Sappho: A New Translation of the Complete Works

I have what one would call a small collection of books, with at least 500 volumes on various subjects and authors and, musicians. Sappho' has a place of honor among them. To me, the translations by Diane J. Rayor and Andre' Lardinois, convey the meaning of what the great Poetess tried to say. And it's like going back in time. We're lucky to have fragments of her works. Even the bits and pieces of fragments. I often wonder what she was like? The introduction makes one eager to know more about her life and times and, her works. For the record, I have a bust of the Poetess on a pedestal in my back yard under a dogwood tree...I take her in during Winter to protect her from the elements and the cold. To me, Sappho' is a living being. She was often called the 10th. Muse and~my favorite.

This is a very slender volume, at 170 some pages, with new translations of all the known Sappho fragments. What makes the book unique is the inclusion of two very recently discovered fragments.Aside from that, the author provides commentary on the provenance of each fragment, as well as variant readings and occassional supplementary information. The author provides no Greek, and her discussions do not rely on issues of Greek grammar.How one reacts to this material depends on personal taste and interest. Certainly Page's Sappho and Alcaeus, as well as McEvilley's Sappho, are considerably more scholarly and delve more deeply into the text. Reynolds's The Sappho Companion is more engaging.Translation of a long lost lanuage and poetic technique must, in the end be evalated by competence and personal taste. To me, this translation is competent and unobjectionable. I prefer that of Jim Powell, who is actually an accomplished poet.The only truly negative point I have to make concerns the price. For $63 one could purchase all the alternative translations mentioned in this review, as well as several books of contemporary interpretation and commentary.In short, the price promises much more than the book delivers.

This is a book of poems, one of the two greatest contemporary translations of Sappho. The term "plot" does not properly apply to this. One concern: the Carson translation places the original Greek texts en face; they are not included here.

Excellent, scholarly book.

Great

Sappho: A New Translation of the Complete Works by Diane J. Rayor 2014Fine translations. She made it more polished melodically and rhythmically than her previous translations which were issued in 1980 (The Press at Colorado College) and 1991 (University of California Press).Some of their refinements are expressed in the fragment (poem) No.1 and No.2, particularly. The selected words or each line's construction is well considered. Her fluent musicality is accomplished.It may be said that this book is valuable enough by these two. Again, her translations perfume exactly as Sappho's.

In the other universeWhere Archimedes survivedTo discover calculus, and the Roman EmpireAccomplished the first moon landingWhere Jesus and Mohammed were never bornAnd children on Alpha CentauriMemorize the Complete Works of SapphoAll nine volumes

I've been hoand to find a really thorough tranpation of Sappho's complete works for a long time. Initially, I was a little sceptical about the price of this text, but the reviews convinced me I should look at it, and I think it was the right decision. The translation is rigorously researched, comprehensiof and sensitive. The beauty and enigma of Sappho's words comes across vividly. I'm normally uncertain about reading texts in translation, but it feels like the author here has thought hard about how to convey as many of the subtleties of the Greek and possible. The controduction, notes and appendix and both accessible and insightful. If I have one reservation, it would be that not every one of the ayor's decisions not to include certain fragments are fully explained. Overall though, this is a beautiful work, and I would highly recommend it to anyone with a love of Sappho's poetry.

Extremely poor value for money - plenty of other scholarships out there for a much better price and content quality.

Sappho's elegant linguistic skills are wasted on tosh content.