Evening 40 - Borges

I'm sitting on my balcony, drinking tea, and reading Borges' poems in Spanish. It rarely gets better than that...

Scroll down for the English version. It is pretty amazing how much better the original sounds in this case... Luckily, it's not always the rule for translated literature, but reading this poem in both languages really makes me happy that I'm learning Spanish.

INSTANTES

Si pudiera vivir nuevamente mi vida,
en la próxima trataría de cometer más errores.
No intentaría ser tan perfecto, me relajaría más.
Sería más tonto de lo que he sido,
de hecho tomaría muy pocas cosas con seriedad.
Sería menos higiénico.
Correría más riesgos,
haría más viajes,
contemplaría más atardeceres,
subiría más montañas, nadaría más ríos.
Iría a más lugares adonde nunca he ido,
comería más helados y menos habas,
tendría más problemas reales y menos imaginarios.

Yo fui una de esas personas que vivió sensata
y prolíficamente cada minuto de su vida;
claro que tuve momentos de alegría.
Pero si pudiera volver atrás trataría
de tener solamente buenos momentos.

Por si no lo saben, de eso está hecha la vida,
sólo de momentos; no te pierdas el ahora.

Yo era uno de esos que nunca
iban a ninguna parte sin un termómetro,
una bolsa de agua caliente,
un paraguas y un paracaídas;
si pudiera volver a vivir, viajaría más liviano.

Si pudiera volver a vivir
comenzaría a andar descalzo a principios
de la primavera
y seguiría descalzo hasta concluir el otoño.
Daría más vueltas en calesita,
contemplaría más amaneceres,
y jugaría con más niños,
si tuviera otra vez vida por delante.

Pero ya ven, tengo 85 años...
y sé que me estoy muriendo.

INSTANTS

If I could live again my life,
I would try to make more mistakes,
I would not try to be so perfect,
I would be more relaxed,
I would be more foolish than I am now,
In fact, I would take fewer things seriously,
I would be less hygenic,
I would take more risks,
I would make more trips,
I would watch more sunsets,
I would climb more mountains,
I would swim more rivers,
I would go to more places I've never been,
I would eat more ice creams and less beans,
I would have more real problems and less imaginary ones,
I have always been one of those people who live
each minute of their life sensibly and efficiently.
Of course I've had moments of joy - but,
if I could go back I would try to have only good moments,
because that is what life is truly made of.
Don't lose the now!

I have always been one of those who never go anywhere
without a thermometer, a hot-water bottle,
an umberella, and a parachute.

But if I could live again - I would travel light,
If I could live again - I would try to walk barefoot
from the beginning of spring till
the end of autumn,
I would take more turns on the merry-go-round,
I would watch more sunrises and play with children.

If I, once again, had a life ahead of me... But I am 85 now,
and I know that I am dying ...

* Borges died two years later, at the age of 87...