Ithaca is a greek island generally identified as the home of Odysseus, whose delayed return to the island is the subject of Homer’s the Odyssey.
As you set out for Ithaca
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 harbours 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 Ithaca 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 Ithaca to make you rich.
Ithaca 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, Ithaca won’t have fooled you.
Wise as you will have become, so full of experience,
you’ll have understood by then this is the meaning of Ithaca.
K. Kavafis, (Greek Κωνσταντίνος Π. Καβάφης) (April 29, 1863 – April 29, 1933)
It’s so wonderful^^
If you like this specific poem (about traveling and reaching a destination in life), I recomend you to read NIKOS KAVADIAS poems. He was a sailor, working in the wireless in merchant ships from the 1930’s to the 1970’s. His poems reflect the true, down to earth experiences, with a sense of hope, imagination and reality. The poems are strong to the heart, but rich in linguistic expressions and feelings. For me his poems are ‘true’, taken out from his life experiences. He was considered underground poet and became known only after his death.
The first few lines of this poem are being used in an advert on TV for a car!!
Breda
Eu já disse aqui antes: é meu poema preferido, deu nome ao meu blog e blá, blá :)
Quando conheci, ainda menina, a trajatória de Odisseu e seu empenho inabalável para voltar para casa, sabia que minha visão das coisas mudaria determinantemente dali por diante.
A tenacidade e a perseverança são sempre favoráveis… e tudo que buscamos, cada qual à sua maneira, é voltar para casa.
Deixo pra ti outra Ítaca, a de Manuel Alegre:
Ítaca estava dentro: era uma luz um rosto um cheiro
a sombra em certas tardes na sala de jantar
ou o teu sorriso debaixo da ameixieira.
Um sítio. Um sítio sagrado algures no tempo.
Um sítio por dentro. Um obscuro ponto
no mapa luminoso
do coração.
Para sempre só teu
para sempre escondido.
Como Ulisses ninguém volta ao que perdeu
como Ulisses não serás reconhecido.
2.
Não vale a pena suportar tanto castigo.
Procuras Ítaca. Mas só há esse procurar.
Onde quer que te encontres está contigo
dentro de ti em casa na distância
onde quer que procures há outro mar
Ítaca é tua própria errância.
Obrigada, Sr. Paulo! Saudações.
I dont believe it…..I was searching for this poem right now in google to post it somewhere in your blog!!!!! And google gave me the poem in your page!!!!AMAZING!!!I was thinking that matches so much with your spirit and that it is a great poem to share with each others!!!! In Greece when we say “Ithaca” we mean in a way “our personal legend”…represents the dream!
This poem is the symbol of the human’s race who gets more wise with his new experiences through the journey of life…there is no end in life…only the desire for action! the experiences help our soul to become wiser…
You start for this journey..long and difficult, you try to be prepared to see what is infrond of you…untill the fear for the unknown journey becomes less and less…
Hi Evi Kyriakou, Εύη Κυριάκου!
LOVE from Cyprus,
Thelma xxx
Dear Paulo and friends
it is one of favorite poems and i want to thank you for posting it.
I would like to share another point of view of Ithaca that is perhaps not well known.
Ionnis Kakridis was one of the most prominent professors of ancient greek literature and one of two people that translated Homer’s poems. In one article of his he wrote that according to other poets of that period, Odysseus soon after he got back to Ithaca started missing adventures, let’s not forget that he spend 10-15 years away from home, Penelope, his son Telemahos and and the meanwhile he met Klipso, Kirki and lived many adventures, he set sail for other destinations.
Some of them claimed to West this time, others don’t defined it but it doesn’t really matter.
Kavafis wrote this poem because he felt it reflected his life. Son of a wealthy family in Egypt, when they bankrupted and to avoid further prosecution by the Egyptians (it was a time with many problems there) they went in England when young Kavafis started writing his first poems in english at first, then to Konstantinopoulis and then back to Egypt. There he worked as a civil servant, a job he never liked. As his heroe Odysseus he also had an Ithaca but the blog perhaps is not suitable for such analysis.
I thinh it is a very possitive message to all that reached Ithaca.
Ithaca is neverending, Ithaca is just a destination and life has many journeys as long as we keep our eyes of the soul open and our heart young.
My road to Ithaca is my road to Arcadia.
But I do not go to this marvelous place for the Treasure. I BRING THE TREASURE in hope to make “Ithaca” rich (yeah, that is Asote’s “Final Fantasy” on the Earth)
Ithaca ,A truly beautiful reflection ,thank you Paulo, I am pleased to be reminded of it again , (recently darling Thelma put it on Facebook and I also enjoyed her many versions and links)
love
Breda
Thank you, dear Breda, for your kind words.
My weakness is: Beauty, in everything!
LOVE,
Thelma xxx
Wonderful poem. Very inspiring. But I wonder about the interpretation of the lines:
“you’ll never find things like that on your way
as long as you keep your thoughts raised high”
and “you won’t encounter them
unless you bring them along inside your soul,
unless your soul sets them up in front of you.”
What do they mean? Is it to say we invite our own troubles? That, if we ‘keep our thoughts raised high’, we will not encounter these difficulties?
Would love to know others’ thoughts.
Dear Lavanya, I think, reading the poem in my language, Greek, that Kavafis pictures the power of our thoughts in our world. We create our cosmos with the power of mind and logos. We carry inside us the ‘good and evil’, the darkness and the light, our DAEMONS. If we send darkness to the Universe the answer is .. darkness. ‘we set them up in front of us’. It is the evil or love, returned back to us .. seven times stronger. If we are Light, our Aura is White and it is our ..shield. It is OURSEVES who have created our DESTINY/KARMA and have come to learn, on our way to Ithaca our .. lessons.
