As you set out for Ithaka
hope the voyage is a long one,
full of adventure, full of discovery.
Laistrygonians and Cyclops,
angry Poseidon—don’t be afraid of them:
you’ll never find things like that on your way
as long as you keep your thoughts raised high,
as long as a rare excitement
stirs your spirit and your body.
Laistrygonians and Cyclops,
wild Poseidon—you won’t encounter them
unless you bring them along inside your soul,
unless your soul sets them up in front of you.
 
Hope the voyage is a long one.
May there be many a summer morning when,
with what pleasure, what joy,
you come into harbors seen for the first time;
may you stop at Phoenician trading stations
to buy fine things,
mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
sensual perfume of every kind—
as many sensual perfumes as you can;
and may you visit many Egyptian cities
to gather stores of knowledge from their scholars.
 
Keep Ithaka always in your mind.
Arriving there is what you are destined for.
But do not hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,
so you are old by the time you reach the island,
wealthy with all you have gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaka to make you rich.
 
Ithaka gave you the marvelous journey.
Without her you would not have set out.
She has nothing left to give you now.
 
And if you find her poor, Ithaka won’t have fooled you.
Wise as you will have become, so full of experience,
you will have understood by then what these Ithakas mean.

Translated by Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard

(source; submitted by daywhite)

1. andthisisthestoryivetold reblogged this from sharingpoetry
2. houtis reblogged this from sharingpoetry
3. detrimentalreliance reblogged this from girlintharsiscity
4. streetartathens likes this
5. therealvern reblogged this from lesshumansmorecats and added:

   Ha. I had to memorize and recite this poem for English during my freshman year of high school

6. lesshumansmorecats reblogged this from sharingpoetry
7. theatricallyinclined reblogged this from sharingpoetry
8. ekalbacher reblogged this from sharingpoetry
9. bazaardvark likes this
10. maenades likes this
11. heyitsjwang reblogged this from sharingpoetry and added:

    This poem reminds me to live...present, through good or bad, instead

12. heyitsjwang likes this
13. whatmyheartfound reblogged this from sharingpoetry
14. whatmyheartfound likes this
15. cyclonesdancing likes this
16. taylorsierra reblogged this from sharingpoetry
17. susurrantpetrichor reblogged this from sharingpoetry and added:

    As you set out for Ithaka hope the voyage is a long one, full of adventure, full of discovery. Laistrygonians and...

18. who-i-saw likes this
19. mccruiz reblogged this from sharingpoetry
20. thefrenchphantom reblogged this from sharingpoetry
21. thefrenchphantom likes this
22. andthisisthestoryivetold likes this
23. trainforglory likes this
24. mykeyung likes this
25. meallaaoi reblogged this from discoginger and added:

    …I did a biography of Cafavy for an English project in 10th grade… And then I went to Ithaca College… O.O

26. lainalain3 reblogged this from sharingpoetry
27. madjulie reblogged this from sharingpoetry
28. madjulie likes this
29. backtobassics reblogged this from sharingpoetry
30. nnaohr likes this
31. tyb reblogged this from sharingpoetry
32. discoginger reblogged this from sharingpoetry
33. discoginger likes this
34. seemoreandmore likes this
35. jessijoy likes this
36. wandercrazy likes this
37. snowonredearth reblogged this from sharingpoetry
38. dustygay likes this
39. gravity-rainbow likes this
40. honeybeewitched likes this
41. countingnothings reblogged this from sharingpoetry
42. hollywood3 reblogged this from sharingpoetry
43. generalskeletor reblogged this from thesashasaurus
44. mabith likes this
45. removealldoubt likes this
46. fifer2403 likes this
47. somedumbindiething reblogged this from garguillian
48. panda-diplomacy likes this
49. myreblogpage reblogged this from sharingpoetry
50. larksongs reblogged this from sharingpoetry
51. Show more notesLoading...