Ithaca - Pilgrimage

One of my favourite authors - Paulo Coelho - reproduces this song in the front of his novel "The Zahir: A Novel of Obsession" .  It captures something of the sense of Peregrinate - Pilgrimage... the significance of the journey not just the destination.  Ithaca is the mythological home of Odysseus (in Homer's Odyssey)...

ITHACA When you set out on your journey to Ithaca, pray that the road is long, full of adventure, full of knowledge. The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops, the angry Poseidon-do not fear them: You will never find such as these on your path if your thoughts remain lofty, if a fine emotion touches your spirit and your body. The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops, the fierce Poseidon you will never encounter, if you do not carry them within your soul, if your heart does not set them up before you.

Pray that the road is long. That the summer mornings are many, when, with such pleasure, with such joy  you will enter ports seen for the first time; stop at Phoenician markets, and purchase fine merchandise, mother-of-pearl and coral, amber and ebony, and sensual perfumes of all kinds, as many sensual perfumes as you can; visit many Egyptian cities, to learn and learn from scholars.

Always keep Ithaca in your mind. To arrive there is your ultimate goal. But do not hurry the voyage at all. It is better to let it last for many years; and to anchor at the island when you are old, rich with all you have gained on the way, not expecting that Ithaca will offer you riches.

Ithaca has given you the beautiful voyage. Without her you would never have set out on the road. She has nothing more to give you. And if you find her poor, Ithaca has not deceived you. Wise as you have become, with so much experience, you must already have understood what Ithacas mean.

CONSTANTINE CAVAFY (1863-1933) translated by Rae Dalven

Technorati Tags: Books: Pilgrimage: Spirituality

Comments

[aart]

Hello!

I'm a big fan of Paulo Coelho! You will love this! He's the first best-selling
author to be distributing for free his works on his blog:
www.paulocoelhoblog.com

Have a nice day!

Aart

[James Diggs]

wow, I really like the lyrics to that "song", I will have to check out Paulo Coelho's book.

[Mark]

If you haven't already read it James, I would recommend his book "The Pilgrimage"

http://www.amazon.com/Pilgrimage-Contemporary-Quest-Ancient-Wisdom/dp/0722534876/ref=pd_bbs_sr_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1206539786&sr=8-9

it's the "story" of his own pilgrimage on the Santiago de Compostela. He is, obviously a mystic from a Catholic background (Brazilian) and has some similarities in terms of spirituality with Merton... but perhaps a bit more esoteric... most of his books are a mixture of autobiography, story and mythology... http://www.paulocoelho.com/engl/