Approaching ecstasy poems by Constantine Cavafy, translated by Eric Banks

Transcription

1 Approaching ecstasy poems by Constantine Cavafy, translated by Eric Banks I. Candles (1899) The days of our future stand before us; They wait, like a row of burning candles: Golden, vivid, and warm. The days of our past remain behind us; They linger, in a row of extinguished candles: Those closer to us are still smoking and curved, Expressionless, melted, and cold. I will not look at them; it would sadden me to see them now, And remember their original light. I look ahead, to my candles that wait and glow. I will not turn back, lest I see the past and shudder: How swiftly the dark and smoldering line lengthens, How quickly the series of stifled candles grows. II. With the touch of his hands (1915) Someone next to me mumbled something softly, And caused me to glance over toward the door of the café. There I saw someone so beautiful, it was as if Love himself had created him on his very best day Shaping his symmetrical limbs with pleasure; Measuring his well-sculpted frame with patience; Fashioning his face with every emotion; And leaving behind, with the touch of his hands, Only an imprint on his brow, on his eyes, and on his lips. III. Faces (1917) In my life, I have seen so much beauty, That my eyes are overflowing with images: A chiseled torso, vermilion lips, luxurious limbs, And hair that resembles the locks of an ancient Greek statue, Timelessly handsome, even when disheveled, And falling, ever-so-lightly, over the palest of brows. Faces of love, how my poetry longed for you, Throughout the nights of my youth, Throughout the nights of my secret encounters. IV. In the vestibule (1930) In the vestibule of an opulent home, There was a magnificent antique mirror, That had been purchased over eighty years ago. There was also an exceedingly beautiful boy, the tailor s assistant, (Who happened to be an athlete on Sundays). He entered the vestibule with a parcel. He handed it over To a servant of the house, who took it inside To find a receipt. The tailor s assistant Was left by himself, so he lingered there. He approached the mirror, gazed into it, And adjusted his tie. After five minutes, The servant brought back a receipt. The boy took it and went away. The antique mirror had reflected again and again, After years in that vestibule, Upon thousands of people and things; But on that day, the mirror glowed With quiet contentment; for in that short moment, The long-forgotten mirror had found perfect beauty.

2 V. Visions (1916) Do everything that you can to protect them, O poet; Hold on to as many of them as you can. These are the visions of your passion, of your love. Place them safely, half-hidden, in your lines. Do everything that you can to preserve them, O poet; Whenever they awaken in your mind, Whether deep in the night, or under the midday sun. VI. By chance (1917) They stood near the window of the tobacconist s shop, Under the glare of the lights, in the crowded room. By chance, their glances found each other, And expressed the forbidden desires of their flesh, And their fear, and their hesitation. After a few anxious steps along the sidewalk, They smiled at each other and nodded, imperceptibly. Finally, their carriage arrived, and behind its closed doors, Longing drew together their bodies, And their hands, and their lips. VII. Senses (1912) Return to me often, and take me, O senses that I love, return and take me: Then my body will awaken, And the cravings I once felt will flow in my blood again; Then my lips and my skin will remember, And my hands will understand how to touch once more. Return to me often, and take me, in the night, Then my lips and my skin will remember. VIII. Out of their bed (1921) After their lawless pleasure was fulfilled, They rose out of their bed, And dressed quickly, without speaking. They left separately, and secretly, from the house; And as they stepped cautiously outside, onto the street, They agonized that something would give them away, And reveal where they had been. And after this day, the artist will be rewarded, in his life; For tomorrow, or the day after, or some day to come, He will compose powerful verses that originated here. IX. Walls (1897) Without regard, without regret, without respect, They have built vast and towering walls around me. Now I sit here, alone; I have given up every hope. I think of nothing else: my mind is completely consumed by my fate; I had so many things to accomplish in this world. Ah! How could I not notice that they were building these walls? I heard nothing from them; not a single sound. Silently, they have removed me from the rest of the world.

