Myris: Alexandria, A.d. 340 Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFDGHIJKGCCLCCMG GDNCOCCCCCPPQRSCCLCT UPLPPCCPVAWDXYDDCPXD DZDWXZPLCCDWhen I heard the terrible news that Myris was dead | A |
I went to his house although I avoid | B |
going to the houses of Christians | C |
especially during times of mourning or festivity | D |
I stood in the corridor I didn't want | E |
to go further inside because I noticed | F |
that the relatives of the deceased looked at me | D |
with obvious surprise and displeasure | G |
They had him in a large room | H |
and from the corner where I stood | I |
I could catch a glimpse of it all precious carpets | J |
and vessels in silver and gold | K |
I stood and wept in a corner of the corridor | G |
And I thought how our parties and excursions | C |
wouldn't be worthwhile now without Myris | C |
and I thought how I'd no longer see him | L |
at our wonderfully indecent night long sessions | C |
enjoying himself laughing and reciting verses | C |
with his perfect feel for Greek rhythm | M |
and I thought how I'd lost forever | G |
his beauty lost forever | G |
the young man I'd worshipped so passionately | D |
Some old women close to me were talking with lowered | N |
voices | C |
about the last day he lived | O |
the name of Christ constantly on his lips | C |
his hand holding a cross | C |
Then four Christian priests | C |
came into the room and said prayers | C |
fervently and orisons to Jesus | C |
or to Mary I'm not very familiar with their religion | P |
We'd known of course that Myris was a Christian | P |
known it from the very start | Q |
when he first joined our group the year before last | R |
But he lived exactly as we did | S |
more devoted to pleasure than all of us | C |
he scattered his money lavishly on amusements | C |
Not caring what anyone thought of him | L |
he threw himself eagerly into night time scuffles | C |
when our group happened to clash | T |
with some rival group in the street | U |
He never spoke about his religion | P |
And once we even told him | L |
that we'd take him with us to the Serapeion | P |
But I remember now | P |
he didn't seem to like this joke of ours | C |
And yes now I recall two other incidents | C |
When we made libations to Poseidon | P |
he drew himself back from our circle and looked elsewhere | V |
And when one of us in his fervour said | A |
'May all of us be favoured and protected | W |
by the great the sublime Apollo' | D |
Myris unheard by the others whispered 'Not counting | X |
me ' | Y |
The Christian priests were praying loudly | D |
for the young man's soul | D |
I noticed with how much diligence | C |
how much intense concern | P |
for the forms of their religion they were preparing | X |
everything for the Christian funeral | D |
And suddenly an odd sensation took hold of me | D |
indefinably I felt | Z |
as if Myris were going from me | D |
I felt that he a Christian was united | W |
with his own people and that I was becoming | X |
a stranger a total stranger I even felt | Z |
a doubt come over me that I'd been deceived by my passion | P |
and has always been a stranger to him | L |
I rushed out of their horrible house | C |
rushed away before my memory of Myris | C |
could be captured could be perverted by their Christianity | D |
Constantine P. Cavafy
(1)
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