In a Famous Greek Colony, 200 B.C.

[elbe]

The poem below was written by Constantine P. Cavafy, (Lawrence Durrell' 'Poet of the City' of Alexandria) in 1928. It speaks very much of political reformers from ancient Greek history through to today; which makes you wonder if anything has really changed?

This translation is by Rae Derven from her 'The Complete Poems of Cavafy', Harcourt Brace & Company. ISBN 0-15-619820-7 with an introduction by W. H. Auden.


IN A FAMOUS GREEK COLONY, 200 B.C

There is not the slightest doubt
that things in the Colony are not going as desired,
though in some way or other we are going forward;
perhaps, as many people think, the time has come
to call in a Political Reformer.

However, the handicap and the hardship
are that these Reformers make
a big story out of everything.
(It would be a blessing if one never
needed them.) For everything,
for the least thing, they inquire and investigate,
and immediately they think of radical reforms,
with the request that they be executed without delay.

They also have a bent for sacrifices.
GIVE UP THAT POSSESSION OF YOURS;
YOUR PROPERTY IS UNSAFE:
IT iS PRECISELY SUCH HOLDINGS THAT HARM THE COLONIES.
GIVE UP THIS REVENUE
AND THIS OTHER THAT GOES WITH IT
AND THIS THIRD THAT FOLLOWS: AS A NATURAL RESULT;
TRUE, THEY ARE SUBSTANTIAL, BUT WHAT CAN YOU DO?
THEY CREATE A HEAVY RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOU.

And as they proceed with their investigation,
they find and refind excesses that they seek to stop,
things however that are hard for one to suppress.

And when, at long last, they finish their work,
and after having defined and minutely trimmed everything,
they go, also carrying off their rightful salary.

C. P. Cavafy

[Verbivore]

Elbe: Thanks for posting that and thus reminding me of one of my favourite poets, whom I discovered in the 1980s. Somewhere in my (remote) library is a copy of The Complete Poems of Cavafy, translated by Rae Dalven, introduction by W H Auden (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1961).

[elbe]

I am delighted to find someone else on this Message Board who enjoys Cavafy's poetry. I was thinking of posting 'Ithaka', or 'Waiting for the Barbarians' which are, perhaps, his two most anthologised/quoted poems, but with the Republican/Democrat Primaries and Cauceses making front page news at the moment, and the EU referendum to come, politics is on many people's minds at the moment, and 'In a Famous Greek Colony, 209 B.C.' seemed a topical choice to post, so I went with it.

I hope the 'Poetry and other quotations' section revives itself, with others encouraged to share their poetry favourites. This attracted me to the Board.

Thank you for your response.

[Verbivore]

:-)