translated from the Greek of Kostas Karyotakis

Strophes

1.

For twenty years I gambled

with books instead of cards;

for twenty years I gambled

and I squandered my life.

Poor now I lie down here

to listen to an easy wisdom

which an old plane tree

whispers to me.

2.

Free from everything I want

to sail to the end of the world.

If I have any friend left,

he should flee, escape.

And when death demands

the wealth I’ve amassed,

you, my vast bitterness,

will be my only estate.

3.

You told me about your life,

about the loss of youth,

about our love which cries

over its own death,

and while in your eyes,

the hint of a tear glinted

briefly, through the open window

bright sunlight entered.

4.

Why do I squander my days

one after another?

And as my hair grays

so the wine turns sour.

Only when I gaze

through a crystal glass

filled with fresh retsina,

does my life look golden.

5.

Before life abroad could do so,

night had already separated us

from everyone we love.

(Are they all there on the pier?)

Blow your whistle, ship, we’re late.

And if we approach our destination,

hold up for a while, then

blow your whistle so we can finally disembark.

6.

Poplars, giants fixed

here on the road-side,

my trees, you’ve agreed to let

the north wind take your leaves.

You’re still the shadow of shadows

cascading across my brow

while I walk the ground below

and the moon is up on high.

7.

Joy! The Joy! Ah the joy of young

children! They capture that girl

life and bind her--these handsome,

dark highwaymen--and make love to her.

But your book is always open,

a breeze flips its pages.

Fool, fool, you’ve grown old

without ever being young.

8.

--Poet, my laughter flows

like honey and scorn, but you

never stop beating out

your crown of sounds.

--Girl, I work in vain

but what use is the barren

and wordless vanity

of your agate eye?

9.

Farewell! Farewell! You’ve gone

with your heavenly eyes

and with flowers around your neck,

you fair hopes for new loves.

Farewell, and you--the one

who looked back when all the rest

had vanished--you saw me again

taking the deep dark road.

10.

Bronze gypsy--tralala!--

skips wildly over there, filled

with joy because he’s worked

his bronze all day long,

and because he has his wife,

his property and realm.

Bronze gypsy--tralala!--

gives a kick to the sun!

(translated by William W. Reader and Keith Taylor

appeared in Mondo Greco

Fall, 2003