C.P. Cavafy: The Collected Poems – A New Translation

Translated by Demetres P. Tryphonopoulos

Arkadia Publications, 2025 | ISBN 978-1-7382939-1-9“

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Cavafy is an ultra-modern poet—a poet of future generations.This new translation by Demetres P. Tryphonopoulos offers a fresh rendering of all 154 poems Cavafy finalized before his death in 1933—alongside extensive notes and contextual commentary. The edition honors Cavafy’s own careful curatorial instincts, providing readers with insight into the poet’s use of mixed linguistic registers, his thematic divisions (erotic, historical, and philosophical), and his modernist technique and free iambic form.Cavafy’s poetry remains powerfully resonant today: unapologetically homoerotic, politically astute, and philosophically rich Generations of readers have turned to his work for its clarity, irony, and honesty. In a voice at once ancient and startlingly modern, Cavafy reimagines history while remaining intimately personal and emotionally immediate.

Complementing the translation is a compelling visual suite by Christos Damianos, whose photo-based artworks—created over a decade in response to both the original Greek and its English rendering—invite new ways of seeing and experiencing the Hellenic world. Evocative rather than illustrative, the imagery extends Cavafy’s vision, offering an artistic dialogue that spans generations, geographies, and genres.This richly crafted edition follows earlier collaborations between the translator and artist, continuing their shared exploration of modern Greek poetry as living tradition. With its blend of textual sensitivity and visual innovation,