Of Colored Glass
I am very moved by one detail
in the coronation at Vlachernai of John Kantakuzinos
and Irini, daughter of Andronikos Asan.
Because they had only a few precious stones
(our afflicted empire was extremely poor)
they wore artificial ones: numerous pieces of glass,
red, green, or blue. I find
nothing humiliating or undignified
in those little pieces of colored glass.
On the contrary, they seem
a sad protest against
the unjust misfortune of the couple being crowned,
symbols of what they deserved to have,
of what surely it was right that they should have
at their coronation—a Lord John Kantakuzinos,
a Lady Irini, daughter of Andronikos Asan.
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
Mucho me conmueve un detalle
de la coronación, en Blaquernas, de Juan Cantacuzeno
y de Irene, hija de Andrónico Asán.
Como no disponían de suficientes piedras preciosas
(era enorme la penuria de nuestro maltrecho estado)
las llevaron artificiales. Un montón de trozos de cristal
rojo, verde o azul. Nada
de humillante o indigno
tienen para mí esos trocitos
de cristal de colores. Al contrario, parecen
una dolida protesta
contra la suerte inicua de los recién coronados.
Son el símbolo de lo que convenía que tuvieran,
de lo que, ante todo, era justo que tuvieran
en su coronación un señor Juan Cantacuzeno,
una señora Irene, hija de Andrónico Asán.
Cavafis, C. (2023). Ciento cincuenta y cuatro poemas (P. Bádenas de la Peña, traducción e introducción). UMA Editorial.
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