Sappho and Bliss Carman


This poem is from the book entitled Sappho: One Hundred Lyrics by Bliss Carman--- Perhaps the most perilous and the most alluring venture in the whole field of poetry is that which Mr. Carman has undertaken in attempting to give us in English verse those lost poems of Sappho of which fragments have survived. The task is obviously not one of translation or of paraphrasing, but of imaginative and, at the same time, interpretive construction. It is as if a sculptor of to-day were to set himself, with reverence, and trained craftsmanship, and studious familiarity with the spirit, technique, and atmosphere of his subject, to restore some statues of Polyclitus or Praxiteles of which he had but a broken arm, a foot, a knee, a finger upon which to build. Mr. Carman’s method, apparently, has been to imagine each lost lyric as discovered, and then to translate it; for the indefinable flavor of the translation is maintained throughout, though accompanied by the fluidity and freedom of purely original work. Remarks by C.G.D. ROBERTS from the preface

Sappho

Love in Autumn
Love shakes my soul, like a mountain wind Falling upon the trees, When they are swayed and whitened and bowed As the great gusts will.

Sappho

Apollo and Daphne
I know why Daphne sped through the grove When the bright god came by,

Apollo and Daphne
And shut herself in the laurel's heart For her silent doom.

Amaryllis
Love fills my heart, like my lover's breath Filling the hollow flute,

Birdsong
Til the magic wood awakes and cries With remembrance and joy.

Syrinx
Ah, timid Syrinx, do I not know Thy tremor of sweet fear?

Pan Piping
For a beautiful and imperious player Is the lord of life.

Sappho

Sappho

Sappho and Erinna at Mytelene

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5/26/2004 11:22:42 AM chiaroscuro Beautiful. C.
5/26/2004 11:58:00 AM Treeseed Thanks, C. Glad you popped in. I love Bliss Carman and when combined with Sappho...well, Bliss!
5/26/2004 1:50:57 PM chiaroscuro Here's a good link to Carman -- http://eir.library.utoronto.ca/rpo/display/poet56.html
5/26/2004 3:13:05 PM Treeseed Thank you for thinking of me, Chiaroscuro. I have that one in my favorites.
5/26/2004 6:41:30 PM stargazer I enjoyed this very much, Terrie...your albums are a beacon of enlightenment...~*~
5/26/2004 6:45:38 PM princess daisy such beauty terrie ~ that 'Sappho' in blue speaks volumes to me, i can feel her thoughts . . .
5/26/2004 7:33:39 PM Treeseed Oh, my goodness, thank you, Annie! What a nice thing to say. I appreciate it and I'm glad you enjoyed this album.
5/26/2004 7:34:52 PM Treeseed Thank you, Daisy. I know exactly what you mean. That painting is just drenched in mood. Thank you for visiting and for your comments.
6/2/2004 7:31:31 PM moonchild3 i really like Khnopff's 'Sappho', lovely album my dear Treeseed...merci ~
6/3/2004 6:04:58 PM Cathy Such a beautiful album, Treeseed. "Til the magic wood awakes and cries With remembrance and joy." Love it. :)
6/3/2004 7:16:21 PM Treeseed Thank you, Moonchild. Glad you stopped by.
6/3/2004 7:16:30 PM Treeseed Thank you, Cathy. It's always such a pleasure to hear from you.