b'.
Dedyke men ha Selana
kai Plêïades, mesai de
nyktes, para d'erchet' ôra;
egô de mona katheudô.
The Annotated Edition
b'. by Sappho
Read aloud in ~1 minOpen reading mode →
The speaker gazes at the moon and the Pleiades disappearing in the deep of night, a reminder of time's gradual flow, culminating in a soft, solitary truth: she is alone.
- Poet
- Sappho
- Themes
- loneliness, love, sorrow
§01Quick summary
What this poem is about
The speaker gazes at the moon and the Pleiades disappearing in the deep of night, a reminder of time's gradual flow, culminating in a soft, solitary truth: she is alone. In just four lines, the poem captures themes of loneliness and yearning — the universe is in motion, while she remains still. This stark contrast between the vibrant sky and the quiet, isolated speaker resonates deeply with emotion.
§02Themes
Recurring themes
§03Line by line
Stanza by stanza, with notes
Dedyke men ha Selana / kai Plêïades, mesai de
Editor's note
The moon (Selana) and the Pleiades star cluster have both set. Sappho begins with the sky as a clock — two of the most familiar lights of the ancient Greek night are gone, signaling that it's well past midnight. In Greek culture, the Pleiades were linked to the sailing season and the changing of the seasons, so their disappearance suggests a subtle reminder of time slipping away.
nyktes, para d'erchet' ôra;
Editor's note
"It’s the middle of the night, and the hours drift by." The word *ôra* translates to 'hour' but also means 'season' or 'the right time' — a significant term in Greek. Time isn’t merely ticking away; it’s the *right* time that’s slipping through our fingers. This line serves as the pivot of the poem: the universe is in motion, fulfilling its purpose.
egô de mona katheudô.
Editor's note
"And I lie alone." This final line hits hard in contrast. Everything else in the poem — the moon, the stars, the hours — is in motion, setting, or passing by. The speaker remains the sole still point, and that stillness brings loneliness. *Mona* (alone) is the emotional heart of the entire fragment. Sappho saves it for last, and it resonates deeply.
§04Tone & mood
How this poem feels
Quiet and aching. There's no drama, no outcry—just a calm, almost straightforward observation of the night sky, followed by a confession of solitude. The restraint makes it profoundly affecting. Sappho relies on the contrast between the shifting cosmos and the still speaker to convey the emotion, and it succeeds beautifully.
§05Symbols & metaphors
Symbols & metaphors
- The Moon (Selana)
- The moon setting marks the arrival of deep night, yet it also takes away a companion from the sky. In Greek lyric poetry, the moon frequently connects to Aphrodite and feminine desire, so its absence subtly highlights the speaker's emotional state.
- The Pleiades
- This star cluster signals the change of seasons and connects with agricultural and maritime cycles—the natural rhythm of life. Their setting enhances the feeling that time and nature are following their usual course, while the speaker feels out of sync.
- The passing hours (ôra)
- The Greek word has two meanings: 'hour' and 'the right season or moment.' Time in this context isn't neutral — it signifies the *right* time, the moment when one shouldn't be alone, fading away without being noticed.
- Lying alone (mona katheudô)
- Sleep and the bed have long represented intimacy. Lying alone in the middle of the night, while the universe continues its flow, makes you feel like the only thing out of place — the one absence in an otherwise whole world.
§06Historical context
Historical context
Sappho lived on the island of Lesbos around 630–570 BCE and is one of the few ancient Greek poets whose work has survived in any significant amount—though mostly in fragments. This poem is one of those fragments, kept alive because a later grammarian quoted it. She wrote in the Aeolic dialect of Greek and used a meter now known as the Sapphic stanza, although this particular fragment is sometimes considered one of her shorter works. Her poems were likely performed, possibly sung to a lyre, within a community of women on Lesbos. Ancient readers held her in the same esteem as Homer. Much of her work has been lost; what we do have often explores themes of desire, longing, and the emotional experiences of women—topics that were quite rare in the male-dominated literary culture of her time. This fragment remains intact and is regarded as one of her most beautifully crafted short pieces.
§07FAQ
Questions readers ask
It’s written in ancient Greek, specifically in the Aeolic dialect that was spoken on the island of Lesbos. What you see here is a transliteration into the Latin alphabet instead of the original Greek script.
It’s just a fragment number or a catalogue label, not a title that Sappho provided. Since much of her work only survives in fragments, scholars rely on numbering systems for identification. This poem doesn’t have an original title.
This is one of the few instances where scholars think the fragment is complete as it is. Its four lines convey a self-contained idea with a clear structure and a satisfying—though painful—ending. It doesn’t feel like it’s been cut off.
In Greek mythology, the Pleiades were seven sisters who were turned into stars. They held significant importance as a constellation: their rising and setting indicated seasonal changes for farmers and sailors. In this poem, they serve as a part of the night sky's clock.
The poem avoids naming anyone. Instead, it captures the feeling of lying awake alone in the middle of the night as time ticks by. It leaves us wondering whether Sappho is waiting for a particular lover or just conveying a broader sense of loneliness. This ambiguity adds to its strength.
The structure is key here. By starting with the moving sky, she creates a contrast: everything else is functioning as it should, gliding through the night in perfect order. The last line, however, reveals that she is the only one who is still, isolated, and out of sync. The cosmos reflects back to her what she longs for.
The Greek word *ôra* translates to both 'hour' and 'the right time' or 'season.' Thus, the line conveys more than just the passage of time — it emphasizes that the *right* time is slipping away. This dual meaning injects a sense of urgency and regret that the straightforward English word 'hour' fails to capture completely.
It aligns perfectly with her main themes: desire, longing, the ache of absence, and women's inner lives. Many of her surviving fragments explore love and loneliness, but few are as succinct and well-structured as this one. It's frequently referenced as a prime example of her ability to convey deep meaning with very few words.
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