Letter by John Cavafy to C. P. Cavafy

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

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[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

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

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Letter by John Cavafy to C. P. Cavafy

DATE(S):

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19/1/1885

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Item

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26.5 x 22 cm

FORMER REFERENCE CODE:

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F54_Φ1-25

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 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)

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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. Watermark: R. J. Moss & Co., Alexandria.

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.

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.

ACCESS POINTS

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SUBJECTS:

Letter

Journals:

Public Opinion

Newspapers:

Times, The

Works by other authors:

"The poetry of song" [Cavafy, John C.]

PERSONS:

Cavafy, George P. J.

Cavafy, John Constantine

Moss, Robert Johnson

CITATION:

For citation purposes, please use the reference provided here.

Cavafy, John Constantine. “Letter by John Cavafy to C. P. Cavafy”. Letter, 19.01.1885. GR-OF CA CA-SF02-S01-SS02-F20-SF001-0058 (433), 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-SF001-0058.