ZENOBIA: AN UNFINISHED POEM BY CAVAFY

C.P. Cavafy's draft of a poem on Zenobia (November 1930)* 
 

Written on a single sheet, with covering page bearing the title and date:

Side 1 is the text written in black, including two illegible crossed-out words at the end.

Side 2 gives the added text, here written in red, including the line crossed out.


Now that Zenobia is queen of many great lands,
now that all of Anatolia marvels at her,
and even the Romans fear her by now,
why shouldn't her grandeur be complete?
Why should she be reckoned an Asiatic woman?

They'll create her genealogy straightaway.

Two scholars skilled in history
Are taking up the important task
See how they deal with her genealogy
 
How obviously she's descended from the Lagids.
How obviously from Macedonia 
(four letters crossed out). 



*Translation and commentary by Daniel Mendelsohn (Twitter/undated)

C. P. CAVAFY: COMPLETE POEMS
DANIEL MENDELSOHN

ALFRED A. KNOPF, 2012

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Illustration

Portrait of Zenobia.  Modern mould taken from an Alexandrian tetradrachm (Paris, Cabinet des Médailles n. 3647).  For discussion of why this coin might preserve her true portrait, see the blog post, My Money On Zenobia