Comments on: Sunday reflexion: Ithaca by K. Kavafis

By: eleonora

eleonora — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 11:46:02 +0000

Dal momento che sono venuta al mondo,so di essere in viaggio per la mia Itaca..Itaca rappresenta il viaggio meraviglioso chiamato Vita.Quando dico a me stessa :sara’il tempo di incamminarmi..per certo so, che una nuova sfida mi attende.

By: eleonora

eleonora — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 12:16:42 +0000

è meraviglioso leggere e rileggere “ITACA”..Quando mi mettero’ in cammino per lItaca..

By: Rafaela

Rafaela — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 06:28:15 +0000

Proud to be Greek! ;-) <3
'Σα βγεις στον πηγαιμό για την Ιθάκη,
να εύχεσαι νά ‘ναι μακρύς ο δρόμος…
…Τους Λαιστρυγόνες και τους Κύκλωπας,
τον θυμωμένο Ποσειδώνα μη φοβάσαι,
τέτοια στον δρόμο σου ποτέ σου δεν θα βρεις,
αν μέν’ η σκέψης σου υψηλή…" ;''-) <3

By: Βασίλης

Βασίλης — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 03:05:50 +0000

Thank you, athena, for posting the original. Beautiful. Always something missing in the translation…

By: Leslie Provatas

Leslie Provatas — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 06:07:39 +0000

Ithaca is one of the seven islands that were never occupied by the Turks of the Ottoman Empire. Yes, there were Venetians, the English, but the culture of these islands is quite different than anywhere else in Greece. How do I know this? I lived in Greece for thirteen years, my husband was Greek and his family are from the island of Corfu, the largest on the seven islands of the Ionian Sea. There is no other place like these islands. The culture and beauty of Corfu is unexplainable except in that many of the older families on the islands are Byzantine Greeks that migrated there after or during the fall of the Byzantium. Kvafiss was a great poet. My son and granddaughter live up in a non-touristic mountain village on the island of Corfu. This was our gift to him. I hope they are happy. I was always a bad tourist. It is only lately in the last few years that I go to museums to stare at things I would not have cared about in my youth, anyway. I was too busy living and doing.

By: Andrea

Andrea — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 13:50:37 +0000

“Ithaca gave you the marvelous journey.
Without her you wouldn’t have set out.
She has nothing left to give you now.”

Esta parte me encanta.

By: Ilva Asote

Ilva Asote — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 23:58:29 +0000

If you hope to meet Urania in Ithaca, you waste your time. The Muse of Stars left an island many years ago. Since then Ithaca is poor, she has nothing left to give you now… But don’t be upset! You created a form, now ask the blooming Muse of comedy to fill it with beauty! But when she laughs, laugh with her… Thalia’s beauty is her laughter. http://twitpic.com/17znrl

By: Ilva Asote

Ilva Asote — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:42:09 +0000

Once you set out for Ithaca –
Your road was a long one
full of adventure, full of discovery.
(…)
You kept Ithaca always in your mind.
And now, arriving here, is what you were destined for.

Ithaca –
Don’t be surprised to meet here Calliope – the wisest and oldest of all muses. She will give you her writing tablet and ask: “Why is a raven like a writing desk?”
Tell her of the beautiful-voiced and sacred bird who once had snowy white feathers. Tell her how the Raven wanted to get some water from the God’s cup and failed, so, lost his voice…
And yes, don’t be surprised, if the Muse asks to you, who told you all these wonders… But don’t hurry with the answer. Just draw a circle on the writing tablet and give it back to Calliope…

By: athena

athena — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:28:16 +0000

’’Σα βγεις στον πηγαιμό για την Ιθάκη,
να εύχεσαι νά ‘ναι μακρύς ο δρόμος,
γεμάτος περιπέτειες, γεμάτος γνώσεις.
Τους Λαιστρυγόνες και τους Κύκλωπας,
τον θυμωμένο Ποσειδώνα μη φοβάσαι,
τέτοια στον δρόμο σου ποτέ σου δεν θα βρεις,
αν μέν’ η σκέψης σου υψηλή,
αν εκλεκτή συγκίνησης το πνεύμα και το σώμα σου αγγίζει. Τους Λαιστρυγόνες 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 νά ‘ναι μακρύς ο δρόμος.
Πολλά τα καλοκαιρινά πρωία 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 είν’ ο προορισμός σου.
Αλλά μη βιάζεις το ταξίδι διόλου.
Καλλίτερα χρόνια πολλά να διαρκέσει·
και γέρος πια ν’ αράξεις στο νησί,
πλούσιος με όσα κέρδισες στον δρόμο,
μη προσδοκώντας πλούτη να σε δώσει η Ιθάκη.

Η Ιθάκη σ’ έδωσε το ωραίο ταξίδι.
Χωρίς αυτήν δεν θάβγαινες στον δρόμο.
Άλλο δεν έχει να σε δώσει πια.

Κι αν πτωχική την βρεις, η Ιθάκη δεν σε γέλασε.
Έτσι σοφός που έγινες, με τόση πείρα,
ήδη θα το κατάλαβες η Ιθάκες τι σημαίνουν.’’

By: evi

evi — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 04:44:08 +0000

Thank you Paulo for publishing this wonderfull Greek poem and also all the greek people that mensioned details about K.Kavafis and translating the poem.
It’s one of the greatest poems written by a great poet K.Kavafis.
I think everyone should have this lines as a guide to our lives.
Love
Evi

By: Hit

Hit — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 06:45:05 +0000

tackasliancadeau
:)

By: gaby

gaby — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 06:20:44 +0000

these poem is so beautiful i just found it interesting because i want to travel around the world because i thing my city of birth is not as those big cities that you see in television and i was living somewhere else and i learned that while you are far from home you learn a lot but home is HOME and will always be waiting for you..

to: paulo coehlo
sr. ì ` started reading your book the alquimist and it made me think diferent about my life and the goals i have thank you for writing these amazing things that guide us to a better life .

gabriela vargas from mexico

By: Audrey Titaley

Audrey Titaley — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:22:41 +0000

It’s so wonderful^^

By: George the Greek

George the Greek — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:26:56 +0000

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.

By: breda

breda — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:20:56 +0000

The first few lines of this poem are being used in an advert on TV for a car!!
Breda

By: Patricia Coelho

Patricia Coelho — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 05:01:24 +0000

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.

By: THELMA

THELMA — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:10:35 +0000

Hi Evi Kyriakou, Εύη Κυριάκου!
LOVE from Cyprus,
Thelma xxx

By: Evi Kyriakou

Evi Kyriakou — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:02:12 +0000

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…

By: Beatriz

Beatriz — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:50:21 +0000

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?

By: maria-dove

maria-dove — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:13:09 +0000

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.

By: maria-dove

maria-dove — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:57:23 +0000

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”.

By: Lavanya

Lavanya — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:15:56 +0000

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.

By: THELMA

THELMA — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:56:07 +0000

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

By: THELMA

THELMA — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:30:30 +0000

Thank you, dear Breda, for your kind words.
My weakness is: Beauty, in everything!
LOVE,
Thelma xxx

By: Asote

Asote — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:26:17 +0000

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)

By: jose

jose — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:23:26 +0000

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.

By: breda

breda — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:46:22 +0000

Pagona,Thank you for posting this poem : )
Breda

By: breda

breda — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:34:03 +0000

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

By: Lavanya

Lavanya — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:04:26 +0000

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.

By: Hope

Hope — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:27:14 +0000

So true and so beautiful! Keep Ithaca Always in my mind. Thank you!