Sleep, darling
I have a small
daughter called
Cleis, who is
like a golden
flower
I wouldn't
take all of Croesus'
kingdom with love
thrown in, for her
---
Don't ask me what to wear
I have no embroidered
headband from Sardis to
give you, Cleis, such as
I wore
and my mother
always said that in her
day
a purple ribbonlooped in the hair was thought
to be
high style indeed
but we were dark:
a girl
whose hair is yellower than
torchlight should wear no
headdress but fresh flowers
- Sappho, translated by Mary Barnard.