Language/Modern-greek-1453/Culture/Ithaca-C.-P.-Cavafy

Ithaka by Constantine P. Cavafy: Greek Original and English Translation

Who is Constantine P. Cavafy?

Welcome to a page dedicated to one of the most celebrated poems by the Greek poet Constantine P. Cavafy, entitled "Ithaka". This page offers both the original Greek text of the poem and its English translation, allowing you to experience the musicality, the rhythm, and the richness of the Greek language, while also understanding the profound message it delivers.

Constantine P. Cavafy (1863 – 1933) is one of the most significant figures in Greek and world literature of the 20th century. He was a cosmopolitan poet, born in Alexandria, Egypt, a city that imbued his work with a unique blend of Greek, Egyptian, and Byzantine influences. His poetry is characterized by a precise use of language, a love of Hellenic culture, a deep understanding of human nature, and a nuanced appreciation of the complexities of the human heart.

The poem "Ithaka" is one of Cavafy's most famous works. Published in 1911, it is often considered a symbolic representation of the journey of life. The poem takes its name from the island home of Odysseus, the hero of Homer's epic poem, the Odyssey. However, in Cavafy's skilled hands, the journey to Ithaka becomes a metaphor for the journey of life itself.

In the poem, Ithaka is the final destination, but it is not the journey's purpose. Cavafy suggests that the true value of life lies in the experiences, the knowledge gained, and the people we meet along the way. He emphasizes that we should savor the journey of life and not be in a rush to reach the end. The poem reflects on life, aging, wisdom, and the nature of the human quest for meaning.

This profound, resonant poem has had a widespread impact, inspiring countless readers, artists, and thinkers around the world. It continues to be cherished for its timeless wisdom and elegant simplicity, and its message remains as relevant today as it was over a century ago. Explore this beautiful poem in both its original Greek and English translation below, and embark on your own personal journey to Ithaka.

Original Version in Greek

Σα βγεις στον πηγαιμό για την Ιθάκη, να εύχεσαι νάναι μακρύς ο δρόμος,

γεμάτος περιπέτειες, γεμάτος γνώσεις.

Τους Λαιστρυγόνας και τους Κύκλωπας,

τον θυμωμένο Ποσειδώνα μη φοβάσαι,

τέτοια στον δρόμο σου ποτέ σου δεν θα βρεις,

αν μεν’ η σκέψις σου υψηλή, αν εκλεκτή συγκίνησις

το πνεύμα και το σώμα σου αγγίζει.

Τους Λαιστρυγόνας και τους Κύκλωπας,

τον άγριο Ποσειδώνα δεν θα συναντήσεις,

αν δεν τους κουβαλείς μες στην ψυχή σου,

αν η ψυχή σου δεν τους στήνει εμπρός σου.

Να εύχεσαι νάναι μακρύς ο δρόμος.

Πολλά τα καλοκαιρινά πρωϊά να είναι

που με τι ευχαρίστησι, με τι χαρά

θα μπαίνεις σε λιμένας πρωτοειδωμένους,

να σταματήσεις σ’ εμπορεία Φοινικικά,

και τες καλές πραγμάτειες ν’ αποκτήσεις,

σεντέφια και κοράλλια, κεχριμπάρια κ’ έβενους,

και ηδονικά μυρωδικά κάθε λογής,

όσο μπορείς πιο άφθονα ηδονικά μυρωδικά,

σε πόλεις Αιγυπτιακές πολλές να πας,

να μάθεις και να μάθεις απ’ τους σπουδασμένους.

Πάντα στον νου σου νάχεις την Ιθάκη.

Το φθάσιμον εκεί ειν’ ο προορισμός σου.

Αλλά μη βιάζεις το ταξείδι διόλου.

Καλλίτερα χρόνια πολλά να διαρκέσει

και γέρος πια ν’ αράξεις στο νησί,

πλούσιος με όσα κέρδισες στο δρόμο,

μη προσδοκώντας πλούτη να σε δώσει η Ιθάκη.

Η Ιθάκη σ’έδωσε τ’ ωραίο ταξείδι.

Χωρίς αυτήν δεν θάβγαινες στον δρόμο.

Άλλα δεν έχει να σε δώσει πια.

Κι αν πτωχική την βρεις, η Ιθάκη δε σε γέλασε.

Έτσι σοφός που έγινες, με τόση πείρα,

ήδη θα το κατάλαβες οι Ιθάκες τι σημαίνουν.

(Κώστας Καβάφης – ΙΘΑΚΗ, 1911)

Translation in English

As you set out for Ithaka,
hope your road is a long one,
full of adventure, full of discovery.

Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
angry Poseidon—don’t be afraid of them:
you’ll never find things like that on your way
as long as you keep your thoughts raised high,
as long as a rare excitement
stirs your spirit and your body.

Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
wild Poseidon—you won’t encounter them
unless you bring them along inside your soul,
unless your soul sets them up in front of you.

Hope your road is a long one.
May there be many summer mornings when,
with what pleasure, what joy,
you enter harbors you’re seeing for the first time;

may you stop at Phoenician trading stations
to buy fine things,
mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
sensual perfume of every kind—
as many sensual perfumes as you can;

and may you visit many Egyptian cities
to learn and go on learning from their scholars.

Keep Ithaka always in your mind.
Arriving there is what you’re destined for.
But don’t hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,
so you’re old by the time you reach the island,
wealthy with all you’ve gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaka to make you rich.

Ithaka gave you the marvelous journey.
Without her you wouldn't have set out.
She has nothing left to give you now.

And if you find her poor, Ithaka won’t have fooled you.
Wise as you will have become, so full of experience,
you’ll have understood by then what these Ithakas mean.

(Constantine P. Cavafy - ITHACA, 1911)

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➡ Marianthi

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