To live life .. alive: The ’sensual perfumes’ means everything that our senses can taste, in order to enrich our inner world. And I .. add: our .. super-senses too!!!
‘These are what we gain on our Way, the Journey, it is our LIFE.
LOVE,
Thelma xxx
p.s. The above is just my … interpretation of the poem, in a metaphysical way. ;-] T.xxx
Ah, that’s a nice explanation, Thelma! Thanks for the wise interpretation. It seemed initially surprising how it says that all the sensual pleasures should be enjoyed here, for Ithaca will give you nothing…reminds me of Paulo’s “Santiago = death” note that he had written a while ago. So, here too, Ithaca is probably death, which is a culmination of our lives.
Are we destined to be torn between: a) what we must accomplish (=arrive at our “Ithaca”), while we are taking the time to: b)achieve the goal=the living/learning to be done. How do we reconcile our inner stress? Because that is my stress! We do not arrive, we live, experience, learn, taste; the arrival is at the end. In a culture that wants you to achieve (today), the journey is disregarded, discounted. Then, I should enjoy the journey even though those around may think that I lack focus; all the while, my inner self smiles because I live/learn/experience,taste? Is that the result of my enlightment? Is that what post-modern life is?
So true and so beautiful! Keep Ithaca Always in my mind. Thank you!
siempre es necesario mantener en nuestra mente la esperanza de un paraiso en la tierra, pero cuando la voluntad humana solamente se dirige en una dirección hace que esta monotnia de la busqueda del placer inmediato, hace a este mundo estresante y efimero, solo el apoyo en el amor a los demas, nos hace comprender la debilidad de los hombres, y el cansancio de su busqueda esteril, los animales parecen enteder mejor que nosotros, como encontrar la felicidad en este mundo.
sunday reflections and as it should be with poetry to takes a few days to put words what string it triggers. A strangely sad one, unsuitable for a hopeful poem. as i woke up this morning a familiar longing ligered around. i thought of Penelope, Odysseus faithful wife who had waited in Ithaka all her life. all her life! Noone tread gently on her dreams. Noone had respected her love, not the gods and not the living. She is just mentioned on the side, in one sentence with the stupid dog that can’t forget it’s Master. Is there any story, any myth or fairytale that cares for Penelope and her sisters? Or is all they have the dust of dreams?
It’s been a long time since I read The Odyssey and The Illiad, and so I don’t remember all of the stories along the way. What I liked about it all, besides all of the adventure, was the way it all came back around, full circle, back to his home and to Penelope, who had her own story going on, night after night, weaving and unraveling her tapestry. Imagine all that was told and untold in her life, and metaphorically in her tapestry, during her husband’s absence. Imagine what her stories were…
You’re a magician!
Please don’t publish a stupid comment like this
but… this time that’s all I want to say
Reading this poem today made me smile. This weekend I was at a “Phoenician trading stations to buy fine things, mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony, sensual perfume of every kind…” I ended up buying an outfit decorated with the Egyptian goddess “Isis”, and spent my money doing just that. I also got information on where to go in order to learn more about old Egyptian teachings.
I also had the most wonderful talk with an old Apache/Cherokee shaman. It was a heartwarming meeting, and I felt as close to him as to my Sami guvllar (shaman)and my wise old man from India. Maybe closer. I am sure I will meet shaman Silverbird again.
And of course, I had a princess sign her book about angels for me. I’m sure she is one of my angels, and maybe I’m one of hers.
My travel to Ithaca is long and full of experiences, good and bad. By the time I’m old (50 years from now?), I will be a very wise woman. :-)
Hi Mari Ann,
What a weekend! Meeting a real Apache/Cherokee shaman and the real angle princess Martha Louise.
Love,
Heart
Kοnstantinos Kavafis is one of the greater poets ever.
I like his poems, very much.
Ithaca,is a poem which we all must have in our minds in order to continue our lifes with optimism and courage.
Here I’m writting another magnificent poem written by K. Kavafis. Εnjoy it!
Waiting for the Barbarians
What are we waiting for, assembled in the forum?
The barbarians are to arrive today.
Why such inaction in the Senate?
Why do the Senators sit and pass no laws?
Because the barbarians are to arrive today.
What laws can the Senators pass any more?
When the barbarians come they will make the laws.
Why did our emperor wake up so early,
and sits at the greatest gate of the city,
on the throne, solemn, wearing the crown?
Because the barbarians are to arrive today.
And the emperor waits to receive
their chief. Indeed he has prepared
to give him a scroll. Therein he inscribed
many titles and names of honor.
Why have our two consuls and the praetors come out
today in their red, embroidered togas;
why do they wear amethyst-studded bracelets,
and rings with brilliant, glittering emeralds;
why are they carrying costly canes today,
wonderfully carved with silver and gold?
Because the barbarians are to arrive today,
and such things dazzle the barbarians.
Why don’t the worthy orators come as always
to make their speeches, to have their say?
Because the barbarians are to arrive today;
and they get bored with eloquence and orations.
Why all of a sudden this unrest
and confusion. (How solemn the faces have become).
Why are the streets and squares clearing quickly,
and all return to their homes, so deep in thought?
Because night is here but the barbarians have not come.
And some people arrived from the borders,
and said that there are no longer any barbarians.
And now what shall become of us without any barbarians?
Those people were some kind of solution.
Constantine P. Cavafy (1904)
Pagona,Thank you for posting this poem : )
Breda
…sensual perfumes….I got a new scarf saying ‘India’ on the label… when I held it up to my face I could remember the smells of Calcutta…I’d like to travel more, till I find more sensual perfumes…Did you hear how some saints smell like sensual perfumes after they have passed away?
