A review by hissingpotatoes
Sappho: A New Translation of the Complete Works (2nd edition) by Sappho

4.0

The note on translation discusses some of the translator's efforts to balance poetry with literal accuracy to the original Greek language. I wish the book had included the facing Greek. The translations are more on the poetic side than strictly accurate to the literal Greek, making for beautiful modern-sounding poetry. Rayor's vocabulary choices are often visceral and striking. The commentary on each fragment is excellent. I read this translation alongside Anne Carson's 2002 translation (If Not, Winter), and it's very interesting to see how they filled in blanks and translated words differently. The two editions necessarily supplemented each other.