Talk:Jorge Luis Borges

This is the talk page for discussing improvements to the Jorge Luis Borges page.
Please sign and date your posts using four tildes (~~~~). New discussion topics go at the bottom of the page; click here to start a new topic. New to Wikiquote? Welcome! Frequently asked questions. This is not a forum for general discussion about the page's subject.	Talk page guidelines Be polite Assume good faith No personal attacks Don't bite the newcomers!

---

attribution

This one's popularly attributed to Borges:- "I cannot walk through the suburbs in the solitude of the night without thinking that the night pleases us because it suppresses idle details, just as our memory does." Steve Fernie's excellent quotations page www.steveiron.com/quotes/quotes.html attributes it as follows:- "A New Refutation of Time" in "Labyrinths: Selected Stories and Other Writings by Jorge Luis Borges; James E. Irby translation but unfortunately no Spanish is given.

Other Languages

This is a list of quotes in other languages (keep as source for other language projects of wikiquote)

-Marianocecowski 05:21, 24 August 2005 (UTC)

Football

• "el fútbol es popular porque la estupidez es popular"
  • Translation: "football (soccer) is popular because stupidity is popular"
    • Albanian - futbolli është popullor sepse budallallëku është pupollor
    • Aragones - o furbol ye popular porque a estupidez ye popular
    • Asturian - el fútbol ye popular porque la babayería ye popular
    • Basque - futbola oso hedatua da ergelkeria oso hedatua delako
    • Bitruscan - u butburu buburisu burci bubusia buburisu
    • Bolognese - al fóttbal l é populèr parché la stupidîSia l’é populèr
    • Brazilian Portuguese - o futebol é popular porque a estupidez é popular
    • Bresciano - èl fobal l'è de togg perché la stupidità l'è de togg
    • Breton - ar vell-droad zo gwelet mat pa'z eo gwelet mat bezañ genaouek
    • Bulgarian - футболът е популярен, защото глупостта е популярна
    • Calabrese - lu palluni è pupulari picchì la ciutia è pupulari
    • Catalan - el futbol és popular perquè l’estupidesa és popular
    • Croatian - nogomet je popularan jer je glupost popularna
    • Danish - fodbold er populært fordi dumheden er populær
    • Dutch - voetbal is populair omdat dom zijn populair is
    • Ekspreso - la futbolo esen popular perke la stupidita esen popular
    • Esperanto - futbalo estas populara cxar stulteco estas populara
    • Estonian - jalgpall on populaarne sellepärast, et rumalus on populaarne
    • Finnish - jalkapallo on suosittua koska tyhmyys on yleistä
    • Flemish - voetbal is populair omdat dom zijn populair is
    • French - le football est populaire parce que la stupidité est populaire
    • Furlan - il balon al è popolâr parcè che la stupiditât e jê popolâr
    • Galician - o fútbol é popular porque a estupidez é popular
    • German - Fußball ist populär, weil Dummheit populär ist
    • Griko Salentino - to pezzi is pallùna ene 'zz'olo to jèno jài olo to jèno noà olìo
    • Hungarian - a foci népszerû, mert a hülyeség népszerû
    • Interlingua - le football es popular proque le stupiditate es popular
    • Interslavic - Futbol jest popularny, ibo gluposť jest popularna
    • Italian - il calcio è popolare perché la stupidità è popolare
    • Latin - follis ludus popularis est quod stoliditas popularis
    • Leonese - el fútbol ye popular porque la estupidez ye popular
    • Limburgian - voetbal hèt viël aoftrèk omdat loempighèts viël aoftrèk hèt
    • Lombardo - el ballon l'è popolar perchè la stupidera l'è popolar
    • Mudnés - al fudbàl l'è acsè popolêr perché a ghè dimàndi stùpid
    • Papiamentu - futbòl ta popular pasombra estupides ta popular
    • Piemontese - ël fotbòl a l'é popolar për che la stupidità a l'é popolar
    • Polish - piłka nożna jest popularna, bo głupota jest popularna
    • Portuguese - o futebol é popular porque a estupidez é popular
    • Romagnolo - e' zug ad paloun l'è populèri par ché la stopidàzin la è populèra
    • Roman - er pallone é popolare perché á stupiditá é popolare
    • Russian - футбол популярен потому что, глупость популярна
    • Swedish - fotboll är folkligt därför att dumhet är folkligt
    • Turkish - futbol popülerdir çünkü aptallık popülerdir
    • Volapük - futaglöpäd binon pöpedik bi stup binon pöpedik.