What a great way to start Monday morning! First thing to read this morning soon as I opened my eyes. Beautiful, I’ve read this before, but it seems brand new as I read it this morning. God is good!!!
Thank you
Lots of Love and Light
Bright Light Warrior Nika
Este poema lo leí por vez primera en uno de sus libros.. no recuerdo cual.. el zahir?
lo importante, es que le encontré mucho sentido para aplicar a mi vida =)
adiós
Paulo:
Al leer el poema sucede algo en mi, me identifico con el. Es como una respuesta que necesitaba escuchar. Seré como Ulises mantendré a Ithaca en mi mente llegaré hasta allí. Me encanto!.
Gracias.
Luisa
After reading this poem for the first time and now again, I feel like I want to drink ,almost literally :), much knowledge. I believe I’ve started my journey but I find it difficult to move continually and smoothly. Smoothly doesn’t necessarily mean ‘without difficulties’, without my personal Laistrygonians. I just struggle to fight them off and have my path clear. I do not see properly, I mean- with my internal sight. I don’t know whether to prefer a secure and charming home or unknown,and therefore maybe positive,maybe negative alternative. I am searching for a higher dimension in my life but I am starting to be unsure whether it really exists.
This poem embraces my wish perfectly- to set out and REACH Ithaka, rich with experience and ‘life wisdom’. I would be very happy if i managed to make another, very important step in this journey.
Thank you so much for bringing this poem and its message up here!
Mirka
Dear Mirka, I agree, smooth does not mean without difficulties … nor, I’ve found, does “much knowledge” necessarily mean smooth … especially not continually. More than this, I find that obstacles don’t necessarily mean the path to one’s objective is blocked. Obstacles are often indicator’s of the path, something to surmount which, in fact, helps to define the path and the experience of–more than knowledge–wisdom. Please, if you wish, read my dear fried Beth’s comments. I think you’ll enjoy and identify with them.
http://adifferentwayoflookingatthings.blogspot.com/
Go bless!
Queridíssimo Paulo,
Aproveitando a data, deixo um pensamento neste espaço que respeito tanto!
grande abraço, excelente semana!
Chega, em breve, mais um dia 9 de novembro, e com ele, o vigésimo aniversário da queda do muro de Berlim, histórico muro que durante 28 anos, segregou pessoas e dividiu a Alemanha, e o mundo, em capitalista e socialista. A importância desta “comemoração” se iguala à importância de qualquer outra coisa que valha a pena celebrar: tornar vivo na mente e na alma o seu sentido.
Quaisquer tenham sido os motivos políticos que possibilitaram a queda – porque nada no mundo contemporâneo se faz sem justificativa ou benefício político – o resumo da história nos mostra que caiu uma barreira. Barreira física, sólida, imponente, que como todas barreiras se interpõe à homogeneização, à junção, ao acesso.
O muro, claramente expunha diferenças, até então, irreconciliáveis. Deixava visível a todo momento que quem estivesse de um lado automaticamente estaria impedido de estar no outro. Quem acreditasse, ou fosse forçado a acreditar, numa ideologia, estaria descartado para o pensamento contrário. O contrário é o adversário, afinal. Não apenas a oposição, mas o oponente, digno de luta. Não havia espaço para contrários complementares. Talvez hoje, muito timidamente, comece a acontecer um ensaio para a aproximação entre pontas de laços mundo afora. Vagarosos passos de uma marcha que precisará acontecer.
A lentidão é alimentada diariamente, em coisas pequenas, em diferenças pequenas. Sempre que nos contentamos com um entendimento herdado, pseudo-entendimento equivocado. Sempre que execramos outras verdades antes mesmo de serem desveladas por completo. Sempre que nos recusamos a abrir uma porta, ao menos uma janela, para o pensamento novo e perturbador.
Não há de haver grande mal na perturbação. Não há de ser inútil, ou fútil o duelo de idéias. Tudo converge para o engrandecimento de um limite. São elásticos os nossos limites, mas esquecemo-nos disso, ou preferimos ignorar. Nossa mente, um músculo abstrato que é imprescindível treinar.
Se o deixamos em sua zona de conforto, permanecerá flácido, inutilizado de suas imensuráveis potencialidades.
São lamentavelmente raras as vezes em que optamos por deixar cair nossas barreiras. Acomodados sem causa, dissimulamos não saber que as grandes barreiras do mundo são o reflexo aumentado das barreiras íntimas de cada um que se nega a deixar cair muros interiores.
São tamanhas as barreiras ainda fora de nosso alcance! Não nos enganemos, porém, quanto às barreiras que é possível derrubar.
bom dia paulo coelho,
estou escrevendo aqui,por que nao sei onde poderia postar, pois em se tratando de blogs, sou iniciante e nao iniciada…
em primeiro lugar gostaria de dizer que gosto de seus livros e ja li alguns deles. algumas vezes leio o que voce escrevue em jornais e revistas.
Fiquei surpresa quanod recebi junto ocm a edição de caras umlivro em que voce faz uma compilaçao de textos, dentre os quais texto sobre carlos castaneda. segue o conteudo parcial da pagina 96.
” um guerreiro não gasta seuprecioso tempo pensando na opinião dos outros. Conhece pessoas que acham que são importantes, e por causa disso tambem são gordas, arrogantes, e sem flexibilidade.”
diante da minha surpresa ao ler que uma pessoa e gorda por que se acha importante, só posso imaginar que: carlos castaneda nao foi bem traduzido; ou a revisão dolivro nao foi bem feita.
caso tenha realmente escrito isso, penso que o mesmo naõ deveria constar em uma compilação d etextos com assinatura do Nobre escritor Paulo COelho pois, afinal, isso é preconceituoso, arrogante e ignorante. Solicito retratação, pessoas que tem obesidade tme uma doença e nao arrogancia.
