Θὰ γίνη τώρα τοῦτο, κ’ ἔπειτα ἐκεῖνο•
καὶ πιὸ ἀργά, σὲ μιὰ ἢ δυὸ χρονιὲς (ὡς κρίνω),
τέτοιες θὰ εἶν’ ἡ πράξεις, τέτοιοι θάν’ οἱ τρόποι.
Δὲν θὰ φροντίσουμε γιὰ μακρυνὸ κατόπι.
Γιὰ τὸ καλλίτερον ἠμεῖς θὰ προσπαθοῦμε.
Καὶ ὅσο προσπαθοῦμε, τόσο θὰ χαλνοῦμε,
θὰ μπλέκουμε τὰ πράγματα, ὡς νὰ βρεθοῦμε
στὴν ἄκρα σύγχυσι. Καὶ τότε θὰ σταθοῦμε.
Θὰ ἦν’ ἡ ὥρα οἱ θεοὶ νὰ ἐργασθοῦνε.
Ἔρχονται πάντοτ’ οἱ θεοί. Θὰ καταιβοῦνε
ἀπὸ τὲς μηχανὲς των, καὶ τοὺς μὲν θὰ σώσουν,
τοὺς δὲ βίαια, ξαφνικὰ θὰ τοὺς σηκώσουν
ἀπὸ τὴν μέση• καὶ σὰν φέρουνε μιὰ τάξι
θ’ ἀποσυρθοῦν.- Κ’ ἒπειτ’ αὐτὸς τοῦτο θὰ πράξη,
τοῦτο ἐκεῖνος• καὶ μὲ τὸν καιρὸν οἱ ἄλλοι
τὰ ἰδικὰ των. Καὶ θ’ ἀρχίσουμε καὶ πάλι.
Κωνσταντῖνος Π. Καβάφης, «Ἡ Ἐπέμβασις τῶν Θεῶν»
Now this, then that, may happen, and in such wise;
and later — two years hence, as I surmise —
the actions may be these, and these the ways.
We will not meditate on far-off days.
We for the best will strive. And always more
defective, more perplexing than before,
shall all things fare; until, as in a mist,
we stray bewildered. Then we shall desist.
For in that helpless hour the gods attend.
They always come, the gods. They will descend
from their machines, and straightway liberate
some and as suddenly exterminate
others; and having reformed us, they will go. —
And afterward, one will act so; and so
another; and in time the rest will do
as they needs must. And we shall start anew.
Constantine Cafavy, “The Intervention of the Gods”