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Sappho: Fragments 4 · 4

And you, smiling, asked what ailed me

αἶψα δ᾽ ἐξίκοντο, τὺ δ᾽, ὦ μάκαιρα μειδιάσαισ᾽ ἀθανάτῳ προσώπῳ, ἤρε᾽ ὄττι δηὖτε πέπονθα κὤττι δηὖτε κάλημι,

Word by word

αἶψαaîpsaswiftlyδ᾽d’andἐξίκοντοexíkontothey arrived,τὺtýyouδ᾽d’but,ὦōOμάκαιραmákairablessed oneμειδιάσαισ᾽meidiásais’smilingἀθανάτῳathanátōiwith immortalπροσώπῳprosṓpōiface,ἤρε᾽ḗre’you askedὄττιóttiwhatδηὖτεdēûtethis time againπέπονθαpéponthaI had sufferedκὤττιkṓttiand whyδηὖτεdēûtethis time againκάλημιkálēmiI was calling,

The setting

The goddess arrives and — the poem’s turn — speaks. She smiles, and asks Sappho what is wrong *this time* (δηὖτε, "yet again").

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Sappho: Fragments 4 — The Great Library Project interlinear edition · greatlibraryproject.com/book/sappho-fragments/4/