[Dichtung]

Καβάφης
Κατά τες συνταγές αρχαίων Eλληνοσύρων μάγων

оригинал

«Ποιο απόσταγμα να βρίσκεται από βότανα
γητεύματος», είπ’ ένας αισθητής,
«ποιο απόσταγμα κατά τες συνταγές
αρχαίων Ελληνοσύρων μάγων καμωμένο
που για μια μέρα (αν περισσότερο
δεν φθάν’ η δύναμίς του, ή και για λίγην ώρα
τα είκοσι τρία μου χρόνια να με φέρει
ξανά· τον φίλον μου στα είκοσι δυο του χρόνια
να με φέρει ξανά— την εμορφιά του, την αγάπη του.

»Ποιο απόσταγμα να βρίσκεται κατά τες συνταγές
αρχαίων Ελληνοσύρων μάγων καμωμένο
που, σύμφωνα με την αναδρομήν,
και την μικρή μας κάμαρη να επαναφέρει.»

(Από τα Ποιήματα 1897-1933, Ίκαρος 1984)

Кавафис
По рецептам греко-сирийских древних магов
"Какое снадобье из трав волшебных, -
сказал один ценитель красоты, -
какое снадобье, составленное по рецептам
греко-сирийских древних магов,
вернёт хотя бы день (если не действует
на дольший срок), вернет хотя бы час
из той поры, когда мне было двадцать три;
и друга возвратит, вернув ему
двадцать два года, красоту, любовь.
Какое снадобье и по каким рецептам
греко-сирийских древних магов
теченье времени направит вспять
и нашу маленькую комнату вернет нам".

пер. Е.Смагиной

Cavafy
Following the Recipe of Ancient Greco-Syrian Magicians

Transl. by Edmund Keeley/Philip Sherrard

Said an aesthete: “What distillation from magic herbs
can I find—what distillation, following the recipe
of ancient Greco-Syrian magicians—
that will bring back to me for one day (if its power
doesn’t last longer) or even for a few hours,
my twenty-third year,
bring back to me my friend of twenty-two,
his beauty, his love.

What distillation, following the recipe
of ancient Greco-Syrian magicians, can be found
to bring back also—as part of this return of things past—
even the little room we shared.”

Transl. by Edmund Keeley/Philip Sherrard

Cavafy
According to the Formulas of Ancient Greco-Syrian Magicians

Transl. by Daniel Mendelsohn, 2012 (2013)

"What distillation is there to be found, from magic
herbs?" an aesthete said,
"what distillation, made according to the formulas
of ancient Greco-Syrian magicians,
that could, for one day (if its power can't
last more than that), or just a little while,
bring me back the age of twenty-three
again; bring my friend at twenty-two years old
back to me again - his beauty, and his love.

"What distillation is there to be found, made according to the formulas
of ancient Greco-Syrian magicians
that, in keeping whit this movement back in time,
might even bring us back our little room once more."

Transl. by Daniel Mendelsohn, 2012 (2013)

Мендельсон в примечаниях в связи с этим (и другим стихотворением) цитирует Юрсенар, которая помимо всего прочего видит во многих стихотворениях Кавафиса хорошо скрытую эзотерику.
Кроме этого приводит цитату из воспоминаний об уже смертельно больном Кавафисе:
"Once in all his dreadful illness Cavafy wept. It was the day on which he was to go into hospital. We brought a little suitcase to take some papers with him and a few bits of clothing he wanted. When he saw the suitcase he was overcome by tears.We tried to calm him in this heart-rending moment when he was leaving his house for ever. He took the block [on which the poet, after his tracheotomy, wrote in order to communicate with tose around him] and wrote: "I bought this suitcase 30 years ago, in a hurry one evening, to go to Cairo for pleasure. Then I was young and strong, and not ugly."
(c) Rika Sengopoulos via Daniel Mendelsohn