Everyone else is translating it, so why can't I?

[larryhammer]

An old song sung new, if somewhat haltingly. With help from ponies by West and Taaffe and hints from Grist:


Sappho's Old Song

Seize the flower-folded Muses' gifts,
My girls -- the lyre's clear-strung music lifts

But not for me. My tender body's marked
By old age, my hair's turned white from dark,

My heart is heavy, and my knees are gone
That once I danced upon as fleet as fawns.

So I complain; but what else is there -- rage?
For, being human, no, I can't not age.

You have heard how Tithonus had his day:
The rose-armed Dawn loved him, took him away,

Young and handsome then, and yet grey time
Still caught him, aged him in an immortal's house.


---L.

Comments

[nineweaving.livejournal.com]

Nice!

Nine

[j-bluestocking.livejournal.com]

Ahh, it's like scratching an itch -- I felt so dissatisfied after reading the (I suppose) literal translation in the Times.

[larryhammer]

Close to literal, I gather. But see Taaffe's redaction.

---L.

[klwilliams.livejournal.com]

Thanks for doing this. Very nice.

[desayunoencama.livejournal.com]

These people are especially looking for story-length poetry, which made me think of you...

FYI.

###

Shadows of Saturn is a free, bimonthly (6 times yearly) online magazine dedicated to dark science fiction, fantasy, and slipstream stories with horror elements. The ideal Shadows of Saturn story, above all, sets a dark mood. It uses the tools of its genre to weave a tale that ultimately evokes terror or pity, or that leaves the reader feeling uneasy. (This does not necessarily preclude stories that use humor, nor stories that end with hope instead of despair.) Strong plotting and well-developed characters are very important to us. Prose should be literate, but not convoluted. The horror we are interested in is psychological— stories with hacking, slashing, blood, guts, and/or gore will be a very hard sell.


 


Payment:


 


We pay on acceptance 5¢US a word for stories up to 5000 words, and a flat rate of US$250 for stories above that. We prefer stories 2000-4500 words long, but will consider any length from flash to novella. For poetry, we pay a flat rate of US$25 per poem, unless the poem is longer than 500 words, in which case we pay at our short fiction rates. We are very interested in story-length poetry. We buy first, English-language rights to the piece, and the right to publish it exclusively for six months from the date the issue is released. We also buy the right to keep the piece online in our archives for an additional six months after that (for one year in total). We'd like to keep the piece online in our archives indefinitely, but you have the right to remove it any time after the first year of publication.


 


What we don't want:


 


We won't accept submissions electronically, nor will we honor requests for a reply via email under any circumstances. We do not accept "fanfic" for copyright reasons, nor do we accept unsolicited reprints, or simultaneous submissions.


 


Submission Format:


 


Stories and poems should be submitted flat (not folded) in standard manuscript format. Poems should be submitted single-spaced to avoid formatting confusion. Manuscripts should have the author's return address on the first page, along with email address where available. (Email address will be kept 100% confidential, used only for correspondence relating to the manuscript, and never added to any list.) Cover letters are optional, and should be no longer than a few lines. Include a stamped, self-addressed envelope large enough (and with enough US postage or International Reply Coupons) for return of your manuscript with our reply. Alternatively, enclose a letter-sized, stamped self-addressed envelope and we will return only our reply. We make every attempt to reply within two months, but please don't query on the status of your submission until we've had it for at least three. Manuscripts without a return envelope or without proper return postage will be recycled with no reply. If you want confirmation that your manuscript has been received, include a stamped, self-addressed post card, which we will mail immediately upon receipt. We cannot be responsible for lost manuscripts; please do not send originals.


 


Submit Manuscripts (stories and poetry) to:
ATTN: FICTION SUBMISSIONS
SHADOWS OF SATURN
PO BOX 1029
INTERVALE NH 03845-1029
USA

[larryhammer]

I've been thinking about them. All my story-length dark fantasy poems (that is, the one) are out at the moment, but when -- okay, if -- it returns, I'm thinking of trying them.

---L.