Hymn to Aphrodite and the Ode, when he was composing his vibrant panegyric of the immortal poetess, so that we might now have, in addition to a few fine translations, one from the pen of him in whom shone more brilliantly than in almost any other modern the incandescence of Greek poetic genius. We cannot doubt that that effort would have been crowned with a great measure of success, though in one or two references to Sappho, Swinburne is inclined to extravagance, and Arnold’s criticism of him, already referred to, is justified.
In March 1894 the “Atlantic Monthly” was again the vehicle for an interesting and able article of seven pages, entitled “The Sapphic Secret,” written by Maurice Thompson. This writer incidentally translates many of of the shorter fragments usually literally, but does not attempt the two long lyrics. He emphasizes “the amazing power of Greek words as words,” and says that this is shown “in such a way that phrases like ripe fruit clusters seem bursting with a rich juice of passionate meaning.” He notes also the marvellous “verbal economy” of Sappho, and the comprehensiveness and power of such a word as ἰμερόφωνος. Critical appreciation, not translation, is the purpose of this article. While on the subject of Sappho’s choice of words it is impossible to overlook one fragment:
Ἀμφὶ δὲ ψῦχρον κελάδει δὶ ὔσδων
μαλὶνων αἰθυσσομὲνων δὲ φύλλων
κῶμα καταρρεῖ.
The sound of the words, the repetition of long vowels particularly Ω, the poetic imagery of the whole and the drowsy cadence of the last two words give this fragment a combination of qualities probably not surpassed in any language. To put it into English is difficult, additionally so as it is only a fragment with which we are dealing, but a fairly close translation containing the idea of the original is as follows:
And all around, the cool breeze murmurs, rustling
Through apple branches, while from quivering leaves,
Streams down deep slumber.
