As Much As You Can
And if you can’t shape your life the way you want,
at least try as much as you can
not to degrade it
by too much contact with the world,
by too much activity and talk.
Try not to degrade it by dragging it along,
taking it around and exposing it so often
to the daily silliness
of social events and parties,
until it comes to seem a boring hanger-on.
Reprinted from C.P. CAVAFY: Collected Poems Revised Edition, translated by Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard, edited by George Savidis. Translation copyright © 1975, 1992 by Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard. Princeton University Press. For reuse of these translations, please contact Princeton University Press.
Translations in other languages
Aunque no puedas hacer tu vida como quieras,
inténtalo al menos
cuanto puedas: no la envilezcas
en el trato desmedido con la gente,
en el tráfago desmedido y los discursos.
No la envilezcas a fuerza de trasegarla
vagando de continuo y exponiéndola
a la estupidez cotidiana
de las relaciones y las compañías
hasta volverse una extraña inoportuna.
Cavafis, C. (2023). Ciento cincuenta y cuatro poemas (P. Bádenas de la Peña, traducción e introducción). UMA Editorial.
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