[Lika_k]

Καβάφης
Είγε ετελεύτα

оригинал

«Πού απεσύρθηκε, πού εχάθηκε ο Σοφός;
Έπειτ’ από τα θαύματά του τα πολλά,
την φήμη της διδασκαλίας του
που διεδόθηκεν εις τόσα έθνη
εκρύφθηκ' αίφνης και δεν έμαθε κανείς
με θετικότητα τι έγινε
(ουδέ κανείς ποτέ είδε τάφον του.
Έβγαλαν μερικοί πως πέθανε στην Έφεσο.
Δεν τόγραψεν ο Δάμις όμως· τίποτε
για θάνατο του Aπολλωνίου δεν έγραψεν ο Δάμις.
Άλλοι είπανε πως έγινε άφαντος στην Λίνδο.
Ή μήπως είν’ εκείν’ η ιστορία
αληθινή, που ανελήφθηκε στην Κρήτη,
στο αρχαίο της Δικτύννης ιερόν.—
Aλλ’ όμως έχουμε την θαυμασία,
την υπερφυσικήν εμφάνισί του
εις έναν νέον σπουδαστή στα Τύανα.—
Ίσως δεν ήλθεν ο καιρός για να επιστρέψει,
για να φανερωθεί στον κόσμο πάλι·
ή μεταμορφωμένος, ίσως, μεταξύ μας
γυρίζει αγνώριστος.— Μα θα ξαναφανερωθεί
ως ήτανε, διδάσκοντας τα ορθά· και τότε βέβαια
θα επαναφέρει την λατρεία των θεών μας,
και τες καλαίσθητες ελληνικές μας τελετές.»

Έτσι ερέμβαζε στην πενιχρή του κατοικία—
μετά μια ανάγνωσι του Φιλοστράτου
«Τα ες τον Τυανέα Aπολλώνιον»—
ένας από τους λίγους εθνικούς,
τους πολύ λίγους που είχαν μείνει. Άλλωστε —ασήμαντος
άνθρωπος και δειλός— στο φανερόν
έκανε τον Χριστιανό κι αυτός κι εκκλησιάζονταν.
Ήταν η εποχή καθ’ ην βασίλευεν,
εν άκρα ευλαβεία, ο γέρων Ιουστίνος,
κ’ η Aλεξάνδρεια, πόλις θεοσεβής,
αθλίους ειδωλολάτρας αποστρέφονταν.

(Από τα Ποιήματα 1897-1933, Ίκαρος 1984)

Кавафис
Если он скончался*

Пер. С. Ошерова

"Куда пропал, куда девался мудрец?
После того как множество его чудес
распространили среди всех племен
молву и славу о его учении,
он скрылся, так что достоверно никто
не знает, что с ним сталось
(ведь и могилы мудрого не видели).
Передают, что кончил дни в Эфесе он.
Но у Дамида** это не написано,
ибо о смерти Аполлония не написал Дамид ни слова.
Был слух, что он истаял в воздухе на Линде.
А может, правду говорили в народе,
будто он был на Крите вознесен,
в древнем святилище Диктинны.
Одно осталось нам: природе вопреки
он неким чудом воплотится снова ***
в тианце молодом, ученике философа...
Наверно, срок не вышел ему вернуться,
опять открыто объявиться миру,
или, преображенный, он среди нас
скитается неузнанный. – Но вновь таким, как был,
он явится, чтобы учить нас истине,
поднять из праха нашим богам служенье
и эллинский обряд во всей красоте и славе".

Так предавался мечтам в убогом домишке,
прочтя составленную Филостратом
"Жизнь Аполлония Тианского"
один язычник – из весьма немногих
оставшихся тогда; впрочем, вполне ничтожный,
трусливый человек, он притворялся
христианином и ходил исправно в церковь.
То было время, когда царствовал
старец Юстин, великий благочестьем,
и город набожный Александрия
тогда не жаловал язычников.

