Constantinos Cavafy HOME

Cavafy's entire work consists of 154 poems acknowledged by himself (Qualified), 37 from his youth in romantic purist who later recanted (disavowed), 75 poems found in his house, ready to be published, and 30 incomplete.

Cavafy

SELECTED POEMS


AS MUCH AS YOU CAN
Even if you can't
live your life
at least try this
as much as you can;
do not humiliate it
into the affinity of the world
into the gestures and the conversations.
Do not humiliate it by bringing it,
by hanging around and exposing it,
to the daily stupity
of the realtions and the interactions,
til it becomes a strange and obtrusive one.

GOD FORSAKES ANTONY
When suddenly, at midnight, you hear
an invisible procession going by
with exquisite music, voices,
don’t mourn your luck that’s failing now,
work gone wrong, your plans
all proving deceptive—don’t mourn them uselessly.
As one long prepared, and graced with courage,
say goodbye to her, the Alexandria that is leaving.
Above all, don’t fool yourself, don’t say
it was a dream, your ears deceived you:
don’t degrade yourself with empty hopes like these.
As one long prepared, and graced with courage,
as is right for you who were given this kind of city,
go firmly to the window
and listen with deep emotion, but not
with the whining, the pleas of a coward;
listen—your final delectation—to the voices,
to the exquisite music of that strange procession,
and say goodbye to her,
to the Alexandria you are losing.

ITHAKA
When you set sail for Ithaca,
full of adventures, full of knowledge.
The Lestrygonians and the Cyclopes,
an angry Poseidon — do not fear.
You will never find such on your path,
if your thoughts remain lofty, and your spirit
and body are touched by a fine emotion.
The Lestrygonians and the Cyclopes,
a savage Poseidon you will not encounter,
if you do not carry them within your spirit,
if your spirit does not place them before you.
Wish for the road to be long.
Many the summer mornings to be when
with what pleasure, what joy
you will enter ports seen for the first time.
Stop at Phoenician markets,
and purchase the fine goods,
nacre and coral, amber and ebony,
and exquisite perfumes of all sorts,
the most delicate fragrances you can find.
To many Egyptian cities you must go,
to learn and learn from the cultivated.
Always keep Ithaca in your mind.
To arrive there is your final destination.
But do not hurry the voyage at all.
It is better for it to last many years,
and when old to rest in the island,
rich with all you have gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaca to offer you wealth.
Ithaca has given you the beautiful journey.
Without her you would not
have set out on the road.
Nothing more does she have to give you.
And if you find her poor,
Ithaca has not deceived you.
Wise as you have become,
with so much experience,
Υou must already have understood
what Ithacas mean.