As the shores of Ithaca gradually  
  Faded away behind him  
  And he sailed swiftly westward  
  Toward Iberia and the Pillars of Hercules,  
  Far from every Achaean sea,  
  He felt he was alive once more,  
  Freed from the oppressive bonds  
  Of familiar, domestic things.  
  And his adventurous heart rejoiced  
  Coldly, devoid of love.
Second Odyssey, as translated by Walter Kaiser - Collected Poems (1992)











