Anactoria Comments

I love Barnard's translations of Sappho. I think they are among the most lucid, deeply affecting poems in the English language.

This is a beautiful poem, but please be aware that it is not an accurate translation. Anactoria is never mentioned in the existing fragment, and the first line (among other things) is a fabrication. The translator has taken the liberty of filling in the missing parts, which is not a problem as long as you don't need to cite it.

One of the most hauntingly beautiful poems ever written. O Sappho. Your words rush over me as the speed of time.