Hell and Heaven

• "el infierno y el paraíso me parecen desproporcionados. Los actos de los hombres no merecen tanto"
  • Translation: "heaven and hell seem out of proportion to me: the actions of men do not deserve so much".
    • Albanian - ferri dhe parajsa më duken të sproporcionuar. Veprimet e njerëzve nuk meritojnë kaq shumë
    • Aragones - o infierno y o paradiso me parixen esmesuratos. Os autos d'os omes no merixen tanto
    • Basque - infernua eta paradisua neurriz kanpokoak iruditzen zaizkit. Gizakion ekintzek ez dute hainbeste merezi nire ustez
    • Bolognese - l infêrn e l paradîS i um pèren dsprupurziunè. I ât di òmen i n s mèriten brîSa acsé tant
    • Brazilian Portuguese - o inferno e o paraíso parecem-me desproporcionados. As ações dos homens não merecem tanto
    • Bresciano - el paradis e l'enferno i ma sumea 'n esagerasiù. Chel ce i fa j om el val mja tat
    • Calabrese - 'nfernu e paradisu mi sembrani sproporziunati.L'azziuni dill'uomini nun meritani tantu
    • Catalan - l'infern i el paradís em semblen desproporcionats. Els actes dels homes no es mereixen tant
    • Cornish - an nef ha'n yfarn a hevel dhym bos orth an myns gorth: obereth an düs ny dhegöth dhedha kemmys
    • Croatian - raj i pakao cine mi se preuvelicanima; ljudska djela ne zaslužuju toliko mnogo
    • Danish - Himmel og Helvede forekommer mig ude af proportion. Menneskenes handlinger fortjener ikke så meget
    • Dutch - hemel en hel komen me buiten proportie voor: het menselijk handelen is zo veel niet waard
    • Esperanto - infero kaj paradizo sajnas al mi misproporciaj. Homaj agoj ne tiom meritas.
    • Estonian - minule näivad paradiis ja põrgu proportsioonist väljas. Inimeste teod ei vääri nõnda palju
    • Finnish - taivas ja helvetti tuntuvat minusta liioitelluilta. Eivät ihmisten teot niin suuria ole
    • Flemish - hemel en hel lijken mij buiten proportie, er is geen mensenhand die dit verdient
    • French - l'enfer et le paradis me semblent disproportionnés. Les actions humaines ne méritent pas tant
    • Furlan - infier e paradis mi semein disproporzionâts. Lis azions dai oms no meretin tant
    • Galician - o inferno e o paraíso parécenme desproporcionados. As accións dos homes non merecen tanto
    • German - Hölle und Paradies sind unverhältnismäßig, scheint mir. Menschliches Handeln verdient derartiges nicht
    • Griko Salentino - o anfièrno ce o paratiso mu fènutte sproporzionài: cino pu cànnune i àntrèpi en afelà tosso
    • Hungarian - a mennyország és a pokol aránytalannak tunnek számomra: az emberek cselekedetei nem érdemelnek ilyen sokat
    • Italian - inferno e paradiso mi sembrano sproporzionati. Le azioni degli uomini non meritano tanto
    • Judeo Spanish - el geynam/infierno i el gan eden/paradizo me paresen disproporsionados. Los aktos/las echas de los ombres no meresen tanto
    • Latin - Infernus et Paradisus mihi videntur inaequales. Hominum actus tantum non merent
    • Limburgian - hél ên hiemel zin, tink mich, baute propoëse; wo minsewêrk verdient noevenant?
    • Mapunzugun - infierno egu ta paraiso, rume wesha wichul kaley. Che ta fenxe weza zuamnielan
    • Mudnés - l'infêren e àl paradîs ìm pêren esagerê. I aziòun d'i cristiân in mêriten mènga acsè tânt
    • Neapolitan - nfiérno e paraviso a mmé pareno sprupurziunate. Ll'azzióne 'e ll'uómmene nun s'ammèretano tutto chesto
    • Papiamentu - fièrnu i paraiso ta parsemi desproporshoná. Aktonan di hendenan no meresé tantu
    • Parmigiano - inferen e paradis a m'é davis che jen sproporzioné. I azión 'd la genta in ne meritan miga csi tant
    • Polish - pieklo i niebo wydaja mi sie przesada. Uczynki ludzi nie zasluguja na tak wiele
    • Portuguese - o inferno e o paraíso parecem-me desproporcionados. As acções dos homens não merecem tanto
    • Romagnolo - infern e paradois a'm pér sbucioun: e' fatt d'l omén un'è ad tant
    • Roman - 'nferno e paradiso me sembreno sproporzionati. L'azzioni de l'ommini nun meriteno tanto
    • Sicilian - 'nfernu e paradisu mi parunu esagerati. L'azioni dill'omini non meritanu tantu
    • Swedish - paradiset och helvetet har inga proportioner: människan och hennes handlingar förtjänar inte allt det
    • Umbro-Sabino - 'nfiernu e paraìsu me paru daìru truppu. Re asioni de l'ommini nun suò da tantu
    • Venetian - l'inferno e el paradiso me pare 'na esagerazion. Le azion dei omeni no le merita tanto
    • Zeneize - l'inferno e o pareiso me pan feua mesùa. E açioin di òmmi no meitan coscì tanto

