CP CAVAFY
1863 – 1933
THE CITY
You said: 'I'll go to another land, I'll go to another sea.
Another city will be found, a better one than this.
My every effort is doomed by destiny
and my heart — like a dead man — lies buried.
How long will my mind languish in such decay?
Wherever I turn my eyes, wherever I look,
the blackened ruins of my life I see here,
where so many years I've lived and wasted and ruined.'
Any new lands you will not find; you'll find no other seas.
The city will be following you. In the same streets
you'll wander. And in the same neighbourhoods you'll age,
and in these same houses you will grow grey.
Always in this same city you'll arrive. For elsewhere — do not hope —
there is no ship for you, there is no road.
Just as you've wasted your life here,
in this tiny niche, in the entire world you've ruined it.
from
Poems 1905 – 1915
Translated by
EVANGELOS SACHPEROGLOU
Use the link below to read more poems by Greek poet CP CAVAFY:
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/c-p-cavafy
You might also enjoy:
Poet of the Month 093: HALINA POSWIATOWKSA
Poet of the Month 080: SOPHIA PARNOK
Poet of the Month 068: MASAKO TAKIGUCHI
No comments:
Post a Comment