The surprising origins of the word “lesbian” - Diane J. Rayor

Prevodilac: Milenka Okuka Lektor: Ivana Korom

More than 2,500 years ago,

Pre više od 2 500 godina,

one of ancient Greece’s most celebrated popstars and erotic poets

jedna od najcenjenijih antičkih grčkih pop zvezda i erotskih pesnika

enraptured listeners.

je bacala u zanos slušaoce.

In one legend, a prominent Athenian heard his nephew singing one of their songs

Prema legendi, istaknuti Atinjanin je čuo nećaka kako peva njenu pesmu

and enjoyed it so much that he asked the boy to teach it to him—

i toliko mu se svidela da je zatražio od dečaka da ga poduči -

“So that I may learn it and die,” he said.

„Kako bih mogao da je naučim i umrem,” rekao je.

So, who was this revered figure?

Ko je bila ova obožavana figura?

Her name was Sappho.

Zvala se Sapfa.

She lived on the Greek island of Lesbos around 600 BCE.

Živela je na grčkom ostrvu Lezbos oko 600. godine p.n.e.

Like other singer-songwriters of the time,

Poput drugih kantautora iz tog doba,

she sang while playing the lyre,

pevala je svirajući liru,

a stringed instrument from which the term “lyrics” is derived.

žičani instrument iz čijeg imena je izveden termin lirika.

But Sappho lyrics offered a uniquely intimate perspective

Međutim, Sapfini stihovi su nudili osobenu intimnu perspektivu

on love, passion, and longing.

na ljubav, strast i čežnju.

She’s the first on record to combine the words “bitter” and “sweet,” for instance,

Zvanično je prva osoba koja je kombinovala reči „slatko” i „gorko”, na primer,

to describe at once the thrills and devastations of romance.

kako bi opisala istovremeno užitak i užase romanse.

Sappho was an aristocrat thought to have married a man,

Sapfa je bila aristokratkinja i smatra se da je bila udata za muškarca,

though none of her surviving work mentions him.

iako ga nijedno njeno sačuvano delo ne pominje.

It does reference other family as well as festivals,

Pominju se drugi članovi porodice kao i festivali,

colorful clothing, and growing old.

šarena odeća i starenje.

But Sappho is best known for her lyrics about homoerotic desire for women.

Ipak, Sapfa je najpoznatija po stihovima o homoerotičnoj čežnji prema ženama.

In one song, as her female companion departs tearfully, Sappho says,

U jednoj pesmi, dok njena ženska pratilja se bojažljivo oprašta, Sapfa kaže:

“let me remind you / ... the lovely times we shared.”

„dozvoli da te podsetim / ... na krasne trenutke koje smo delile.”

She describes flower garlands, perfumes, “and,” she says,

Opisala je vence cveća, parfeme, „i”, kaže:

“on soft beds / ... you quenched your desire.”

„na mekoj postelji / ... utalila si svoju strast.”

In another, she describes a friend in a distant city,

U drugoj pesmi opisuje prijateljicu u dalekom gradu:

“Pacing far away, her gentle heart devoured by powerful desire,

„Odkoračavši daleko, njeno nežno srce koje progutala je moćna čežnja,

she remembers slender Atthis.”

seća se vitke Atis.”

The word “Lesbian” means someone from Lesbos,

Reč „Lezbejka” označava stanovnicu Lezbosa,

but, because of Sappho, it now also describes a woman who’s gay.

ali zbog Sapfe, ta reč sada opisuje gej ženu.

In ancient Greece, the norm was for everyone to marry and have children.

U antičkoj Grčkoj, standard za sve je bio zasnivanje braka i dobijanje dece.

While men were usually permitted to have homosexual relationships

Dok je muškarcima uglavnom bilo dozvoljeno da imaju homoseksualne odnose

based on their status, women weren’t.

zahvaljujući društvenom statusu, ženama nije.

But it appears that, on Lesbos at this time,

Međutim, čini se da su na Lezbosu u to doba

aristocratic women generally had more freedom.

aristokratske žene oupšteno imale više slobode.

Yet the details of Sappho’s life remain mysterious,

Ipak, detalji o Sapfinom životu ostaju misterija,

partially because only fragments of her poetry survive.

delimično zato što su samo fragmenti njene poezije preživeli.