Ethics

• "quizá la ética sea una ciencia que ha desaparecido del mundo entero. No importa, tendremos que inventarla otra vez"
  • Translation: "maybe Ethics is a science that has disappeared from the whole world. It does not matter, we will have to invent it again
    • Albanian - mbase etika është një shkencë e zhdukur në të gjithë botën. S'ka gjë, do të na duhet ta krijojmë edhe një herë
    • Aragones - talmén a etica siga una zenzia que ha disparexito d'o mundo entero. No importa, abremos que imbentar-la atra begata
    • Asturian - seique la ética ye una ciencia que desanició de tol mundu. Nun importa, habrá que la inventar de nuevo
    • Basque - beharbada, etika mundu osotik desagertu egin den zientzia bat da; berdin dio, berriz asmatu beharko dugu
    • Bolognese - al pôl dèr che l’êtica la séppa una siänza sparé da tótt al månnd. Fà gnínta, a tgnarän inventèrla un’ètra vôlta
    • Brazilian Portuguese - talvez a ética seja uma ciência que desapareceu no mundo inteiro.Não importa,teremos que a inventar de novo
    • Bresciano - pol das che l'etica la sabes 'na sciensa saprida da tot el mond. fa nient, en garà de fan inotra
    • Breton - ar moral marteze zo ur skiant hag a zo aet da get e pep lec'h er bed. Ingal eo; ret e vo deomp he c'hrouiñ a-nevez
    • Calabrese - forsi l'etica è 'na scienza scumparsa da lu munnu 'ntero. Nun fa nenti, l'avima 'nventà 'nata vota
    • Catalan - potser l'ètica sigui una ciència que ha desaparegut del món sencer, No importa, haurem d'inventar-la una altra vegada
    • Cornish - martesen bughedhek yw skyans res eth yn-mes a'n bys-oll. Ny vern henna, res vyth dhyn y devysya arta
    • Croatian - možda je etika znanost koja je sasvim išcezla iz svijeta. Nije važno, treba je opet otkriti
    • Danish - måske er etik en videnskab, som er forsvundet fra jordens overflade. Det er lige meget, vi bliver bare nødt til at opfinde den på ny
    • Dutch - wellicht dat de ethiek een van de aardbol verdwenen wetenschap is. Geeft niet, we zullen haar opnieuw moeten uitvinden
    • Esperanto - eble etiko estas scienco malaperita tra la tuta mondo. Ne gravas, ni devas gin inventi novafoje.
    • Estonian - võib-olla on eetika teadus, mis on kadunud kogu maailmast. Pole midagi parata, meil tuleb see uuesti leiutada
    • Ferrarese - a gh'è cas c'l'etica la sia na ssienza sparida daL mond intiéer. L'è l'istéss: ag'arém da invartarla'd növ
    • Finnish - ehkä etiikka on tiede, joka kadonnut koko maailmasta. Ei se mitään, se täytyy keksiä uudelleen
    • Flemish - misschien is de Ethica een wetenschap die uit de wereld verdween. Het is niet erg, we zullen ze toch terug moeten uitvinden
    • French - il est possible que l'éthique soit une science qui a disparu de la surface de la planète. Et alors? Il suffit de la réinventer, c'est tout
    • Furlan - forsit la etiche e jê une sience sparide dal mont intîr. Nol impuarte, si varà di inventâle un altre volte
    • Galician - quizais a ética é unha ciencia que desapareceu en todo o mundo. Non importa, haberá que a inventar de novo
