C. P. Cavafy Selected Poems

A voice of longing, loss, and historical memory – reborn in clear, poetic English.

C.P. Cavafy (1863-1933) is one of modern Greece’s most celebrated poets – his work a luminous bridge between the ancient and the modern, the intimate and the eternal.

This stunning collection offers a carefully selected range of his most iconic and powerful poems, newly translated to preserve the subtle rhythms, rich imagery, and emotional depth of the originals.

Alongside these verses are thoughtfully curated historical notes and texts that illuminate the classical and Hellenistic references Cavafy so often weaves into his poetry – enriching the experience for both first-time readers and longtime admirers.

Inside this volume:

A fresh, accessible English translation faithful to Cavafy’s poetic voice
A curated selection of his most beloved historical and personal poems
Historical and literary context to deepen your understanding

From the whispered presence of lost voices to the echoes of ancient empires, Cavafy: Selected Poems invites readers into a timeless world of introspection, quiet reflection, and history:

Ideal and beloved voices,

of those who have died, or of those

who are lost to us like the dead…

Sometimes they speak to us in our dreams;

sometimes, in thought, the mind hears them.

And with their sound, for a moment, return

echoes from the first poetry of our life-

like distant music, in the night, fading away…