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The following extract from Cavafy's poem The God abandons Antony will enable you to compare Greek ASCII with a phonetic tranliteratio. A translation by Lawrence Durrell is also included for comparison.
- Original text
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ΑΠΟΛΕΙΠΕΙΝ Ο ΘΕΟΣ ΑΝΤΩΝΙΟΝ
Σάν έξαφνα, ώρα μεσάνυχτ', ακουσθεί
αόρατος θίασος νά περνά
μέ μοuσικές εξαίσιες, μέ φωνές --
τήν τύχη σου πού ενδίδει πιά, τά έργα σου
πού απέτυχαν, τά σχέδια τής ζωής σου
πού βγήκαν όλα πλάνες, μή ανοφέλετα θρηνήσεις.
Σάν έτοιμος από καιρό, σά θαρραλέος,
αποχαιρέτα την, τήν Αλεξάνδρεια πού φεύγει.
Κ. Π. Καβάφη
- Greek ASCII version
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APOLEIPEIN O QEOS ANTWNION
San ejafna, wra mesanyxt', akoysqei
aoratos qiasos na perna
me mousikes ejaisies, me fwnes --
thn tyxh soy poy endidei pia, ta erga soy
poy apetyxan, ta sxedia ths zwhs soy
poy bghkan ola planes, mh anofeleta qrhnhseis.
San etoimos apo kairo, sa qarraleos,
apoxaireta thn, thn Alejandreia poy feygei.
K. P. Kabafh
- Phonetic version (Key)
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APOLEIPEIN O THEOS ANTÖNION
Sán éxafna, òra mesánycht', akoustheí
aóratos thíasos ná perná
mé mousikés exèsies, mé fönés --
tìn týchï sou poú endídei piá, tá érga sou
poú apétychan, tá schédia tìs zöìs sou
poú vğìkan óla plánes, mì anoféleta thrïnìseis.
Sán étøimos apó këró, sá tharraléos,
apochëréta tïn, tìn Alexándreia poú févğei.
K. P. Kaváfï
- Translation
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THE GOD ABANDONS ANTONY
When suddenly at darkest midnight heard,
The invisible company passing, the clear voices,
Ravishing music of invisible choirs—
Your fortunes having failed you now,
Hopes gone aground, a lifetime of desires
Turned into smoke. Ah! do not agonize
At what is past deceiving
But like a man long since prepared
With courage say your last good-byes
To Alexandria as she is leaving.
© Lawrence Durrell 1957
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