The Collected Poems: with parallel Greek text (Oxford World's Classics) [Paperback]

C.P. Cavafy (Author), Anthony Hirst (Author), Peter Mackridge (Author), Evangelos Sachperoglou (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 3, 2007 | Series: Oxford World's Classics

"A Greek gentleman in a straw hat, standing absolutely motionless at a slight angle to the universe." E. M. Forster's famous description of C. P. Cavafy--the most widely known and best loved modern Greek poet--perfectly captures the unique perspective Cavafy brought to bear on history and geography, sexuality and language. Cavafy wrote about people on the periphery, whose religious, ethnic and cultural identities are blurred, and he was one of the pioneers in expressing a specifically homosexual sensibility. His poems present brief and vivid evocations of historical scenes and sensual moments, often infused with his distinctive sense of irony. They have established him as one of the most important poets of the twentieth century. The only bilingual edition of Cavafy's collected poems currently available, this volume presents the most authentic Greek text of every poem he ever published, together with a new English translation that beautifully conveys the accent and rhythm of Cavafy's individual tone of voice. In addition, the volume includes an extensive introduction by Peter Mackridge, explanatory notes that gloss Greek historical names and events alluded to in the poems, a chronological list of the poems, and indexes of Greek and English titles.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Evangelos Sachperoglou is a translator and historian.
Anthony Hirst is Research Fellow in Byzantine and Modern Greek Literature at Queens College, Belfast, Ireland.
Peter Mackridge is Emeritus Professor of Modern Greek at the University of Oxford and an Emeritus Fellow of St Cross College.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; Bilingual edition (December 3, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0199212929
• ISBN-13: 978-0199212927
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,041,353 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Scholarly, enjoyable, authentic translations of Cavafy's work., January 30, 2008

By 

Lucy Levant (Boston MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Collected Poems: with parallel Greek text (Oxford World's Classics) (Paperback)

The translation is authentic and scholarly, maintaining the ironic and laconic aspects of the original Greek. For those with any knowledge of modern or ancient Greek, having the original Greek text on the facing page allows for the reader to enjoy Cavafy's brilliant use of the Greek language. For non-Greek readers, there is another volume by Edmund Keeley of Princeton University which is also very thoughtfully and respectfully translated. Both are a pleasure to read in English. I highly recommend this Oxfor World's Classic edition.

4.0 out of 5 stars Something Like a Beating Heart, May 13, 2010

By 

John Michael Albert "John-Michael Albert" (Portsmouth NH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Collected Poems: with parallel Greek text (Oxford World's Classics) (Paperback)

I don't know anything about Greek, but I have been a poet all my life and, ever since my late teens I have been told I needed to read Cavafy. He's the real thing. When I read him 35 years ago I, of course, wrestled with all the historical stuff. And the homoerotic poetry was cryptic to say the least. Mostly, I remember coming away from the book with a feeling that this was a very sober, very unhappy poet. A lot of water has gone under the bridge since then. He's still dark. I'd still like to take him out for a drink on a regular basis just to cheer him up. The historical stuff is less difficult and I have nothing but the most profound respect and appreciation for the beauty of his erotic poems. The sadness at the passing of youth and beauty is immediately comprehensible, no matter what floats your boat erotically. I've read it in Whitman, of course, A. E. Housman, Gide, and both Garcia Lorca and Cernuda. I'm happy with crediting half of my new attitude toward Cavafy to my own experience and the other half to the excellence of this new translation. It seems infinitely more direct, more personal than that old translation. A lot less scholarly starch and something more like a beating heart.

5.0 out of 5 stars A fine collection., April 1, 2010

By 

Antonis (Cyprus) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Collected Poems: with parallel Greek text (Oxford World's Classics) (Paperback)

There is not much to say about this collection, really. Cavafy's poems, collected in both Greek and English are in this book. The edition is a standard trade paperback, and for the casual reader, it would be an affordable, good-quality edition of Cavafy's work. Anyone interested in owning the poems in both English and Greek should check this edition out.