Sappho: A New Translation of the Complete Works

The words of the incomparable Sappho, who lived 2600 years ago, are reborn in these brilliant English translations by Diane J. Rayor, available in superb translations from Ancient Greek. Sappho was a love poet who sang of beauty, whose words from the 5th century BCE miraculously survive in part thanks to admirers who quoted them as examples of great poetic language. And now we have the most complete edition of Sappho to date, including new manuscript finds in this edition. The audio is stupendous, catching the suspense of the poet's erotic longing amid a wealth of perfect details, returning us to the luminescence of daily life on the isle of Lesbos. Unlike 20th century translators who dampen and force their own ideas of what Sappho "might have written", Rayor's translations deliver the power of Sappho's graceful, winged words, a balm for the soul.

Diane Rayor's translations are elegant and thoughtful, and her notes are indispensable additions to the fragments. Having read many other translations of Sappho, I'd say Rayor strikes a beautiful and uncommon balance between literal fidelity to the Greek and lyricism in English. This new edition is, wonderfully, less expensive than the hardcover first edition -- and it includes translations of all of the ever-expanding corpus of Sappho fragments. Plus, it comes with downloadable audio of Kate Reading reciting all of the fragments! Rayor's book is wonderful for those who are new to Sappho and those who want to revisit her work again through the words of a truly sensitive and expert translator.

In general, I don't read other reviews. But honestly, the customer who faulted this book due to the notes and fragments clearly didn't read the notes or the translation! This is the first translation with the newly found FRAGMENTS of poetry! The poetic fragments are just that--fragments. And Rayor's aim--to provide accurate, lyrical translations of all of Sappho's extant work --is beautifully realized. The notes are AMAZING! And essential to fully understanding the work. Overall, this is the best and most accurate and accessible translation out there, with commentary by one of the finest Sappho scholars out there. Buy it now! Or get the audio. Wow.

Beautiful and authentic translations. Unlike the first edition, this one is available in an affordable paperback, and the book itself is tastefully produced and a pleasure to hold. This second edition includes all the latest papyrus finds, which adds more to some poems and introduces new fragments as well. I love that the publisher had a professional reader record all of the poems--available free at the Cambridge Press website.

I found it so intriguing to read Rayor’s note on her translations. Her explanations of the choices she made illustrate how much richness a good translator brings to the text. Her translation brings these ancient words to life in such a lyrical and accessible way, reminding us that the longings of people living 2500 years ago are not so very different from our own.

This is a beautiful translation of all the known fragments of Sappho's poems. To the person that was disappointed because the book had fragments, let it be known that fragments is what remains of this greatest lyric woman poet. This edition of the complete works translation includes the latest found pieces of the poetry of Sappho, with very useful notes providing context for interpretation.

The contents of this book is terrific, but the printing is shoddy. I got it as a gift and it felt cheap and underwhelming. Not what I expected from Cambridge University Press.

I've been looking forward to what Diane Rayor would do with a new edition of her translation of Sappho, and this did not disappoint! Her translations feel vibrant and authentic, and her notes feel indispensable.

Printed by amazon, not by cambridge uni press...

The book was delivered very quickly, faster than I expected. The cover is gorgeous, the contents a loving translation of the Classical Greek to English that keeps the sentiment and emotion at the forefront. Truly excellent addition to my selection of Sappho translations.

The pages curl away from the centre, the covers don't lie flat. Looks like print on demand. A shame, I was looking forward to it.