Die Slowly / Yavaş ölürler by Pablo Neruda

by

Pablo Neruda
He who becomes the slave of habit,
who follows the same routes every day, 
who never changes pace, 
who does not risk and change the color of his clothes, 
who does not speak and does not experience,
dies slowly.

He or she who shuns passion,
who prefers black on white, 
dotting ones "it’s" rather than a bundle of emotions, the kind that make your eyes glimmer, 
that turn a yawn into a smile, 
that make the heart pound in the face of mistakes and feelings,
dies slowly.

He or she who does not turn things topsy-turvy, 
who is unhappy at work, 
who does not risk certainty for uncertainty, 
to thus follow a dream, 
those who do not forego sound advice at least once in their lives, 
die slowly.

He who does not travel, who does not read, 
who does not listen to music, 
who does not find grace in himself, 
she who does not find grace in herself, 
dies slowly.

He who slowly destroys his own self-esteem, 
who does not allow himself to be helped, 
who spends days on end complaining about his own bad luck, about the rain that never stops, 
dies slowly.

He or she who abandon a project before starting it, who fail to ask questions on subjects he doesn't know, he or she who don't reply when they are asked something they do know,
die slowly.

Let's try and avoid death in small doses, 
reminding oneself that being alive requires an effort far greater than the simple fact of breathing.

Only a burning patience will lead
to the attainment of a splendid happiness.

 ‎...
2nd version.
Dies slowly he who transforms himself into a slave of habit,
repeating every day the same routines,
who does not change brands,
does not risk wearing a new color, nor talking to those he doesn't know.

Dies slowly he who makes television his guru.
Dies slowly he who avoids a passion,
who prefers black to white
and the dots on the "i" to a whirlpool of emotions,
Dies slowly he who does not overthrow the table when unhappy at work,
who does not risk the certain for the uncertain
to go toward the dream that is keeping him awake.
Who does not, at least once in life, flee from sound thinking.
Dies slowly he who does not travel, does not read,
does not listen to music, who does not find grace in himself.
Dies slowly he who destroys his self love,
who does not accept help from another.
Dies slowly he who passes his days complaining of his bad luck or the incessant rain.
Dies slowly he who abandons a project before starting it,
who does not ask about a subject he does not know
or who does not answer when being asked about something he does know.
Dies slowly he who does not share his emotions, joys and sadness,
who does not trust, who does not even try.
Dies slowly he who does not intend excelling,
who does not learn from the stones on the road of life,
who does not love and let somebody love him.
Let's avoid death in soft quotes,
remembering always that to be alive demands an effort much bigger
that the simple fact of breathing.
...
Yavaş yavaş ölürler
Seyahat etmeyenler,
Yavaş yavaş ölürler okumayanlar,
Müzik dinlemeyenler,
Vicdanlarında hoş görmeyi barındırmayanlar.
Yavaş yavaş ölürler,


İzzetinefislerini yıkanlar
Hiçbir zaman yardım
İstemeyenler.

Yavaş yavaş ölürler


Alışkanlıklara esir olanlar,
Her gün aynı yolları yürüyenler,
Ufuklarını genişletmeyen ve değiştirmeyenler,
Elbiselerinin rengini değiştirme riskine bile girmeyen,
Veya bir yabancı ile konuşmayanlar.
Yavaş yavaş ölürler

İhtiraslardan ve verdikleri heyecanlardan kaçınanlar,
Tamir edilen kırık kalplerin gözlerindeki pırıltıyı
Görmek istemekten kaçınanlar
Yavaş yavaş ölürler.


Yavaş yavaş ölürler
Aşkta veya işte bedbaht olup istikamet değiştirmeyenler,
Rüyalarını gerçekleştirmek için risk almayanlar,
Hayatlarında bir kez dahi mantıklı tavsiyelerin
Dışına çıkmamış olanlar.
Yavaş yavaş ölürler...

Pablo Neruda (July 12, 1904 – September 23, 1973) was the pen name and, later, legal name of the Chilean poet, diplomat and politician Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basoalto. He chose his pen name after Czech poet Jan Neruda. Neruda always wrote in green ink as it was his personal color of hope.
~~~~~
Living a life of my own...
...