Maid of Athens, ere we part (George Byron)
Encyclopedia
Maid of Athens, ere we part is a poem by Lord Byron, written in 1810 and dedicated to a young girl of Athens
.
Each stanza
of the poem ends with the same Greek
refrain, which Byron translated as "My life, I love you!". It may be viewed as an example of macaronic verse, although it obviously lacks the humorous intent typical of that genre.
the poet declares to be "dying for love of three Greek Girls at Athens", "Teresa, Mariana, and Kattinka", and wrote the poem for her before departing for Istanbul
. On his way back from Turkey
to Morea
, on July 17, 1810, he stayed at Mrs. Macri's house for another ten days. At some point he offered £500 for the girl — an offer which evidently was not accepted.
Byron never met Teresa again. She eventually married James Black (1803-1868) and died impoverished in 1875 in Athens, Greece .
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
.
- Maid of Athens, ere we part,
- Give, oh, give back my heart!
- Or, since that has left my breast,
- Keep it now, and take the rest!
- Hear my vow before I go,
- Ζωή μου, σᾶς ἀγαπῶ.
[...]
Each stanza
Stanza
In poetry, a stanza is a unit within a larger poem. In modern poetry, the term is often equivalent with strophe; in popular vocal music, a stanza is typically referred to as a "verse"...
of the poem ends with the same Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
refrain, which Byron translated as "My life, I love you!". It may be viewed as an example of macaronic verse, although it obviously lacks the humorous intent typical of that genre.
History of the poem
According to C. G. Brouzas , Byron's "Maid of Athens" was born Teresa Macri or Macris in 1797. She was the daughter of Mrs. Tarsia Macri, at whose house Byron lodged briefly in 1809 and in February 1810. Byron apparently fell in love with the 12-year-old girl; in a letter to Henry DruryHenry Drury
Henry Joseph Thomas "Harry" Drury was an English educator, classical scholar, and friend of Lord Byron.Henry Drury was born 27 April 1778, at Harrow, London, the son of Joseph Drury, headmaster of Harrow School....
the poet declares to be "dying for love of three Greek Girls at Athens", "Teresa, Mariana, and Kattinka", and wrote the poem for her before departing for Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
. On his way back from Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
to Morea
Morea
The Morea was the name of the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece during the Middle Ages and the early modern period. It also referred to a Byzantine province in the region, known as the Despotate of Morea.-Origins of the name:...
, on July 17, 1810, he stayed at Mrs. Macri's house for another ten days. At some point he offered £500 for the girl — an offer which evidently was not accepted.
Byron never met Teresa again. She eventually married James Black (1803-1868) and died impoverished in 1875 in Athens, Greece .