Fragment 31

Sappho· 630 BCE – 570 BCE· Greek· 600 BCE

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Fragment 31

Sappho

He seems to me equal to gods, that man, whoever he is, who sits opposite thee and listens near to thy sweet voice and thy lovely laughter; which verily makes the heart in my breast flutter.

For when I glance at thee for a moment, I have no longer power to speak; my tongue is broken, straightway a subtle fire has crept beneath my flesh, with my eyes I see nothing, my ears are buzzing, sweat pours down, a shivering seizes me all over, I am paler than grass, I seem to fall little short of death.

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c. 600 BC. Prose rendering by Henry Thornton Wharton, 1885. · Translated by Henry Thornton Wharton

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