Octavian Paler – We’ve got time

Midnight priorities as usual: I really had to translate this poem. Ok, lots of other things to do, but this couldn’t wait. I never liked quoting famous people, maybe because some overdo it trying to look intelligent. Thought I shouldn’t be borrowing thoughts from others as long as I have some good ones of my own. Still, sometimes, while reading you do come across things that really, really make sense to you. That’s exactly what happened to this poem. I don’t feel I borrowed someone else’s thoughts, but just sad knowing that my translation doesn’t make it justice:

We’ve got time
Octavian Paler

We’ve got time for everything,
to sleep, to always be on the run,
to regret having made mistakes, then to mistake again,
to judge others and absolve ourselves,
we’ve got time to read and time to write,
to make corrections and to regret we wrote,
we’ve got time to make plans not to respect them,
we’ve got time to believe in illusions, then later to search through their ashes.

We’ve got time for ambitions and diseases,
time to blame the fate and its details,
time to look at the clouds, to watch the adverts or a random accident
we’ve got time to banish our questions,
to delay giving answers
time to shatter dreams and to then re-invent them
we’ve got time to make friends, then time to lose them
we’ve got time to receive lessons to then forget about them
we’ve got time to be given gifts and not to understand them.
We’ve got time for everything,

We only haven’t got time for a bit of tenderness
When just about to make time for it, we die.

I learned a few things in life and I’d like to share them with you!!
I learned you can’t make someone love you
All you can do is to be loved.
The rest… depends on others.
I learned that regardless of how much I care
Others might not.
I learned that it takes years to build up trust
And just a few seconds to destroy it
I learned that it doesn’t matter WHAT you’ve got in life
But WHOM you got
I learned that your charm helps you for about 15 minutes
After that though you’d better be good at it (…)

I learned that regardless of how you cut
Any thing has two sides

I learned that we have to say kind, warm good-byes to our loved ones
As it might be the last time we see them

I learned that we can keep on going long
After we said we can’t anymore.

I learned that heroes do what they have to, when they have to
Regardless of the consequences

I learned that there are some that love you
But don’t know how to show it
I learned that when I am angry, I have the RIGHT to be angry
But no right to be mean

I learned that true friendship survives the distance
And so does true love
I learned that when someone doesn’t love you as you’d like
It doesn’t mean that they don’t truly love you

I learned that regardless how good a friend is
He is still going to hurt you sometimes
And you’ll have to forgive him for that.

I learned that it’s not always enough to be forgiven
Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself
I learned that even though you’re in pain
The world won’t stop because of that.

I learned that the past and experiences can influence your personality
But YOU’re responsible for who you become
I learned that if two argue it doesn’t mean they don’t love each other
Also, if they don’t argue doesn’t prove they don’t.
I learned that sometime one must come first
Then his deeds.

I learned that two can look at the same thing
And see totally different things
I learned that regardless of what the immediate result may be
Those who can be honest to themselves succeed in life

I learned that your life can be changed in a few hours
By some that don’t even know you

I learned that when you think you haven’t got anything left to give
You’ll always find the strength to help a friend crying for help

I learned that writing
Same as speaking
Can soothe the soul

I learned that the ones you care for most
Are taken from you too soon…

I learned that is too hard to see
The line between being kind, not hurting anyone and stating your opinion.

I learned to love
So I can be loved.

I learned,
by Octavian Paler