Andreas Pavlou – Tefkros Anthias
One day in 1991, while I was at Onasagorou, the parallel street to the famous Ledra street – or better known as Long Road street, the name of Tefkros Anthias came first to my knowledge. From then on, many times, Tefkros the immortal Anthias crossed my mind, confirming how this magic island always had people thinking with their own heads and were never ready to give that freedom to anyone! Whatever the cost.
That is how I started to love Cyprus deeply! Till today and till ever!
Here is a small contribution. Two poems of Tefkros Anthias in English and Greek.
I can say that none will be forgotten, and CYPRUSWELOVE.COM will mention as many as humanly possible people who reflect that original Cypriot way to demonstrate unique logic and exclusive common sense!
Before you read these two poems, let me share one short story that happened to me.
Namely, a beautiful soul friend of mine who is also a well-known businessman gave me some poems that I published on my philosophyoggoodnews.com website a couple of years ago. When I asked if I could use his real name, he told me – No, please. Can you use Velendis instead? I said yes, but asked what does that word mean- He said- It is coming from the word Levendis I did not use properly when I was a child, and instead, I was saying Velendis!
Levendis in English means Fine Man-Fellow.
He will also be presented to you in the following parts!
The whistles of the bum
Punk! Tonight is such a good night, so good.
You can go to sleep on a bench, bum!
Thought broadened life so much, so much,
that man made the earth and the whole universe home.
You have no tears to mourn, no courage to suffer,
nor hysterical cries to go beyond.
You are a silent wave of a perpetual storm,
who calms anxiously in the quiet evening.
And when you find the redemption lying on a bench
and the siphon and the storm of your life will be silenced,
bum, you will never say you were tired
from the hard struggle of your arrhythmic soul.
and in Greek original
Τα σφυρίγματα του αλήτη
Αλήτη! Απόψε είν’ η βραδιά τόσο καλή, τόσο καλή.
Μπορείς να πας να κοιμηθείς σ’ ένα παγκάκι, αλήτη!
Πλάτυνε η σκέψη τη ζωή τόσο πολύ, τόσο πολύ,
που έκανε ο άνθρωπος τη γη κι όλο το σύμπαν σπίτι.
Δεν έχεις δάκρυα να θρηνείς, ούτε κουράγιο να πονείς,
ούτε κραυγές υστερικές να βγάνεις πέρα ως πέρα.
Είσ’ ένα κύμα σιωπηλό μιας τρικυμίας παντοτινής,
που γαληνεύει ανήσυχα στην ήσυχη εσπέρα.
Κι όταν θα βρεις το λυτρωμό σ’ ένα παγκάκι ξαπλωμένος
και θα σιγήσει ο σίφουνας κι η θύελλα της ζωής σου,
αλήτη, δεν θα πεις ποτέ πως ήσουν κουρασμένος
απ’ τον αγώνα το σκληρό της άρρυθμης ψυχής σου.
The hope
My body, worn out , after all this struggle
I want to lay myself down in a bed full of flowers
feel the spreading of fragrances and shiverings
and pure lust in my shaded Ego.
The years of innocence have gone
my most wanted childhood years
and I was thrown into a wild darkness
being tortured in an abyss eternally.
When I caught myself feeling bitter
having experienced the misery of this world
Yes! I opened my eyelids
and saw Nothingness fluttering in front of me.
My soul’s foundation has been crumbled
since I saw its shape and its winds
……………………………………………………..15
Darkness everywhere. Only a glowing somewhere
does unburden my life. Behold , the hope!
Η ελπίδα
Βαργεστισμένο το κορμί μου απ’ το πάλεμα
θέλει να γείρει σε κρεβάτι ανθοστρωμένο,
να νιώσει μύρα, ανατριχίλες να σκορπίζουνται
κι αγνές λαχτάρες στο Εγώ μου το ισκιωμένο.
Έχουν διαβεί τα χρόνια τ’ απονήρευτα,
τα παιδικά, τα ποθητά μου χρόνια
και σε σκοτάδια αγριεμένα ερίχτηκα
να τυραγνιέμαι σε μια άβυσσο αιώνια.
Τον εαυτό μου σαν κατάλαβα πικράθηκε
τι την κατάντια γνώρισα του κόσμου.
Ναι! των ματιών μου άνοιξα τα βλέφαρα
κι είδα το Τίποτε να φτερουγίζει εμπρός μου.
Έχουν σαλέψει της ψυχής τα θέμελα
σαν τη μορφή και τα φτερά του είδα.14
……………………………………..
Παντού σκοτάδι. Μόνο κάπου ένα λαμπύρισμα
μου ξαλαφρώνει τη ζωή. Να η ελπίδα!
29/4/2022
Darko Richard Lancelot
Connect and Respect
Cypruswelove.com 