In my eyes he matches the gods, that man who
sits there facing you-any man whatever-
listening from closeby to the sweetness of your voice as you talk, the

sweetness of your laughter: yes, that-I swear it-
sets the heart to shaking inside my breast,
since once I look at you for a moment, I can’t speak any longer,

but my tongue breaks down, and then all at once a
subtle fire races inside my skin, my
eyes can’t see a thing and a whirring whistle thrums at my hearing,

cold sweat covers me and a trembling takes
ahold of me all over: I’m greener than the
grass is and appear to myself to be little short of dying.

But all must be endured, since even a poor....

--Sappho, translated by Jim Powell

Berkeley’s poetry Walk was laid in October 2003 along Edison Street between Shattuck and Milvia Streets. The route includes 128 metal plates with excerpts from songs, each of which is related in one way or another to the city of Berkeley.

The current sign shows a poem written by the Greek poet (seventh century AD) who lived on the island of Lesbos, parts of her poetry were defined as lesbian poetry