Constantine Cavafy – Poems

WISE MEN SENSE THE FORTHCOMING

         …for gods perceive the future,

         most people perceive what takes place now,

         and wise men sense approaching events.

                   Philostratos, “Life of Apollonius of Tyana” viii, 7.

People know what is happening now.

The gods know future events, only they

have complete possession of the light.

But wise men can sense what is coming.

Sometimes their hearing is disturbed

during a time of serious contemplation.

The mysterious roar of upcoming

events reaches them. And they pay attention

to it with reverence. While outside in the street,

the people hear nothing at all.

Ithaca Series Poems, # 582

Peaceful Panorama

On the other side of the window
a garden with orange trees

Intoxicating
the perfume of the blossoms

No people
no cars
a cloudless heaven

Only a blackbird
praising the perfection
of silence.

Germain Droogenbroodt

ΠΑΝΟΡΑΜΑ

Έξω απ’ το παράθυρο

ο κήπος με τις πορτοκαλλιές

                                 το άρωμα των λουλουδιών μεθύσι

δίχως ανθρώπους

δίχως αυτοκίνητα

ασυννέφιαστος παράδεισος

και μόνο ο κοτσυφός

υμνεί την τελειότητα

της σιωπής

Μετάφραση Μανώλη Αλυγιζάκη//Translated by Manolis Aligizakis