Moments (poem)
Encyclopedia
Moments is the title of a text wrongly attributed to Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges
. It was widely spread through articles, compilations, posters and email
chain letters
, mainly in Spanish.
Spanish versions, with some variations, consist of a first person narrated poem about an 85 year old person who regrets not having enjoyed some simple pleasures during his life and instead having focused on safety and correctness.
The vocabulary, syntax and style do not match those of Borges.
and published by the Reader's Digest
on October 1953 under the title "I'd Pick More Daisies". Herold's text is in prose and it lacks the melancholic tone of the Spanish apocrifa:
One of the lines of Herold's original text is also the title of the sentimental waltz "If I Had My Life to Live Over
", by Moe Jaffe
, Larry Vincent and Charles Tobias
, that caught on after World War II
, when it was featured by Kate Smith
, Buddy Clark
, Bob Eberly
and Eddy Arnold
, among others. It was published in 1939
. Its lyrics start with the following verses:
The title and content of this song may have inspired Don Herold's humorous article.
One of the most spread Spanish versions wrongly attributed to Borges starts with the following verses:
's "Todo México", page 144).
On December 2005, Irish pop singer Bono
, read in Spanish some of the lines of the poem on Mexican tv show Teletón México 2005
and attributed them to the "Chilean poet Borges."
The attribution error was so extended that even the poet and scholar Alastair Reid
translated one of the Spanish versions into English under the belief that it was a work from Borges. Reid's translations starts,
Jorge Luis Borges
Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo , known as Jorge Luis Borges , was an Argentine writer, essayist, poet and translator born in Buenos Aires. In 1914 his family moved to Switzerland where he attended school, receiving his baccalauréat from the Collège de Genève in 1918. The family...
. It was widely spread through articles, compilations, posters and email
Email
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
chain letters
Chain Letters
Chain Letters was a British television game show produced by Tyne Tees Television. The show was filmed at their City Road studios in Newcastle Upon Tyne and broadcast on ITV in the United Kingdom between 7 September 1987 and 25 April 1997. Three contestants competed to win money by changing letters...
, mainly in Spanish.
Spanish versions, with some variations, consist of a first person narrated poem about an 85 year old person who regrets not having enjoyed some simple pleasures during his life and instead having focused on safety and correctness.
The vocabulary, syntax and style do not match those of Borges.
Original text and author
The first known version of the text was authored by American humorist and cartoonist Don HeroldDon Herold
Don Herold was an American humorist, writer, illustrator, and cartoonist who wrote and illustrated many books and was a contributor to national magazines. He was born in Bloomfield, Indiana to Otto F. Herold and Clara Huyer Herold...
and published by the Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest is a general interest family magazine, published ten times annually. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, its headquarters is now in New York City. It was founded in 1922, by DeWitt Wallace and Lila Bell Wallace...
on October 1953 under the title "I'd Pick More Daisies". Herold's text is in prose and it lacks the melancholic tone of the Spanish apocrifa:
If I had my life to live over, I would try to make more mistakes. I would relax. I would be sillier than I have been this trip. I know of very few things that I would take seriously. I would be less hygienic. I would go more places. I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers. I would eat more ice cream and less bran
One of the lines of Herold's original text is also the title of the sentimental waltz "If I Had My Life to Live Over
If I Had My Life to Live Over
"If I Had My Life to Live Over" is a popular song.It was written by Moe Jaffe, Larry Vincent and Henry Tobias and published in 1939.The song is now a recognized standard, recorded by many artists....
", by Moe Jaffe
Moe Jaffe
Moe Jaffe was a songwriter and bandleader who composed more than 250 songs. He is best known for six: "Collegiate" , “The Gypsy in My Soul", “If I Had My Life to Live Over", “If You Are But a Dream", “Bell Bottom Trousers”, and “I'm My Own Grandpa".-First success:Jaffe was born into a...