3 X. Windows (1903) In these sinister rooms, I suffer every day; I wander back and forth, searching for windows. If I could find a window, and open it, It would be such a consolation. But there are no windows here; or, at least, I cannot find one. Perhaps it is better this way. Maybe light will reveal another form of tyranny. Who can tell what new torment the day will bring? XI. As if he never existed (1923) He has lost his lover completely, and now he searches For him in the lips of every other lover. And while his lips are joined with another man s lips, He wishes to be misled, to believe that this new lover Is that same young man to whom he gave his heart. He has lost his lover completely, as if he never existed. He said that he wanted to be saved From the sinful stain of shameful pleasure, From the immoral mark of delightful destruction. There was still time, he said, to be saved. He has lost his lover completely, as if he never existed. But in his dreams, in his fantasies, And while his lips are joined with another s lips, he searches; He wanders in circles, as he tries to find love again. XII. Bodies (1919) It happened around one in the morning, maybe one-thirty. We met there, in the corner of the wine shop, behind the wooden screen. And other than the two of us, the store was completely empty. A lantern filled with oil glowed softly. The clerk was at the door, keeping his vigil, asleep. No one could see us. We were both so quickly excited, That we lost every sense of precaution. Our half-opened clothing was already spare, When we met in that superlatively sweltering month, July. Our bodies found delight as we disrobed, however hastily, Discovering ourselves and one another, albeit tenderly; Our essence has survived after twenty-six years, And resides here, in this poetry. XIII. Into the shining night (1913) I did not hold back. I surrendered completely; I went. As I approached my own ecstasy, half of it was real, And half of it was fantasy, merely in my mind. Even so, into the shining night, I went, And I partook of powerful wines, like those That champions drink, with delectable pleasure. XIV. Desires (1918) O body, remember not only how much you were loved, Remember not only the beds where you reclined, But also remember the desires that you awakened in others: Desires that glowed brightly in their eyes, And trembled in their voices, desires that, For whatever reason, vanished. Now that all of those memories are in the distant past, It almost seems as if you surrendered To those very same desires, and how brightly they glowed! Remember them, in the eyes that gaze upon you, And in the voices that tremble for you. Remember them, O body.

4 XV. Down the street (1916) His sympathetic face was slightly pale; His chestnut-colored eyes appeared a bit drowsy; And at twenty-five years old, he came across as only twenty; Something about the way he dressed suggested a certain artistry: In the color of his tie, in the silhouette of his collar; And aimlessly he sauntered down the street, Still hypnotized, it seemed, by secret pleasures, The most forbidden of which he had only just enjoyed. XVI. Obstacles (1908) After all I have said, and after all I have done, Let no one discover who I truly was. Obstacles stood before me and transformed me; They altered my actions, and changed the way that I lived. Obstacles stood before me and brought me to a standstill; They silenced me whenever I wanted to speak out. From my unnoticed actions To my most surreptitious deeds, By these things alone others will know me. However, it may not be worth all the effort Or painstaking care just to find out who I was. In the future, in a more perfect world, Some fortunate man, created just like I am, will find himself Able to live without shamefulness or hesitation, and be free. XVII. On the sofa (1924) He came here to study. In front of him, there were Two or three open books: of history and poetry. He read from these books for nearly ten minutes, And then he abandoned them. As he read, on the sofa, Slumber found him. Always devoted to his books, He was only twenty-three, and quite handsome. Earlier in the afternoon, his flawless flesh And his perfect lips delighted in a moment of passion. His desires grew more fervent Throughout his exquisite form, And he felt no shame, as he fulfilled his own ecstasy. XVIII. Shadows (1920) One candle is enough; Its gentle flickering Will be more gracious, And be more welcoming, When the shadows arrive, The shadows of love. One candle is enough; Tonight, my room Will not glow so bright. In my deepest of dreams, And all they reveal, There is very little light; In these deepest of dreams, My visions are real, And the shadows will come, The shadows of love.

