Translations from "Little Nautilus"
Greek Original

Translations from "Maria Nephele":

Miscellaneous Quotes
"The PRIMAL PARADISE"
"The Song of Maria Nephele"
"Speech on Purity"
"The Eternal Bet"

Translations from "West of Sorrow"

A Note on the Neo-Pagan Elements in "West of Sorrow"
Greek PHONETIC Originals (from "West of Sorrow")

Translations from "The Monogram"  

Translations from "Axion Esti" 

One day, as I felt everything has abandoned me, and a great sorrow was slowly falling into my soul, while walking in those pastures with no salvation, I pulled a little branch out of an unknown bush. I cut it and brought it to my upper lip. Immediately (as I did this) I understood that Man is Innocent. I decyphered this from the odour, sour from the Truth, so intensely, that it made my steps follow it lightly, with my heart like an Apostle's. Till, very deeply, I became fully conscious of the fact, that all religions are lying.

Yes! Paradise was not a Nostalgia, nor (even more so) a Reward. It was a Right. 

Greek ORIGINAL (page 120 of the Greek edition by Ikaros publishers):

Μια μέρα που ένιωθα να μ'έχουν εγκαταλείψει όλα και μια μεγάλη θλίψη να πέφτει αργά στην ψυχή μου, τράβηξα, κεί που περπατούσα, μεσ στα χωράφια χωρίς σωτηρία, ένα κλω- νάρι άγνωστου θάμνου. Τό'κοψα και τό'φερα στο απάνω χείλι μου. Ευθύς αμέσως κατάλαβα ότι ο άνθρωπος είναι αθώος.Το διάβασα σ'αυτή τη στυφή απο αλήθεια ευωδιά τόσο έντονα που πήρα να προχωρώ το δρόμο της μ'ελαφρύ βήμα και καρδιά ιεραποστόλου. Ωσπου, σε μεγάλο βάθος, μου έγινε συνείδηση πιά ότι όλες οι θρησκείες λέγανε ψέματα.
 
Ναί, ο Παράδεισος δεν ήταν μια νοσταλγία. Ούτε, πολύ περισσότερο, μια ανταμοιβή. Ηταν ένα δικαίωμα.

A note on the Neo-Pagan Elements in "West of Sorrow"

Just before he died, Odysseas Elytis  wrote a couple of little books, one of which was called "West of Sorrow", the other "2x7e" (-where the 'e' is an  'epsilon').

The samples that follow are amazing when also translated into English. The Greek originals are also given, at the end.

There are several neo-pagan elements in this poetry, most notably the book's last paragraph: An invokation of Artemis (Diana) the Goddess of hunting and feminity. Also the "Saint Herakleitus' day", showing a kind of worship of the philosopher Herakleitus as-if-he-was a "saint".

-G.A.S.
 

"From Efessos" (page 9)
 

 Freely by my side vineyards run and relentless the sky remains

Conflagrations are exchanged by pine-cones
 

 and a fugitive-donkey ascends the high-slope
 

 (looking) for a little cloud.
 

 Something must be going on today, on "Saint Herakleitus' Day"

which not even noses can diagnose...

[.....]

I leave in secret with all the loot in my mind

For a new life, from the beginning, un-submitting!

Without any candles, without chandeliers

with just one, in its place, diamong-ring golden anemone...

[.....]
 
 
 

"Rodamon and Eve" (page 11)

Ready to commit suicide (as Balthus says) is Humanity;

(but) to listen to Mozart nobody seems willing

[.....]

Let laurels be cut, as many as you want, (but) laurels can't be done;

Never. It's time for the slaughter's rooster loud cry, before the knife

And the poneys in groups crash their horseshoe(petals) against the naked Stone

[.....]
 
 

(the last paragraph of the book, p.27):

(Oh) Artemis, Artemis, hold for me the Dog of the Moon

Biting the Cypress tree;   (getting) the Eternal Ones worried

He sleepeth more deeply, he who has been wettened by History

Go on! with a match! Light it up, like alcohol

(yet) it's just poetry

what remains

Just, and Substance-ful and Straight

Just as perhaps the first-born humans imagined it

Just in the sour (fruits) of the garden

and in the Clock, error-less.
 
 
 

 
elEfthera sto plAi mou trEchoun t'ambElia,    ki achalInotos
(freely    by my side   run     the vineyards   and relentless)

mEnei o ouranOs. PirkayiEs     andallAssoune ta koukounAria  ki Enas
(stays the sky.  Conflagrations  are exchanged by  pine-cones and One)

Onos feugAtos pAei psilA ton anEEforo
(donkey running goes high in the slope)
 

gia lIgo sInnefo
(for a little cloud)

kAti prEpei na gInetai      tou AgIou IraklEEtou sImera
(someting must be going on  on Saint Herakleitous day today)

pou mIte oi rInes diagignOskoun
(which not even noses diagnose)

[....]

sta kryfA fEvgo me Ola ta klopimAIa sto nou mou
(in secret I go with all the loot     in my mind)

gia mian ap'tin archEE zoEE aproskIniti. chorIs keriA chorIs polyelAIous
(for a from the beggining life unsubmitting. without candles, nor chandeliers)

me mOno mia sti thEsi adAmandos vEra chryssEE anemOnee
(with only one in place of a diamond wedding-ring golden anemonee)

[....]
 

Etimi na autoktonEEsi lEei o Balthus h anth-  ropOtita
(ready to kill itself  says   Balthus (is) hum-  manity.)

kai na akOUsi    Mozart  prOthimos kanEIs
(and to listen to Mozart  eager is no-one)

[....]

As kopOUn dAfnes Oses thEleis           to stefAni den gInetai
(Let laurels be cut as many as you want,  a laurel can't be done)

potE. kairOs EInai   tis sfagEEs   n'allallAksei  o kOkkoras
(Never. It's time for the slaughter the loud cry   of the rooster)

prin to machAIri
(before the knife)

[....]

ki omadon     ta poulAria stin pEtra ti gymnEE         na chtipIsoune
(And in groups the poneys   in  Stone-which-is-naked    to crash/hit-on)

petalo
((their) horseshoe/petal  -same word as for petals of flowers-)

[.....]

(and the last paragraph of this book, p.27):

Artemis, Artemis, krAtise mou       to skYlo tis selEEnis
(Artemis, Artemis, hold for me       the Dog   of the Moon)

dagOnei    kiparEEsi     kai anisichOUn                oi  aiOnii
(Biting the Cypress tree; and worried/restless (become) the Eternal Ones)

koimAtai pio vatheiA     kEInos pou echei    peribrachEI apo thn istorEEa
(He sleepeth more deeply, he     who has been wettened     by     History)

brOs   m'Ena  spIrto  as tin anApseis san  oinOpnevma
(Go on! with a match   Light it up     like alcohol)

pOIisi mOno     EInai
((yet) poetry it's all it is)

kEIno pou apomEnei. pOIisi. dIkaiee kai ousiastikEE           ki  efthEIa
(what-ever remains.  Poetry. Just    and essential/substantial and straight)

Opos borEI kai na tin fantasthEEkan oi protOplastoi
(just as maybe   it was imagined  by the first humans -inhabitants of Eden)

dIkaiee  sta    stifA tou    kEEpou  kai sto    rolOi   alAtheetee
(just     in the sours of the garden  and in the clock   error-free).