ODYSSEAS ELYTIS

ODYSSEAS ELYTIS HOME
ODYSSEAS ELYTIS IN SIMPLICITY LIES HAPPINESS I can become happy With the simplest things And the smallest Even with the everyday ones of every day. It is sufficient for me that weeks have Sundays It is sufficient that years keep Christmas for their end That winters have dipped in snow stone houses That I know how to discover the hidden bitter herbs in their hiding places. It is sufficient for me that four people love me a lot.. It is sufficient for me for me that I love four people a lot.. That I spend my breaths on them alone; That I am not afraid to remember; That I do not care if they remember me; That I can still cry And I even sing sometimes.. That there is music which fascinates me And scents that enchant me.. AXION ESTI excerpt THE GENESIS I IN THE BEGINNING the light And the first hour when lips still in clay try out the things of the world Green blood and bulbs golden in the earth And the sea, so exquisite in her sleep, spreading unbleached gauze of sky under the carob trees and the great upright palms There alone I faced the world wailing loudly My soul called out for a Signalman and Herald I remember seeing then the three Black Women raising their arms towards the East Their backs gilded, and the cloud slowly fading It was the sun, its axis in me they were leaving behind to the right And plants with other shapes many-rayed, whole, that was calling And the One I really was, the One of many centuries ago the One still verdant in the midst of fire, the One still bound to heaven I could feel coming to bend over my cradle And his voice, like memory become the present, assumed the voice of the trees, of the waves: "Your commandment," said, "is this world he and it is written in your en trails Read and strive and fight" he said "Each to his own weapons" he said And he spread his hands like young novice God creating pain and joy together a First the Seven Axes, drawn with force, pried loose from high up in the battlements, fell to carth as in the great Storm at its zero point when a bird gives forth its fragrance again the blood was homing clean and the monsters were taking on a human shape So very just, the Incomprehensible Afterwards, all the winds of my family arrived as well the boys with puffed-out cheeks and tails green and broad, mermaid-like and others, old men: familiar, ancient shell-skinned, bearded And they parted the cloud in two, and these again into four and what little remained they blew away, chasing it off to the North With broad foot and proudly, the great Tower tread the waters The line of the horizon flashed so visible, so dense and impenetrable THIS the first hymn. II [...] translated by EDMUND KEELEY and GEORGE SAVIDIS

IN SIMPLICITY LIES HAPPINESS

I can become happy
With the simplest things
And the smallest
Even with the everyday ones of every day.
It is sufficient for me that weeks have Sundays
It is sufficient that years keep Christmas for their end
That winters have dipped in snow stone houses
That I know how to discover the hidden bitter herbs in their hiding places.

It is sufficient for me that four people love me a lot..
It is sufficient for me for me that I love four people a lot..
That I spend my breaths on them alone;
That I am not afraid to remember;
That I do not care if they remember me;
That I can still cry
And I even sing sometimes..
That there is music which fascinates me
And scents that enchant me..

AXION ESTI

excerpt

THE GENESIS
I
IN THE BEGINNING the light And the first hour
when lips still in clay
try out the things of the world
Green blood and bulbs golden in the earth
And the sea,
so exquisite in her sleep,
spreading unbleached gauze of sky
under the carob trees and the great upright palms
There alone I faced
the world
wailing loudly
My soul called out for a Signalman and Herald
I remember seeing then
the three Black Women
raising their arms towards the East
Their backs gilded, and the cloud
slowly fading
It was the sun, its axis in me
they were leaving behind
to the right And plants with
other shapes
many-rayed, whole, that was calling
And the One I really was,
the One of many centuries ago
the One still verdant in the midst of fire,
the One still bound to heaven
I could feel coming to bend over my cradle
And his voice, like memory become the present,
assumed the voice of the trees, of the waves:
"Your commandment," said, "is this world
he
and it is written in your en trails
Read and strive and fight" he said
"Each to his own weapons"
he said And he spread his hands like
young novice God
creating pain and joy together
a First the Seven Axes,
drawn with force,
pried loose from high up in the battlements, fell to carth
as in the great Storm
at its zero point
when a bird gives forth
its fragrance again
the blood was homing clean
and the monsters were taking on a human shape
So very just, the Incomprehensible
Afterwards, all the winds of my family
arrived as well the boys with puffed-out cheeks
and tails green and broad, mermaid-like
and others, old men: familiar,
ancient
shell-skinned, bearded
And they parted the cloud in two,
and these again into four and what little remained they blew away,
chasing it off to the North
With broad foot and proudly,
the great Tower tread the waters
The line of the horizon flashed so visible,
so dense and impenetrable
THIS the first hymn.
II

[...]
translated by
EDMUND KEELEY and GEORGE SAVIDIS