Letter by John Cavafy to C. P. Cavafy
GR-OF CA CA-SF02-S01-SS02-F20-SF001-0045 (420)
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[Alexandria] 14 May 1884 My dear Constantine, I missed the mail yesterday and put off writing you until today. Your letter 6th arrived 10th inst- ant, four days only on the voyage, ― the quickest transit I have noticed yet from Constantinople here. In heading my letter with the above date, I have wished you all good things, and hope that Providence will hear my prayers and some day grant you them. Your letters are always treasured by me, and kept in a safe place with my other few valuables. I await with interest the solution of Mr. Rangabé’s enig- ma: my dull brain cannot fathom the mysterious heptameters.
My verses “By the rivers of Babylon”, under their proper title “Super Flumina Babylonis”, I have had published in the Public Opinion of the 18th April. I am expecting copies of that number by tomorrow’s Brindisi mail, and shall post you one immediately on receipt. I have made sundry alterations in the poem, which I hope you will approve of; and, as you will see, I have altogether elimi- nated the stanza, you took exception to, as well as the one preceding it, and substituted four new lines, which I fancy are a marked improvement. Hoping that this will find you all in good health and with much love to mother, Alexander and Paul I am yours John. P.S. I just hear from Kneen that it is reported the Commercial Bank of Alexandria is about to liquidate. This may be only a rumour.
J.C.C
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GR-OF CA CA-SF02-S01-SS02-F20-SF001-0045 (420)
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Letter by John Cavafy to C. P. Cavafy
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14/5/1884
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Item
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44 x 27.5 cm
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Handwritten letter by John Cavafy to C. P. Cavafy, on the first page of a double sheet letterhead of R. J. Moss & Co., Alexandria. The remaining pages are blank. Comments on a poem by John published in the Public Opinion. (Alexandria)
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English
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Writing in ink. Watermark: R. J. Moss & Co., Alexandria.
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The transcription and editing of the letters of John Constantine Cavafy addressed to C. P. Cavafy was first carried out by Katerina Ghika; said transcriptions were subsequently uploaded to the official website of the Cavafy Archive.
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John Cavafy briefly comments on his poem “By the Rivers of Babylon”, which was published under the title “Super Flumina Babylonis” in the Public Opinion on 18 April 1883.
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Cavafy, John Constantine. “Letter by John Cavafy to C. P. Cavafy”. Letter, 14.05.1884. GR-OF CA CA-SF02-S01-SS02-F20-SF001-0045 (420), Onassis Foundation C. P. Cavafy Fonds. From The Digital Collection of the Cavafy Archive, edited by Onassis Foundation, Athens, last modified 01.10.2025. https://doi.org/10.26256/CA-SF02-S01-SS02-F20-SF001-0045.
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DOI: 10.26256/ca-sf02-s01-ss02-f20-sf001-0045
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PERSONAL PAPERS
Correspondence of C. P. Cavafy
Family correspondence
Incoming correspondence of C. P. Cavafy
Incoming correspondence by John Cavafy