Ήταν ωραίο το δειλινό...
Η Κασσιανή μες στο κελί, σε έξαρση ποιητική
μίαν ωδή εδούλευε. Μα όταν έγραψε...
''καταφιλήσω τους αχράντους σου πόδας, αποσμήξω
τούτους δε πάλιν τοις της κεφαλής μου βοστρύχοις''
έπεσε σε συλλογή... -''Καταφιλήσω'';
Πώς από μέσα της ξεπήδησε η λέξη αυτή;
Φανέρωνε ταπεινοσύνη, συντριβή
ή ήταν έντεχνα κρυμμένη, ερωτική;
Καλύτερο δε θάταν το ''ασπασθώ;''
''ασπασθώ τους αχράντους σου πόδας!''
Πιο σεπτό! Πιο ιερό! Αλλά... ''καταφιλήσω'';;;;
Τον κάλαμο επήρε η Κασσιανή
να διορθώσει την παρεκτροπή.
Μα δεν επρόλαβε...
άλογα μπήκαν στην αυλή
και μια φωνή... -Ο αυτοκράτορας!
...................................
Αργότερα, σα βγήκε απ' την κρυψώνα της
λίαν τρεμάμενη, σκύβει στην περγαμηνή...
''ων εν τω παραδείσω Εύα το δειλινόν
κρότον τοις ωσίν ηχηθείσα, τω φόβω εκρύβη''
είχε προσθέσει ο Θεόφιλος
κάτω απ' τη δική της την ωδή...
-Μα πώς μπορεί μέσα στον ύμνο της
τόσο αδιάντροπα, αυτός να βλασφημεί;
Ποιαν Εύα; Την αφεντιά της εννοεί, που προ ολίγου
τα βήματά του ακούοντας, έτρεξε να κρυφτεί!
Πολύ οργίσθη η Κασσιανή
και πήρε να κάψει την ωδή...
Μα ήταν ωραίο το δειλινό!
Και στο κελί της έμπαινε, μια ευωδιά γαζίας...
(απ' την κρυψώνα της... άκουγε την ανάσα του
την προσμονή του ένιωθε, πούθελε να τη δει
κάποια στιγμή ακούστηκαν ακόμη και...λυγμοί)
-Θα τους κρατούσε! Δεν ήταν οι στίχοι του κακοί
την έθελγε κι η σκέψη, κάτι να είχανε μαζί
έναν δικό τους ύμνο, πνευματικό παιδί!
Λοιπόν, θα τους κρατούσε!...
(από τη χαραμάδα, μόνο τα πόδια του έβλεπε
πόδια λευκά... τα δάχτυλα, οι αστράγαλοι
καμάρες και κατατομή αρμονικά...
μόνο τα πόδια του έβλεπε τα πόδια τ' ακριβά
που τόσο ωραία έντυναν, σανδάλια περσικά)
......................................
-Όσο για το ''καταφιλήσω'' είναι πιο δοτικό
ψυχρό και σύντομο εκείνο το ''ασπασθώ''
(άσε που αντικρούεται και με το... "αποσμήξω")
Καταφιλήσω, τους αχράντους σου πόδας...
Πάει καλύτερα, θα το άφηνε...
Μετάφραση στα αγγλικά από το ΑΙ:
Πάει καλύτερα, θα το άφηνε...
Μετάφραση στα αγγλικά από το ΑΙ:
I Shall Cover with Kisses (Katafiliso)
The sunset was beautiful...
Kassiani in her cell, in a poetic trance,
was working on an ode. But when she wrote...
“I shall cover with kisses Your immaculate feet, and wipe them
once more with the tresses of my head”
she fell into deep thought... —“I shall cover with kisses”?
How did this word spring from within her?
Did it reveal humility, contrition,
or was it artfully hidden, erotic?
Would it not be better to use “I shall embrace”?
“I shall embrace Your immaculate feet!”
More solemn! More sacred! But “I shall cover with kisses”????
Kassiani took up her quill
to correct this transgression.
But she did not have time...
horses entered the courtyard
and a voice... —The Emperor!
...................................
Later, as she emerged from her hiding place,
trembling greatly, she leaned over the parchment...
“Eve in Paradise, hearing the sound in her ears at dusk,
hid herself in fear”
Theophilos had added these lines
beneath her own ode...
But the sunset was beautiful!
And into her cell drifted the scent of acacia...
(from her hiding place... she could hear his breath,
she felt his longing, his desire to see her,
at one point, even... sobs were heard)
—She would keep them! His verses were not bad,
she was even enticed by the thought of having something together,
a hymn of their own, a spiritual child!
So, she would keep them!...
(through the crack, she could only see his feet,
white feet... the toes, the ankles,
arches and contours in harmony...
she could only see his precious feet,
so beautifully clad in Persian sandals)
......................................
—As for “I shall cover with kisses,” it is more giving,
cold and brief is that “I shall embrace”
(besides, it clashes with... “and wipe them”)
I shall cover with kisses Your immaculate feet...
It flows better, she would let it be...
4.7.2020
The sunset was beautiful...
Kassiani in her cell, in a poetic trance,
was working on an ode. But when she wrote...
“I shall cover with kisses Your immaculate feet, and wipe them
once more with the tresses of my head”
she fell into deep thought... —“I shall cover with kisses”?
How did this word spring from within her?
Did it reveal humility, contrition,
or was it artfully hidden, erotic?
Would it not be better to use “I shall embrace”?
“I shall embrace Your immaculate feet!”
More solemn! More sacred! But “I shall cover with kisses”????
Kassiani took up her quill
to correct this transgression.
But she did not have time...
horses entered the courtyard
and a voice... —The Emperor!
...................................
Later, as she emerged from her hiding place,
trembling greatly, she leaned over the parchment...
“Eve in Paradise, hearing the sound in her ears at dusk,
hid herself in fear”
Theophilos had added these lines
beneath her own ode...
But the sunset was beautiful!
And into her cell drifted the scent of acacia...
(from her hiding place... she could hear his breath,
she felt his longing, his desire to see her,
at one point, even... sobs were heard)
—She would keep them! His verses were not bad,
she was even enticed by the thought of having something together,
a hymn of their own, a spiritual child!
So, she would keep them!...
(through the crack, she could only see his feet,
white feet... the toes, the ankles,
arches and contours in harmony...
she could only see his precious feet,
so beautifully clad in Persian sandals)
......................................
—As for “I shall cover with kisses,” it is more giving,
cold and brief is that “I shall embrace”
(besides, it clashes with... “and wipe them”)
I shall cover with kisses Your immaculate feet...
It flows better, she would let it be...
4.7.2020
