Denial (poem)

Denial (poem)

Denial (Greek: Άρνηση) is a poem by Giorgos Seferis (1900–1971) published in his collection Turning Point ("Strophe") in 1931. After the coup that overthrew the Greek government in 1967, Seferis went into voluntary seclusion and many of his poems were banned, including the musical versions which Mikis Theodorakis had written and arranged. Denial came to be the anthem of resistance to the regime and was sung by the enormous crowds lining the streets at Seferis' funeral.

DENIAL [English translation by Edmund Keeley and Phillip Sherrard]

On the secret seashore
white like a pigeon
we thirsted at noon;
but the water was brackish.

On the golden sand
we wrote her name;
but the sea-breeze blew
and the writing vanished.

With what spirit, what heart,
what desire and passion
we lived our life: a mistake!
So we changed our life.

ΑΡΝΗΣΗ

Στο περιγιάλι το κρυφό
κι άσπρο σαν περιστέρι
διψάσαμε το μεσημέρι·
μα το νερό γλυφό.

Πάνω στην άμμο την ξανθή
γράψαμε τ' όνομά της·
ωραία που φύσηξεν ο μπάτης
και σβήστηκε η γραφή.

Mε τι καρδιά, με τι πνοή,
τι πόθους και τι πάθος,
πήραμε τη ζωή μας· λάθος!
κι αλλάξαμε ζωή.

Sources

  • George Seferis, Edmund Keeley, Philip Sherrard (Editor) -- (Paperback - 3 July, 1995) ISBN 0-691-01491-4
  • George Seferis: Complete Poems George Seferis, Edmund Keeley (Translator), Philip Sherrard (Translator) ISBN 0-85646-214-4
  • A Poet's Journal: Days of 1945-1951, George Seferis, Athanasios Anagnostopoulos (Translator) 1583485341

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Denial (disambiguation) — Denial is a psychological defense mechanism. Denial may also refer to: Denial of request, the refusal of one party to grant the request of another Denial (1990 film), American drama by Erin Dignam Denial (1998 film), by Adam Rifkin Denial (poem) …   Wikipedia

  • Long poem — The long poem is a literary genre including all poetry of considerable length. Though the definition of a long poem is vague and broad, the genre includes some of the most important poetry ever written. The long poem traces its origins to the… …   Wikipedia

  • literature — /lit euhr euh cheuhr, choor , li treuh /, n. 1. writings in which expression and form, in connection with ideas of permanent and universal interest, are characteristic or essential features, as poetry, novels, history, biography, and essays. 2.… …   Universalium

  • JOB, BOOK OF — (named for its hero (Heb. אִיּוֹב), ancient South Arabian and Thamudic yʾb; Old Babylonian Ayyābum, Tell el Amarna tablet, no. 256, line 6, A ia ab; either from yʾb, to bear ill will or compounded of ay where? and ʾab (divine) father ), one of… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • biblical literature — Introduction       four bodies of written works: the Old Testament writings according to the Hebrew canon; intertestamental works, including the Old Testament Apocrypha; the New Testament writings; and the New Testament Apocrypha.       The Old… …   Universalium

  • ANTISEMITISM — ANTISEMITISM, a term coined in 1879, from the Greek ἁντί = anti, and Σημ = Semite by the German agitator wilhelm marr to designate the then current anti Jewish campaigns in Europe. Antisemitism soon came into general use as a term denoting all… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Byzantine literature — may be defined as the Greek literature of the Middle Ages, whether written in the territory of the Byzantine Empire or outside its bordersEncyclopaedia Britannica Greek literature: Byzantine literature ] . It forms the second period in the… …   Wikipedia

  • Byzantine Literature — • The four cultural elements included are the Greek, the Christian, the Roman, and the Oriental Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Byzantine Literature     Byzantine Literature …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • philosophy, Western — Introduction       history of Western philosophy from its development among the ancient Greeks to the present.       This article has three basic purposes: (1) to provide an overview of the history of philosophy in the West, (2) to relate… …   Universalium

  • Ionians (The) — The Ionians Malcolm Schofield THALES AND OTHERS The Greeks agreed that philosophy had begun with Thales. However they did not know much about his views.1 What survives is mostly a potent legend. Herodotus tells stories of his practical ingenuity …   History of philosophy

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”