198 THE MYTHS OF CREATION: THE GODS
Beautiful birds drew you swiftly
from heaven over the black earth
through the air between
with the rapid flutter of their downy wings.
Swiftly they came and you,
O blessed goddess,
smiling in your immortal beauty asked
what I wished to happen most
in my frenzied heart."Who is it this time you desire
Persuasion entice to your love?
Who, O Sappho, has wronged you?
For if she runs away now,
soon she will follow;
if she rejects your gifts,
she will bring gifts herself;
if she does not now,
soon she will love,
even though she does not wish it."Come to me now too,
free me from my harsh anxieties;
accomplish all that my heart longs for.
You, your very self,
stand with me in my conflict.SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY
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