    • German - vielleicht ist die Ethik eine aus dieser Welt verschwundene Wissenschaft. Aber das macht nichts, wir werden sie neu erfinden müssen
    • Griko Salentino - sogg'èste i ètica ene mia sciènza ka ichàsi 'zz'olo to kkosmo. E' kkanni tìpoti, è nna tin inventèzzume nan addhi fforà
    • Hungarian - lehet, hogy az etika nevu tudomány az egész világról eltunt. Semmi baj, ismét fel kell majd találnunk
    • Italian - forse l'etica è una scienza scomparsa dal mondo intero. Non fa niente, dovremo inventarla un'altra volta
    • Judeo Spanish - puede ser ke la etika seya una sensia/hohma ke ya bolo deste mundo. No tiene emportansa, mozotros devemos enventarla de muevo
    • Latin - forsitan ethica disciplina extincta toto orbe est. Nihil interest, nobis alias invenienda erit
    • Latvian - iespejams, etika ir maciba, ka izzudusi visa pasaule. Tam nav nozimes – mums ta jaizgudro no jauna
    • Limburgian - mesjin ès eetik 'n wiëtensjop wao doe nimei ès èn de wêrd; mê dat kan geene kaud, ve moette 't toch obbenêr gon autvènne
    • Lombardo - fòrsi l'etega l'è ona scienza che l'è sparida del mond intregh. Fa nagòtt, gh'avaremm anmò de inventalla
    • Mantuan - chi sa, l’etica forse la gh è pù al mond. La fa grinte, forse a gh avresom d’inventarla n’atra volta
    • Mapunzugun - ética gepey may ñi ñamün ta kom mapu mew. Chumgeafuy, fey may ka wiño xürümpetuafiyiñ
    • Mudnés - as pôl dêr che cumpurtêres secànd cuscièinza a sìa un quêl fôra dal mànd. An fà gnînta, bisgnarà tachêr dal prinzèpi
    • Neapolitan - forze ll'èteca è na scienza scumparuta 'a copp' 'o munno sano. Nun fa niente, vò ricere c' 'a nventammo n'ata vota
    • Papiamentu - kisas étika ta un siensia ku a disparsé di hinter mundo. No ta importá, nos mester inventé di nobo
    • Piemontese - miraco l'ética a l'é na siensa ch'a l'é dësparija dal mond. A-j na fà nen, a ventrà torna invente-la
    • Polish - byc moze etyka jest nauka, która zniknela z powierzchni ziemi. Nie szkodzi, wymyslimy ja jeszcze raz
    • Portuguese - talvez a ética seja uma ciência que desapareceu do mundo inteiro. Não importa, teremos que inventá-la outra vez
    • Romagnolo - pò ess' ch' l'èteca a foss una scìnzia scumpèrsa da tott e mond. Fa gnìnt: us tòca invintèrla un èltra volta
    • Roman - forse l´etica é ´na scénza scomparsa dar monno ´ntero. ´N fa gnente, toccherá rinventalla ´n´antra vorta
    • Sicilian - forsi 'a morali è 'na scenza ch'ormai scumparìu ru munnu. 'Un fa nenti, la 'nvintàmu 'n'atra vota
    • Swedish - kanske etik är en vetenskap som försvunnit från världen. Det spelar ingen roll, vi får uppfinna den igen
    • Umbro-Sabino - è capace que r'etica è 'na scienzia sparuta da tuttu ru munnu. Que je fà! Toccherà r'enventalla n'atra 'ota
    • Welsh - efallai mai gwyddor sydd wedi diflannu o bob man yn y byd yw etheg. Nid oes gwahaniaeth; bydd yn rhaid inni ei ailddyfeisio
    • Zeneize - podama l'ética a l'é 'na sciensa ch'a l'é scentâ arrëo de d'into mondo; no fa ninte, bisà inventâla torna

"When writers die..."

