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Sappho's Rose

Our English Rose
by Michael R. Burch

for Christine Ena Burch

The rose is—
the ornament of the earth,
the glory of nature,
the archetype of the flowers,
the blush of the meadows,
a lightning flash of beauty.

This is my translation of ancient Greek epigram by Sappho of Lesbos. It was originally titled "Sappho's Rose" before I chose to dedicate it to my mother, Christine Ena Burch, who was born and raised in England. The rose is symbolic of love, compassion, tenderness, faithfulness, grace and passion.



Remembering Not to Call
by Michael R. Burch
 
a villanelle permitting mourning, for my mother, Christine Ena Burch
 
The hardest thing of all,
after telling her everything,
is remembering not to call.
 
Now the phone hanging on the wall
will never announce her ring:
the hardest thing of all
for children, however tall.
 
And the hardest thing this spring
will be remembering not to call
the one who was everything.
 
That the songbirds will nevermore sing
is the hardest thing of all
for those who once listened, in thrall,
and welcomed the message they bring,
since they won’t remember to call.
 
And the hardest thing this fall
will be a number with no one to ring.
 
No, the hardest thing of all
is remembering NOT to call.

Keywords/Tags: Rose, ornament, glory, nature, archetype, flowers, blush, meadows, flash, beauty, beautiful, lightning, light, earth, ancient Greek translation, Attis, Anactoria, Sappho, Lesbos, Greece



SAPPHO'S POEMS FOR ATTIS AND ANACTORIA

Ode to Anactoria or Ode to Attis
Sappho, fragment 94 (Lobel-Page 94 / Voigt 94)
loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

So my Attis has not returned
and thus, let the truth be said,
I wish I were dead...

'Honestly, I just want to die! '
Attis sighed,
shedding heartfelt tears,
inconsolably sad
when she
left me.

'How deeply we have loved,
we two,
Sappho!
Oh,
I really don't want to go! '

I answered her tenderly,
'Go as you must
and be happy,
trust-
ing your remembrance of me,
for you know how much
I loved you.

And if you begin to forget,
please try to recall
all
the heavenly emotions we felt
as with many wreathes of violets,
roses and crocuses
you sat beside me
adorning your delicate neck.

Once garlands had been fashioned of many woven flowers,
with much expensive myrrh
we anointed our bodies like royalty
on soft couches,
then my tender caresses
fulfilled your desire...'

Unfortunately, fragment 94 has several gaps and I have tried to imagine what Sappho might have been saying.

Copyright © Michael Burch | Year Posted 2020

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