Jan 20, 2021
But you are a nocturnal invention that takes pleasure in rainy confidences.
Odysseus Elytis, excerpt of “Windows Towards the Fifth Season”, in Orientations, trans. by Jeffrey Carson and Nikos Sarris
seen from Türkiye
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Sweden
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seen from Yemen
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Yemen
seen from United States
seen from Malaysia
seen from Italy
seen from Türkiye
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seen from Mexico
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But you are a nocturnal invention that takes pleasure in rainy confidences.
Odysseus Elytis, excerpt of “Windows Towards the Fifth Season”, in Orientations, trans. by Jeffrey Carson and Nikos Sarris
I WAS given the Greek language; a poor house on Homer’s beaches. My only care my language on Homer’s beaches. Seabream there and perch windbeaten verbs green sea-currents amid the azure currents which I felt light up in my viscera sponges, medusae with the first words of the Sirens pink shells with their first black shivers. My only care my language with the first black shivers.
Odysseus Elytis, excerpt from The Axion Esti - Psalm II. Translated by Jeffrey Carson.
Desire has a very high stature and in its palms burns absence. Desire gives birth to the road on which it wants to walk. It leaves... —And towards it a people of hands ignites admiration's fireprey.
Odysseus Elytis, excerpt of “Windows Towards the Fifth Season”, in Orientations, trans. by Jeffrey Carson and Nikos Sarris
Far out Eros murmurs its promise—sea surf.
Odysseus Elytis, excerpt of “Of the Aegean”, in Orientations, trans. by Jeffrey Carson and Nikos Sarris
IX. I did nothing else. I took you as you took unused nature and celebrated it twenty- four times in forests and seas. I took you in the same shiver that inverted the words and left them beyond like open and irreplaceable shells. I took you as a companion in lightning, in awe, in instinct.
Odysseus Elytis, excerpt of “The Concert of Hyacinths”, in Orientations, trans. by Jeffrey Carson and Nikos Sarris
Young, jealous shadow of my soul, genetrix of a music under moonlight Stand a little closer to me.
Odysseus Elytis, excerpt of “The Concert of Hyacinths”, in The Collected Poems of Odysseus Elytis (tr. by Jeffrey Carson and Nikos Sarris)
I took you in the same shiver that inverted the words—
Odysseus Elytis, excerpt of “The Concert of Hyacinths”, in The Collected Poems of Odysseus Elytis (tr. by Jeffrey Carson and Nikos Sarris)
Speak to me; but speak to me of tears.
Odysseus Elytis, excerpt of “The Concert of Hyacinths”, in The Collected Poems of Odysseus Elytis (tr. by Jeffrey Carson and Nikos Sarris)