I'd very much like to know what others make of this poem. I can't fully agree with the philosophy of life Cavavy is putting forward. But for some time now it has been fascinating me, so perhaps posting here and seeing what people have to say will be a way of working that one out

* * * * * * * * * *

ITHAKA

When you set out for Ithaka
ask that your way be long,
full of adventure, full of instruction.
The Laistrygonians and the Cyclops,
angry Poseidon - do not fear them:
such as these you will never find
as long as your thought is lofty, as long as a rare
emotion touch your spirit and your body.
The Laistrygonians and the Cyclops,
angry Poseidon - you will not meet them
unless you carry them in your soul,
unless your soul raise them up before you.

Ask that your way be long.
At many a Summer dawn to enter
with what gratitude, what joy -
ports seen for the first time;
to stop at Phoenician trading centres,
and to buy good merchandise,
mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
and sensuous perfumes of every kind,
sensuous perfumes as lavishly as you can;
to visit many Egyptian cities,
to gather stores of knowledge from the learned.

Have Ithaka always in your mind.
Your arrival there is what you are destined for.
But don't in the least hurry the journey.
Better it last for years,
so that when you reach the island you are old,
rich with all you have gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaka to give you wealth.
Ithaka gave you a splendid journey.
Without her you would not have set out.
She hasn't anything else to give you.

And if you find her poor, Ithaka hasn't deceived you.
So wise you have become, of such experience,
that already you'll have understood what these Ithakas mean.

This is beautiful.

I think the philosophy is that the end of the journey, the search for anything, is never really the true goal; it is the experience of the 'travel', the quest itself. You must leave yourself open to life experiences, nothing of which is insignificant, consciously affording richness to them, and thereby collect incredible wisdom along the way, wisdom which is the greatest destination, or reward, of all.
Perhaps Ithaka (Ithaca) ultimately is death. Enjoy life to the fullest, and death will be only in the shadow of your mind, however you choose to perceive it. Monsters exist only as we so allow them to be.

Well, I tried.

I think this reading does Cavafy no favours- high on the cheeseometer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&v=1n3n2Ox4Yfk

I prefer this interpretation of a Cavafy poem
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auqyZ2JX7Bs

Thanks 'E'

Couldn't finish the Sean Connery effort. Oh dear oh dear.

I'm very grateful for the steer to the Leonard Cohen version of Alexandra Lost. I'm a long-term fan who's never investigated him on YouTube. Wonderful

We seem to be having fun with names. Is Cavavy Cavafy? Is Ithaka Ithaca? And are you Ernest, Edward or even Earl?

I agree - the Sean Connery reading was painful. But I sure enjoyed Leonard Cohen.
Will someone else please make a personal comment as Dave asks. I'm feeling very exposed.

I think Cynthia has it spot on really.
In my view the idea of the translation of this poem is telling us to walk tall. Take pride in being here, wherever ''here'' is. Just be!
Survey the scenery and use time just to enjoy the experience of living.
It is our own guilty conscience and others perceptions of what we should be doing in ''time'' which creates the demons.

Well it makes sense to me. :-)

Who was it said something about life's not a bed of roses?
Well maybe it is! Even some roses have thorns. Does that make them any less beautiful?

For me the poem is all about the journey being more important than the destination, which is a common place idea. However, if Cavafy is successful the poem helps us to rediscover this idea and experience it in a new way. It becomes part of our journey. The problem is that no matter how good the translation, it is still a translation. The rhythm and sound are altered. Cavafy is all about what Auden calls tone of voice. I think the Connery reading illustrates the problem. He makes the poem sound sententious.
This link takes you to a version of the poem read in Greek. Listen with the translation in front of you. I do this with Pablo Neruda’s poetry and find it helps as sadly I cannot speak Spanish or Greek
http://users.hol.gr/~barbanis/cavafy/Cavafy-Ithaca.mp3

Thank you Cynthia, Janet and Mr Dowd. I've pondered and enjoyed what you've said and have the feeling that there may be even more you could say. The recording of Ithaka was lovely - so flowing as compared with the English, where the effect is achieved almost despite the words.

Cynthia - sorry you felt exposed, I really appreciated what you said. One keeps coming across thoughts like 'just travel' or 'the journey is enough'. For me, the first time was on reading Herman Hesse's Journey to the East nearly 40 years ago. I've never been able to buy into it wholly though, being (despite the spirit of the age) still somewhat wedded to propositional truth.

Janet put her finger on why it has been niggling me though. Buried in the 'just travel' message is another one - 'just be'. This has been a dominant theme for me for some time now - I posted a poem with that title. After a life of activism, moving to that approach and outlook is quite a readjustment. There is a feeling in this poem that if one can just slow down enough worlds of richness open up.