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Reviews
The Love Songs of Sappho: Translated with an Essay by Paul Roche by Paul Roche, Page duBois, Sappho
jenamatic's review against another edition
4.0
The poetry was fantastic but the essays were a bit difficult to read.
wuthrinheights's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
If I were to rate solely on Sappho's pieces, it would be 5 stars. They were simple yet powerful and beautiful, I can't imagine how much better it would be if I could read it in its original text, or hear Sappho herself sing her hymns.
The rest of the book, however, was a bit of a bore. I enjoyed reading about Sappho but the rest of it, I skimmed quickly. Thus, no full 5 stars for this one.
The rest of the book, however, was a bit of a bore. I enjoyed reading about Sappho but the rest of it, I skimmed quickly. Thus, no full 5 stars for this one.
space_bandit's review against another edition
informative
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
spoookyclaud's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
spacestationtrustfund's review against another edition
2.0
This review is of the translation by Paul Roche.
First published in 1966, although this edition is from 1999, Paul Roche's translation of Sappho's "love songs" is starkly outdated yet attractive in its own odd way. The introduction contains the worst of it, where Roche dismisses the possibility of Sappho's attraction to women (although he reluctantly concludes that she could have had bisexual tendencies; overall an ironic statement given Roche's own bisexuality) in what he calls a "defense" (xiii-xiv) and insists on the usage of the descriptor "poetess" as distinct from the masculine "poet," calling it a "useful word: precise, valid, honorable, and often necessary" (xxiii). This is, of course, absurd.
Roche thankfully retained the numerical order of the fragments (although those are not without their history of disputation), but, in a method claimed to "[produce] a certain unity and movement" (xxii) of the fragments, elected to arrange the book into six sections: "I have arranged my Sappho in six different 'books' roughly following the line of her moods [for the reason that] we have no idea what Sappho's own arrangement was and that a division of books according to metre carries no guarantee of being less arbitrary" (xxii). Although this runs the risk of constructing a cohesive narrative where there naturally is none, I found it overall an interesting decision. Roche includes various fragments not present in other translations such as Barnard's, along with a series of contextual notes. The notes are the most valuable element of what is overall a dated translation.
As an example, here's Roche's translation of the third stanza of Sappho's poem "φαίνεταί μοι..." (Voigt 31, Lobel-Page 31, Bergk 2, Diehl 2), also known as "Ode to Anaktoria" and titled by Roche* "Poem of Jealousy":
Notes:
1 this particular word differs.
2 apocopic of ἀλλά.
3 μὲν is impossible to translate directly; it's a pair with δ' (apocopic form of δέ).
4 from ἄγνῡμῐ (to break, shatter).
5 δ' (apocopic form of δέ); on the other hand.
6 ὐπαδεδρόμηκεν: Catullus renders this line as "tenuis sub artus / flamma demanat," where sub ... demanat takes on the full meaning of ὐπαδεδρόμηκεν; from υπο- ("under," from whence comes "hypo-"), δρομᾰ́ς ("run," from whence comes "dromedary"; δρόμηκεν, "he has run [under]").
7 ἐπιρρόμ- / βεισι is broken in two because of the metre, but should be taken as one word.
*Some, including Dr. Carson, have argued that the "jealousy" interpretation does a disservice to the homoerotic element, i.e., Sappho's emotions are stirred by jealousy only inasmuch as she doesn't understand how the man can endure such proximity to the object of her (Sappho's) desire and not be affected.
First published in 1966, although this edition is from 1999, Paul Roche's translation of Sappho's "love songs" is starkly outdated yet attractive in its own odd way. The introduction contains the worst of it, where Roche dismisses the possibility of Sappho's attraction to women (although he reluctantly concludes that she could have had bisexual tendencies; overall an ironic statement given Roche's own bisexuality) in what he calls a "defense" (xiii-xiv) and insists on the usage of the descriptor "poetess" as distinct from the masculine "poet," calling it a "useful word: precise, valid, honorable, and often necessary" (xxiii). This is, of course, absurd.
Roche thankfully retained the numerical order of the fragments (although those are not without their history of disputation), but, in a method claimed to "[produce] a certain unity and movement" (xxii) of the fragments, elected to arrange the book into six sections: "I have arranged my Sappho in six different 'books' roughly following the line of her moods [for the reason that] we have no idea what Sappho's own arrangement was and that a division of books according to metre carries no guarantee of being less arbitrary" (xxii). Although this runs the risk of constructing a cohesive narrative where there naturally is none, I found it overall an interesting decision. Roche includes various fragments not present in other translations such as Barnard's, along with a series of contextual notes. The notes are the most valuable element of what is overall a dated translation.
