Arts & Sciences
Book XVI, 310: On a Picture of Sappho
Translated by W. R. Paton (1916–18) · From The Greek Anthology (Loeb, vol. V, 1918)
Nature herself, the creative artist, gave thee, painter, the Muse of Mytilene to portray. Her eyes overflow with brightness, and this clearly shows a fancy full of happy images. Her skin, naturally smooth and not too highly coloured (?), reveals her simplicity, and the mingled gaiety and gravity of her face announces the union in her of the Muse and Cypris.
This translation is printed as prose in its source edition.
Cite this poem
MLA
Damocharis. “Book XVI, 310: On a Picture of Sappho.” Translated by W. R. Paton. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/damocharis/3/.
Chicago
Damocharis. “Book XVI, 310: On a Picture of Sappho.” Translated by W. R. Paton. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/damocharis/3/.
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