Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Borges: If I were able to live my life anew

This poem from Borge about shifting your perspective to thinking, what if you could live your life again, what would you do. I, for sure, tend to worry about too many things sometimes, so nice to listen to this poem, which Mariana posted previously...

If I were able to live my life anew,
In the next I would try to commit more errors.
I would not try to be so perfect, I would relax more.
I would be more foolish than I've been,
In fact, I would take few things seriously.
I would be less hygienic.
I would run more risks,
take more vacations,
contemplate more sunsets,
climb more mountains, swim more rivers.
I would go to more places where I've never been,
I would eat more ice cream and fewer beans,
I would have more real problems and less imaginary ones.

I was one of those people that lived sensibly
and prolifically each minute of his life;
Of course I had moments of happiness.
If I could go back I would try
to have only good moments.

Because if you didn't know, of that is life made:
only of moments; Don't lose the now.

I was one of those that never
went anywhere without a thermometer,
a hot-water bottle,
an umbrella, and a parachute;
If I could live again, I would travel lighter.

If I could live again,
I would begin to walk barefoot from the beginning of spring
and I would continue barefoot until autumn ends.
I would take more cart rides,
contemplate more dawns,
and play with more children,
If I had another life ahead of me.

But already you see, I am 85,
and I know that I am dying.

Jorge Luis Borges

(Translated from Spanish by someone else)

1 comment:

Andrej said...

A really nice poem. Thanks for the translation, my Spanish is a bit rosty. I instantly want to do something foolish and enjoy myself. Maybe I will go and buy an pre-war BMW sidecar and have some fun.