POEM OF THE DAY

> Sappho – Fragment 31

(Translation by H.T. Wharton, 1885 – Public Domain)

He seems to me equal to gods, that man

Whoever he is who sits opposite you

And listens close to your sweet speech

And your lovely laughter—

Which, indeed, makes my heart flutter in my breast;

For when I look at you even for a short moment,

I can no longer speak—

My tongue is broken, a thin flame

Runs under my skin,

My eyes see nothing, my ears hum,

Cold sweat bathes me, trembling

Seizes my whole body,

I am paler than grass—

And seem nearly dead.

🧿 Sappho of Lesbos – A Brief Biography

Sappho (c. 630–570 BCE) was an ancient Greek lyric poet from the island of Lesbos, celebrated as one of the greatest poets of antiquity. Revered in her own time as the “Tenth Muse,” her poetry earned admiration for its emotional intimacy, vivid imagery, and musical precision.

She wrote in the Aeolic dialect, and her work was primarily composed to be sung with accompaniment from a lyre—making her a central figure in early lyric poetry. Unlike epic poets like Homer, Sappho focused on personal experience: love, longing, jealousy, beauty, and the fragile nature of human emotion.

Much of her poetry survives only in fragments, preserved on papyri and quoted by later writers. Of the nine volumes of verse reportedly collected in antiquity, only one complete poem (Hymn to Aphrodite) has come down to us intact.

Sappho is especially known for her expressions of love and desire toward women, which is why the term "lesbian" (from Lesbos) and "sapphic" (from Sappho) are associated with same-sex female love today. While scholars debate the exact nature of her relationships, her poetry is undeniably intimate, sensual, and emotionally rich.

She was likely part of an aristocratic circle or thiasos—a community of women engaged in cultural and religious education. Sappho may have been a teacher, mentor, or ceremonial leader within this group.

Her legacy has endured for over two millennia, influencing writers from Catullus and Ovid to Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Marguerite Yourcenar. Even in fragmentary form, her verses continue to move readers with their timeless humanity.