Diane Rayor and André Lardinois (2023): Sappho: A New Translation of the Complete Works (2 ed.). Cambridge University Press.
xiv, 200pp. 224 fragments.
Deathless Aphrodite on your iridescent throne,
wile-weaving daughter of Zeus, I beg you
not to break my spirit, O Queen,
with pain or sorrow
The best currently-available translation of Sappho. If you are unsure of which translation to get, this is the one to look for. It is the most up-to-date (the first English translation to make use of Camilo Neri’s 2021 edition of Sappho), the translations are clear and accurate, and the notes are helpful and thorough.
The introductory notes are not as long as those in some other translations, but they cover all of the important points: her life; the transmission, loss, and rediscovery of her poetry; her social context. The endnotes on each poem are especially helpful, explaining the main sources for the fragment, giving context that the lay reader might be unaware of, and expanding on specific noteworthy choices in translation.