Itaka
As you take the road to Ithaka,
wish for the journey to be long,
full of adventures and trials.
Lestrigonians and Cyclopes,
and furious Poseidon—do not fear them.
Such encounters you shall not find along the way,
if your thoughts remain clear,
if a firm awareness guides your body and soul.
No Cyclopes, no Lestrigonians,
no savage Poseidon will you meet,
unless you carry them within you,
unless your soul sets them before you.
Wish for the road to be long,
for many summer dawns,
when at last and with what joy
you’ll enter harbors unseen before;
in Phoenician markets, stop to buy
fine goods—mother of pearl and coral,
amber and ebony—
sensual perfumes of every kind—
buy as many rich and fragrant scents as you can;
and go to many Egyptian cities,
to learn and learn again from the wise.
But never forget Ithaka—
to reach her must always be your goal.
Yet do not rush the journey at all;
let it last for years,
so that when you arrive, old and fulfilled,
you may find yourself rich
with all you gained along the way,
not expecting Ithaka to make you rich.
Ithaka gave you the journey—
without her, you’d never have set out on the path.
What more could you ask for?
And if you find her poor, Ithaka has not deceived you.
Wise as you have become, with all you’ve lived through,
you will understand, at last,
what Ithaka truly means.
