In fear and suspicions, in mind disturbed and frightened eyes, as we melt down we design how to act to avoid the danger the unavoidable thus horribly threatening us. Yet we err, it isn't this on our way; false were the messages (we didn't listen to them or didn't rightly sense). A different disaster, never imagined, abrupt, rapid falls upon us, and unprepared as we are - now no time left - tears us apart.
------ Μέσα στὸν φόβο καὶ στὲς ὑποψίες, μὲ ταραγμένο νοῦ καὶ τρομαγμένα μάτια, λυώνουμε καὶ σχεδιάζουμε τὸ πῶς νὰ κάμουμε γιὰ ν' ἀποφύγουμε τὸν βέβαιο τὸν κίνδυνο ποὺ ἔτσι φρικτὰ μᾶς ἀπειλεῖ. Κι ὅμως λανθάνουμε, δὲν εἶν' αὐτὸς στὸν δρόμο ψεύτικα ἦσαν τὰ μηνύματα (ἢ δὲν τ' ἀκούσαμε, ἢ δὲν τὰ νοιώσαμε καλά). Ἄλλη καταστροφή, ποὺ δὲν τὴν φανταζόμεθαν, ἐξαφνική, ραγδαία πέφτει ἐπάνω μας, κι ἀνέτοιμους - ποῦ πιὰ καιρὸς - μᾶς συνεπαίρνει.
(Konstantin Cavafy. Finished (Τελειωμένα). 1910-11) (Painting: Theophrastos Triantafyllidis. Two Children on the Beach. 1919)
