Priest at the Serapeum

Constantine P. Cavafy 1863 (Alexandria) – 1933 (Alexandria)



My dear old father,
who always loved me the same;
my dear old father I lament
who died the day before yesterday, just before dawn.

Jesus Christ, it is my daily effort
to observe the precepts
of Thy most holy church in all my acts,
in all words, in all thoughts.
And all those who renounce Thee
I shun.-- But now I lament;
I bewail, Christ, for my father
although he was -- a horrible thing to say --
a priest at the accursed Serapeum.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

26 sec read
104

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABCX XXXXXCAXB
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 430
Words 88
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 4, 9

Constantine P. Cavafy

Constantine P. Cavafy was a Greek poet who lived in Alexandria and worked as a journalist and civil servant. He published 154 poems; dozens more remained incomplete or in sketch form. His most important poetry was written after his fortieth birthday. more…

All Constantine P. Cavafy poems | Constantine P. Cavafy Books

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