20

It seems to me that man is equal to the gods,

that is, whoever sits opposite you

and, drawing nearer, savours, as you speak,

the sweetness of your voice

and the thrill of your laugh, which have so stirred the heart

in my own breast, that whenever I catch

sight of you, even if for a moment,

then my voice deserts me

and my tongue is struck silent, a delicate fire

suddenly races underneath my skin,

my eyes see nothing, my ears whistle like

the whirling of a top

and sweat pours down me and a trembling creeps over

my whole body, I am greener than grass;†

at such times, I seem to be no more than

a step away from death;

but all can be endured since even a pauper …

*****

† greener than grass: this phrase has caused many scholars a great deal of difficulty. It is often translated as ‘paler than grass’ and thought to refer to the colour draining from the speaker’s face. Greek colour terms are far vaguer than those in English; the adjective chloros could mean both brilliant green and pale yellow. However, it was used to describe the rich colour of foliage and, as Lefkowitz has argued, may well be an echo of the Homeric phrase ‘green fear’ which refers to the warrior’s fear in battle.