卡瓦菲斯 (C.P.Cavafy,1863—1933)是希腊最重要的现代诗人,也是20世纪最伟大的诗人之一。生于埃及亚历山大,少年时代曾在英国待过七年,后来除若干次出国旅行和治病外,他都生活在亚历山大。他是一个同性恋诗人,但是他在表现此类题材时,尤其显得高贵雅致。他尤其沉迷于古希腊,其诗风简约,集客观性、戏剧性和教谕性于一身,别具一格。奥登、蒙塔莱、塞弗里斯、埃利蒂斯、米沃什和布罗茨基等众多现代诗人,都对他推崇备至。 [1]
Constantine Peter Cavafy (/kəˈvɑːfi/;[2] also known as Konstantinos Petrou Kavafis; Greek: Κωνσταντίνος Π. Καβάφης [ka'vafis]; April 29 (April 17, OS), 1863 – April 29, 1933) was an Egyptiot Greek poet, journalist and civil servant.[3] His consciously individual style earned him a place among the most important figures not only in Greek poetry, but in Western poetry as well.[4]
Cavafy wrote 155 poems, while dozens more remained incomplete or in sketch form. During his lifetime, he consistently refused to formally publish his work and preferred to share it through local newspapers and magazines, or even print it out himself and give it away to anyone interested. His most important poems were written after his fortieth birthday, and officially published two years after his death.