Odysseus, source
Hello dear Steemians! Today I want to share with you one poem that has strongly affected my life and way of seeing things. It is written by greek poet Constantine Cavafy. Since I admire to Greek culture and language, I explored ancient and new greek poetry. I was really happy when I discovered this author. If you like poetry, I strongly recommend you to start reading his poems. Here is the song. Enjoy it!
Ithaka
As you set out for Ithaka
hope the voyage is a long one,
full of adventure, full of discovery.
Laistrygonians and 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 and 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 the voyage is a long one.
May there be many a summer morning when,
with what pleasure, what joy,
you come into harbors seen 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 gather stores of knowledge from their scholars.
Keep Ithaka always in your mind.
Arriving there is what you are destined for.
But do not hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,
so you are old by the time you reach the island,
wealthy with all you have gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaka to make you rich.
Ithaka gave you the marvelous journey.
Without her you would not 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 will have understood by then what these Ithakas mean.
For those who want to listen to recitation on this song, you can do it here. It is recitated by Sir Sean Connery. Music is composed by Vangelis.
WHAT IS ITHAKA?
Not only that Ithaka is Greek island. It is much more than this. It is a place we all dream about, a place where we eventually want to get.
But there is always something on our road to keep us far from Ithaka. There is always something that doesn't let us get there.
The road is hard. Full of enemies. But we have to get there. No matter how the journey is long. No matter how much we wait. Our goal is to never let go. To stay still and brave. But can we do it? According to Cavafy we can. If Ithaka is always on our mind. If we always remember where we should get.
Odysseus and His Men Blind the Cyclops, source
WHAT IF YOU DONT FIND ITHAKA?
That is something that might happen because Ithaka is not something that you have imagined.
Ithaka doesn't matter anymore.
The journey itself matters, your trip to Ithaka, that have given you knowledge.
You have become wise and full of experience.
You dont have to be mad at Ithaka.
Ithaka gave you all it had to give.
Now is time to go on.
I really hope you like this poem and that will continue to read Cavafy!