After teaching the text of The Odyssey to students for years, this poem has always been one of my favorites. When I teach The Alchemist, I often refer my students back to their earlier experience with The Odyssey for the example of how long and hard Odysseus fought for his return to his homeland, his wife, and his child.
In the lines, “Keep Ithaca 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” one could easily replace Ithaca, arguably Odysseus’ Personal Legend, with whatever ones Personal Legend is and see the wisdom of the sentiment “arriving there is what you’re destined for…don’t hurry…better if it lasts for years…”
Odysseus was waylaid many times and seemingly far from his goal on many occasions…his pride cost the lives of his men, his ship, and put him in a battle of wills against the God of the Sea. He even lost track of time (with Circe) for years, and yet once he was aware of how far off his course he’d become, he used every resource at his disposal (It helps when Athena has your back) to get back to his original plan.
That being said, Odysseus is a great example of someone, more like us than we might think, who achieves his ultimate goal. Sometimes we have to fight for it just as hard and long as he did to achieve the thing our hearts most desire. As flawed as he was, and as old as Homer’s epic may be, Odysseus is just a metaphor for everyman(and woman) with a goal that seems far of in the distance and a lifetime to get there. Gotta love classic literature! Thanks for the poem on think on, Paulo!!!
Hello Paulo and thank you very much of your reflexion of Sunday :) I read this evening this beautiful poem and it’s perfect for my tomorrow. It does good to me to read it and gives me of the strength not to doubt too much and continue to advance in my project. Thank you…thank you…thank you…:))
Light & Love,
H Ιθάκη είναι ένα υπέροχο νησί στα Επτάνησα με καταγάλανα νερά. Είναι η πατρίδα του Οδυσσέα του ήρωα της αοδύσσειας του Όμήρου. Του αρχαίου ποιητή που τα έπη του απαγγείλαν οι ραψωδοι στην αρχαία Ελλάδα μέσα στα παλάτια. Από αυτόν εμπνευσμένος κιο μεγάλος μας ποιητής Καβάφης έγραψε την Ιθάκη ένα υπέροχο ποίημα. Στον δρόμο για την Ιθάκη μη φοβηθείς…μάζεψε όσες εμπειρίες μπορείς…
As Greek is Greek for me, I hope you are not insulting each other…
It would be an insult to write insults in this topic!!
And we are warriors of light, so our footsteps are kind and gentle.. or at least try ..
Traslation for anyone who want to understand Greek !- it is about Ithaca :
‘Ithaca is a beautiful island in the Ionian islands with waters crystal clear. It is the homeland of Odysseus, the hero of Homer’s Odysseia. Of the ancient poet, whose poems recited the rhapsodes in ancient Greece through the palaces. And he inspired our great poet Cavafy writing this a lovely poem Ithaca. On the way to Ithaca do not be afraid … collect as much experiences as you can ..’
Maybe Paulo, you should visit Ithaca some time in the future :D
Annie, Thanks for the translation. It is nice to get a true translation.
I don’t have the reflex at the moment. Sunday is not a good day for me.
I will reflect upon it a bit later as the week progresses.
It is amazing I only read it today… And it again placed me (or its better to say) threw me back into the present moment. Thank you :)
It´s a wonderful poem :-)
love Jessica
Precioso poema Paulo me evoca una emoción inexplicable debe ser la de pensar en Ulisses en pensar en su deseo él no sólo quería llegar a Ithaca por llegar él sabía que allí encontraría a Penélope la mujer que siempre lo había esperado.
Un beso.
I first read the poem on your WOL letter, I think :)
I have posted it on my blog as well, because it is one of the most inspiring and dearest texts I have read. Thank you, Paulo!
Thank you, Paulo.
Ahhhhh, Ithaca :-) She created us to be loved and give our love to each other. May all of her Gods and Goddesses be there to greet you with their illuminating love when you return.
Love, peace and warm light to everyone,
Lainee
Este poema es uno de mis favoritos porque habla precisamente de lo que yo no hago en mi vida y me gustaría hacer.
Gracias Paulo por recordarlo.
Paulo,
hemosa poesía,,, y cuanta verdad,, soy de las que pienso,,, que donde quiera que sea el lugar a donde VAMOS a llegar,,,, lo IMPORTANTE es difrutar de cada detalle del camino,,,( de las cosas lindas y de las q no lo son tanto,, xq en esas …como dicen x ahi, es en las que debemos “abrir las ventanas de la inteligencia”)
Como siempre,, una excelente eleccion,,para recordarnos siempre por donde es bueno intentar seguir,,,,
ademas del poema,, Grecia es hermosa!! conoci varias partecitas de ella,, asi q felicidades a todos los q alli viven,,,,
Paula
Kavafis is an angel.
And Seferis … archangel?
Μπράβο που το δημοσίευσες και στη μητρική του γλώσσα!
I am really excited that you posted a poet of Kavafis. This shows how sophisticated and thirsty for knowledge you are, Mr. Coelho; you never stop discovering yourself and learning new things. You also show how much you appreciate old writers and poets. By the way, i would like to send you an open invitation to visit our beautiful country, Greece, unless you have already been here. In the last case, you can always come and visit whenever you want! Keep inspiring us!
Best regards,
Manos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbHxaxFTxJw&feature=related
Zorba the GREEK!
LOVE,
Thelma xxx
yes, Mamma, lead the way!
bring it on!!! Life is a celebration! let’s dance!!
