Esta coletânea busca oferecer ao leitor de língua portuguesa algo da sutileza coloquial do autor grego. Há algo de Borges em Kaváfis, sobretudo na maneira ambígua de ele conferir verossimilhança histórica aos personagens. A impossibilidade de se impor ao curso da história produz tipos excêntricos, às vezes fantasmagóricos, às vezes cínicos. Ler Kaváfis é uma provocação permanente, pois ele fala do que permaneceu marginal à memória. O sensualismo que eles manifestam nesse panorama, é um aspecto fundamental da produção kavafiana, recuperado na tradução.
Constantine P. Cavafy (also known as Konstantin or Konstantinos Petrou Kavafis, or Kavaphes; Greek Κ.Π. Καβάφης) was a major Greek poet who worked as a journalist and civil servant. His consciously individual style earned him a place among the most important figures not only in Greek poetry, but in Western poetry as well. He has been called a skeptic and a neo-pagan. In his poetry he examines critically some aspects of Christianity, patriotism, and homosexuality, though he was not always comfortable with his role as a nonconformist. He published 154 poems; dozens more remained incomplete or in sketch form. His most important poetry was written after his fortieth birthday.