Ithaca
[Under construction 3 June 2005]
Considering its content, it seems fitting that the poem was sent to me by e-mail. Written by Constantine P. Cavafy (1863-1933) in 1911, Ithaca communicates an aspiration I grasp all too rarely and then only fleetingly. The spirit of the poem reminds me of The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran, and also Journey to the East by Herman Hesse. To state a dramatic extreme, each of us will die. If we race through life to our death, and take little notice of the journey, then we miss life and everything on offer to us. At a more prosaic level, I can, if I wish, choose to accept all experience as a gift. With such an attitude, events and circumstances that I might otherwise assess as undesirable can become transformed into an adventure.
· How much notice do you take of journeys?
· In what ways do you avoid taking notice of your journey through life?
· To what extent do you accept experience as a gift?
I am fascinated that David Hockney made some drawings as a response to some of Cavafy's homo-erotic poems. I encountered some of Hockney's drawings at the 1853 Gallery in Saltaire, Yorkshire, UK.
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.
by Constantine Kavafy