Love and Graditude
Swannie
thanks for the reminder..
“Basil asks: are you married? Zorba: ” I am not a man; stupid! I am a man, so I’m married: wife, children, house, everything, the full catastrophe! Basil: What happened? ” Don’t make me talk” . . .
– from the movie Zorba
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AzpHvLWFUM&feature=related
(btw, if anyone interested, the quote inspired Jon Kabat-Zinn to a good book about meditation with the title “Full Catastrophe
Living….:-)
I have Ithaca in a document on my desktop. I saved it when I first read it from this blog. Each time it shows up I read it again and I find it changes slightly but the feeling I get after reading is always the same.
Did the Warrior of Light forum already reach Ithaca then…? ;)
Oops, I apologize dear Paulo & Suphi… I just saw the new WOL Community button to the right of this page… sorry… Love, Paul
Thank you dearest Paul; now we will not have to .. search for it!!
LOVE,
Thelma xxx
very inspiring!
I am going to post some of my favorite poems on my site,
thank you
Alla
http://www.allasobirova.com
I love that text very much, and it touches my soul so deeply, it gets tears to my eyes. Though I guess some heroes had(ve) to brave “Laistrygonians, Cyclops, angry Poseidon” and more, because not all people deliberatly learn their soul how to avoid them. And we also need(ed) those latters.
Now I can understand that text is metaphorical. Of course it’s better to put ourself in a detached way, appreciating all paths of our feet, until the arrival.
But it may be a lure to believe, we’ll be enough enlightened, and that, at each second, to only meet mermaids and fairies. This for those who decide to really walk the road of Ithaca, (that’s invisible now).
We can indeed only see in our present dimension and lie to ourself, or find the ancient way to Mu, Uighur, Atlantis, … that are now submerged by the oceans, or else hidden by another magnetism and truncated words, it would need a high degree of detachment to reach.
At the least, by stealing the Human History, Humans left some truths to us, to piece our story together again. I don’t blame them for having hiding the truth, and put a so-called missing link, which falls immediately when we accept all myths were true.
That’s my road to Ithaca: the truth.
If Jesus hadn’t tell that “the truth will set me free”, I won’t find myself excuses to talk about all that, and wouldn’t be so persistent. But he did, and with him, so many other wise ancient people, and so many scriptures on old temples and lieus of reverence.
If we have to find a truth, it is then that one had lied to us, or else, what’s the necessity of such a phrase?
Have a lovely sunday Paulo.
My all time favorite:
Where do I begin to tell the story of how great a love can be
The sweet love story that is older than the sea
The simple truth about the love she brings to me
Where do I start?
With her first hello she gave a meaning to this empty world of mine
There’d never be another love, another time
She came into my life and made the living fine
She fills my heart
She fills my heart with many special things
With angel songs, with wild imaginings
She fills my soul with so much love
That any where I go I’m never lonely
With her along, who could be lonely
I reach for her hand, it’s always there
How long does it last?
Can love be measured by the hours in a day
I have no answers now, but this much I can say
I know I’ll need her till the stars all burn away
And she’ll be there
She fills my heart with many special things
With angel songs, with wild imaginings
She fills my soul with so much love
That any where I go I’m never lonely
With her along, who could be lonely
I reach for her hand, it’s always there
How long does it last?
Can love be measured by the hours in a day
I have no answers now, but this much I can say
I know I’ll need her till the stars all burn away
And she’ll be there
She’ll be there….
To encounter Laistrygonians, Cyclops and wild poseidon are quite a worthwhile experiences – if you have managed to defeat them.
I love this poem!
Or if You finally realise that we ourselves often create them.
Btw, not turning to You as a person, but generalizing about the society over all.
All best,
L.
Thank you Paulo!!!!!!
Now I rememeber the tweet of yours, that despite our failure we will become what we are (destined to become)..
“keep Ithaca always in your mind.
Arriving there is what you’re destined for.”
<3
this
“Laistrygonians and Cyclops,
wild Poseidon-you won’t encounter them
unless you bring them along inside your soul,” is a great truth!
With so much Love and Graditude
Annie
Sempre achei este poema (antes que voce o pusiera no O Zahir, nao é?) de motivacao…como que Odisseo tinha sua meta bem clara: ele queria voltar na Itaca. Aconteceram muitas coisas, mas Ele (nos) tinha (temos que ter) a Itaca sempre na sua (nossa) cabeca…A viagem, o caminho faz te crescer, nao importa se o lugar nao é como voce achava na sua mente…Depois de le-lo no seu livro, também entendì esta outra perspectiva, o do universo para nos…
Gosto demais da Itaca!!!
Wonderful…Just I needed these lines.
I love Ulyse too, I have read the book of his adventures, and I found him such an great character. But that poem is possible to be read in many ways, and one tells us about the importance of the road, that make us grew and also the lines gave to the wanderer courage, in an amazing way. Thanks for sharing
Love
Alexandra
Thank you for sharing this poem again.
I really love it.
As I embark on my move to Spain, this was a poignant reminder that we all have an Ithaca. It really is about the journey, and I’m so looking forward to continuing mine.
As usual I have sat an tried to digest information in order to respond with a clear thought.
Hmm, I’m not sure that in this case I feel clear at all.
Yes it’s true rushing head first without thought can create a negative reaction, I feel that reaching the age of 45 and wishing for things but never having the follow through because of fear, it is hard to temper the urgency I feel.
So while experience is always restraining my actions I feel like I am chomping at the bit for action. Does that make sense?
Or am I missing the point of the journey?
much love
Gill x x
O melhor da viagem é não chegar. Abaixo um complemento perfeito
…………………………
Ulisses em Ítaca, vivo ausente.
