For what it’s worth, Leonard Cohen too picks up from Cavafy how “‘The Alexandria whom you are losing’ may stand, too, for any status or pleasure or power the loss of which we must (as individuals) face up to courageously” — this transposed into the key of love and loss in his song “Alexandra leaving.”
I too am a fan of the Leonard Cohen version, which is somewhere between a loose translation and an adaptation. Somehow, it manages to be both a tribute to Cavafy and a ‘signature’ Cohen lyric. Perhaps because he always had that slightly archaic lyric poet among his voices.
Thank you — enjoyed this very much. And my heavens, the Louis MacNeice poem. Had never come across it before, except maybe in short quotes here and there.
Apologies, I just noticed this comment which I missed at the time. It's really a fantastic poem isn't it? I have known it since I was a teenager and it has never not felt relevant. Ironically, I certainly read and learnt this poem several years before I read Shakespeare's "Antony & Cleopatra", so when I did read it, it reminded me of MacNeice rather than the other way around. I think that's testimony to the peculiar authority of this lyric -- the Shakespeare line is such a bold interpolation that you might expect it to sort of ruin the poem if you didn't recognise the allusion, but it didn't bother me at all. I realised it must be a quotation, and vaguely assumed it was based on something from the Old Testament, since Egypt made me think of Moses and Joseph and the Exodus and so on.
Love this — and yes, that shock of delighted recognition when one finally encounters to the original to something that one has kong known only through a brief reference. The poem itself — just reread it, and was bowled over by it this time also.
For what it’s worth, Leonard Cohen too picks up from Cavafy how “‘The Alexandria whom you are losing’ may stand, too, for any status or pleasure or power the loss of which we must (as individuals) face up to courageously” — this transposed into the key of love and loss in his song “Alexandra leaving.”
Thanks Nicholas, what a great link!
I too am a fan of the Leonard Cohen version, which is somewhere between a loose translation and an adaptation. Somehow, it manages to be both a tribute to Cavafy and a ‘signature’ Cohen lyric. Perhaps because he always had that slightly archaic lyric poet among his voices.
Oh, this is what literary criticism should be! Thank you.
Thanks for commenting Dale. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you — enjoyed this very much. And my heavens, the Louis MacNeice poem. Had never come across it before, except maybe in short quotes here and there.
Apologies, I just noticed this comment which I missed at the time. It's really a fantastic poem isn't it? I have known it since I was a teenager and it has never not felt relevant. Ironically, I certainly read and learnt this poem several years before I read Shakespeare's "Antony & Cleopatra", so when I did read it, it reminded me of MacNeice rather than the other way around. I think that's testimony to the peculiar authority of this lyric -- the Shakespeare line is such a bold interpolation that you might expect it to sort of ruin the poem if you didn't recognise the allusion, but it didn't bother me at all. I realised it must be a quotation, and vaguely assumed it was based on something from the Old Testament, since Egypt made me think of Moses and Joseph and the Exodus and so on.
Love this — and yes, that shock of delighted recognition when one finally encounters to the original to something that one has kong known only through a brief reference. The poem itself — just reread it, and was bowled over by it this time also.