“One of Their Gods When one of them passed through the forum of Seleucia just as night began to fall, young, tall, perfect in his beauty, with the joy of imperishability in his eyes and his aromatic black hair, the… — Constantinos P. Cavafis Copy Share Image
“The Funeral of Sarpedon Zeus is heavy with grief. Sarpedon is dead at Patroclus’ hands and, right now, the son of Menoetius and his Achaeans are setting out to steal the corpse and desecrate it. But Zeus will not allow… — Constantinos P. Cavafis Copy Share Image
“Done Amid fear and suspicion, with startled minds and frightened eyes, we pine and scheme over what steps to take to avoid the certain danger that threatens us so horribly. Yet we are wrong. This was not the danger in store; the portents were false (or we never heard them, or failed to construe them properly). It’s some other disaster,… — Constantinos P. Cavafis Copy Share
“Morning Sea Let me stop right here. Let me, too, have a look at nature: the morning sea and the cloudless sky, both a luminous blue, the yellow shore, all of it beautiful, and in such magnificent light. Let me stop right here. Let me pretend this is actually what I’m seeing (I really did see it, when I first… — Constantinos P. Cavafis Copy Share
“Remember, Body… Body, remember not only how deeply you were loved, not only the many beds where you lay, but also those desires that flashed openly in their eyes or trembled in the voice – and were thwarted by some chance impediment. Now that all of them are locked away in the past, it almost seems as if you surrendered… — Constantinos P. Cavafis Copy Share
“The Footsteps On an ebony bedstead adorned with eagles made of coral, Nero lies deep in sleep – quiet, unconscious, happy: in the prime of his body’s vigour; in the beautiful ardour of his youth. But in the alabaster hall that holds the ancient shrine of the Ahenobarbi, the Lares of his house are anxious. These minor household gods are… — Constantinos P. Cavafis Copy Share
“Old Men’s Souls Within their ancient, decrepit bodies the souls of old men wallow. Poor things, so full of sorrow: how bored with the… — Constantinos P. Cavafis Copy Share Image
“Walls Without reflection, without mercy, without shame, they built strong walls and high, and compassed me about. And now I sit here and consider and despair. My brain is worn with meditating on my fate: I had outside so many things to terminate. Oh! why when they were building did I not beware! But never a sound of building, never… — Constantinos P. Cavafis Copy Share
“The Windows In these dark rooms where I pass such listless days, I wander up and down looking for the windows – when a… — Constantinos P. Cavafis Copy Share Image
“Painted Things I love my work and take pains with it. But today I find the slow pace of composition discouraging. The weather has got into me. It just gets darker and darker. Non-stop wind and rain. I’d rather watch than write. I’m looking at this painting now: it shows a handsome boy lying near a spring, out of breath… — Constantinos P. Cavafis Copy Share
“Return often and take me, beloved sensation, return and take me – when the body’s memory awakens, and old longings pulse again in my… — Constantinos P. Cavafis Copy Share Image
“One of Their Gods When one of them passed through the forum of Seleucia just as night began to fall, young, tall, perfect in… — Constantinos P. Cavafis Copy Share Image
“At least let me now deceive myself with illusions so as not to feel my empty life. And yet I came so close so… — Constantinos P. Cavafis Copy Share Image
“do not hurry the journey at all: better that it lasts for many years and you arrive an old man on the island, rich… — Constantinos P. Cavafis Copy Share Image
