This is the first installment of a hopefully popular feature offering modern-style versions of romantic Greek lyrics.
Greek poetry is rife with themes of love, religion, politics, war and death.
Lots of it is just plain grim, so sometimes it's not easy to tell which of these topics a given work is about. It was imitated by the first-century Latin poet Catullus, and is one of the most famous of Sappho's beautiful writings. Yet it's not all flowers and balms and sweet island kisses. I know I've been there. As in this case my translation is far from literal, the Greek text is provided for those interested, and is the edition of Marcovich.