Long Cassia Poems

Sappho Translations IV by Michael R. Burch

Sappho, fragment 133
translation by Michael R. Burch

Blushing bride, brimful of rose-petaled love,
brightest jewel of the Goddess of Paphos,
come to the bridal bed,
tenderly entice your bridegroom.
May Hesperus lead you starry-eyed
to...

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Oluwapemi... your name is soft to the ears... your name speaks peace...
Your name is the soothing ointment of the troubled mind
It sounds like the luculent laughter that comes with the dawn when the turbulent Night...

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The Sounds of Summer


I was trying to hear the sounds of Summer,

Which often comes with heat and dust like a hammer,

Suddenly I saw, lots of clouds hanging in the air,

They were covering the Sun, as...

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On my first trip to the outback across the endless plains,
I saw a harsh and hungry land in pastel coloured stains.
There are more secrets out there, than sun and shifting sand -
It would take more...

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You are extreme in beauty
perfected by builders who constructed all
your planking with pine trees from Ivory coast
and made a mast for you out of the combined crafts 
from brown ebony and snake wood. 
Out of...

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A fish drifts in a fresh water aquarium 

The soul of the fish dwell forever in this live suit 

Living on nothing but oxygen, just like we all do 

How’s it to live in an...

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Night falls and the mirror moon illumes the 
heavenly starry skies with gleaming ivory beams.  
Shiny and mellow, a splendrous silver orb, 
the delight of the night sky!

It is the evening of the 15th,...

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Bathed in nectar dew drops, now
the damsel spring stealthily 
tiptoes into the hamlet
with all its strength.

The south breeze plays
fifth symphony on tender new leaves,
flings the grey garment of fugitive winter
on the tether of time.
The red...

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The flame of the forests blushing
In the dewy cool of the morning air.
Peach blossoms hearken  spring’s arrival.
Comes summer, Amaltas golden bells ringing.  

Forget me not, Magnolia’s  lover.
Yesterday today tomorrow’s, bloom.
Together with the...

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Driven by courage and inherent strength;
Dream of worlds vanish, transcending forward.
Wonder-less towards the horizon length,
Vagrant clouds sail with the wind's breath northward.

Dream of worlds vanish, transcending forward
Desert path, mountain valleys enraptured.
Vagrant clouds sail with the...

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A secret admirer sent fresh flowers
Through his good-looking gardener
The girl didn’t really know
That he couldn’t talk so
She kissed him with a “yes” answer.

The gardener pointed at the man
Waiting at the picnic grove’s stand
Making signs of...

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Without the means to take us there, we spread our wings..
Amid imagination and shall one fail as fly ? Revisiting days gone by
A young teen sitting at her mall; tainted, still far from polluted be...

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Among the shadows of the night  

I hear your footsteps  

the scent of jasmine  

on your henna-dyed hair.  

 

I remember how you looked then 

as I ponder upon twilight summers...

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