Letter by John Cavafy to C. P. Cavafy

GR-OF CA CA-SF02-S01-SS02-F20-SF001-0020 (395)

ROTATE

MAGNIFY

ENLARGE

DOWNLOAD

DOWNLOAD ALL

DOWNLOAD

[Alexandria] 20 March 1883

My dear Constantine,
     I own receipt of your amusing letter 10th instant which is very well written indeed. The play must ― on the whole ― have been very entertaining.
     Last week I sent you the Magazine for March: and this week Aristides sends mother under separate cover a remittance for £ 3.
     News of the day are reduced to a minimum ― Mallet is appointed Minister for Japan: ― who succeeds him here is as yet unknown. It may be that with Dufferin in the Country, as minister plenipotentiary, the post held by Mallet becomes obsolete.
     Zervudachi on the 29th instant holds a Ball: Aristides and I, are invited ― It is generally acknowledged that the entertainment is going to be on a large scale. Invitations were issued on the 10th.
     Moss leaves England for this about the 6th April and will probably be here on the 12th. I shall then be able to know more definitely about my going to England. He is to make a short stay only: say a month or five weeks. ―
     Nothing has transpired as to the fortune left by Nacouz. His funeral was of the grandest.
     Your grammatical, or rather linguistic, queries are of the easiest this time ― I would render
“sécousse”, in English with “shock” ―
“epreuve”, in English with “trial” or “experiment” and in another sense “affliction”.
“εμβαθύνειν” = to search into, to explore.
“flétrir” = when in neuter sense, of course, “to fade”, “to wither”: when in active sense “to tarnish”, “to destroy”.

     Remember me kindly to all with my best love
          and believe me
               Yours affectionately
                    John.

[Alexandria] 20 March 1883

My dear Constantine,
     I own receipt of your amusing letter 10th instant which is very well written indeed. The play must ― on the whole ― have been very entertaining.
     Last week I sent you the Magazine for March: and this week Aristides sends mother under separate cover a remittance for £ 3.
     News of the day are reduced to a minimum ― Mallet is appointed Minister for Japan: ― who succeeds him here is as yet unknown. It may be that with Dufferin in the Country, as minister plenipotentiary, the post held by Mallet becomes obsolete.
     Zervudachi on the 29th instant holds a Ball: Aristides and I, are invited ― It is generally acknowledged that the entertainment is going to be on a large scale. Invitations were issued on the 10th.
     Moss leaves England for this about the 6th April and will probably be here on the 12th. I shall then be able to know more definitely about my going to England. He is to make a short stay only: say a month or five weeks. ―
     Nothing has transpired as to the fortune left by Nacouz. His funeral was of the grandest.
     Your grammatical, or rather linguistic, queries are of the easiest this time ― I would render
“sécousse”, in English with “shock” ―
“epreuve”, in English with “trial” or “experiment” and in another sense “affliction”.
“εμβαθύνειν” = to search into, to explore.
“flétrir” = when in neuter sense, of course, “to fade”, “to wither”: when in active sense “to tarnish”, “to destroy”.

     Remember me kindly to all with my best love
          and believe me
               Yours affectionately
                    John.

PHOTO 1
PHOTO 2

DIGITAL OBJECT DESCRIPTION

IDENTITY AREA

REFERENCE CODE:

Records the unique identifier that has been appointed to the unit of description by the archivists, in order to facilitate references made to the fonds on an international level.

GR-OF CA CA-SF02-S01-SS02-F20-SF001-0020 (395)

TITLE:

Records the name of the unit of description.

Letter by John Cavafy to C. P. Cavafy

DATE(S):

Identifies the date of creation of the unit of description.

20/3/1883

LEVEL OF DESCRIPTION:

Identifies the level of arrangement of the unit of description (fonds, sub-fonds, series, sub-series, file, sub-file, item).

Item

EXTENT AND MEDIUM:

Records the extent of the unit of description. In case of an item description, it records the exact dimensions of the item.

44 x 27.5 cm

FORMER REFERENCE CODE:

Records the former identifier of the item as given by the Historical G. P. Savvidis Catalogue.

F51_Φ1-33

CONTEXT AREA

NAME OF CREATOR(S):

Identifies the author or the creator of the unit of description.

Cavafy, John

CONTENT AND STRUCTURE AREA

SCOPE AND CONTENT:

Provides a summary of the scope (such as, time periods, geography) and content of the unit of description.

Handwritten letter by John Cavafy to C. P. Cavafy, on the first and third pages of a double sheet letterhead of R. J. Moss & Co., Alexandria. The sender refers to the political situation in Egypt as well as to the social life in Alexandria. Linguistic remarks to relevant questions by C. P. Cavafy.

CONDITIONS OF ACCESS AND USE AREA

CONDITIONS GOVERNING REPRODUCTION:

Specifies the conditions governing the reproduction of the unit of description.

CC BY-SA 4.0 Cavafy Archive Onassis Foundation

LANGUAGE AND SCRIPT NOTES:

Identifies the language(s) and script(s) employed in the unit of description.

English

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Provides information about important physical characteristics of the unit of description.

Writing in ink. Watermark: R. J. Moss & Co Alexandria. Physical item wear: oxidations.

NOTES AREA

NOTE:

Provides information that cannot be accommodated in any of the other fields.

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.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

Literary annotation, providing additional information on the digital object.

Lexicographical remarks: translations of Greek and French phrases into English.