Letter by John Cavafy to C. P. Cavafy

GR-OF CA CA-SF02-S01-SS02-F20-SF001-0049 (424)

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Alexandria 15 July 1884

    My dear Constantine,
       I write to you in the quiet and
    solitude of my room at an hour far
    advanced in the night. I have been rea-
    ding hard at my favourite mathematics,
    but even these now have lost the charm
    they had for me once. I feel sad, very
    sad, and everything appears to me pro-
    fitless and sorrowful. I feel sad, I say,     and mostly so when I think of the fu-
    ture, not for me individually but for
    those that are dear to me ― Can it be
    possible that there is no joy, no ease
    in the world, or is it that we alone
    of all beings are debarred from a sense
    thereof? There is an evil influence in     night, that somehow disappears
    with the rays of the sun, but tonight
    I feel more than ever dejected, tho’
    the beautiful Egyptian skies above
    me sparkle with a thousand stars.
    Looking at them a short while ago,     I could not help thinking how strange
    a mockery it seems, that the myriad
    spheres above us, seemingly so tranquil,     should watch over a world so rent
    with care and internecine strife.
      And the worst evil meseems is     the constant masque-wearing to
    which one is doomed. ― The
    necessity to present a subdued, if
    not a pleased, countenance, and re-
    strain the feeling that would promp-
    tly give it the lie.       hese perhaps are not fit sen-
    timents for a letter, that should     try and cheer you in your pitiful
    circumstances ― But ’tis hard at
    times to be falsely cheerful and
    the stoutest heart must give in
    to constant disappointments and
    the pessimism thereby engendered.
      You can little imagine how it     pains me to read our dear mother’s
    letters, and know there is no help
    for it, but to let things be, and
    wait, wait, and trust to Providence,
    (which I firmly hold not to be an empty
    word, but which is trying us sorely),
    and so the days, and the months and the
    years go by with little profit, if any;
    and the good ― when it does come ―     will have much evil to expunge.
      Poor Alexander and Paul ― I feel
    for them keenly: tell them they have
    my sincere, brotherly sympathy: ’tis     alas, all that I can give.
    Many many kisses to mother and
    believe me ever
          Your affectionate                John.

DIGITAL OBJECT DESCRIPTION

IDENTITY AREA

REFERENCE CODE:

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GR-OF CA CA-SF02-S01-SS02-F20-SF001-0049 (424)

TITLE:

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Letter by John Cavafy to C. P. Cavafy

DATE(S):

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15/7/1884

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Item

EXTENT AND MEDIUM:

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20.5 x 13 cm

FORMER REFERENCE CODE:

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F53_Φ1-32

CONTEXT AREA

NAME OF CREATOR(S):

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Cavafy, John

CONTENT AND STRUCTURE AREA

SCOPE AND CONTENT:

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Handwritten letter by John Cavafy to C. P. Cavafy on two small sheets, in which he expresses his sadness regarding the family’s situation. (Alexandria)

CONDITIONS OF ACCESS AND USE AREA

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CC BY-SA 4.0 Cavafy Archive Onassis Foundation

LANGUAGE AND SCRIPT NOTES:

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English

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS:

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Writing in ink. Physical item wear: oxidations caused by metal paperclip.

NOTES AREA

NOTE:

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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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SUBJECTS:

Letter

PERSONS:

Cavafy (Fotiadi), Charikleia

Cavafy, Alexandros P.

Cavafy, C. P.

Cavafy, John Constantine

Cavafy, Paul

CITATION:

For citation purposes, please use the reference provided here.

Cavafy, John Constantine. “Letter by John Cavafy to C. P. Cavafy”. Letter, 15.07.1884. GR-OF CA CA-SF02-S01-SS02-F20-SF001-0049 (424), 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-SF001-0049.