Reader Pedro Pereira sends us this lovely poem from Portugese poet Fernando Pessoa.

From far, from Portugal, I follow with amusement and pleasure the thoughts from The Idler. And assure you I happily forward your newsletter to my friends. I am even the proud owner of Tom’s book, The Book of Idle Pleasures, in Portuguese translation. Well, what made me answer to today’s newsletter was the will to give something back to The Idler – its´s Christmas time – as proof of esteem for your work. Surely he is not unknown for you, but perhaps Fernando Pessoa and his thoughts could be an interesting theme as part of one of your next workshops. There follows one of his most known and funniest poems (translation by Richard Zenith – “A Little Larger than the Entire Universe” – Penguin Books 2006). Happy Christmas, Pedro.

FREEDOM

Ah, how delightful
To leave a task undone,
To have a book to read
And not even crack it!
Reading is a bore,
And studying isn’t anything.
The sun shines golden
With or without literature.
The river flows, fast or slow,
Without a first edition.
And the breeze, belonging
So naturally to morning,
Has time, it’s in no hurry.

Books are just paper painted with ink.
And to study is to distinguish, indistinctly,
Between nothing and not a thing.

How much better, when it’s foggy,
To wait for King Sebastian,
Whether or not he ever shows!

Poetry, dancing and charity are great things,
But what’s best in the world are children, flowers,
Music, moonlight and the sun, which only sins
When it withers instead of making things grow.

Greater than this
Is Jesus Christ,
Who knew nothing of finances
And had no library, as far as we know . . .

Fernando Pessoa – 16 March 1935