Пер. С. Ошерова

Cavafy
If Actually Dead

Transl. by Edmund Keeley/Philip Sherrard

“Where did the Sage withdraw to, where did he disappear?
After his many miracles,
the renown of his teaching
which spread to so many countries,
he suddenly hid himself and nobody knew for certain
what happened to him
(nor did anybody ever see his grave).
Some reported that he died at Ephesus.
But Damis does not record that in his memoir.
Damis says nothing about the death of Apollonios.
Others said that he disappeared at Lindos.
Or maybe the story is true
about his assumption in Crete,
at the ancient sanctuary of Diktynna.
But then again we have that miraculous,
that supernatural apparition of his
before a young student at Tyana.
Maybe the time has not yet come for him to return
and show himself to the world again;
or maybe, transfigured, he moves among us
unrecognized—. But he will come again
as he was, teaching the ways of truth; and then of course
he will bring back the worship of our gods
and our elegant Hellenic rites.”

These were the musings of one of the few pagans,
one of the very few still left,
as he sat in his shabby room just after reading
Philostratos’ On Apollonios of Tyana.
But even he—a trivial and cowardly man—
played the Christian in public and went to church.
It was the time when Justin, known as the elder,
reigned in total piety,
and Alexandria, a godly city,
detested pitiful idolators.

Transl. by Edmund Keeley/Philip Sherrard

Cavafy
Did he die?

Transl. by George Valassopoulo (1931)

“Where did the Sage withdraw, where did he disappear?
After his many miracles,
after the fame of his teaching
had spread among a number of nations,
he suddenly hid himself, and none had heard
for certain, what had befallen him
(nor had anyone seen his grave).
It was rumoured by some that he died at Ephesus.
But Damis did not write of this; Damis did not write
anything about the death of Apollonius.
Others said that he vanished at Lindus.
Or is the tale true,
that he ascended to heaven, in Crete,
in the ancient sanctuary of Dictynna? ―
But then, we have his wondrous,
supernatural apparition,
to a young student at Tyana. ―
Perhaps, the day is not yet come for him to return,
to appear again to the world;
or perhaps, transfigured, he wanders
undetected among us. ― But he will reappear
as he was, teaching the right word; and then he will
certainly restore the worship of our Gods,
and our beautiful Greek festivals.”
Thus did one of the few pagans,
the very few that still remained,
muse in his lowly dwelling,
after reading Philostratus’ book:
“Concerning Apollonius of Tyana.”
He was withal, a faint-hearted man and of no consequence,
In public, he pretended that he was
a Christian and attended the Church.
It was the time when the aged Justin
ruled with great piety;
and Alexandria, a God-fearing city,
abhorred the wicked idolaters.

Transl. by George Valassopoulo (1931)

Cavafy
If Indeed He Died

Transl. by John Cavafy, 2003

Where did the Sage withraw? where was he lost?
After the numerous miracles he worked,
after the fame and glamour of his teaching
that spread themselves throughout so many nations,
he hid himself; and no one ever learnt
with certainty what had become of him,
(nor anybody ever came across
a tombstone under which he lay).
There were who said he died at Ephesus.
But Damis never wrote it; nothing of death
of Apollonius did Damis write.
Others asserted that he had become
invisible at Lindus. Or, perchance
may it be true that ancient tale which told
how he was lifted up from Crete, from near
Dictynna’s ancient shrine? But then we have
his marvellous, his supernatural
showing of himself to a young man studying
at Tyana. Perhaps the time for his return
and re-appearance to the world at large,
is not yet come; or it may be that even at this time
he wanders in our midst in some disguise,
unknowable. But he will surely
appear again, just as he was before
and teaching what is right; and then, no doubt,
he will bring back the worship of our gods,
and our Hellenic and artistic festivals:
so, in his squalid, narrow dwelling-house,
after he had perused Philostratus,
“Concerning Apollonius of Tyana”, —
mused one of the few pagans that were left,
the very few pagans now left; otherwise, one
of no account, a timid, timorous soul,
who publicly professed to be a Christian
and showed himself in church. It was the period when,
with godliness and reverence, old Justin reigned,
and Alexandria, a God-fearing city,
abhorred all miserable idolaters.

