Friday Poetry Day #2: God Abandons Antony

As one long prepared, and graced with courage, say goodbye to her, the Alexandria that is leaving.

C. P. Cavafy by Jannis Psychopedis, 2013

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On the second installment of Friday Poetry Day, we are introducing Constantine P. Cavafy, the Greek poet of the world and a world-renowned figure in the areas of letters and culture.

C. P. Cavafy (1863 – 1933) was born to Greek parents in Alexandria, Egypt, where he resided, except for short breaks, for most of his life. While working as a journalist and a civil servant, Cavafy wrote extensively but his poetic genius was widely recognized mainly after his death.

A true cosmopolitan spirit, he had a good command of several languages, a thirst for reading and a creative mind that propelled the composition of sensual, philosophical and historical poems.

Despite Ithaka being his most celebrated piece of work, Cavafy wrote a wonderful didactic poem on the courage to “say goodbye” to anything beautiful or worth defending in our lives, be it a person, a city or even a lifestyle.

Inspired by an ancient Greek historical work by Plutarch, “The God Abandons Antony” describes Marcus Antonius standing by the “window” (the threshold between his past and his future) in anticipation of Octavian’s invading army. While in waiting, Antonius hears “an invisible procession going by with exquisite music, voices” leaving him with a feeling that Bacchus, his tutelary deity, is deserting him. Imminently, Antonius will be deprived of Alexandria, his cherished city, as well as his own life. Still, in the face of such tremendous loss, Cavafy urges Antonius (and us) to exhibit dignity and resilience, and to bid farewell “not with the whining, the pleas of a coward” but with a brave heart.

The reading of the poem could be enhanced by an in-depth analysis of the main characters, the factors and the numerous underlying themes but, even without it, it is still a beautiful, melodic ode to inner courage and strength of spirit.

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In an excellent translation by the great philhellene Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard that remains faithful to the original text, behold

The God Abandons Antony

When suddenly, at midnight, you hear
an invisible procession going by
with exquisite music, voices,
don’t mourn your luck that’s failing now,
work gone wrong, your plans
all proving deceptive—don’t mourn them uselessly.
As one long prepared, and graced with courage,
say goodbye to her, the Alexandria that is leaving.
Above all, don’t fool yourself, don’t say
it was a dream, your ears deceived you:
don’t degrade yourself with empty hopes like these.
As one long prepared, and graced with courage,
as is right for you who proved worthy of this kind of city,
go firmly to the window
and listen with deep emotion, but not
with the whining, the pleas of a coward;
listen—your final delectation—to the voices,
to the exquisite music of that strange procession,
and say goodbye to her, to the Alexandria you are losing.

From C. P. CAVAFY: Collected Poems Revised Edition, translated by Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard, edited by George Savvidis. Princeton University Press, 1992.

You can accompany it with an audio version, here:

You can also enjoy Leonard Cohen loosely adapting the poem for his song, “Alexandra Leaving” here:

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With gratitude,

Katerina