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Tuesday 13 June 2017

Kronos over Bios: Two from the Greek Anthology (Sappho: Epigram 158D / Anacreon: Fragment 395)

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Untitled | by DforDomina

  [Untitled]: photo by Domina Apostolidou, 3 June 2017

Untitled | by DforDomina

  [Untitled]: photo by Domina Apostolidou, 3 June 2017

Untitled | by DforDomina

  [Untitled]: photo by Domina Apostolidou, 3 June 2017

Sappho: Epigram 158D: These are the ashes of Timas

These are the ashes of Timas
who died before she was wed,
and was led
to the dark room of Persephone.
And when she was dead
every girl her own age
cut, with a fresh sharpened blade,
a beautiful lock from her head
to lay on the grave.

Sappho: Epigram 158D (Palatine Anthology), translated by Suzy Q. Groden, in Arion 3/3 (Autumn 1964)


I | by Vasilikos Lukas

I: photo by Lukas Vasilikos, 20 October 2015

Untitled | by Gina Maragoudaki

  [Untitled]: photo by Gina Maragoudaki, 16 May 2014

Untitled | by Gina Maragoudaki

  [Untitled]: photo by Gina Maragoudaki, 10 September 2013

Untitled | by Gina Maragoudaki

  [Elefsina, Attica]: photo by Gina Maragoudaki, 24 February 2013

Untitled | by Gina Maragoudaki

  [Untitled]: photo by Gina Maragoudaki, 5 April 2014

Untitled | by Gina Maragoudaki

  [Untitled]: photo by Gina Maragoudaki, 15 April 2014

Untitled | by Gina Maragoudaki

  [Untitled]: photo by Gina Maragoudaki, 16 June 2014

Untitled | by Sakis Dazanis

  [Tinos, Cyclades]: photo by Sakis Dazanis, 27 November 2016

DSCF26720 | by Xaris P / (Haris P)

  [DSCF26720]: photo by xaris p, 23 January 2015

DSC07562.jpg | by manolis karatarakis

  DSCO7562.jpg: photo by manolis karatarakis, 29 April 2017

DSC07562.jpg | by manolis karatarakis

  DSCO7562.jpg: photo by manolis karatarakis, 29 April 2017

DSC07562.jpg | by manolis karatarakis

  DSCO7562.jpg: photo by manolis karatarakis, 29 April 2017

Anacreon: Fragment 395: He has few hairs, only about the ears

He has few hairs, only about the ears
And those are grey, and fewer remaining years
And those are sad. He has said goodbye
To the last youth. Nobody
Beckons him now but death, the one
Lover from whom there is no moving on.

Anacreon: Fragment 395, translated by David Constantine, in Watching for Dolphins, 1983



Crete, 2015 / IMG_8292 | by dirtyharrry

 Crete, 2015 / IMG_8292: photo by dirtyharrry, 9 December 2015

http://xarisp.com/urban-findings/ | by Xaris P / (Haris P)

[Untitled]: photo by xaris p, 9 January 2016

DSCF28832 | by Xaris P / (Haris P)

DSCF28832: photo by xaris p, 8 November 2016

DSCF30183 | by Xaris P / (Haris P)

DSCF30183: photo by xaris p, 6 March 2016

Untitled | by Kristin Van den Eede

[New York]: photo by Kristin Van den Eede, 13 April 2017

Untitled | by . Lautaro Garcia .
 

 [Rosario, Argentina]: photo by .Lautaro Garcia ., 24 February 2013

Untitled | by Kristin Van den Eede

[New York]: photo by Kristin Van den Eede, 27 May 2017

DSCF30113 | by Xaris P / (Haris P)

DSCF30113: photo by xaris p, 18 April 2016

DSCF30892 | by Xaris P / (Haris P)

DSCF30892: photo by xaris p, 24 June 2016

IMG_20160508_161317 | by Xaris P / (Haris P)

IMG_20160508_161317: photo by xaris p, 9 May 2016

Untitled | by Xaris P / (Haris P)

[Untitled]: photo by xaris p, 13 April 2017

Untitled | by Xaris P / (Haris P)

[Untitled]: photo by xaris p, 28 January 2017

DSCF30264 | by Xaris P / (Haris P)

DSCF30264: photo by xaris p, 3 April 2016

re-edit. | by Xaris P / (Haris P)

re-edit: photo by xaris p, 25 April 2016


IMG_27110 | by Xaris P / (Haris P)

DSCF27110: photo by xaris p, 14 January 2016

File-16-10-2016,-11-22-49 | by Xaris P / (Haris P)

File-16-10-2016,-11-22-49: photo by xaris p, 21 November 2016

6 comments:

tpw said...

Thanks, Tom. Two beautiful little poems, esp. the Sappho Epigram.

Unknown said...

Inconceivably topical. Beautiful. I'm transfixed by your insight day after day.

TC said...

Muchas graçias, Señor tpw.

I love both these poems (and all these photos!)

Pondered putting the Greek in the post, but having done that before, I fear the general reaction would be, as before: "It's all Greek to me".

But breaking it down into the pieces, one can see the poem in the words.

E.g. the Anacreon:

πολιός (ή) όν
grey, grey-ish

μίν

κρότα

φος
temple (of the head)

κάρη τό
head

λευκός ή όν
bright, light; white

χαρίεις εσσα εν
pleasing, lovely

οÙκέτι
no longer, no further

βη
(prime of) youth

πάρα

πάρεστι
be present, be near

γηρα

λέος α ον
old, aged

Ñδούς Ñδόντος
tooth

γλυ

κερός ή όν
sweet

πολλός

πολύς

βίοτος
life; duration of one’s life

χρόνος
time; period, duration

λείπω

λέλειμμαι
pass
to be left (living)

πολλÕς
χρόνος γλυκεροà βιότου οÙκέτι λέλειπται

δι¦ ταàτα
on account of this

¢νασταλύζω
sob, weep

θαμά
often

Τάρταρος
Tartarus

name of underworld holding the Titans, but often used for Hades

δεδοικώς
afraid of

δείδω
fear

'Αΐδης -εω
Hades

δεινός ή όν
fearful, terrible

μυχός
nook, corner
but often also used to refer to underworld regions

¢ργαλέος η ον
painful, troublesome

κάτοδος

κάθ-οδος
descent, way down

ς αÙτÕν

κάτοδος
“the way
down to it”

˜το‹μος (η) ον
ready, prepared

of fate
fixed, certain

impersonal

κατα-βαίνω
go down

¢ναβαίνω
go up, ascend

Sandra said...

belleza increíble...!

TC said...

Tom and Sandra, thanks so much, just saw yours... making an accidental greek comment sandwich, all greek to all señores and señoritas siempre!

Sandra said...

abrazo Tom!