The Brothers Poem by Sappho
In the TLS of February 7, Dirk Obbink discussed the recent discovery of two poems by the seventh-century BC Greek poetess Sappho. We asked a number of classicist-poet-translators to provide new versions of “the Brothers Poem”; four are printed here, and a further three will follow in a forthcoming issue.
But constantly you prattle that Charaxos
has returned with his ship loaded. About that
Zeus knows, I suspect, and all the gods. You must
[………………….]not think of these things,
but come with me and offer many entreaties
to queenly Hera, that she shall give order
that Charaxos reach home, bringing here with him
[………………….]his ship in safety,
and find us unharmed. Let’s turn over all our
other concerns to the powers of heaven.
For after great tempests calm skies develop
[………………….]all of a sudden.
Whenever the king of Olympos decides
to make people’s deity turn helpful now
after toils, they come to be blessed and have
[………………….]loads of resources.
As for us, if Larichos lifts his head up,
and at last becomes in his due time a man,
we would be free of much heavy-heartedness
[………………….]all of a sudden.
RICHARD JANKO
________________________________________
There you go windbagging about Charaxos again—will he waft into port?
will he not?—yawn. Let the gods simplify this. Or send me! I’ve got
the holy socks and tang to bring Hera over to our side: presto
Charaxos, cocktails all round!
Now tip all that other worry into the box marked Looking for a Miracle.
Red weather can die away on a dime (as you know)
and if some god blows you a kiss, peacocks sweep the room
handing out coupons.
As for us—if lazyboy Larichos ever lifts his head
and turns into a man who can whistle Dixie,
goodbye family gloom! We’ll run our fingers
through his beard and laugh.
ANNE CARSON
________________________________________
You keep going about Charaxos, how
he’s there now, his ship fully laden; but that
only Zeus and all the other gods know—
[………………….]you’re not to know it:
you should be sending me instead out to pray
over again, piously, all the time, to
Hera for Charaxus to come back this way
[………………….]bringing the ship through,
and find us safe here; everything else we must
turn over to higher-powers, for good
weather sometimes carries the very worst
[………………….]storm as a prelude.
When and if the king of Olympos wills it,
help can come from somewhere, and turn things around;
people get rich, fortunate, when it falls out
[………………….]well on the rebound.
Even we—if Larichus should ever get
His head up and make himself known as a man—
may find our bad luck on the turn, and may yet
[………………….]see better fortune.
PETER McDONALD
________________________________________
But oh! You harp on—Charaxus is coming,
With his ship, fully-laden! That’s for Zeus,
I’d say, and all the other gods to know,
[………………….]Not you to guess.
Rather, send me to beseech Queen Hera,
And plead and make her many prayers—Please
Let Charaxus arrive here with his ship
[………………….]In one piece
And find us safe and sound. As for the rest,
Let’s leave it to the powers that be. A calm
Immedietely follows in the wake
[………………….]Of a rough storm.
For some, if the King of Olympus wills
To change their lot from troubles to godspeed,
They are the lucky ones, the prosperous,
[………………….]Blessed indeed.
But as for us, if Larichus would lift
His head at last, and play a man’s part,
Then what a cargo of cares at once would drop
[………………….]From the heart.
A.E. STALLINGS
TLS March 28, 2014, p. 22.