Talvez seja resíduo de viagem,
mas é tão pouco minha esta paisagem
que só posso estar longe desta gente:
Se foi minha, cortaram-na tão rente
que a memória mudou toda a folhagem –
Falávamos idêntica linguagem –
Falo agora linguagem diferente:
Vivo em Ítaca ausente: minha fronte
alargou-se, meus olhos são maiores,
e na memória trago outros países:
Contudo, já foi meu este horizonte,
já fui jovem aqui: olho arredores,
e vejo Ítaca ao longe, sem raízes.
Ulisses de Otavio Mora:
I would like to add the poem in greek as it is written by the poet:
ΚΩΝ/ΝΟΣ ΚΑΒΑΦΗΣ – ΙΘΑΚΗ (1911)
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 κουβανείς 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.
Obrigado
Thank you eleni and thank you paolo,
it is a beautifull poem and seeing it in greek reminds me of some island on my journey – when eleni read beautifull greek poems to me – and I did not understand a word, but everything…
… my heart smiles and I hope eleni in my heart and thoughts has a smiling heart too…
Thanks :-)
bernd
I am sure she does.. :)
Thank you for the gift of this poem. I did not know of it and I will now share it with all of my Classes :)
It surprised me how long ago this poem was written. I thought humanity discovered this knowledge much more recently. But that just shows what an early stage of the journey I am at.
Propelled by light,
Starry
With respects
WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE
words and music by Pete Seeger
Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the flowers gone?
Girls have picked them every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?
Where have all the young girls gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the young girls gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the young girls gone?
Taken husbands every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?
Where have all the young men gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the young men gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the young men gone?
Gone for soldiers every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Gone to graveyards every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?
Where have all the graveyards gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the graveyards gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the graveyards gone?
Covered with flowers every one
When will we ever learn?
When will we ever learn?
Beautiful, Catherine, like you! Thank you!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n3n2Ox4Yfk
Ithaca.
I am so proud for beeing .. Greek.
Enjoy the Journey.
LOVE,
Thelma xxx
Ohh, dear Thelma, was amazing! Now I can say I have a great evening, seeing such a beautiful video. More I read and hear the poem , more I love it.
Ditto!!
Every time I see this video posted in the blog, I only have one thought in my mind
that this world we live in is a stupendous one, a magnificent one..
We are lucky to be here in this time , even if we don’t realise it..
Love and Graditude
Annie
Sí thougths Annie hermoso.
Kises para ti
Querida Rosa, muchos, muchos besos para ti <3
Usted hacer este mundo más maravilloso, gracias por estar
You can be proud Darling! Thanks to Greeks we could have preserved one of the oldest of ancient teaching of the Earth.
You’re not without knowing that all greek astronomers, philosophers, … had their classes in Egypt. Me, I would be proud to be an egyptian, but I’m just french. :)
By remembrance only Aristote recognized that the “genie grec” was in fact all straight coming from what europeans stole in Egypt, from the floor to the sky…
But I guess they don’t teach this at school in your country, neither in mine.
Have a beautiful sunday.
Love,
Catherine.
It seems, dear Catherine Martinez, that you do not know much about Greece, the Greek philosophy, Homer etc.; not even the .. spelling of the name of .. Aristotle!! I am sure, that you do not know either that the Gospel is written in Greek!
Anyway, you may … be a fan of .. Egypt, but as YOU SAY, ‘you are just french.., with .. Spanish roots. ;-]
Anyway, today I was referring about Homer and Odyssey and … Constantinos Kavafis and Vangelis- who are appreciated by Paulo Coelho- and all of them ARE Greeks! Well Constantinos Kavafis has lived in Alexandria, if this may give you a … satisfaction.
LOVE,
Thelma xxx
Dear Thelma,
:) Pardon me to forget a “l” to Aristotle, indeed I wrote his name in my mother language. That does not make your argumentation. You make me smile to think you could remind me that the gospels are written in greek. In theology, we never read only one book, just to be proud it is from our mother language, but we compare it to ancient ones, and as a matter of history, we can’t compel without (that’s the spell…) main pieces archeologists and researchers have always used in their demonstrations. I want to say: The Royal Canon of Turin, the Palermo Stone, l’Aegyptiaca of Manethon related by the armenian version of Eusebe, etc.
The problem is that in the state of human we are now, we stop the history to the greeks and the religion to the Gospels, but read the “Rig Veda” or the “Popol Vuh” if you have some minutes and you will see from where our gospels’s tales are from… :) It does not take out some true beautiful precepts of them, but I think it’s time to open our eyes a bit.
I suggest you to read this: You may know Diodore of Sicily (Διόδωρος)?
He wrote about what I told you, but maybe you never read about, or your teachers forgot to mention it..?
From Solon (640-559 B.C.) to Galien (+131-210) all illustrious greeks spent from 4 to 30 years in Egypt. Yes you read well: 30 years, And the Library of Alexandria’s fundations were built only in 300 B.C. Pythagóras, Dêmókritos, Ἱπποκράτης, Plátôn, Eratosthénês, are those who spent the most time over there.
In fact, all this can’t tell you anything if not compared with other great dates, so consider The 42 books of Thot (that remains among many others) are dating about 30000 B.C…
I’m sorry to be unpolitically correct, but is that not what we are learning here?