In ancient times, however, so much of it persisted

U antička vremena, međutim, mnogo toga je bilo očuvano

that it seemed it would last forever.

i činilo se da će trajati večno.

Admirers performed Sappho cover songs and committed her poetry

Obožavatelji su izvodili obrade Sapfinih pesama i beležili su njenu poeziju

to papyrus, parchment, and pottery.

na papirusu, pergamentu i grnčariji.

Three centuries after Sappho’s death,

Tri veka nakon Sapfine smrti,

a Greek author declared that her words would endure

grčki pisac je obznanio da će njene reči da traju

“as long as ships sail from the Nile.”

„dokle god brodovi budu plovili Nilom.”

Another century later,

Još jedan vek kasnije,

the Library of Alexandria housed nine scrolls of her work,

Aleksandrijska biblioteka je čuvala devet svitaka njenog dela,

numbering over 10,000 lines.

koje je brojalo 10 000 stihova.

But natural forces eroded the collection.

Međutim, sile prirode su nagrizle kolekciju.

And monks, tasked with preserving ancient writing,

A monasi zaduženi za čuvanje antičkih spisa

likely neglected or destroyed her work.

najverovatnije su zapostavili ili uništili njena dela.

One 2nd century Christian leader called Sappho

Jedan hrišćanski vođa iz drugog veka je nazvao Sapfu

“a whore who sang about her own licentiousness.”

„kurvom koja peva o sopstvenoj razuzdanosti.”

Later, a Pope and Archbishop ordered her poetry burned.

Kasnije su papa i nadbiskup naredili da se spali njena poezija.

Almost all of it had vanished by the Middle Ages.

I ona je gotovo sva nestala do srednjeg veka.

Then, about a century ago,

Potom, pre oko jednog veka,

people began rediscovering Sappho’s poetry—

ljudi su počeli nanovo da otkrivaju Sapfinu poeziju -

in locations like an ancient Egyptian garbage dump.

na mestima poput drevnih egipatskih smetlišta.

Now, we have around 700 lines,

Sada imamo oko 700 stihova

representing less than 10% of Sappho’s total known work.

koji predstavljaju manje od 10 posto Sapfinog ukupnog poznatog dela.

We only have one complete poem of hers.

Imamo svega jednu njenu čitavu pesmu.

About a dozen others are substantial, but most are mere fragments.

Dobar deo desetak drugih pesama, ali većinom se radi o pukim fragmentima.

New pieces of Sappho’s songs probably will be found.

Novi delovi Sapfinih pesama će verovatno biti otkriveni.

Some may already be sitting in museum archives,

Neki možda već počivaju u arhivima muzeja

to be revealed when technology allows scholars

dok tehnologija omogući akademicima da ih otkriju

to read through scrolls too fragile to unroll.

čitanjem kroz svitke koji su suviše krhki da bi bili razmotani.

What we are currently left with is an incomplete record—

Ono što nam je preostalo je nepotpun zapis -

and many historical rumors.

i mnogo istorijskih tračeva.

Ovid insisted that Sappho fell in love with a ferryman

Ovidije je insistirao da se Sapfa zaljubila u skeledžiju

and, upon being rejected, leapt from a cliff to her death.

i, nakon što ju je odbio, skočila sa litice u smrt.

Another tale asserts that she ran a girls’ school

Druga priča tvrdi da je vodila školu za devojke

and those mentioned in her poems were merely students

i da su one koje pominje u pesmama bile samo njene učenice

for whom she felt platonic affection.

prema kojima je osećala platonsku naklonost.

Current consensus is that these stories,

Trenutno je opšti stav da su priče

which ridicule Sappho or deny her work’s homoeroticism,

koje ismevaju Sapfu ili poriču homoerotičnost njenog dela

are probably all untrue artifacts of misogyny and homophobia.

verovatno neistiniti relikti mizoginije i homofobije.

Despite the distortions of the intervening millennia,

Uprkos izvrtanjima tokom nadolazećih milenijuma,

Sappho’s words reach across time and resonate today.

Sapfine reči putuju kroz vreme i odjekuju i danas.

More than 2,000 years ago, she wrote:

Pre više od 2 000 godina, napisala je:

“I say someone in another time will remember us”

„Kažem da će se neko u nekom drugom vremenu setiti nas.”

And, thankfully, we do.

I srećom, sećamo se.