Letter by John Cavafy to C. P. Cavafy

GR-OF CA CA-SF02-S01-SS02-F20-SF001-0058 (433)

ROTATE

MAGNIFY

ENLARGE

DOWNLOAD

DOWNLOAD ALL

PHOTO 1
PHOTO 2
PHOTO 3

[Alexandria] 19 January 1885

    My dear Constantine,
      I have your letter 10th instant with     postscript of the 13th and thank you for the
    cutting out of the Times ― I anxiously
    await “the something more interesting
    next week”, though I cannot
    picture to myself of what nature
    this something is likely to be.     “Cinque-pace” I have unwillingly
    given up as a bad job ― The
    mystery therein concealed has
    baffled all my exorcisms, and I
    am equally disappointed to have
    to write that I am unable to
    give you any idea how to put in
    Greek the phrase: “The pleasure
    you may find on a knife’s point” etc.
    The thought is so transcendentally
    original that I can hardly say
    I understand it ― You might
    translate word for word as I have
    tried but the sum total is thus
    reduced to mere jargon, inco-     herent of sense and all. As far
    as trouble is concerned you of-
    fend me by using the word ―
    Trouble, what trouble? how can
    pleasure be trouble? and I feel
    no greater pleasure than to be
    of some use to you.
    Poor Albrecht is dead! A good,
    honest and gentlemanly person,
    whom I liked sincerely, and who
    had always a kind word for me,
    apart from any business relations
    I had with him, and which he     ever succeeded in making
    pleasant and easy. I mourn him
    in heartfelt sorrow. ―
    You will be pleased to hear I
    have again appeared in the
    Public Opinion with some
    verses rejoicing in the title
    of “The Poetry of Song” ― I have
    only one copy of the paper and
    that I have sent to George,
    knowing it will please him, ―
    but I shall send you a number
    of the paper within two weeks as
    Mr. Moss has ordered half
    a dozen. I may mention the
    verses have been appreciated
    a good deal and figuratively
    speaking have walked Ramlé
    from one end to the other ―
    Excuse this hurried and brief
    letter and believe me ever
          Your affectionate
               Johannisberg

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-SF001-0058 (433)

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.

19/1/1885

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.

26.5 x 22 cm

FORMER REFERENCE CODE:

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

F54_Φ1-25

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 recto of a letterhead and on both sides of a second letterhead of R. J. Moss & Co., Alexandria. John announces the publication of a second poem of his in the Public Opinionl. Reference to the translation effort of C. P. Cavafy. (Alexandria)

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.

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.

Publication of John Cavafy’s poem “The Poetry of Song” in the Public Opinion.