A Poem by Seferis in Four Languages

I recently re-read Seferis' poetry and thought of copying one of his poems here.

Although this poem is part of one of his most famous collection of poems - ΜΥΘΙΣΤΟΡΗΜΑ (Mithisto'rema, Mythical Narration), written in 1935- I had not noticed it till the opening ceremony of the Athens Olympiad, which I thought was a magical work of art. The poem was read just before this moment:


The French translation is by Jacques Lacarrière (a writer himself and a friend of Seferis) and Egéri Makrakis. I don't know the English and Italian translators.

ΜΥΘΙΣΤΟΡΗΜΑ
Γ’

Ξύπνησα με το μαρμάρινο τούτο κεφάλι στα χέρια
που μού εξαντλεί τους αγκώνες και δεν ξέρω πού να τ’ ακουμπήσω.
Έπεφτε στο όνειρο καθώς έβγαινα από το όνειρο
έτσι ενώθηκε η ζωή μας και θα είναι πολύ δύσκολο να ξαναχωρίσει.

Κοιτάζω τα μάτια· μήτε ανοιχτά μήτε κλειστά
μιλώ στο στόμα που όλο γυρεύει να μιλήσει
κρατώ τα μάγουλα που ξεπέρασαν το δέρμα.
Δεν έχω άλλη δύναμη·
τα χέρια μου χάνουνται και με πλησιάζουν
ακρωτηριασμένα.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mi sono svegliato con questa testa di marmo tra le mani
che mi stanca i gomiti e non so dove posarla.
Cadeva nel sogno mentre uscivo dal sogno
così le nostre vite si sono confuse
e sarà difficile assai separarle ancora.

Guardo gli occhi; né aperti né chiusi
parlo alla bocca che sta sempre sul punto di parlare
reggo gli zigomi che hanno trapassato la pelle.
La forza m'abbandona;
le mie mani si smarriscono e tornano mutile a me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I awoke with this marble head in my hands
which exhausts my elbows and I do not know where to set it down.
It was falling into the dream as I was coming out of the dream
so our lives joined and it will be very difficult to part them.

I look at the eyes: neither open nor closed
I speak to the mouth which keeps trying to speak
I hold the cheeks which have passed beyond the skin.
I have no more strength.
My hands disappear and come back to me
mutilated.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Je me suis réveillé, entre les mains cette tête de marbre
Qui épuise mes coudes et où donc la poserai-je?
Elle tombait dans le rêve comme je sortais du rêve :
Ainsi se sont jointes nos vies et il serait très dur de les dissocier.

Je regarde les yeux : ni ouverts ni fermés.
Je parle à la bouche qui sans cesse essaie de parler,
Je soulève les pommettes qui ont percé la peau.
Je n’en peux plus.

Mes mains se perdent et me reviennent,
Mutilées.