Ithaca
When
you set out on your journey to Ithaca,
pray
that the road is long,
full
of adventure, full of knowledge.
The
Lestrygonians and the Cyclops,
the
angry Poseidon -- do not fear them:
You
will never find such as these on your path,
if
your thoughts remain lofty, if a fine
emotion
touches your spirit and your body.
The
Lestrygonians and the Cyclops,
the
fierce Poseidon you will never encounter,
if
you do not carry them within your soul,
if
your soul does not set them up before you.
Pray
that the road is long.
That
the summer mornings are many, when,
with
such pleasure, with such joy
you
will enter ports seen for the first time;
stop
at Phoenician markets,
and
purchase fine merchandise,
mother-of-pearl
and coral, amber and ebony,
and
sensual perfumes of all kinds,
as
many sensual perfumes as you can;
visit
many Egyptian cities,
to
learn and learn from scholars.
Always
keep Ithaca in your mind.
To
arrive there is your ultimate goal.
But
do not hurry the voyage at all.
It
is better to let it last for many years;
and
to anchor at the island when you are old,
rich
with all you have gained on the way,
not
expecting that Ithaca will offer you riches.
Ithaca
has given you the beautiful voyage.
Without
her you would have never set out on the road.
She
has nothing more to give you.
And
if you find her poor, Ithaca has not deceived you.
Wise
as you have become, with so much experience,
you
must already have understood what Ithacas mean.
Constantine
P. Cavafy (1911)
Translation
by G. Barbanis |