Sappho. Translation of the «Tithonus poem» or «Old Age poem»

The Tithonus poem by Sappho (fragment 58)

ὔμμες πεδὰ Μοίσαν ἰ]ο̣κ[ό]λ̣πων κάλα δῶρα, παῖδες,
σπουδάσδετε καὶ τὰ]ν̣ φιλάοιδον λιγύραν χελύνναν·
ἔμοι δ’ ἄπαλον πρίν] π̣οτ̣’ [ἔ]ο̣ντα χρόα γῆρας ἤδη
ἐπέλλαβε, λεῦκαι δ’ ἐγ]ένοντο τρίχες ἐκ μελαίναν·
βάρυς δέ μ’ ὀ [θ]ῦμο̣ς̣ πεπόηται, γόνα δ’ [ο]ὐ φέροισι,
τὰ δή ποτα λαίψηρ’ ἔον ὄρχησθ’ ἴσα νεβρίοισι.
τὰ <μὲν> στεναχίσδω θαμέως· ἀλλὰ τί κεν ποείην;
ἀγήραον ἄνθρωπον ἔοντ’ οὐ δύνατον γένεσθαι.
καὶ γάρ π̣[ο]τ̣α̣ Τίθωνον ἔφαντο βροδόπαχυν Αὔων
ἔρῳ φ̣. . α̣θ̣ε̣ισαν βάμεν’ εἰς ἔσχατα γᾶς φέροισα[ν,
ἔοντα̣ [κ]ά̣λ̣ο̣ν καὶ νέον, ἀλλ’ αὖτον ὔμως ἔμαρψε
χρόνῳ π̣ό̣λ̣ι̣ο̣ν̣ γῆρας, ἔχ̣[ο]ν̣τ̣’ ἀθανάταν ἄκοιτιν.

Girls, pursue the beautiful gifts of the Muses with purple girdle
and the sweet lyre song-loving.
Old age has already consumed my once smooth skin
and my hair has turned from black to white.
My heart has become a burden, my knees no longer bear my body,
once they were as agile in dance as the little fawns.
I often lament this, but what can I do?
Is not possible for a human to be ageless.
For they say Tithonus was carried by the rosy-fingered Dawn,
being love the reason, to the farthest parts of the earth,
He was beautiful and young, yet he was reached
by the gray old age, despite having an immortal wife.

Photo of the Papyrus P.Koeln.inv. 21351+21376 . At the top right the fifth line can be read: βάρυς δέ μ’ ὀ [θ]ῦμο̣ς̣ πεπόηται

References:
Obbink, D (2010): “Sappho Fragment 58-59: Text, Apparatus Criticus, and Translation.” InThe New Sappho on Old Age: Textual and Philosophical Issues. Harvard University Press.
West, M. L. (2005): “The New Sappho.” Zeitschrift Für Papyrologie Und Epigraphik 151: 1–9.


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