5 Approaching ecstasy Vignette breakdown 1 Prologue 00:00-02:55 opening mood: reflective, slightly melancholy 2 Candles (English) 02:56-04:44 a cappella 3 Candles (Greek) 04:45-07:31 in 17/8 = mysterious, fearful of the inevitable 4 With the touch... (English) 07:32-08:35 a cappella 5 With the touch... (Greek) 08:36-12:07 in 16/8 = a slow 4 murmuring at first, then awestruck with beauty 6 Faces (English) 12:08-13:16 a cappella 7 Faces (Greek) 13:17-16:40 in 15/8 = a slow 5 building joy to overflowing, each new harmony another face 8 In the vestibule (English) 16:41-19:26 a cappella 9 In the vestibule (Greek) 19:27-23:39 in 13/8 = magnificent, opulent, noble, suspenseful in the middle 10 Visions (English) 23:40-25:07 a cappella 11 Visions (Greek) 25:08-27:44 in 11/8 = hidden desperation, coming to light as the piece progresses 12 By chance (English) 27:45-28:55 a cappella 13 By chance (Greek) 28:56-32:30 in 10/8 = a quick 5 apprehensive excitement, glances/nods, then the carriage! 14 Senses (English) 32:31-33:42 a cappella 15 Senses (Greek) 33:43-36:29 in 9/8 = a 3 within 3 wistful, reminiscent, yearning, rhapsodic 16 Out of their bed (English) 36:30-37:54 a cappella 17 Out of their bed (Greek) 37:55-40:53 in 8/8 = a quick 4 circumspect, walking quickly, looking one s shoulder (pizz.) 18 Walls (English) 40:54-41:37 a cappella 19 Walls (Greek) 41:38-42:54 in 7/8 = surprised and furious (at them AND at myself) 20 Intermezzo 42:55-43:54 in 7/8 = frantic and/or frenetic trapped by the walls without windows 21 Windows (Greek) 43:55-45:01 in 7/8 = panicking and oppressed, resigned to misery 22 Windows (English) 45:02-45:39 a cappella 23 As if he never... (Greek) 45:40-48:53 in 8/8 = a slow 4 with inveterate grief, searching in circles, finding nothing 24 As if he never... (English) 48:54-50:53 a cappella 25 Bodies (Greek) 50:54-54:30 in 9/8 = 2+2+2:3 secret lovers behind the screen, chords as the glowing lamp 26 Bodies (English) 54:31-56:18 a cappella 27 Into the shining... (Greek) 56:19-58:07 in 10/8 = with great courage, delicious abandon, whirling to the end 28 Into the shining... (English) 58:08-58:56 a cappella 29 Desires (Greek) 58:57-61:45 in 11/8 = trembling, glowing, echoing in voices, trying to remember 30 Desires (English) 61:46-63:26 a cappella 31 Down the street (Greek) 63:27-66:40 in 13/8 = whimsical, impish, charming, independent, stylish, sauntering 32 Down the street (English) 66:41-67:24 a cappella 33 Obstacles (Greek) 67:25-71:07 in 15/8 = a slow 5 self-effacing, regretful, turning more positive toward the end 34 Obstacles (English) 71:08-73:23 a cappella 35 On the sofa (Greek) 73:24-76:33 in 16/8 = a slow 4 sleepy, then suddenly with awake within his passionate dream 36 On the sofa (English) 76:34-78:08 a cappella 37 Shadows (Greek) 78:09-80:57 in 17/8 = similar music to 3, now comforted by the inevitable 38 Shadows (English) 80:58-82:30 a cappella 39 Epilogue 82:31-85:30 closing mood: similar to 1, contemplating great beauty Vignettes 1 and 39 don t have to be choreographed, but something slow and beautiful with the singers could happen, perhaps a processional and recessional, or even something simple and elegant with a change of lighting. Vignettes 19, 20, and 21 are the center of the program the Intermezzo (20) is completely instrumental (with no singing at all). These three sections could be considered one single movement of dance that captures the panic of Walls and Windows.