Have I missed something here but I see my copy is by john Mavrogordato
1951-is he out of the scene?? Trust mine to be 50 years out of date!!cheers
Patrick
-----Original Message-----
From: Poetryetc provides a venue for a dialogue relating to poetry and
poetics [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Rebecca Seiferle
Sent: 16 January 2005 00:25
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: two more translations of Cavafy poem
And here's two more translations for comparative purposes, the first by
Economu, and the second by Haviaras:
Best,
Rebecca
THE MIRROR IN THE VESTIBULE (trans. by Economu)
The grand house had in its vestibule
a colossal, extremely old mirror,
bought at least eighty years ago.
A very handsome boy, a tailor's helper
(on Sundays an amateur athlete),
stood there with a package. He gave it
to a member of the household, who took it in
to bring back the receipt. The tailor's helper
was left alone, and he waited.
He approached the mirror, looked at himself,
and straightened his tie. After five minutes
they brought him the receipt. He took it and left.
But the old mirror that had seen so much
during the many years of its existence,
thousands of things and faces,
that old mirror was now overjoyed,
and filled with pride at having taken into itself
perfect beauty for a few moments.
The Mirror In The Hallway (trans. by Haviaras)
The prosperous home had a massive
mirror in its entry hall, a very old mirror,
likely acquired more than eighty years before.
A beautiful young man, a tailor's assistant
(and on Sundays an amateur athlete),
waited there, holding a package. he gave it
to a member of the household, who took it inside
to fetch a receipt. The tailor's assistant
was left there alone, was left there to wait.
He went up to the mirror, and took a look at himself,
and straightened his necktie. Five minutes later
someone returned with the receipt. He took it and left.
But the old mirror that had witnessed so much
in the long, long years of its existence --
thousands of things and thousands of faces --
now the old mirror was bursting with pleasure
and swollen with pride that it had encountered,
if only for a few minutes, such an ideal beauty.
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