Manuel Komninos
One dreary September
Emperor Manuel Komninosfelt his death was near.
The court astrologers -bribed, of course- went on babblingabout how many years he still had to live.
But while they were having their say,he remembered an old religious customand ordered ecclesiastic al vestmentsto be brought from a monastery,and he put them on, glad to assumethe modest image of a priest or monk.
Happy all those who believe,and like Emperor Manuel end their livesdressed modestly in their faith.
Original Greek:
Μανουήλ
Ο βασιλεύς κυρ Μανουήλ ο Κομνηνόςμια μέρα μελαγχολική του Σεπτεμβρίουαισθάνθηκε τον θάνατο κοντά.
Οι αστρολόγοι(οι πληρωμένοι της αυλής εφλυαρούσανπου άλλα πολλά χρόνια θα ζήσει ακόμη.
Ενώ όμως έλεγαν αυτοί, εκείνοςπαληές συνήθειες ευλαβείς θυμάται,κι απ' τα κελλιά των μοναχών προστάζειενδύματα εκκλησιαστικά να φέρουν,και τα φορεί, κ' ευφραίνεται που δείχνειόψι σεμνήν ιερέως ή καλογήρου.
Ευτυχισμένοι όλοι που πιστεύουν,και σαν τον βασιλέα κυρ Μανουήλ τελειώνουνντυμένοι μες την πίστι των σεμνότατα.
Constantine P Cavafy
Другие работы автора
Of The Shop
He wrapped them carefully, neatlyin costly green silk Roses of ruby, lilies of pearl,violets of amethyst As he himself judged,as he wanted them, they look beautiful to him; not as he sawor studied them in nature He will leave them i...
Return
Return often and take me,beloved sensation, return and take me —when the memory of the body awakens,and an old desire runs again through the blood;when the lips and the skin remember,and the hands feel as if they touch again Return often and ...
In the Same Space
Environment, of house, of city centres, city Which I look upon and where I walk; years and years I have created you in the midst of joy and in the midst of sorrows; With so many circumstance s, with so many things
He Came to Read
He came to read Two or three booksare open; historians and poets But he only read for ten minutes,and gave them up He is dozingon the sofa
