Έτσι πολύ ατένισα – / Κωνσταντίνος Καβάφης

Έτσι πολύ ατένισα –

Την εµορφιά έτσι πολύ ατένισα,
που πλήρης είναι αυτής η όρασίς µου.

Γραµµές του σώµατος. Κόκκινα χείλη. Μέλη ηδονικά.
Μαλλιά σαν από αγάλµατα ελληνικά παρµένα·
πάντα έµορφα, κι αχτένιστα σαν είναι,
και πέφτουν, λίγο, επάνω στ’ άσπρα µέτωπα.
Πρόσωπα της αγάπης, όπως τα ’θελεν
η ποίησίς µου… µες στες νύχτες της νεότητός µου,
µέσα στες νύχτες µου, κρυφά, συναντηµένα…

Κωνσταντίνος Καβάφης

So Much I Gazed

So much I gazed on beauty,
that my vision is replete with it.

Contours of the body. Red lips. Voluptuous limbs.
Hair as if taken from greek statues;
always beautiful, even when uncombed,
and it falls, slightly, over white foreheads.
Faces of love, as my poetry
wanted them.... in the nights of my youth,
in my nights, secretly, met....

Constantine P. Cavafy

Translation copyright © 1975, 1992 by Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard.





I Have Gazed So Much

At beauty I have gazed so much
That my vision is filled with it.

The body’s lines. Red lips.
Limbs made for pleasure.
Hair like something taken from Greek statues:
Always lovely, even when it’s uncombed,
And falls, a bit, upon the gleaming brow.
Faces of love, exactly as
My poetry wanted it . . . in the nights of my youth,
Secretly encountered in my nights . . .

Constantine P. Cavafy

Translated by Daniel Mendelsohn





I’ve Looked So Much

I’ve looked on beauty so much
that my vision overflows with it.

The body’s lines. Red lips. Sensual limbs.
Hair as though stolen from Greek statues,
always lovely, even uncombed,
and falling slightly over pale foreheads.
Figures of love, as my poetry desired them
…in the nights when I was  young,
encountered secretly in those nights.

Constantine P. Cavafy

(From: Collected poems. Publisher: Princeton University Press, Princeton, 1992)





Guardai cosí fissa

Guardai cosí fissa la bellezza
che se n’è riempito lo sguardo.

Linee del corpo. Labbra rosse. Membra sensuali.
Capelli come da statue greche presi:
anche se spettinati sempre belli,
caduti un po’ sopra le fronti bianche.
Volti d’amore, come li voleva
la mia poesia… le notti della mia giovinezza,
nelle mie notti incontrati di nascosto…

Costantino Kavafis

Traduzione di Nicola Crocetti

(da “Poesie erotiche”, Crocetti Editore, 1983)





J’ai tant contemplé la beauté

J’ai tant contemplé la beauté
que mes yeux en sont remplis.

Lignes du corps. Lèvres rouges. Membres voluptueux.
Cheveux comme pris à des statues grecques ;
toujours beaux, même décoiffés
et retombant un peu sur les fronts clairs.
Visages de l’amour, comme les voulait
ma poésie... dans les nuits de ma jeunesse,
dans mes nuits, visages secrètement rencontrés...

Constantin Cavafy





Así tan intensamente contemplé

Así tan intensamente contemplé la belleza,
que plena está mi vista de ella.

Líneas del cuerpo. Labios rojos. Miembros voluptuosos.
Cabellos como tomados de estatuas griegas:
siempre hermosos, aun cuando están despeinados,
y caen, un poco, sobre las frentes blancas.
Rostros del amor, tal como los anhelaba
mi poesía... en las noches de mi juventud,
en mis noches, furtivamente, hallados...

Constantino Cavafis





Tan intensamente contemple

Tan intensamente contemple la hermosura,
que llena está mi vista de ella.

Líneas del cuerpo. Labios rojos. Miembros placenteros.
Cabellos como tomados de estatuas griegas,
siempre hermosos, incluso despeinados,
sobre pálidas frentes algo caídos.
Rostros de amor como los quiso
mi poesía... en las noches de mi juventud,
en mis noches, encontrados a escondidas...

Constantino Cavafis

Traducción: Pedro Bádenas de la Peña





Öyle Çok Baktım Ki

Öyle çok baktım ki güzelliğe
onunla dopdolu hayalim.

Gövdenin hatları. Kırmızı dudaklar. Hazla dolu kollar bacaklar
Sanki Yunan yontularından alınmış saçlar,
her zaman güzel, taranmış olsalar da,
hafifçe düşüvermiş solgun alınlara.
Aşkın yüzleri, tam şiirimin
istediği gibi… gençliğimin gecelerinde,
gizlice buluştuğum gecelerinde.

Konstantinos Kavafis

Çeviri: Erdal Alova

Judean Desert Nude by Alex Vanzetti