[4]

SAPPHO. PHAON I.

ECQUID, ut infpecta est studiosæ littera dextræ,
Protinus eft oculis cognita noftra tuis?

An, nifi legiffes auctoris nomina Sapphûs,
Hoc breve nefcires unde movetur opus ?
Forfitan et quare mea fint alterna requiras

Carmina, cum lyricis fim magis apta modis.
Flendus amor meus eft: elegeïa flebile carmen;
Non facit ad lacrymas barbitos ulla meas.
Uror, ut, indomitis ignem exercentibus Euris,
Fertilis accenfis meffibus ardet ager.
Arva Phaon celebrat diverfa Typhoïdos Ætnæ,
Me calor Ætnæo non minor igne coquit.
Nec mihi, difpofitis quae jungam carmina nervis,
Proveniunt; vacuæ carmina mentis opus.
Nec me Pyrrhiades Methymniadefve puellæ,
Nec me Lesbiadum cætera turba juvant.
Vilis Anactorie, vilis mihi candida Cydno:
Non oculis grata eft Atthis, ut ante, meis;

NOTES.

VER. 2] The force of Protinus is loft in the tranflation.

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10

15

VER. 9. Uror, The repetition of "I burn, I burn," and the whole tone of the lines in Pope, are evidently copied from Sir Carr. Scrope's tranflation of this Epiftle:

"I burn, I burn, like kindled fields of corn,

When by the driving winds the flames are born."

Atque

SAPPHO TO PHAON.

SAY, lovely youth, that dost my heart command,
Can Phaon's eyes forget his Sappho's hand?
Must then her name the wretched writer prove,
To thy remembrance loft, as to thy love?
Afk not the cause that I new numbers chufe,
The Lute neglected, and the Lyric mufe;
Love taught my tears in fadder notes to flow,
And tun'd my heart to Elegies of woe..

I burn, I burn, as when through ripen'd corn

5

By driving winds the spreading flames are borne! 10 Phaon to Ætna's fcorching fields retires,

While I confume with more than Etna's fires!
No more my foul a charm in mufic finds;

Mufic has charms alone for peaceful minds.
Soft fcenes of folitude no more can please,

Love enters there, and I'm my own disease.
No more the Lesbian dames my paffion move,.
Once the dear objects of my guilty love;

NOTES.

15

VER. 17. No more] Grofs as thefe allufions are, the images of the original are foftened in the translation.

Atque aliæ centum, quas non fine crimine amavi :
Improbe, multarum quod fuit, unus habes,
Eft in te facies, funt apti lufibus anni,

O facies oculis infidiofa meis!

Sume fidem et pharetram; fies manifeftus Apollo:
Accedant capiti cornua; Bacchus eris.

Et Phœbus Daphnen, et Gnofida Bacchus amavit;
Nec norat lyricos illa, vel illa modos.

At mihi Pegafides blandiffima carmina dictant
Jam canitur toto nomen in orbe meum.
Nec plus Alcæus, confors patriæque lyræque,

Laudis habet, quamvis grandius ille fonet,
Si mihi difficilis formam natura negavit ;

Ingenio formæ damna rependo meæ,

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30

35

Sum brevis; at nomen, quod terras impleat omnes,

Eft mihi; menfuram nominis ipfa fero.

Candida fi non fum, placuit Cepheia Perfeo
Andromede, patriæ fufca colore fuæ :

40

Et

All other loves are loft in only thine,

Ah youth ungrateful to a flame like mine!

20

25

Whom would not all those blooming charms furprize,
Those heav'nly looks, and dear deluding eyes?
The harp and bow would you like Phoebus bear,
A brighter Phoebus Phaon might appear;
Would you with ivy wreath your flowing hair,
Not Bacchus' felf with Phaon could compare :
Yet Phoebus lov'd, and Bacchus felt the flame,
One Daphne warm'd, and one the Cretan dame;
Nymphs that in verse no more could rival me,
Than ev'n those Gods contend in charms with thee. 30
The muses teach me all their softest lays,

And the wide world refounds with Sappho's praise.
Tho' great Alcæus more fublimely fings,

And strikes with bolder rage the founding strings,
No lefs renown attends the moving lyre,
Which Venus tunes, and all her loves inspire;
To me what nature has in charms deny'd,
Is well by wit's more lafting flames fupply'd.
Tho' fhort my ftature, yet my name extends
To heav'n itself, and earth's remotest ends.
Brown as I am, an Ethiopian dame
Inspir'd young

Perfeus with a genʼrous flame;

NOTES.

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40

VER. 26. Not Bacchus' felf] Thefe lines were evidently copied in the famous epigram of Lumine Acon dextro, &c. made on Louis de Maguiron, the favourite of Henry the Third of France, and the beautiful Princefs of Eboli, who was deprived of the fight of one of her eyes:

Blande pure, lumen quod habes, concede forori

Sic tu cæcus Amor, fic erit illa Venus.

Et variis albæ junguntur fæpe columbæ,

Et niger a viridi turtur amatur ave.

Si, nifi

quæ facie poterit te digna videri,

Nulla futura tua eft; nulla futura tua eft, At me cum legeres, etiam formosa videbar;

45.

Unam jurabas ufque decere loqui.

Cantabam, memini (meminerunt omnia amantes)

Ofcula cantanti tu mihi rapta dabas.

50

Hæc quoque laudabas; omnique a parte placebam,

60

Sed tum praecipue, cum fit amoris opus.

Tunc te plus folito lascivia nostra juvabat,
Crebraque mobilitas, aptaque verba joco;
Quique, ubi jam amborum fuerat confufa voluptas,
Plurimus in laffo corpore languor erat.
Nunc tibi Sicelides veniunt nova præda puellæ ;

Quid mihi cum Lesbo? Sicelis effe volo.
At vos erronem tellure remittite noftrum,
Nifiades matres, Nifiadefque nurus.
Neu vos decipiant blandæ mendacia linguæ:
Quæ dicit vobis, dixerat ante mihi.

Tu quoque quæ montes celebras, Erycina, Sicanos,
(Nam tua fum) vati confule, diva tuæ.

NOTES.

65

VER. 49. Cantabam,] Sir Carr. Scrope's translation of this paffage is nearer the original, and more natural, as well as elegant : "For they who truly love, remember all.”

An