That poem was stuck in my head yesterday -- I first came across it in a Modern Greek class over 10 years ago, and bits of the Greek were in a loop in my head.
...i kardhia mou, san nekros, thameni.
I freely admit it's a bummer. But that's Cavafy for you.
For example:
"KERIA" (Candles) Tou mellontos oi meres stekont'emprosta mas The days of our future stand in front of us san mia seira kerakia anamena- like a row of little lit candles -- hrysa, zesta kai zoira kerakia. golden, warm, and lively little candles.
Oi perasmenes meres piso menoun, The days past remain behind us, mia thliveri seira kerion svismenon a mournful line of extinguished candles ta pio konta vgazoun kapnon akomi, the ones nearest are still smoking, krya keria, lyomena kai kyrta. cold candles, melted, and bent.
Den thelo na ta vlepo me lypei i morfi ton I do not want to look at them; their form saddens me, kai me lypei to proto fos ton na thymoumai. and it saddens me to recall their first light. Empros koitazo t'anamena mou keria. I look ahead at my lit candles.
Den thelo na gyriso na mi do kai frixo I do not want to turn back, lest I see and shudder ti grigora pou i skoteini grammi makrainei, at how fast the dark line lengthens, ti grigora pou ta svista keria plithainoun. at how fast the extinguished candles multiply.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2002-04-18 12:04 pm (UTC)big meany.
no subject
Date: 2002-04-19 07:42 am (UTC)That poem was stuck in my head yesterday -- I first came across it in a Modern Greek class over 10 years ago, and bits of the Greek were in a loop in my head.
...i kardhia mou, san nekros, thameni.
I freely admit it's a bummer. But that's Cavafy for you.
For example:
"KERIA" (Candles)
Tou mellontos oi meres stekont'emprosta mas
The days of our future stand in front of us
san mia seira kerakia anamena-
like a row of little lit candles --
hrysa, zesta kai zoira kerakia.
golden, warm, and lively little candles.
Oi perasmenes meres piso menoun,
The days past remain behind us,
mia thliveri seira kerion svismenon
a mournful line of extinguished candles
ta pio konta vgazoun kapnon akomi,
the ones nearest are still smoking,
krya keria, lyomena kai kyrta.
cold candles, melted, and bent.
Den thelo na ta vlepo me lypei i morfi ton
I do not want to look at them; their form saddens me,
kai me lypei to proto fos ton na thymoumai.
and it saddens me to recall their first light.
Empros koitazo t'anamena mou keria.
I look ahead at my lit candles.
Den thelo na gyriso na mi do kai frixo
I do not want to turn back, lest I see and shudder
ti grigora pou i skoteini grammi makrainei,
at how fast the dark line lengthens,
ti grigora pou ta svista keria plithainoun.
at how fast the extinguished candles multiply.