[Glenn Wright]

Everness
by Jorge Luis Borges

Only one thing is not. Oblivion.
God, who saves the metal, saves the waste.
Moons that will be and those that were displaced,
He codes in memory for His revelation.

All is now. The thousands of reflections
which, between the dawn and dusk of day,
your face was leaving in the mirrors’ collections
and those it still keeps leaving on display.

And everything is part of that diverse
crystal of memory, the universe;
its taxing passageways make no surrenders

and doors close firmly as you make your way;
when you have passed the sunset, you’ll survey
only then—the Archetypes and Splendors.
————————
Edits:
S1L1: one thing is not. It is oblivion. > There’s just one thing that’s not. Oblivion > Only one thing is not. Oblivion
S1L2: God, who saves the metal, saves the ore > God, who saves the metal, saves the waste.
S1L3 > S1L4: and codes in memory for His revelation > He codes in memory for His revelation.
S1L4 > S1L3: moons that will be, and those that were before. > Moons that will be and those that were displaced,
S2L1: All is now. A thousand reflected pictures > All is now. The thousands of reflections
S2L3: your face has long been leaving in the mirrors > your face was leaving in the mirrors’ collections
S2L4: and those it still keeps putting on display. > and those it still keeps leaving on display.
S4L1: and doors shut tight behind you as you flee; > and doors close firmly as you make your way;
S4L2: only from sunset’s other side you’ll see > from sunset’s other side you will survey > only once past the sunset will you survey > when you have passed the sunset you’ll survey
S4L3: and understand the Archetypes and Splendors. > only then—the Archetypes and Splendors.


Original Spanish (from “ ‘Everness’: Una Clave para el Mundo Borgiano” Revista Iberoamericana 53:100, July 1977. Liverpool UP. 629.)

Sólo una cosa no hay. Es el olvido.
Dios, que salva el metal, salva la escoria
Y cifra en Su profética memoria
Las lunas que serán y las que han sido.

Ya todo está. Los miles de reflejos
Que entre los dos crepúsculos del día
Tu rostro fue dejando en los espejos
Y los que irá dejando todavía.

Y todo es una parte del diverso
Cristal de esa memoria, el universo;
No tienen fin sus arduos corredores

Y las puertas se cierran a tu paso;
Sólo del otro lado del ocaso
Verás los Arquetipos y Esplendores.



Crib

Only one thing is not. It is oblivion.
God, who saves the metal, saves the waste/slag
and codes into His prophetic memory
the moons that will be and those that have been.

Everything is already. The thousands of reflections
which, between the two twilights of the day
your face had been leaving in the mirrors
and those which you will still be leaving.

And everything is a part of the diverse
crystal of that memory, the universe;
its difficult passageways have no end

and the doors close at your passing;
only from the other side of the sunset
will you see the Archetypes and Splendors.