Cavafy: Ithaca
March 18, 2004
The following is the poem “Ithaca” by the famous Greek poet Cavafy, in its translation by Rae Dalven, the original Greek, and also with my own horribly-bastardized pronunciation guide for the Greek. Note that the translation is not line-based, which is to say that each line in English does not *exactly* say what is in the same Greek line.
| When you start on your journey to Ithaca, | Σα βγεις στον πηγαιμο για την Ιθακη, | sah vays ston paygaimo geeya tain eeTHAkey |
| then pray that the road is long, | να ευχεσαι να ναι μακρυς ο δρομος, | na euchesai na nay makros o dromos, |
| full of adventure, full of knowledge. | γεματος περιπετειες, γεματος γνωσεισ. | gematos peripetays, gematos no-sis. |
| Do not fear the Lestrygonians | Τους Λαιστρυγονας και τους Κυκλωπας, | twos laistregonas kay twos kooklipass, |
| and the Cyclopes and the angry Poseidon. | τον θυμωμενο Ποσειδωνα μη φοβασαι, | ton themumeno poseiden-ahh may phobasai, |
| You will never meet such as these on your path, | τετοια στον δρομο σου ποτε σου δεν θα βγεις, | tetoya ston dromo sue poetay sue den tha vays, |
| if your thoughts remain lofty, if a | fineαν μεν η σκεψις σου υψηλη, αν εκλεκτηan | men ay skepsis sue waylay, an eklektay |
| emotion touches your body and your spirit. | συγκιvησις το πνευμα και το σωμα σου αγγιζει. | sugkeyvaysis to newma kay to summa sue aggEEzay. |
| You will never meet the Lestrygonians, | Τους Λαιστρυγονας και τους Κυκλωπας, | twos laistregonas kay twos kooklipass, |
| the Cyclopes and the fierce Poseidon, | τον αγριο Ποσειδωνα δεν θα συναντησεις, | ton agrio poseiden-ahh den tha soonantaysays, |
| if you do not carry them within your soul, | αν δεν τους κουβανεις μες στην ψυχη σου, | an den twos koubanays mess stain psueshay sue, |
| if your soul does not raise them up before you. | αν η ψυχη σου δεν τους στηνει εμπρος σου. | An ay psueshay sue den twos staynei empros sue. |