As an example, here's Roche's translation of the third stanza of Sappho's poem "φαίνεταί μοι..." (Voigt 31, Lobel-Page 31, Bergk 2, Diehl 2), also known as "Ode to Anaktoria" and titled by Roche* "Poem of Jealousy":
My tongue breaks up and a delicate fireCompare against translations by John Herman Merivale:
Runs through my flesh; I see not a thing
With my eyes, and all that I hear
In my ears is a hum.
Speechless I gaze: the flame withinAnne Carson:
Runs swift o'er all my quivering skin:
My eyeballs swim; with dizzy din
My brain reels round;
no: tongue breaks and thinMary Barnard:
fire is racing under skin
and in eyes no sight and drumming
fills ears
speak -- my tongue is broken;Quite a bit of difference, in my opinion. The original Greek is as follows:
a thin flame runs under
my skin; seeing nothing,
hearing only my own ears
drumming, I drip with sweat;
trembling shakes my body
ἀλλ᾽ ἄκαν μὲν γλῶσσα [ἔαγε] 1, λέπτονLiterally translated:
δ᾽ αὔτικα χρῶι πῦρ ὐπαδεδρόμηκεν,
ὀππάτεσσι δ᾽ οὐδ᾽ ἒν ὄρημμ᾽, ἐπιρρόμ-
βεισι δ᾽ ἄκουαι,
but 2 / silent / on one hand 3 / tongue / break, shatter 4 / thin, small, delicate, subtle, narrow, lean, peeled or huskedI don't feel like coming up with my own translation at the moment, so here's one which I think is pretty accurate (from Wikipedia):
on the other hand 5 / at once / skin / fire / go under, run beneath 6
eyes / and 5 / not / one / see / buzz- 7
-buzz 7 / and 5 / ears,
but it is as if my tongue is brokenInteresting, isn't it?
and immediately a subtle fire has run [under] my skin,
I cannot see anything with my eyes,
and my ears are buzzing
Notes:
Spoiler
1 this particular word differs.
2 apocopic of ἀλλά.
3 μὲν is impossible to translate directly; it's a pair with δ' (apocopic form of δέ).
4 from ἄγνῡμῐ (to break, shatter).
5 δ' (apocopic form of δέ); on the other hand.
6 ὐπαδεδρόμηκεν: Catullus renders this line as "tenuis sub artus / flamma demanat," where sub ... demanat takes on the full meaning of ὐπαδεδρόμηκεν; from υπο- ("under," from whence comes "hypo-"), δρομᾰ́ς ("run," from whence comes "dromedary"; δρόμηκεν, "he has run [under]").
7 ἐπιρρόμ- / βεισι is broken in two because of the metre, but should be taken as one word.
*Some, including Dr. Carson, have argued that the "jealousy" interpretation does a disservice to the homoerotic element, i.e., Sappho's emotions are stirred by jealousy only inasmuch as she doesn't understand how the man can endure such proximity to the object of her (Sappho's) desire and not be affected.
hannahladelle12's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
cindyyanggg's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
bev_reads_mysteries's review against another edition
4.0
My delight is the exquisite.
Yes, for me,
Glitter and sunlight and love
Are one society.
So I shall not go creeping away
To die in the dark:
I shall go on living with you,
Loving and loved.
[from #158]
The Love Songs of Sappho (translated by Paul Roche) is made of Six Books with 171 fragments and full poems. Few of Sappho's poems come to us in their entirety and that is unfortunate. It is unfortunate because what little remains shows Sappho to be a master of the lyric form--providing passionate passages full of the joy of life and loving as well as pain, sorrow, jealousy and regret associated with love unreciprocated or gone wrong. Her words are memorable even when they aren't all there. Roche provides a beautiful translation as well as a very informative essay which gives us as full a portrait of the classic poet as possible.
Posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
Yes, for me,
Glitter and sunlight and love
Are one society.
So I shall not go creeping away
To die in the dark:
I shall go on living with you,
Loving and loved.
[from #158]
The Love Songs of Sappho (translated by Paul Roche) is made of Six Books with 171 fragments and full poems. Few of Sappho's poems come to us in their entirety and that is unfortunate. It is unfortunate because what little remains shows Sappho to be a master of the lyric form--providing passionate passages full of the joy of life and loving as well as pain, sorrow, jealousy and regret associated with love unreciprocated or gone wrong. Her words are memorable even when they aren't all there. Roche provides a beautiful translation as well as a very informative essay which gives us as full a portrait of the classic poet as possible.
Posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
sbletham's review against another edition
4.0
An excellent introduction to the classic poetry of Sappho. I find myself wanting more and looking for other translations and scholarship.