Three translations of Cavafy's "As Much As You Can"

As Much As You Can
translation by Stratis Haviaras

And if you can’t make your life as you’d wish it,
try, at the very least, to accomplish this much:
do not make it less than what it already is
by mixing too excessively with the masses,
by hanging around and endlessly chattering.

Don’t cheapen your life by parading it around,
hauling it everywhere and laying it out there
for the dreary humbug of familiars and fellowship,
until it comes to feel like a curious dead weight.


As Much As You Can
translation by Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard

And if you can’t shape your life the way you want,
at least try as much as you can
not to degrade it
by too much contact with the world,
by too much activity and talk.

Try not to degrade it by dragging it along,
taking it around and exposing it so often
to the daily silliness
of social events and parties,
until it comes to seem a boring hanger-on.


All You Can
translation by John Cavafy

Even if you cannot have the life you would,
endow the life you have with this at least:
do all you can to avoid debasing it
in the continuous contact with the world,
in the continuous restlessness and talk.

Do not debase it by walking it about —
by going often and exposing it
amid the daily trivialities
of your acquaintance and their gatherings,
till like some hanger-on it pesters you.


All translations from the Cavafy Archive: http://www.cavafy.com/index.asp

* C.P. Cavafy, The Canon. Translated from the Greek by Stratis Haviaras, Hermes Publishing, 2004.
* C.P. Cavafy, Collected Poems. Translated by Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard. Edited by George Savidis. Revised Edition. Princeton University Press, 1992.
* Poems by C. P. Cavafy. Translated, from the Greek, by J. C. Cavafy. Ikaros, 2003.