Sleep, Darling

Sappho

Sleep, darling 
I have a small 
daughter called 
Cleis, who is 
 
like a golden 
flower 
	I wouldn't 
take all 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 ribbon 
looped 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 


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