Sappho/Carson Antonym
See entry for “April 21″ (below) for process of what’s going on in what I am - for lack of a better term - callling an “antonymical” translation of Ann Carson’s translation of the Sappho.
98.
Against my father
In his folded age
His hands tar purple
Fingers and body so thin
The waves in his silver hair
An emblem to his son
A horse once rode there
A sail – to be more true –
Rippled similar
In the starboard tack
Spangled off the near coast
The City now darkens.
98. (Carson)
]for my mother
in her youth it was a great
ornament if someone had hair
bound with purple-
a very great ornament indeed
But for the one who has hair yellower
than a pinetorch
crowns
of blooming flowers
and just late a headbinder
spangled from Sardis
]cities