Alcée de Mytilène citations

“Not in hewn stones, nor in well-fashioned beams,
Not in the noblest of the builder's dreams,
But in courageous men of purpose great,
There is the fortress, there the living State.”

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Alcaeus of Mytilene

"The Bulwark of the State", as translated by James S. Easby-Smith

“Raise a song for her, O Muse!
The violet-crownèd maiden,
And praise her soft throat's changing hues,
Her low voice, laughter-laden. Sing yet again her thousand charms,
Her eyes entrancing splendour,
Her swarthy cheeks and supple arms
And bosom dark and tender. Yea, sing forevermore of her,
My mistress soft-beguiling,
Fairest of all who are, or were,
My Sappho, sweetly-smiling.”

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Alcaeus of Mytilene

"No More for Lycus", as translated by James S. Easby-Smith

“O violet-tressed Sappho chaste,
O maid with honeyed smile!
I fain would tell what is in my breast,
Did shame me not beguile.”

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Alcaeus of Mytilene

"To Sappho", as translated by Walter Petersen