Constantine P Cavafy
Dangerous Things
Said Myrtias (a Syrian student In Alexandria; in the reign of Augustus Constans and Augustus Constantius; In part a pagan, and in part a christian); “Fortified by theory and study, I shall not fear
Anna Comnena
In the prologue to her Alexiad, Anna Comnena laments her widowhood. Her soul is dizzy. “And with rivers Of tears,” she tells us “I wet My eyes… Alas for the waves” in her life,
But Wise Men Perceive Approaching Things
Because gods perceive future things, men what is happening now, but wise men perceive approaching things. Philostratus, Life of Apollonius of Tyana, VIII, 7. Men know what is happening now. The gods know the
Ionian
Just because we’ve torn their statues down, And cast them from their temples, Doesn’t for a moment mean the gods are dead. Land of Ionia, they love you yet, Their spirits still remember you.
Since Nine O'Clock
Half past twelve. Time has gone by quickly Since nine o’clock when I lit the lamp And sat down here. I’ve been sitting without reading, Without speaking. Completely alone in the house, Whom could
Trojans
Our efforts are those of the unfortunate; Our efforts are like those of the Trojans. Somewhat we succeed; somewhat We regain confidence; and we start To have courage and high hopes. But something always
Manuel Komninos
One dreary September day Emperor Manuel Komninos Felt his death was near. The court astrologers – bribed, of course – went on babbling About how many years he still had to live. But while
Very Seldom
He’s an old man. Used up and bent, Crippled by time and indulgence, He slowly walks along the narrow street. But when he goes inside his house to hide The shambles of his old
He Vows
Every so often he vows to start a better life. But when night comes with her own counsels, With her compromises, and with her promises; But when night comes with her own power Of
The Windows
In these darkened rooms, where I spend Oppresive days, I pace to and fro To find the windows. When a window Opens, it will be a consolation. But the windows cannot be found, or
Remember, Body
Body, remember not only how much you were loved, Not only the beds on which you lay, But also those desires which for you Plainly glowed in the eyes, And trembled in the voice
Those Who Fought For The Achaean League
Valiant are you who fought and fell gloriously; Fearless of those who were everywhere victorious. Blameless, even if Diaeos and Critolaos were at fault. When the Greeks want to boast, “Our nation turns out
According To The Formulas Of Ancient Grecosyrian Magi
“What distillate can be discovered from herbs Of a witching brew,” said an aesthete, “what distillate prepared according To the formulas of ancient Grecosyrian magi Which for a day (if no longer Its potency
An Old Man
At the back of the noisy café Bent over a table sits an old man; A newspaper in front of him, without company. And in the scorn of his miserable old age He ponders
Desires
Like beautiful bodies of the dead who had not grown old And they shut them, with tears, in a magnificent mausoleum, With roses at the head and jasmine at the feet This is what