Luis de Góngora y Argote: The hours that are filing down the days, the days that are gnawing down the years

Of the deceitful brevity of life

The arrow goes less quickly to its target,
that it bites sharply; the straining chariot
does not race more silently
over the mute sand to the finish line,

than hastily and secretly our age
runs to its end. To whomever doubts this,
proud as he may be of naked reason,
each repeated Sun is a comet.

Carthage admits this, and you don't know it?
You risk danger, Licio, if you keep on
following shadows and embracing illusions.

The hours will not pardon you easily;
the hours that are filing down the days,
the days that are gnawing down the years.

--Luis de Góngora y Argote (1561-1627). This is one of the most famous poems in the Spanish language.

De la brevedad engañosa de la vida

Menos solicitó veloz saeta
destinada señal, que mordió aguda;
agonal carro por la arena muda
no coronó con más silencio meta,

que presurosa corre, que secreta,
a su fin nuestra edad. A quien lo duda,
fiera que sea de razón desnuda,
cada Sol repetida es un cometa.

¿Confiésalo Cartago, y tú lo ignoras?
Peligro corres, Licio, si porfías
en seguir sombras y abrazar engaños.

Mal te perdonarán a ti las horas;
las horas que limando están los días,
los días que royendo están los años.

Comments

[Jane]

Thank you for this. What a thought-provoking poem. I'm embarrassed that I have never heard of this poet before. I am so happy that I found your website.

[tmontes]

I had a professor back in the day who said Licio (Licius) in the sonnet refers to one of Achilles' companions but I've since not be able to verify if this is so and if so, how so? Do you have any information on this? Or was my professor simply mistaken?

[Sedulia]

Hmm... the only person I can find who looks like Licio is Píndaro Licio -- Pandarus in English-- who is a Trojan and whom Achilles kills.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/441061/Pandarus

He also becomes a go-between in Troilus and Cressida.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandarus

However according to this article Licio is Góngora's "poetic name for himself."

http://rua.ua.es/dspace/bitstream/10045/1218/1/RAEI_17_5.pdf