One of Leonard Cohen’s most haunting and understated songs, Alexandra Leaving, traces its roots not to autobiography, but to Greek poetry written more than a century earlier.
When Ten New Songs was released, the majority of listeners were unaware of the inspiration for ‘Alexandra Leaving’, as no specific mention was made of it in the liner notes. Cohen addressed that directly on his website (in French) shortly thereafter, however, setting the record straight, as translated here:
“I am very sorry that I neglected to cite Constantine P. Cavafy, and his great poem, ‘The God Abandons Anthony’, as the inspiration for my song ‘Alexandra Leaving’,” Cohen wrote. “The work of Cavafy has touched and influenced me for many years. Even as I write this, there is a picture of him above my desk. Please accept my apologies. Sincerely, L Cohen.”
The poem depicts the moment Mark Antony realizes Alexandria—and everything it represents—is lost. Rather than rage or despair, Cavafy urges dignity, acceptance, and clarity in the face of irreversible change. Cohen translated that emotional posture into song, turning historical reflection into a meditation on love, loss, and the grace required to let go.
The lyrical parallels are unmistakable. Alexandria becomes Alexandra. The departing city becomes a departing lover. What remains is the same emotional core: the moment when illusion falls away and one must face the truth without self-deception. Cohen’s restrained delivery mirrors Cavafy’s moral discipline—no melodrama, no blame, just acknowledgment.
This artistic transmission feels especially fitting given Cohen’s deep personal connection to Hydra, where he lived and wrote during the early 1960s. On Hydra, Cohen immersed himself in literature, history, and a slower, more contemplative rhythm of life.
Greece was not merely inspirational backdrop; it was an intellectual and emotional environment that shaped how he understood time, loss, and restraint—key elements in both Cavafy’s poetry and Cohen’s songwriting.
Alexandra Leaving stands as a rare example of cultural continuity done right: a Greek poem written in Alexandria in the early 20th century, reinterpreted decades later by a Canadian songwriter who had lived, listened, and absorbed Greece deeply. It is not adaptation for effect, but influence earned—quiet, precise, and enduring.
PODCAST: The man behind the verse: A new look at Cavafy
Constantine Cavafy, the Greek poet whose work not only charted a new path for Greek poetry, but also inspired countless readers around the world – including figures like David Hockney, Leonard Cohen, and Jackie Kennedy Onassis – is back in the spotlight thanks to the publication of his first biography in roughly 50 years. Professors Gregory Jusdanis and Peter Jeffreys, the authors of the book, join Thanos Davelis as we take a deeper dive into the life and work of Constantine Cavafy. Click here to listen.
From the Hellenic American Leadership Council and Kathimerini
THE BOOK: Constantine Cavafy: A New Biography
A comprehensive biography exploring Constantine Cavafy’s life journey, poetic evolution, and artistic transformation from his early experiments to his revolutionary late-period works that reshaped Greek poetry. Click here to order.
