  I know not what to do: my mind is divided. SAPPHO I KNOW not what to do, my mind is reft: is song’s gift best? is love’s gift loveliest? I know not what to do, now sleep has pressed weight on your eyelids. Shall I break your rest, devouring, eager? is love’s gift best? nay, song’s the loveliest: yet were you lost, what rapture could I take from song? what song were left? I know not what to do: to turn and slake the rage that burns, with my breath burn so shall I turn and take snow in my arms? (is love’s gift best?) yet flake on flake of snow were comfortless, did you lie wondering, wakened yet unawake. Shall I turn and take comfortless snow within my arms? press lips to lips that answer not, press lips to flesh that shudders not nor breaks? Is love’s gift best? shall I turn and slake all the wild longing? O I am eager for you! as the Pleiads shake white light in whiter water so shall I take you? My mind is quite divided, my minds hesitate, I know not what to do: each strives with each as two white wrestlers standing for a match, ready to turn and clutch yet never shake muscle nor nerve nor tendon; so my mind waits to grapple with my mind, yet I lie quiet, I would seem at rest. I know not what to do: strain upon strain, sound surging upon sound makes my brain blind; as a wave-line may wait to fall yet (waiting for its falling) still the wind may take from off its crest, white flake on flake of foam, that rises, seeming to dart and pulse and rend the light, so my mind hesitates quivering yet to break, so my mind hesitates above my mind, listening to song’s delight. I know not what to do: will the sound break, rending the night with rift on rift of rose and scattered light? will the sound break at last as the wave hesitant, or will the whole night pass and I lie listening awake? |
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