Waiting for Icarus

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From *the Labyrinth* where I’m imprisoned

by my own free will and I work

for the King, I’m posting:

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ΩΔΗ ΤΕΤΑΡΤΗ
Εις Σάμον

‘Οσοι το χάλκεον χέρι
βαρύ του φόβου αισθάνονται,
ζυγόν δουλείας ας έχωσι~
θέλει αρετήν και τόλμην
η ελευθερία.

Αυτή (και ο μύθος κρύπτει
νουν αληθείας) επτέρωσε
τον ‘Ικαρον~ και αν έπεσε
ο πτερωθείς κ’ επνίγη
θαλασσωμένος~

αφ’ υψηλά όμως έπεσε,
και απέθανεν ελεύθερος.
Αν γένης σφάγιον άτιμον
ενός τυράννου, νόμιζε
φρικτόν τον τάφον.

(Ανδρέας Κάλβος, Ωδαί, Παρίσι 1826)

Ode quatrième

A SAMOS

Que ceux sur qui s’appesantit
De la peur la main d’airain,
Demeurent sous leur joug servile
Car la liberté requiert
vertu et temerité.

La liberté — ici le mythe cache
Le genie de la Verité — a pourvu d’ailes
Icare et si ce dernier a chute
Si l’Ange s’est englouti
naufragé

C’est du zenith qu’il est tombé
Et libre qu’il a succombé!
Mais si tu es la victime avilie
D’un tyran, n’espère dans la tombe
qu’infamie !

(Andreas Calvos, Odes, Paris 1826)

Vierte Ode:
AN SAMOS

Solang die schwere Eisenhand
Furcht in euch weckt und nahrt,
bleibt ihr im Sklavenjoch –
nur Mut und Tugend fuhrt
zur Freiheit.

Einst hat sie Ikaros beflugelt
(im Mythos steckt die grosse
Wahrheit) – er fiel
beflugelt und ertrank
im Meer –

aus grosser Hohe fiel er doch
und starb als freier Mann –
Wirst ungerecht geopfert
von Tyrannen du, so ist’s
ein schrecklich Grab.

(Andreas Calvos, Odes, Paris 1826)

Ode Fourth
TO SAMOS

Whosoever feels the heavy
bronze hand of fear
let them support the yoke of slavery.
Freedom demands virtue
She herself (and the myth conceals
a sense of the truth) gave wings
to Icaros; even though the winged
boy fell and drowned
submerged in the sea.
But he fell from the heights
and he died free.
If you become a dishonoured victim
of a tyrant, expect
a horrible death.

(Andreas Calvos, Odes, Paris 1826)

 

The poem was written in honour of the heroic resistance of the island Samos against the Ottomans and the dramatic naval battles held between Samos, Ikaria and the Turkish coasts in 1826 during the War of Greek Independence. The painting is «Icarus» by contemporary artist & film-maker Peter Greenaway.

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Comments

(2 total)

• AKK
• Offline

What a coincidence you posted Greenaway’s Icarus to fit with the famous poem. I was talking to a mutual friend about the protests I read in some local newspapers that Greenaway’s Icarus is not «the Ikarian one» and that the artist does not mention Ikaria in his work…
As if Freedom had a homeland -ha
Λες και η Ελευθερία έχει πατρίδα -χα

Did you know? The bravest bataillon of the defendants of Barcelona in the Spanish Civil War were called «Ikarians». They had no idea where Ikaria or Crete was, but they sure knew what they were fighting for. They understood the myth correctly the same way as great Calvos. It is about Freedom.

Thursday June 8, 2006 – 09:12pm (EEST)

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• Eleni

Is there such thing as «Freedom to be a slave»?
I also love the old song by Theodorakis 🙂

Friday June 9, 2006 – 01:20pm (PDT)

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