As for an example: Thales who spent 4 years in Egypt predicted with a meticulous precision the solar eclipse of the 28th may in 585, and became instantaneously famous in all Greece. How did he do? He also fixed the raise of the pleiads 25 days after the Spring’s equinox. But Pline told this indication is right for a much more Southern latitude: in Egypt! For Millet, Thales must have counted 45 days. Here is so Thales taken red-handed of imposture. He couldn’t even transpose astronomic stellar datas only valid for Egypt! However it is here an elementary problem…
It’s from him that the stars are seen as natural forces, when Homere and Hesiode saw Gods…
“Orientals knew for a long time the phenomenon of solar eclipse, but the chaldeans Priests had presented them as God’s Punishment. Thales of Milet destroyed that point of view and underlined the periodicity of the phenomenon. (Where did he learn this?) Boldly, (and after his egyptian trip), he freed himself from the Myth and from the theology to give a natural explanation, physical of the world..” K.Meyer.
And when the enlightened priests of Egypt have all disappeared, by death or murderers, what became about all the Grandeur of Greece? Why did it dry up suddendly?
In arts, any specialists could tell you that the first Doric temple couldn’t be born in one day, but came from the mycenian art, also imspired by High-Egypt…
We always learn from someone, but we often pretend to learn from nowhere, just to have the glory of it.
As for myself I learnt a lot from the Professor Louis Claude Vincent, that, even dead, is my best teacher.
Pythagóras’s theorem was known by the Sumerian 1500 years before him… but also by the Chinese, and the Egyptians. The story tells he made a sacrifice to the Muses, that inspired him… He also visited Hindoustan, where he learnt dietetic from the Brahmans, that kept the scripting memory of his passage until today…
He did not dare to edit about the Earth’s rotation and its revolution around the sun, but asked his disciple Philodaüs to do, that has to flee the country after his revelations, to avoid the anger of the crowd… Don’t you think that instructed People would have acted like this?
I could write to you similar plagiarism from each of illustrious names of Greece, and I guess you may spend hours of reading to know about. By an example, Eratosthénês made a mistake in putting Syene and Alexandria on the same meridian. He also made a mistake in evaluating only 5000 “stades” the distance between the two towns, if the measure he used contained 300 times the cubit of the nilometer from Elephantine, as we could think it was. So the two mistakes would have been corrected themselves, that would put us to believe that this “astronomer” only reproduced a measure formerly executed. But viable before the Flood…
So funny to find true results, with false datas…
Much later, Descartes drew his Knowledge from the Dutch Libraries, full of 100 000 pieces of work, all coming from the Spanish and Arabic lootings. That’s why I’m not to be proud to be this or that. And I hope you’ll find a best attitude to answer me with based arguments, rather than teasing about my origins and spelling… Me, I have many other examples, about the greek pillage. And I’m not a fan of Egypt. I’m a fan of all ancient civilizations that learned first from “God”, and had not the pretention to remove their Knowledge from their own brain…
Age does not mean a thing for the soul. I hope you’ll consider I know a bit about your origins now.
Many Thanks to permit me to write this.
Catherine.
Dear Thelma and Catherine, I have not understood if you tease or you ‘fight’, but please let them do not get upset! either of you! <3
it is not a contest here about civilizations!! SO do not hang on words.. they can be really tricky… so instead of hanging from them , let them fall down… they will break our egos…
LOVE!
Love and Graditude
Annie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGitmYl6U90&feature=related
Acropolis, by Costas Gavras.
Thank you Annie and Paul. I love you, my beauties, so much.
Dear Catherine, after all older civilizations were destroyed because of ..ARROGANCE! The Greeks were the first to have DEMOCRACY.
Because knowledge and power has to walk ‘hand in hand’ with WISDOM: BALANCE and HARMONY. ‘Know Thyself’
LOVE,
Thelma xxx
Quote “I’m sorry to be unpolitically correct, but is that not what we are learning here?” Unquote
You surely mean… Politically Incorrect? … and Catherine dear, the tone is of paramount importance if one is to achieve a peaceful conclusion to any given dialogue… It is music to our ears…
Salutations, Paul
Well what can I say to that, the tone was definately of battle, why? Are we not here to extend our hands and expand our knowledge of each other ‘the past is the past’ learn from it.
Much love
Gill x x
Thank you dear Annie Thelma Paul and Gill,
We are not here to battle indeed, and so I apologized in “pop artists”.
Again, Thelma I do ask you for pardon.
But Paul dear, you’re not so objective talking about MY tone only, and correcting my spelling and freudian lips. (Not the first first time dear)
Sometimes two little points repeated weighs more than a novel of words.
I hope one day you’ll take time to talk about the burden of my quotes. And consider people could make mistakes, especially when they don’t talk with their mother language.
As for me it is shady to always have neat and smooth words. But I admit my tone was a bit rude. It was not against Thelma personnally. And does not take off what I think about that past.
Sure Annie, that was not the subject. <3
Have all a nice evening.
Catherine.
Αγαπητή Κατερίνα,
θα σου γράψω στα ελληνικά διότι εκφράζομαι καλύτερα στη μητρική μου γλώσσα, οπότε μπορείς να χρησιμοποιήσεις τη μετάφραση που δίνεται από το blog.
Έχεις κάθε δικαίωμα να μην σου αρέσει ο ελληνικός πολιτισμός αλλά δεν έχεις κανένα δικαίωμα να παραποιείς ή να μεταφράζεις κατά το δικό σου δοκούν τα ιστορικά στοιχεία.
Πιθανώς να μην γνωρίζεις ότι δεν υπάρχει αυτοφυής πολιτισμός και παρθενογέννεση. Όλοι για να στηριχθούν χρησιμοποιούν τις γνώσεις των παρελθόντων πολιτισμών, και στην περίπτωση του ελληνικού πολιτισμού συνέβη το ίδιο.
