when you will take the journey back to ithaca
hope that the journey will last
that it will be full of adventures and full of experiences.
the laestrygonians and the cyclops,
the furies of poseidon - do not fear them.
you will not find them on your way
if your thoughts remain serene, if only pure emotions brush against your soul and your body.
the laestrygonians and the cyclops,
the violence of poseidon, you will not see them
if you hide them within yourself or unless your soul makes them appear before you.
hope that the journey will last.
that many will be the summer mornings where, with such fervor and such delight,
you will come upon unknown ports!
stop at phoenician stalls
to aquire beautiful things:
mother-of-pearl, coral, amber and ebony
and all sorts of intoxicating perfumes.
visit also the many cities of egypt
in order to gain knowledge, to initiate yourself at the sides of the sages.
and especially, do not forget ithaca.
to arrive there is your only goal.
but do not hurry your journey,
prolong it as long as possible
and reach the island only once you are old,
rich in all your experiences from your travels.
you will no longer need ithaca to fulfill you.
it was ithaca that allowed you this beautiful voyage.
without it, you would never have left.
it has nothing left to give you.
and as poor as it seems to you now, it has not
deceived you.
wise and full of your new knowledge
you will have understood what the ithacans signifiy.
- by constantin cavafy
