leonardcohenforum.com

a friend recently showed me a poem called 'the god abandons anthony' by an alexandrian poet called c.p.cavafy - which bears a very close resemblance indeed to 'alexandra leaving'. i don't know if this similarity has been discused around here (as i'm a newcomer), but i'd be very interested to know what people thought about it.

(i'd also encourage anyone & everyone to track this poem down and read it - it's very beautiful in its own right)

It sounds even better in it's original Greek.

p.

Shwmae J7M

Welcome to the board. I'm not familiar with the poem but, when I get a quiet millenium or two, I may look it up.

JTS

Hi again, johnny7moons....and "Bingo" on your insight!

Leonard's song is based on the poem by Cavafy. I have
posted the original lyrics and some info at
http://www.leonardcohenfiles.com/cavafy.html
Jarkko

Coincidentally, I was considering mentioning this when I came across your post. I was struck by the similarities myself, but I am not surprised that the source has been discussed already; Cavavfy is a major Greek poet. The poem, in a recent translation by Theoharis Constantine Theoharis, echoes Leonard's song particularly, it seems to me, in the lines: "and say it was a dream, or that your ears were tricked; do not stoop to such vacant hopes". I wonder, given the scandal that has recently dogged Bob Dylan for lifting lines from a Japanese novelist, whether Leonard has managed to evade accusations of theft.

The fact that the song is based on Cavafy's poem was announced
on this site (The Leonard Cohen Files) several years before the song
was released: Leonard let us post his poem "Alexandra Leaving"
in 1999 (see http://www.leonardcohenfiles.com/alexandra.html
with clear reference to Cavafy. The song itself is a remake of this poem.
For some reason the reference has not been printed in the CD booklet,
but is mentioned on all Cohen sites that deal with Ten New Songs.
Jarkko