One of Their Gods

[orchid314]

This poem always gives me chills.

One of Their Gods by Constantine Cavafy

When one of Them passed through Seleucia's
market place, toward the hour when night comes on,
in the guise of a tall and perfectly handsome youth,
with the joy of incorruptibility in his eyes,
with his black, heavily perfumed hair,
the passers-by would stare at him
and one would ask the other if he knew him,
if he were a Greek of Syria or a stranger. But
several who watched with greater attention
understood and would stand aside;
and as he vanished under the arcades,
among the shadows and among the evening lights,
heading toward the district which comes alive
only at night, with orgies and debauchery,
and every sort of drunkenness and lust,
they would wonder which of Them he might be,
and for what questionable enjoyment
he had descended to the streets of Seleucia
from those Adored, Most Venerable Halls.


tr. Rae Dalven

Comments

[ancientreader]

Some mortal peril in that incorruptibility, perhaps ...?

-- On another note! I've been meaning to ask you forever, and I keep forgetting, whether you've seen this: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/01/14/greek-to-me, which I thought you might enjoy.

[orchid314]

Thank you for the link. I checked the book out from the library when it first came out. Is it awful of me to say I didn't like it? Maybe I was wanting more about ancient Greek and ancient Greece and less memoir. I don't know. She does rave about Patrick Leigh-Fermor's writing, so now he's on my TBR. So that was good.

[ancientreader]

I didn't know there was a book, though I should've guessed, given she's a NYer staffer & given their practice of publishing excerpts from upcoming books by their staff & contributors. Yes, I think I too would prefer more Greek, less memoir; oh well.

I have seen so many raves about Patrick Leigh Fermor over the years that I've kind of dug my heels in about him & refused to even look, so if he lives up to the hype I want to know about it. Pigheaded? Moi?

[orchid314]

I know what you mean about digging in your heels when so many people recommend an author. He wrote two travelogues about Greece, so I may pick those up at some point. I'll let you know if I do actually get to them.

[ancientreader]

After all, it's not as if anyone is shoving things at you in the hope that you will read them in your copious spare time, or anything.

[orchid314]

I absolutely love all the recommendations you've shared with me, and I just feel like a bad friend for not having gotten to them yet!

[ancientreader]

Oh, well, there's no inducement like guilt! *cringe*

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Ha! This is glorious! I'm wondering too what this god is up to. Thanks so much for posting more Cavafy. I haven't had time or focus to read more since last month, but I want to.

[orchid314]

I haven't been on DW lately so my apologies for not replying sooner. I'd love to hear which of Cavafy's poems resonate with you (if any do), once you get some time to sit down with them.