Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Freedom, by Alberto Caieiro (Fernando Pessoa)

Oh, what a pleasure
not to follow a duty!
To have a book
and not read it!
Reading is boring.
Studying is nothing.
The sun shines without literature.
Rivers run without original editions.
And the breeze, so natural to the morning, has plenty of time, and no rush...

Books are papers painted with ink.
Studying is something that can´t distinguish nihil from nothing.

The best is the mist.
It doesn´t matter if Dom Sebastião will ever come back.

Great is the poetry, goodness, and the dances.
But the best in this world are the children,
Flowers, Music, Moonlight, and the Sun, whose only flaw
is sometimes burning instead of making life bloom.

And more than anything else, Jesus Christ,
who didn´t know anything about finances,
and never owned a library.

2 comments:

Vincent said...

I love this, your presenting the poem, and the sentiments of Fernando Pessoa, two of whose books I have bought (the book of dispquiet and selected poems a little larger than the entire universe) which blow my mind so gloriously that I am not devouring them, merely treasuring their existence; for I will possess the discovery of Pessoa for the rest of my life. And I bless you for giving Pessoa this public airing.

Pedro C. said...

Hi! Here's my take on this poem, comic book style. Hope you enjoy:

http://visualyrics.com/alberto-caeiro/