The following is the poem “Ithaca” by the famous Greek poet Cavafy, in its translation by Rae Dalven, the original Greek, and also with my own horribly-bastardized pronunciation guide for the Greek. Note that the translation is not line-based, which is to say that each line in English does not *exactly* say what is in the same Greek line.
| When you start on your journey to Ithaca, | Σα βγεις στον πηγαιμο για την Ιθακη, | sah vays ston paygaimo geeya tain eeTHAkey |
| then pray that the road is long, | να ευχεσαι να ναι μακρυς ο δρομος, | na euchesai na nay makros o dromos, |
| full of adventure, full of knowledge. | γεματος περιπετειες, γεματος γνωσεισ. | gematos peripetays, gematos no-sis. |
| Do not fear the Lestrygonians | Τους Λαιστρυγονας και τους Κυκλωπας, | twos laistregonas kay twos kooklipass, |
| and the Cyclopes and the angry Poseidon. | τον θυμωμενο Ποσειδωνα μη φοβασαι, | ton themumeno poseiden-ahh may phobasai, |
| You will never meet such as these on your path, | τετοια στον δρομο σου ποτε σου δεν θα βγεις, | tetoya ston dromo sue poetay sue den tha vays, |
| if your thoughts remain lofty, if a | fineαν μεν η σκεψις σου υψηλη, αν εκλεκτηan | men ay skepsis sue waylay, an eklektay |
| emotion touches your body and your spirit. | συγκιvησις το πνευμα και το σωμα σου αγγιζει. | sugkeyvaysis to newma kay to summa sue aggEEzay. |
| You will never meet the Lestrygonians, | Τους Λαιστρυγονας και τους Κυκλωπας, | twos laistregonas kay twos kooklipass, |
| the Cyclopes and the fierce Poseidon, | τον αγριο Ποσειδωνα δεν θα συναντησεις, | ton agrio poseiden-ahh den tha soonantaysays, |
| if you do not carry them within your soul, | αν δεν τους κουβανεις μες στην ψυχη σου, | an den twos koubanays mess stain psueshay sue, |
| if your soul does not raise them up before you. | αν η ψυχη σου δεν τους στηνει εμπρος σου. | An ay psueshay sue den twos staynei empros sue. |