Translation:The Evil of the Century

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The Evil of the Century
by José Asunción Silva, translated from Spanish by Wikisource

Translation from the Spanish by Zach Powell.

30209The Evil of the CenturyJosé Asunción Silva

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!


  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.