Fernando Pessoa Quotes

Portuguese poet, writer, and philosopher (1888–1935); creator of the heteronymic system including Alberto Caeiro, Ricardo Reis, Álvaro de Campos, and Bernardo Soares

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Fernando Pessoa (13 June 1888 – 30 November 1935) was a Portuguese poet and writer, most of whose work was published posthumously. He wrote frequently under heteronyms, alter egos with developed personalities, biographies, jobs, habits, attitudes, addresses, etc., who sometimes quoted and interacted with each other and other people.

From: Wikiquote (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Pen Names: Alberto Caeiro • Álvaro de Campos • Ricardo Reis • Bernardo Soares

Native Name: Fernando António Nogueira Pessoa

Alternative Names: Fernando Antonio Nogueira Pessoa

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Original: O comboio abranda, é o Cais do Sodré. Cheguei a Lisboa, mas não a uma conclusão.

The train slows down, it's the Cais do Sodré. I arrived to Lisbon, but not to a conclusion.

Original: Um tédio que inclui a antecipação só de mais tédio; a pena, já, de amanhã ter pena de ter tido pena hoje.

A tedium that includes only the anticipation of more tedium; the regret, now, of tomorrow regretting having regretted today.

Original: Somos dois abismos — um poço fitando o céu.

We are two abysses — a well staring at the sky.

Original: Achego-me à minha secretária como a um baluarte contra a vida.

I come closer to my desk as to a bulwark against life.

Original: Há os que Deus mesmo explora, e são profetas e santos na vacuidade do mundo.

There are those that even God exploits, and they are prophets and saints in the vacuousness of the world.

Strength without agility is a mere mass.

Original: O ter tocado os pés de Cristo não é desculpa para defeitos de pontuação.

Having touched Christ's feet is not an excuse for punctuation mistakes.

Every day things happen in the world that cannot be explained by any law of things we know. Every day they're mentioned and forgotten, and the same mystery that brought them takes them away, transforming their secret into oblivion. Such is the law by which things that can't be explained must be forgotten. The visible world goes on as usual in the broad daylight. Otherness watches us from the shadows.

Original: Considero a vida uma estalagem onde tenho que me demorar até que chegue a diligência do abismo. Não sei onde ela me levará, porque não sei nada.