Ως λαός που ασχολήθηκε με τη θάλασσα και το εμπόριο, ώστε στην εποχή του να θεωρείται υπολογίσιμη δύναμη, από κάθε μέρος που πήγαινε έπαιρνε και ενσωμάτωνε και εξέλισσε κάθε θετικό στοιχείο.
Προφανώς δεν καταλαβαίνεις τι εννοούσε ο Αριστοτέλης όταν αναφερόταν στο “ελληνικό γένος”, πίστευε ότι αντίθετα με το ρητό που επικρατούσε στην αρχαική εποχή “πας μη Έλλην Βάρβαρος”, έλληνας θα πρέπει να θεωρείται καθένας που πρεσβεύει την ελληνική παιδεία.
Βλέπεις ο πολιτισμός μας και τα ιδεώδη του ιδίως μετά τη μεγάλη νίκη των Ελλήνων κατά των Περσών, που ανέκοψαν την πορεία τους προς την Ευρώπη, όταν άλλες μεγάλες δυνάμεις της εποχής είχαν προσφέρει χωρίς αντίσταση “γη και ύδωρ”, ας πούμε για παράδειγμα την Αίγυπτο που την απελευθέρωσε από τη σκλαβιά των Περσών ο Αλέξανδρος , κατέστησε εμφανή την πνευματική υπεροχή του και όλοι οι λαοί της αρχαιότητας εκείνης της εποχής για να θεωρούνται μορφωμένοι έπρεπε να ξέρουν ελληνική παιδεία.
Τα υπόλοιπα τα θεωρώ εντελώς ανιστόρητα και μάλλον προσωπικές απόψεις, μην ξεχνάς ότι και οι συγγραφείς ιστορικών βιβλίων μεταφέρουν την άποψη τους και δεν πάντα είναι αντικειμενική. Να προτιμάς βιβλία που εκδίδονται από αρχαιολόγους.
Ναι οι έλληνες φιλόσοφοι πήγαιναν στην Αίγυπτο αλλά και σε κάθε μέρος που υπήρχαν οι προυποθέσεις να μάθουν κάτι αλλά όχι έκαναν και σχολές εκεί, απορώ που το είδες αυτό γραμμένο, μάλλον θέλεις να πεις ότι ήθελαν να τους κρατήσουν εκεί.
Σίγουρα ο Αιγυπτιακός πολιτισμός πρόσέφερε πολλά στην ανθρωπότητα αλλά όχι ότι και εξαφανίστηκε από τον ελληνικό.
Ξέρεις γιατί πήγαιναν εκεί οι Έλληνες?
Γιατί η Μινωίτες μετά την καταστροφή του δικού τους πολιτισμού με την έκρηξη του ηφαιστείου ενός πολιτισμού που ήταν πολύ πιο αρχαίος από τον Αιγυπτιακό, αναζήτησαν καταφύγιο στην Αίγυπτο και έδωσαν τα φώτα τους.
Την εποχή της ακμής του μινωικού πολιτισμού για παράδειγμα υπήρχαν πλήρη αποχετευτικά και υδραυλικά συστήματα, βρύσες που έβγαινε ζεστό και κρύο νερό. Αν τύχει να πας στο Ηράκλειο της Κρήτης να επισκεφτείς το αρχαιολογικό μουσείο και τη Κνωσσό θα καταλάβεις ακόμα περισσότερα.
Όλα αυτά την εποχή που στην υπόλοιπη Ευρώπη στη Μεσόγειο και στις υπόλοιπες πόλεις -κράτη οι άνθρωποι μόλις έκαναν πλίνθινα κατασκευάσματα.
Πίθανή εξήγηση και της πρόσφατης αρχαιολογικής ανακάλυψης που στηρίζει την ως άνω θεωρία, ότι η αρχαιότερη πυραμίδα πολλά χρόνια πριν την πρώτη Αιγυπτιακή, είναι στη Πελλοπόνησο κάπου κοντά στο Άργος, νομίζω, άρα τα δάνεια πολιτισμού έγιναν από Μινωίτες προς Αιγυπτίους.
Όσο για τα υπόλοιπα που αναφέρεις σε απάντηση σου παρακάτω ότι κλέψαμε θεωρήματα από τον κινέζικο πολιτισμό κλπ μόνο σε θολούρα μπορώ να αποδώσω και δεν τα θεωρώ καν άξια σχολιασμού.
Όσο για το τι μας μαθαίνουν και τι όχι στα σχολεία μας θα σου λύσω αυτή την απορία, αυτό που κυρίως μας μαθαίνουν είναι να σεβόμαστε τον κάθε πολιτισμό και τη προσφορά του στην ανθρωπότητα και όχι να είμαστε ημιμαθείς και να διαστρεβλώνουμε ιστορικά στοιχεία.
Μας μαθαίνουν πως να είμαστε Έλληνες με την αρχαιοελληνική έννοια του όρου, δηλαδή να έχουμε ευρύτητα πνεύματος και κυρίως ψυχής.
Νομίζω ότι πρέπει να είσαι πιο μετριοπαθής στις εκφράσεις σου γιατί όσα έγραψες, ήταν πέραν του δέοντος προσβλητικά για τον ελληνικό πολιτισμό.
“Παν μέτρον άριστον”.
I’m sorry Maria-dove, but the machine couldn’t translate all your writing. Just a bit.
What I wrote is not coming from my imagination, but researchers from archeologists and geologists…
Now I was not attacking Greece especially as I could underlined in my apologizes, here and in pop artists. It was not against Thelma neither.
In fact I’m not nationalist, so I couldn’t think I could hurt people when I talk about other ancient Men and countries.
But that’s it, I made a mistake, and I can see that I pay it now…
Thank you for the long time you spend to answer to me.
Regards,
Catherine.