by C. P. Cavafy


Candles

Days yet to come stretch out before us...
like a row of candles, burning brightly
vivacious candles, golden and warm.

The days that have passed fall behind us,
burned-out candles in a dismal row:
those closest at hand still smoking;
cold candles, melted and deformed.

I don’t want to look; their state saddens me;
it saddens me to remember their initial glow.
I look ahead, instead, to my lighted candles.

I don’t want to turn back to see, with horror,
how quickly the dark row of candles has lengthened,
how rapidly the number of dead candles has grown.

 


"Constantine P. Cavafy, also known as Konstantin or Konstantinos Petrou Kavafis, or Kavaphes (Greek Κωνσταντίνος Π. Καβάφης) (April 29, 1863–April 29,1933) was one of the most renowned modern Greek poets. He lived in Alexandria and worked as a journalist and civil servant. In his poetry he examines critically some aspects of Christianity, patriotism, and homosexuality, though he was not always comfortable with his role as a nonconformist. He published 154 poems; dozens more remained incomplete or in sketch form. His most important poetry was written after his fortieth birthday."


Internet source: Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantine_P._Cavafy





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Read 550 times
Written on 2009-03-27 at 21:15

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