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                                                       Ithaka              

         As you set out for Ithaka hope your road is a long one,

         full of adventure, full of discovery.

         Laistrygonians, Cyclops, angry Poseidon-don´t be
          afraid of them: you´ll never find the things like that
          on your way as long as you keep thoughts raised high,
          as long as a rare excitement stirs your spirit and your
          body.

         Laistrygonians, Cyclops, wild Poseidon-you won´t
         encounter them unless you bring them along inside
        your soul, unless your soul sets them up in front of
        you.               

        Hope your road is a long one.

        May there be many summer mornings when, with
        what pleasure, what joy, you enter harbors you´re
        seeing for the first time;
        may you stop at Phoenician trading stations to buy
        fine things, mother of pearl and coral, amber and
        ebony.

        Sensual perfume of every kind- as many sensual
        perfumes as you can;
        and may you visit many Egyptian cities to learn and
        go on learning from their scholars.

        Keep Ithaka always in your mind.

        Arriving there is what you´re destined for.

        But don´t hurry the journey at all.

         Better if it lasts for years, so you´re old by the time
         you reach the island, wealthy with all you´ve gained
         on the way.

         Not expecting Ithaka to make you rich. 

         Ithaka gave you the marvelous journey.

         Without her you wouldn´t have set out.

         She has nothing left to give you now. 

         And if you find her poor, Ithaka won´t have fooled you.

         Wise as you will have become, so full of experience,
         you´ll have understood by then what these Ithakas
         mean.

                                                                  Constantino P. Cavafy

                                                                  Greek Poet

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               Index