The Mirror in the Front Hall
The luxurious house had a huge mirror
in the front hall, a very old mirror,
bought at least eighty years ago.
A very handsome boy, a tailor’s assistant
(on Sundays an amateur athlete),
stood there with a package. He gave it
to one of the household who took it in
to get the receipt. The tailor’s assistant
was left alone, waiting there.
He went up to the mirror, looked at himself,
and adjusted his tie. Five minutes later
they brought him the receipt. He took it and went away.
But the old mirror that had seen so much
during a life of many years—
thousands of objects and faces—
the old mirror was all joy now,
proud to have embraced
total beauty for a few moments.
Reprinted from C. P. CAVAFY: Collected Poems Revised Edition, translated by Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard, edited by George Savvidis. 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
La rica mansión tenía en la entrada
un espejo enorme, muy antiguo;
comprado hace ochenta años por lo menos.
Un bellísimo muchacho, recadero de un sastre
(atleta aficionado los domingos).
estaba allí de pie con un paquete. Lo entregó
a alguien de la casa, quien pasó dentro
para traer el recibo. El recadero del sastre
se quedó solo, esperando.
Se acercó al espejo y mirándose
se arregló la corbata. Cinco minutos después
le trajeron el recibo. Lo tomó y se fue.
Pero el viejo espejo que tanto y tanto había visto,
en sus muchos años de existencia,
miles de cosas y de rostros;
pero el viejo espejo gozaba ahora
y se jactaba de haber recibido sobre sí
la belleza perfecta unos minutos.
Cavafis, C. (2023). Ciento cincuenta y cuatro poemas (P. Bádenas de la Peña, traducción e introducción). UMA Editorial.
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