Ithaca
| Original Greek |
English Translation |
- Σὰ βγεῖς στὸν πηγαιμὸ γιὰ τὴν Ἰθάκη,
- νὰ εὔχεσαι νά ῾ναι μακρὺς ὁ δρόμος,
- γεμάτος περιπέτειες, γεμάτος γνώσεις.
- Τοὺς Λαιστρυγόνας καὶ τοὺς Κύκλωπας,
- τὸν θυμωμένο Ποσειδῶνα μὴ φοβᾶσαι,
- τέτοια στὸν δρόμο σου ποτέ σου δὲν θὰ βρεῖς,
- ἂν μέν᾿ ἡ σκέψις σου ὑψηλή, ἂν ἐκλεκτὴ
- συγκίνησις τὸ πνεῦμα καὶ τὸ σῶμα σου ἀγγίζει.
- Τοὺς Λαιστρυγόνας καὶ τοὺς Κύκλωπας,
- τὸν ἄγριο Ποσειδῶνα δὲν θὰ συναντήσεις,
- ἂν δὲν τοὺς κουβανεῖς μὲς στὴν ψυχή σου,
- ἂν ἡ ψυχή σου δὲν τοὺς στήνει ἐμπρός σου.
- Νὰ εὔχεσαι νά ῾ναι μακρὺς ὁ δρόμος.
- Πολλὰ τὰ καλοκαιρινὰ πρωινὰ νὰ εἶναι
- ποῦ μὲ τί εὐχαρίστηση, μὲ τί χαρὰ
- θὰ μπαίνεις σὲ λιμένας πρωτοειδωμένους.
- Νὰ σταματήσεις σ᾿ ἐμπορεῖα Φοινικικά,
- καὶ τὲς καλὲς πραγμάτειες ν᾿ ἀποκτήσεις,
- σεντέφια καὶ κοράλλια, κεχριμπάρια κ᾿ ἔβενους,
- καὶ ἡδονικὰ μυρωδικὰ κάθε λογῆς,
- ὅσο μπορεῖς πιὸ ἄφθονα ἡδονικὰ μυρωδικά.
- Σὲ πόλεις Αἰγυπτιακὲς πολλὲς νὰ πᾷς,
- νὰ μάθεις καὶ νὰ μάθεις ἀπ᾿ τοὺς σπουδασμένους.
- Πάντα στὸ νοῦ σου νά ῾χεις τὴν Ἰθάκη.
- Τὸ φθάσιμον ἐκεῖ εἶν᾿ ὁ προορισμός σου.
- Ἀλλὰ μὴ βιάζεις τὸ ταξίδι διόλου.
- Καλλίτερα χρόνια πολλὰ νὰ διαρκέσει.
- Καὶ γέρος πιὰ ν᾿ ἀράξεις στὸ νησί,
- πλούσιος μὲ ὅσα κέρδισες στὸν δρόμο,
- μὴ προσδοκώντας πλούτη νὰ σὲ δώσει ἡ Ἰθάκη.
- Ἡ Ἰθάκη σ᾿ ἔδωσε τ᾿ ὡραῖο ταξίδι.
- Χωρὶς αὐτὴν δὲν θά ῾βγαινες στὸν δρόμο.
- Ἄλλα δὲν ἔχει νὰ σὲ δώσει πιά.
- Κι ἂν πτωχικὴ τὴν βρεῖς, ἡ Ἰθάκη δὲν σὲ γέλασε.
- Ἔτσι σοφὸς ποὺ ἔγινες, μὲ τόση πεῖρα,
- ἤδη θὰ τὸ κατάλαβες οἱ Ἰθάκες τὶ σημαίνουν.
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- When you set sail for Ithaca,
- wish for the road to be long,
- full of adventures, full of knowledge.
- The Lestrygonians and the Cyclopes,
- an angry Poseidon — do not fear.
- You will never find such on your path,
- if your thoughts remain lofty, and your spirit
- and body are touched by a fine emotion.
- The Lestrygonians and the Cyclopes,
- a savage Poseidon you will not encounter,
- if you do not carry them within your spirit,
- if your spirit does not place them before you.
- Wish for the road to be long.
- Many the summer mornings to be when
- with what pleasure, what joy
- you will enter ports seen for the first time.
- Stop at Phoenician markets,
- and purchase the fine goods,
- nacre and coral, amber and ebony,
- and exquisite perfumes of all sorts,
- the most delicate fragances you can find.
- To many Egyptian cities you must go,
- to learn and learn from the cultivated.
- Always keep Ithaca in your mind.
- To arrive there is your final destination.
- But do not hurry the voyage at all.
- It is better for it to last many years,
- and when old to rest in the island,
- rich with all you have gained on the way,
- not expecting Ithaca to offer you wealth.
- Ithaca has given you the beautiful journey.
- Without her you would not have set out on the road.
- Nothing more does she have to give you.
- And if you find her poor, Ithaca has not deceived you.
- Wise as you have become, with so much experience,
- you must already have understood what Ithacas mean.
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A reading of this can be heard at the
George Barbanis website
