Poems and Fragments by Sappho (translated by Stanley Lombardo)
Sappho was a Geek poet who lived 2500 years ago. In her time, and for hundreds of years later, she was considered one of the great poets of her culture. Most of what she wrote is now lost--scholars say that only 10% of her poetry has survived--enough to fill a 65 page book.
Most of what has survived through the millennias are just fragments of poems, and reading her poetry is like looking at ruins--small glimpses of genius, small glimpses at a world that has long vanished.
A lot of Sappho's poems are about all-or-nothing love, the kind of love that makes you go crazy and shine like a star. Her works have been torn to ribbons by time, and yet the intense passion of her words can still reach through even all that, and touch you. (excerpt) (excerpt) (excerpt)(excerpt) (excerpt) (excerpt) (excerpt)
