El Go

    Keywords: Culture & History

In a recent discussion on rec.games.go a Go poem by Jorge Luis Borges was posted. Here it is in the original Spanish - with a different closing than the one posted in rec.games.go. I like this one better, but do not know which one is correct.

El Go

Hoy, 9 de septiembre de 1978,
tuve en la palma de mi mano un pequeño disco
de los trescientos sesenta y uno que se requieren
para el juego astrológico del Go,
ese otro ajedrez de Oriente.
Es más antiguo que la más antigua escritura
y el tablero es un mapa del universo.
Sus variaciones negras y blancas
agotarán el tiempo;
en él pueden perderse los hombres
como en el amor o en el día.
Hoy, 9 de septiembre de 1978,
yo, que soy ignorante de tantas cosas,
sé que ignoro una más,
y agradezco a mis númenes
esta revelación de laberintos
que ya no exploraré...


El Go

Today, September 9th, 1978,
I had in the palm of my hand a small disk;
just one of the three hundred sixty-one needed
to play the astrological game of Go,
that other chess from the Orient.
It is older than the oldest writing
and the board is a map of the universe.
EVEN TIME ITSELF CANNOT EXHAUST
its variations of black and white.
Just as in love or in the passing of the day,
men can lose themselves in this game.
Today, September 9th, 1978,
I, who am ignorant of so many things,
know that I am ignorant of one more,
and I thank my numina
for revealing these labyrinths
that I shall no longer explore.

- Jorge Luis Borges (translated by Brian J. Olive)


Benjamin Geiger:

Keep in mind that Borges was blind, and therefore could not play go across-the-board, and computers were still a ways off. I think the ending posted in rec.games.go is correct:

Hoy, 9 de setiembre de 1978,
yo, que soy ignorante de tantas cosas,
sé que ignoro una más,
y agradezco a mis númenes
esta revelación de un laberinto
que nunca será mio...



Hikaru79: Does anyone have a decent translation of this to English? Doing a BabelFish on it, I get:

Today, 9 of September of 1978, I had in the palm of my hand a small one and sixty disc three hundred which they are required for the astrological game of the Go, that other chess of East. He is older than the oldest writing and the board is a map of the universe. Their black and white variations will exhaust the time; in him the men like in the love can lose themselves or the day. Today, 9 of September of 1978, I, which I am ignorante of so many things, know that I ignore a plus, and thank for to my númenes this revelation of labyrinths that no longer she will explore '...

Which is enough to strike my interest, yet I think a good translation would be more appropriate. Anyone speak spanish here?? ^^


Today 9th september of 1978
I had in my hand a disc
one of the three hundred sixty-one required
to play the astrological game of go
that other chess from Orient
Older than the oldest writing
and the board is a map of the universe
Its black and white variations
shall waste all the time
in it can men be lost
like in love or in day
Today 9th september of 1978
I, so ignorant of so many things
know I ignore one more
and thank my angels
this revelation of labyrinths
that will never be mine

Hope there aren't many typos, just a plain translation, without rhyme. That's the best I can do so far. RBerenguel

RafaelCaetano Berenguel, I don't speak Spanish, but I feel there's something wrong with "esta revelación de laberintos/que nunca será mio". Here "será" doesn't agree either with "revelacion" or "laberintos". A Google search indicates that the correct verse should be "...laberinto". As for the 2 different endings, it seems both versions are correct. I'll ask in the Argentinian go mailing list (no Argentians reading SL?).

As I feel it, the mine "mio" goes for the board/the game. And I'm spanish, so I think that the only problem would be my english, not my spanish. Anyway, thanks for the comments RBerenguel

Huh? It doesn't make sense. In "that will never be mine", "that" can't be "the board". Gramatically it has to be either "revelation" or "labiryinths", but of course "revelation" doesn't make sense in the context. This reasoning also holds for Spanish.

Anyway, the Argentinians confirmed that both versions are correct. The version ending in "esta revelación de laberintos que ya no exploraré" is the original one. Borges himself edited the poem and published later with the ending "esta revelación de un laberinto que nunca será mío". Note that he changed "laberintos" to "un laberinto".RafaelCaetano
(I guess this page is ready for a MasterEdit now)

Beautiful translation on an Andalusian web site by Auxi Gómez scsfello?

link:[ext] http://usuarios.lycos.es/goandalucia/en/go_y_Andalucia.html

In the translation in the web above, my that goes for which. I don't want to argue with you Rafael about my translation, I have little time to do useless things, and maybe translating it was also useless. If you think you could have done a better job, maybe it would be better to have it done. Anyway, changing laberintos for laberinto makes it work well. RBerenguel


My version (as RBerenguel said, "that" goes for "which" and refers to the labyrinths: JLB loved them); in fact a mixture of a translation I made before and the version above. Borges would have made a perfect translation, since he was as good in english as in spanish. Brindis

Today, September 9th, 1978,
I held in the palm of my hand a little disc:
one of the three hundred and sixty-one required
to play the astrological game of Go,
that other Chess from Orient.
It is older than the oldest writing
and the board is a map of the universe.
Its black and white variations
will exhaust the time.
In it men can lose
like in love or in the day.
Today, September 9th, 1978,
I, ignoring so many things,
know I ignore one more.
And I thank my inspiring spirits
this revelation of labyrinths
that I will never explore.


One more translation... it's not an absolutely direct translation, but it's close:

Today, 9 September 1978,
I held in the palm of my hand one tiny disc
Of the three hundred and sixty-one that are required
For the astrological game of Go,
That other chess of the Orient.
It is older than the oldest writings
And its board is a map of the universe.
Its variations in black and white
Will exhaust all of time;
In it men can lose themselves,
Like in love or in the day.
Today, 9 September 1978,
I, who am ignorant of many things,
Know that I am ignorant of one more,
And I thank my Muses (That's the best translation I can find...)
For this revelation of labyrinths
That I will not yet explore...

(For the alternate version, replace the last two lines with:)

For this revelation of a labyrinth
That will never be mine.

-- Benjamin Geiger (I knew those four semesters of Spanish would come in handy!)

Links

[ext] http://www.fortunecity.es/imaginario/leyendas/287/borges.htm
has a pic of JLB too
[ext] http://gobase.org/reading/stories/?id=12
[ext] http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.go/browse_frm/thread/7e0d38532c07d0d4/
one need to dig a bit deeper, but the conversation seems interesting

El Go last edited by PJTraill on January 25, 2024 - 16:44
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