Books: Greeks Bearing Gifts

THE COMPLETE POEMS OF CAVAFY (234 pp.)—Translated by Rae Dalven—Harcourt, Brace & World ($6.75).

POEMS (127 pp.)—George Seferis—Translated by Rex Warner—Atlantic-Little, Brown ($3.75).

The two greatest Greek poets of the 20th century, C. P. (Constantine Peter) Cavafy and George Seferis, were not born in Greece. Cavafy spent almost his entire life (1863-1933) in Alexandria, the site of his family's business. Seferis. 61, was born and brought up in Smyrna, educated in Paris, and after a lifetime of diplomatic service he is currently Greece's Ambassador to Britain. Thus each man brought the special, painful...