English translations of the aphorisms of Nicolás Gómez Dávila
January 17, 2010
#71
For moving situations only commonplaces will do. A stupid song expresses great pain better than a noble verse. Intelligence is an activity of impassible beings.
Para las circunstancias conmovedoras sólo sirven lugares comunes. Una canción imbécil expresa mejor un gran dolor que un noble verso. La inteligencia es actividad de seres impasibles.
"For moving circumstances nothing but commonplaces will do. A stupid song seems to express great pain better than a noble verse. Intelligence is an activity of impassible beings."
The original Spanish is:
ReplyDeletePara las circunstancias conmovedoras sólo sirven lugares comunes. Una canción imbécil expresa mejor un gran dolor que un noble verso.
La inteligencia es actividad de seres impasibles.
Cf. Notas, p. 248:
ReplyDelete"For moving circumstances nothing but commonplaces will do. A stupid song seems to express great pain better than a noble verse.
Intelligence is an activity of impassible beings."