Outside the House Poem by Constantine P. Cavafy

Walking yesterday in an outlying neighbourhood,
I went by the house
I used to go to when I was very young.
There Eros with his wonderful power
laid hold of my body.

And yesterday
when I walked down the old road,
shops, pavement, stones,
walls and balconies and windows-
all were suddenly made beautiful by the spell of love:
there was nothing ugly left there.

And as I stood staring at the door,
stood lingering outside the house,
my whole being radiated
the sensual passion stored up inside me