Sappho
Sappho
Sapphowas a Greek lyric poet from the island of Lesbos. She was born sometime between 630 and 612 BCE, and it is said that she died around 570 BCE, but little is known for certain about her life. Sappho's poetry was well-known and greatly admired through much of antiquity, and she was considered one of the canon of nine lyric poets. However, most of her poetry is now lost, and survives only in fragmentary form...
NationalityGreek
ProfessionPoet
immortal command breaths
Although only breath, words which I command are immortal.
writing stronger nerves
May I write words more naked than flesh, stronger than bone, more resilient than sinew, sensitive than nerve.
said
What cannot be said will be wept.
thinking may forget
You may forget but let me tell you this: someone in some future time will think of us
beautiful one-love
Whatever one loves most is beautiful.
done bittersweet limbs
Once again love drives me on, that loosener of limbs, bittersweet creature against which nothing can be done.
beautiful long today
Beauty endures only for as long as it can be seen; goodness, beautiful today, will remain so tomorrow.
remember another-time
Someone, I tell you, in another time will remember us
famous-love eye grace
Stand and face me, my love,and scatter the grace in your eyes.
anger tongue spread
When anger spreads through the breath, guard thy tongue from barking idly.
evil dies judged
Death is an evil; the gods have so judged; had it been good, they would die.
stars moon light
Stars veil their beauty soon / Beside the glorious moon, / When her full silver light / Doth make the whole earth bright.
sexy wind soul
Eros seizes and shakes my very soul like the wind on the mountain shaking ancient oaks.
air delicious mere
Mere air, these words, but delicious to hear.