Transl. by John Cavafy, 2003

Cavafy
If Indeed He Died

transl. by Daniel Mendelsohn, 2012 (2013)

"Where has he gone off to, where did the Sage disappear?
Following his many miracles,
and the great renown of his instruction
which was diffused among so many peoples,
he suddenly went missing and no one has learned
whith any certainty what has happened
(nor has anyone ever seen his tomb).
Some have put it about that he died in Ephesus.
But Damis** didn't write that,
Damis never
wrote about the death of Apollonius.
Others said that he went missing on Lindos.
Or perhaps that other story is
true, rhat his assumption took place on Crete,
in the ancient shrine of Dictynna. —
But nonetheless we have the miraculous,
the supernatural apparition of him
to a young student in Tyana. —
Perhaps the time hasn't come for him to return,
for him to appear before the world again;
or metamorphosed, perhaps, he goes among us
unrecognized. — But he'll appear again
as he was, teaching the Right Way. And surely then
he'll reinstate the worship of our gods,
and our exquisite Hellenic ceremonies."

So he daydreamed in his threadbare lodging —
after a reading of Philostratus's
"Life of Apollonius of Tyana" —
one of the few pagans, the very few
who stayed. Otherwise — an insignificant
and timid man-he, too, outwardly
played the Christian and would go to church.
It was the period during which there reigned,
with the greatest piety, the old man Justin,
and Alexandria, a god-fearing city,
showed its abhorrence of those poor idolators.

transl. by Daniel Mendelsohn, 2012 (2013)

В 1897 году Кавафис написал первый черновик стихотворения под названием "Absence" (в переводе Мендельсона), исправил его в июле 1912 г. и исправил еще раз в марте 1920 г.

Absence

transl. by Daniel Mendelsohn, 2012 (2013)

Where has he gone off to, where has the Sage been lost?
After his innumerable miracles
he suddenly disappeared, and nobody has heard
what's become of him, what he's done, where he's gone.
But they said that he will never die.
Perhaps the time has not yet come for his return
and for this reason he's been gone for sixteen
centuries. — But he will appear again. —
Or perhaps that story is true, the one in which
his assumption into heaven took place in Crete,
in the middle of the night, while virginal voices,
harmonious voices, and foreign to this earth, go up to heaven,
go," and to his native land he then returned. —
But after this, in Tyana, a young
man, a sophist, said that he had seen him. —

transl. by Daniel Mendelsohn, 2012 (2013)

* Название стихотворения является цитатой из заключения "Жизни Аполлония Тианского" Филострата, которую читает герой стихотворения в 6 в. н.э.
Аполлоний Тианский - неопифагорийский философ, 1 в. н.э, многими в разные времена сравниваемый с Христом; Филострат - 2-3 вв. н.э.
У Филострата: "О том, как умер Аполоний - ежели умер, - рассказывают всякое..." (пер. Е. Г. Рабинович), в греческом оригинале "ежели умер" - "eige eteleuta".

** Дамид - ученик и спутник Аполлония Тианского, известный из сочинения Филострата.

*** почему-то посмертное явление Аполлония в русском переводе в подчеркнуто будущем времени, хотя это явление пред лицом скептично настроенного молодого студента описано в восьмой книге "Жизни Аполлония Тианского" Филострата. Сам этот студент является неким аналогом Фомы неверующего.

Часто комментаторы стихотворения видят в нем пример, так сказать, метаний Кавафиса между христианством и язычеством. По-моему, нетрудно заметить, что вера язычника времен Юстина в Аполлония представлена в понятиях христианства (ведь язычник родился и живет в христианском мире и сам прикидывается христианином), вера в возвращение Аполлония, в возвращение язычества носит отчетливый мессианский характер. Кроме того, как мне кажется, подчеркивая незначительность прикидывающегося христианином язычника и нелюбовь Александрии к ему подобным, Кавафис напоминает нам о неласковом обхождении Рима с христианами и об их мученичестве во имя веры. Таким образом больше подчеркивается близкая окончательная гибель язычества, последние представители которого, больше ни на что не влияя и признавая победу христианства, лишь предаются мечтам о появлении Спасителя, который, как известно читателю стихотворения, так и не появится - излюбленный кавафисовый недосказанный, но известный конец (ср. анализ Сефериса стихотворения "Александр Яннай и Александра" Кавафиса в "К.П. Кавафис и Т.С. Элиот: параллельные").

@темы: c, links, 20, cavafy, ...logy, seferis, giorgos, helenike