Anacreon lived in 6th cent B.C. (see info below)
The poem in Ancient Greek:
Ἠρίστησα μέν ίτρίου λεπτοῦ μικρόν ἀποκλάς,
οἴνου δ᾽ἐξέπιον κάδον, νῦν δ´ἁβρῶς ἐρύεσσαν
ψἀλλω πηκτίδα τῇ φίλῃ κωμάζων παιδί ἁβρῇ
Ὦ παῖ παρθένιον βλέπων
δίζημαί σε, σὺ δ' οὐ κλύεις,
οὐκ εἰδὼς, ὅτι τῆς ἐμῆς
ψυχῆς ἡνιοχεύεις.
(D 69, D 4)
Lyrics in contemporary Greek and their English translation:
Γευμάτισα μ᾽ένα μικρό κομμάτι
που έκοψα παστέλι το πρωί.
κι ήπια γεμάτο κάδο από κρασί.
Και τώρα την ερωτική κιθάρα
παίζω γλυκά την τρυφερή
παιδούλα υμνώντας την αγαπημένη.
Κόρη με το παρθενικό το βλέμμα
σ᾽αναζητώ παντού, μα συ σιωπαίνεις
γιατί πως είσαι ίσως δεν ξέρεις
ο κυβερνήτης της ψυχής μου εσύ.
For breakfast I had a small piece
of pasteli, that I cut this morning.
And I drank a full bucket of wine.
And now, the love guitar,
I play gently a hymn to my beloved,
tender little girl.
Oh girl, with the maidenly gaze,
I seek you everywhere, but you remain silent,
because you are most likely unaware,
that is you the governor that rules my soul.
Please note that we provide above translation of the lyrics (from contemporary Greek to English). You may also visit “links” for sources translating the ancient text to English.
Brief info about the poet and the poem:
Anacreon: He was born in the Ionian city of Teos around 572 BC. When the city was threatened by the Persians, the inhabitants settled in Abdira. Anacreon, already a well-known poet of monody, was also invited by Polycrates to Samos. After the assassination of the tyrant in 522 BC. he went to Athens. His poetic aura touches the surface, but with a grace of which he was rightly proud: “charienda men gar ado charienda d’ oida lexai”, he enjoys the wine “without insults”, creating the tradition that he died of suffocation as an old man, swallowing a rotten grape.
The comments on the poets are written by K. Martinides
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