, Larry Vincent and Charles Tobias
Charles Tobias
-Biography:Born in New York City, Tobias grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts with brothers Harry Tobias and Henry Tobias, also songwriters.He started his musical career in vaudeville. In 1923, he founded his own music publishing firm and worked on Tin Pan Alley...
, that caught on after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, when it was featured by Kate Smith
Kate Smith
Kathryn Elizabeth "Kate" Smith was an American Popular singer, best known for her rendition of Irving Berlin's "God Bless America". Smith had a radio, television, and recording career spanning five decades, which reached its pinnacle in the 1940s.Smith was born in Greenville, Virginia...
, Buddy Clark
Buddy Clark
Buddy Clark was a popular American singer in the 1930s and 1940s.-Life and career:Clark was born Samuel Goldberg to Jewish parents in Dorchester, Massachusetts. He made his Big Band singing debut in 1934 with Benny Goodman on the Let's Dance radio program. In 1936 he started to perform on the...
, Bob Eberly
Bob Eberly
Bob Eberly was a big band vocalist, best-known for his association with Jimmy Dorsey and his duets with Helen O'Connell....
and Eddy Arnold
Eddy Arnold
Richard Edward Arnold , known professionally as Eddy Arnold, was an American country music singer who performed for six decades. He was a so-called Nashville sound innovator of the late 1950s, and scored 147 songs on the Billboard country music charts, second only to George Jones. He sold more...
, among others. It was published in 1939
1939 in music
-Events:*March 23 – Béla Bartók's Violin Concerto No. 2 is premiered by Zoltán Székely and the Concertgebouw Orchestra conducted by Willem Mengelberg...
. Its lyrics start with the following verses:
- If I had my life to live over
- I'd do the same things again
- I'd still want to roam to the place we call home
- Where my happiness never would end.
The title and content of this song may have inspired Don Herold's humorous article.
English and Spanish apocrif versions
Another English version, attributed to one Nadine Stair or Nadine Strain, starts:If I Had My Life to Live Over I'd dare to make more mistakes next time. I'd relax, I would limber up. I would be sillier than I have been this trip. I would take fewer things seriously. I would take more chances. I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers. I would eat more ice cream and less beans.
One of the most spread Spanish versions wrongly attributed to Borges starts with the following verses:
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Most important wrong attributions
Spanish versions with the shape of a poem were wrongly attributed to Borges by literary magazines like Mexican Plural (May 1989, pages 4–5) and books (such as Elena PoniatowskaElena Poniatowska
Elena Poniatowska is a Mexican journalist and author. Her generation of writers include Carlos Fuentes, José Emilio Pacheco and Carlos Monsiváis.-Life:Poniatowska was born in Paris to Prince Jean Joseph Evremont Sperry Poniatowski and Paula Amor Yturbe...
's "Todo México", page 144).
On December 2005, Irish pop singer Bono
Bono
Paul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
, read in Spanish some of the lines of the poem on Mexican tv show Teletón México 2005
Teletón (Mexico)
The Teletón in Mexico is an annual 24-plus-hour TV and radio broadcast, started in 1996, to raise money for children's rehabilitation centers for disabled children. Mexico's proposal was due to the initiative of Fernando Landeros...
and attributed them to the "Chilean poet Borges."
The attribution error was so extended that even the poet and scholar Alastair Reid
Alastair Reid
Alastair Reid is a poet and a scholar of South American literature from Galloway in Scotland. He is known for his lighthearted style of poems and for his translations of South American poets Jorge Luis Borges and Pablo Neruda. Although he is famous for translations, his own poems are gaining note...
translated one of the Spanish versions into English under the belief that it was a work from Borges. Reid's translations starts,
- If I were able to live my life again,
- next time I would try to make more mistakes.
- I would not try to be so perfect. I would be more relaxed.
- I would be much more foolish than I have been. In fact,
- I would take very few things seriously.
- I would be much less sanitary.