Ithaka - A Poem about Life as a Journey

I came across this very poem in 2013 when I was at my 4th year of tertiary education. The poem was illustrated in a comic by Gavin Aung Than. I found this poem interesting because it depicted life as a journey. It gave me a lot of food for thought because my last year of university life was about to end and I had to seriously think and plan for my future. Back then, I was aimless...

Ithaka was written by Constantine P. Cavafy (1863 - 1933) - a Greek poet of the 20th century. The poem was then translated by Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard. It was based on Homer's account of Odysseus's journey home in his poem - The Odyssey.

Life has always been bittersweet and that is the journey that everyone must go through. We learn and grow from the bitter moment; and we live and appreciate the sweet moment. Do not rush through the journey because life is not about the destination, but all about the journey - the experiences and memories that you have gained to make your life flourishing and fulfilling.

This poem gives us hope about life and it motivates us to move on even though life could be challenging sometimes. Hope you enjoy reading this poem like I do. 😉

Ithaka

by Constantine P. Cavafy

As you set out for Ithaka

hope your road is a long one,

full of adventure, full of discovery.

Laistrygonians, Cyclops,

angry Poseidon   don't be afraid of them:

you'll never find things like that on your way

as long as you keep your thoughts raised high,

as long as a rare excitement

stirs your spirit and your body.

Laistrygonians, Cyclops,

wild Poseidon   you won't encounter them

unless you bring them along inside your soul,

unless your soul sets them up in front of you.

Hope your road is a long one.

May there be many summer mornings when,

with what pleasure, what joy,

you enter harbors you're seeing for the first time;

may you stop at Phoenecian trading stations

to buy fine things,

mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,

sensual perfume of every kind   

as many perfumes as you can;

and may you visit many Egyptian cities

to learn and go on learning from their scholars.

Keep Ithaka always in your mind.

Arriving there is what you're destined for.

But don't hurry the journey at all.

Better if it lasts for years,

so you're old by the time you reach the island,

wealthy with all you've gained on the way,

not expecting Ithaka to make you rich.

Ithaka gave you the marvelous journey.

Without her you wouldn't have set out.

She has nothing left to give you now.

And if you find her poor, Ithaka won't have fooled you.

Wise as you will have become, so full of experience,

you'll have understood by then what these Ithakas mean.