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Kavafis, Konstantinos: Walls (Τείχη in English)

Portre of Kavafis, Konstantinos

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Τείχη (Greek)

Χωρίς περίσκεψιν, χωρίς λύπην, χωρίς αιδώ
μεγάλα κ’ υψηλά τριγύρω μου έκτισαν τείχη.

Και κάθομαι και απελπίζομαι τώρα εδώ.
Άλλο δεν σκέπτομαι: τον νουν μου τρώγει αυτή η τύχη·

διότι πράγματα πολλά έξω να κάμω είχον.
A όταν έκτιζαν τα τείχη πώς να μην προσέξω.

Aλλά δεν άκουσα ποτέ κρότον κτιστών ή ήχον.
Aνεπαισθήτως μ’ έκλεισαν από τον κόσμον έξω.



Uploaded byP. T.
Source of the quotationhttp://www.kavafis.gr

Walls (English)

With no consideration, no pity, no shame,
they have built walls around me, thick and high.

And now I sit here feeling hopeless.
I can’t think of anything else: this fate gnaws my mind

- because I had so much to do outside.
When they were building the walls, how could I not have noticed!

But I never heard the builders, not a sound.
Imperceptibly they have closed me off from the outside world.



Uploaded byP. T.
Source of the quotationhttp://www.kavafis.gr

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