"When writers die they become books, which is, after all, not too bad an incarnation" is attributed to Borges by Alistair Reid in this Guardian interview, and in articles elsewhere. I can't find any written origin (English or Spanish) for the quotation; it might be anecdotal. --Raeven0 18:09, 17 September 2011 (UTC)

I am not sure that I exist actually...

I found a source for this quote in Spanish. It appears in an article in El Pais, a newspaper in Spain, here. It is a bit after halfway down the article. Can someone source the quote? I don't know how to.

Unsourced

These should be provided with sources before being moved back into the article.

• El fútbol es popular porque la estupidez es popular.
  • Football [soccer] is popular because stupidity is popular.

• Hay que tener cuidado al elegir a los enemigos porque uno termina pareciéndose a ellos.
  • One must choose one's enemies carefully, as one ends up resembling them.

• Que cada hombre construya su propia catedral. ¿Para qué vivir de obras de arte ajenas y antiguas?
  • Let each one build their own cathedral. Why live from alien and ancient works of art?

• Que otros se jacten de las páginas que han escrito; a mi me enorgullecen las que he leído.
  • Let others brag about the pages they have written; I'm proud of those I've read.
  • Variant: Uno no es lo que es por lo que escribe, sino por lo que ha leído.
    • You are what you are not for what you've written, but for what you've read.

• Sólo aquello que se ha ido es lo que nos pertenece.
  • Only that which is gone belongs to us.

• Uno está enamorado cuando se da cuenta de que otra persona es única.
  • One is in love when one realizes that the other person is unique.

• Yo no hablo de venganzas ni perdones, el olvido es la única venganza y el único perdón.
  • I don't speak of revenge or forgiveness; forgetting is the only revenge and the only forgiveness.

• I think I understood love better when I had no love.

• Death (or its allusion) makes men precious and pathetic. They are moving because of their phantom condition; every act they execute may be their last; there is not a face that is not on the verge of dissolving like a face in a dream.

• Democracy is an abuse of statistics.

• No estoy seguro de que yo exista, en realidad. Soy todos los autores que he leído, toda la gente que he conocido, todas las mujeres que he amado. Todas las ciudades que he visitado, todos mis antepasados . . . Quizá me hubiera gustado ser mi padre, que escribió y tuvo la decencia de no publicar. . . . Nada, nada, amigo mío; lo que le he dicho: no estoy seguro de nada, no sé nada. Imagínese que ni siquiera sé la fecha de mi muerte . . .
  • I am not sure that I exist, actually. I am all the writers that I have read, all the people that I have met, all the women that I have loved; all the cities that I have visited, all my ancestors . . . Perhaps I would have liked to be my father, who wrote and had the decency of not publishing. . . . Nothing, nothing, my friend; what I have told you: I am not sure of anything, I know nothing. Can you imagine that I do not even know the date of my death?
  • This is Borges' comment on theories that he didn't really exist and who he would like to have been if he hadn't been himself, as quoted in José Luis A. Fermosel's interview "Jorge Luis Borges: 'No estoy seguro de que yo exista en realidad'" ("Jorge Luis Borges: 'I'm not sure that I really exist'") in El País, 26 Dec 1981. The first part of this—through "todos mis antepasados"—is already on the main page. Likewise, the Guardian translation referred to there stops at "all my ancestors." The extended translation above might well be from Christopher Ross' Mishima's Sword (2006, p. 130), which has the same typos that I corrected above, gives no source for the attribution to Borges, and mistakenly says Borges wrote it.) --Hughh (talk) 05:12, 12 September 2017 (UTC)

• Not granting me the Nobel Prize has become a Scandinavian tradition; since I was born — August 24, 1899 — they have not been granting it to me.

• Nothing is built on stone; all is built on sand, but we must build as if the sand were stone.

• The image of the Lord had been replaced by a mirror.

• Through the years, a man peoples a space with images of provinces, kingdoms, mountains, bays, ships, islands, fishes, rooms, tools, stars, horses and people. Shortly before his death, he discovers that the patient labyrinth of lines traces the image of his own face.

• "The central fact of my life has been the existence of words and the possibility of weaving those words into poetry."

• "I do not write for a select minority, which means nothing to me, nor for that adulated platonic entity known as 'The Masses'. Both abstractions, so dear to the demagogue, I disbelieve in. I write for myself and for my friends, and I write to ease the passing of time." — Introduction to The Book of Sand

• "I have always imagined that paradise will be a kind of library."