The Evil of the Century

The Evil of the Century by José Asunción Silva

Translation from the Spanish by Zach Powell.

THE PATIENT:

Doctor, a wariness of life

Has taken root and been born deep inside me,

The evil of the century...the same evil as Werther,

of Rolla, of Manfredo^[1], and of Leopardi.

A wariness of everything, an absolute

Contempt for everything human...an incessant

Renouncement of the vileness of dignified

Existence of my teacher Schopenhauer;

A profound unease that grows

With every torture of analysis...

    
    
    
THE DOCTOR:

It's a question of lifestyle: walk

in the morning; get enough sleep; bathe;

Drink well; eat well; take care of yourself:

What you're feeling is hunger!

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1. ^  It is not clear who this is referring to; there are many literary and historical figures with this name, so there's no way to be sure whom he has in mind.