卡瓦菲斯 (C.P.Cavafy，1863—1933)是希臘最重要的現代詩人，也是20世紀最偉大的詩人之一。生於埃及亞歷山大，少年時代曾在英國待過七年，後來除若幹次出國旅行和治病外，他都生活在亞歷山大。他是一個同性戀詩人，但是他在表現此類題材時，尤其顯得高貴雅緻。他尤其沉迷於古希臘，其詩風簡約，集客觀性、戲劇性和教諭性於一身，別具一格。奧登、蒙塔萊、塞弗裏斯、埃利蒂斯、米沃什和布羅茨基等衆多現代詩人，都對他推崇備至。 [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.