Editions & Revisions
Structured as a sequence of prose poems, presented in three sections corresponding to different periods of Bilitis’ imagined life: her idyllic youth in a pastoral village, her awakening to sensuality in the city of Mytilene under Sappho’s influence, and her later years as a courtesan in Cyprus. The poems are delicate, introspective, and often quietly erotic, evoking a world of natural beauty, emotional longing, and fleeting pleasures. Louÿs’ style captures a dreamlike, wistful tone that feels both timeless and intimately personal.
Editions Table
Title | Year | ISBN | Cover |
The Songs of Bilitis | 1928 | — | ![]() |
The Songs of Bilitis | 1931 | — | ![]() |
The Songs of Bilitis | 1932 | — | ![]() |
The Songs of Bilitis | 1933 | — | ![]() |
The Songs of Bilitis | 1988 | 9780486256702 | ![]() |
The Songs of Bilitis | 2008 | 9781437536096 | ![]() |
Also appears in: The Collected Works of Pierre Louys | 1951 | — | ![]() |
Also appears in: The Collected Works of Pierre Louys | 1955 | — | ![]() |
Also appears in: The Collected Works of Pierre Louys | 1955 | — | ![]() |