θαμέω̣ϲ̣ἄϲαιτ̣ο,

Κύπρι, δέϲπ̣ ̣ο̣ιν̣ ̣’, ὄττινα [δ]η̣   φιλ̣́ ̣[ηϲι,]

[κωὐ] θέλοι μάλιϲτα πάθα̣ν̣χ̣άλ̣[αϲϲαι;]

[ποῖ]ον ἔχηϲθα

5 [νῶν] ϲά̣ λοιϲί μ’  λεμά̣τω̣ ̣ϲ̣ δ̣αιϲ̣̈́ δ̣ ̣[ην]

[ἰμέ]ρω⟨ι⟩ λύ{ι}̣ ϲαντι γ̣όν’ ωμε-̣ [ x

[ ̣ ̣ ̣] ̣α ̣α ̣ ̣[ ̣ ̣]α̣ιμ̣ ’ ο̣ὐ̣ π̣ρο̣ [0–3] ̣ερηϲ[

[ – ⏑ ]νε̣ερ ̣[ ̣]αι̣

[ c.8 ] ̣ ̣ ̣[ ̣ ̣] ϲέ, θέλω[ ⏑ – ×

10 [ – ⏑ – × τοῦ]το πάθη[ν ⏑ – ×

[ – ⏑ – × – ] ̣αν, ἔγω δ’ ἐμ’ αὔται

τοῦτο ϲύνοιδα

[ c.13 ] ̣[ ̣] ̣τοιϲ[ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣] ̣

[ c.13 ]εναμ[

15 [ ] ̣[ ̣] ̣[

[ c.12 ]

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