C. P. Cavafy

C. P. Cavafy (1863-1933) was an Egyptian Greek poet, journalist, and civil servant. He consistently refused to publish his collected works during his lifetime, preferring to share his works in local newspapers and magazines, and most of his most well regarded works were published posthumously. His poems dealt with personal themes such as his homosexuality and often referenced classical Greece and Rome. Source

Painted

Translated by Daniel Mendelsohn

To my craft I’m attentive, and I love it.

But today I’m discouraged by the slow pace of the work.

My mood depends upon the day. It looks

increasingly dark. Constantly windy and raining.

What I long for is to see, and not to speak.

In this painting, now, I’m gazing at

a lovely boy who’s lain down near a spring;

it could be that he’s worn himself out from running.

What a lovely boy; what a divine afternoon

has caught him and put him to sleep.–

Like this, for some time, I sit and gaze

And once again, in art, I recover from creating it.

Published:

None

Length:

Shorty

Literary Movements:

Modernism

Anthology Years:

2020

Themes:

Ars Poetica