Footsteps
On an ebony bed decoratedwith coral eagles, sound asleep
Nero —- unconscious, quiet, and blissful;thriving in the vigor of flesh,and in the splendid power of youth.
But in the alabaster hall that enclosesthe ancient shrine of the Aenobarbihow restive are his Lares.
The little household gods tremble,and try to hide their insignifican t bodies.
For they heard a horrible clamor,a deathly clamor ascending the stairs,iron footsteps rattling the stairs.
And now in a faint the miserable Lares,burrow in the depth of the shrine,one tumbles and stumbles upon the other,one little god falls over the otherfor they understand what sort of clamor this is,they are already feeling the footsteps of the Furies.
Original Greek:
Τα
Σ' εβένινο κρεββάτι στολισμένομε κοραλλένιους αετούς, βαθυά κοιμάταιο Νέρων -- ασυνείδητος, ήσυχος, κ' ευτυχής·ακμαίος μες στην ευρωστία της σαρκός,και στης νεότητος τ' ωραίο σφρίγος.
Αλλά στην αίθουσα την αλαβάστρινη που κλείνειτων Αηνοβάρβων το αρχαίο λαράριοτι ανήσυχοι που είν' οι Λάρητές του.
Τρέμουν οι σπιτικοί μικροί θεοί,και προσπαθούν τ' ασήμαντά των σώματα να κρύψουν.
Γιατί άκουσαν μια απαίσια βοή,θανάσιμη βοή την σκάλα ν' ανεβαίνει,βήματα σιδερένια που τραντάζουν τα σκαλιά.
Και λιγοθυμισμένοι τώρα οι άθλιοι Λάρητες,μέσα στο βάθος του λαράριου χώνονται,ο ένας τον άλλονα σκουντά και σκουντουφλά,ο ένας μικρός θεός πάνω στον άλλο πέφτειγιατί κατάλαβαν τι είδος βοή είναι τούτη,τάνοιωσαν πια τα βήματα των Εριννύων.
Κωνσταντίνος Π.
Καβάφης (1909)
Constantine P Cavafy
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