Reference address : https://www.ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/modern/cavafy_finished.asp

ELPENOR - Home of the Greek Word

Three Millennia of Greek Literature
 

Cavafy Bilingual Anthology : FINISHED

from Poems 1905-15,  * Translated by Elpenor  * Greek Fonts


ELPENOR EDITIONS IN PRINT

The Original Greek New Testament

N fear and suspicions,

in mind disturbed and frightened eyes,

as we melt down we design how to act

to avoid the danger

the unavoidable thus horribly threatening us.

Yet we err, it isn't this on our way;

false were the messages

(we didn't listen to them or didn't rightly sense).

A different disaster, never imagined,

abrupt, rapid falls upon us,

and unprepared as we are - now no time left - tears us apart.

Τελειωμένα

Μέσα στὸν φόβο καὶ στὲς ὑποψίες,

μὲ ταραγμένο νοῦ καὶ τρομαγμένα μάτια,

λυώνουμε καὶ σχεδιάζουμε τὸ πῶς νὰ κάμουμε

γιὰ ν' ἀποφύγουμε τὸν βέβαιο

τὸν κίνδυνο ποὺ ἔτσι φρικτὰ μᾶς ἀπειλεῖ.

Κι ὅμως λανθάνουμε, δὲν εἶν' αὐτὸς στὸν δρόμο·

ψεύτικα ἦσαν τὰ μηνύματα

(ἢ δὲν τ' ἀκούσαμε, ἢ δὲν τὰ νοιώσαμε καλά).

Ἄλλη καταστροφή, ποὺ δὲν τὴν φανταζόμεθαν,

ἐξαφνική, ραγδαία πέφτει ἐπάνω μας,

κι ἀνέτοιμους - ποῦ πιὰ καιρὸς - μᾶς συνεπαίρνει.


Three Millennia of Greek Literature

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Reference address : https://www.ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/modern/cavafy_finished.asp