Thinking about the immortality of the crab
Thinking about the immortality of the crab (Spanish: Pensando en la inmortalidad del cangrejo) is a Spanish idiom about daydreaming. The phrase is usually a humorous way of saying that one was not sitting idly, but engaged constructively in contemplation or letting one's mind wander.
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The phrase is usually used to express that an individual was daydreaming, "When I have nothing to do I think about the immortality of the crab" (Cuando no tengo nada que hacer, pienso en la inmortalidad del cangrejo). It is also used to wake someone from a daydream; "are you thinking about the immortality of the crab?" (¿Estás pensando en la inmortalidad del cangrejo?)
In poetry
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—Anonimo, Los mexicanos pintados por sí mismos | —Anonymous, Mexican Self-portraits (1855)[1] |
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—José Emilio Pacheco[1] |
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—Miguel de Unamuno[2] |
In literature
Dominican Poet and writer Edgar Smith wrote a novel in Spanish called La inmortalidad del cangrejo, about a man who, tired of suffering in life, decides to kill himself, but, after three failed attempts, starts to wonder if he can die at all.[3] The novel was critically acclaimed in Hispanic circles.[4] It was officially released in January, 2015, in the Dominican Republic,[5] then it was presented in June, in the US at an event at the Hamilton Grange library in Manhattan.[6]
In film
- Sena/Quina, la inmortalidad del cangrejo – 2005 film by Paolo Agazzi[7]
Variants
The idiom is about daydreaming.[8] Similar phrases are used in various languages.
- Czech: přemýšlet o nesmrtelnosti chrousta – thinking about the immortality of the maybug (chroust)
- Finnish: istun ja mietin syntyjä syviä – sitting and wondering about the world's early origins
- Polish: myśleć o niebieskich migdałach – literally, "thinking about blue almonds"; sometimes myśleć is replaced with śnić or marzyć, changing the meaning to "dreaming about blue almonds".[9]
- Portuguese: pensando na morte da bezerra – "thinking about the death of the calf"
- Romanian: a se gândi la nemurirea sufletului – "thinking about the immortality of the soul"
See also
References
- Pacheco, José Emilio (1987), McWhirter, George; Hoeksema, Thomas (eds.), "Inmortalidad del cangrejo", Selected Poems, New Directions Publishing, p. 163, ISBN 978-0811210218
- "La inmortalidad del cangrejo". Jorge Golowasch. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
- Smith, Edgar (March 5, 2015). La Inmortalidad del Cangrejo. ISBN 978-0989719339.
- Gautreau de Windt, Eduardo (February 3, 2015). "El dolor de vivir contrapuesto al dolor de la posible inmortalidad, según Edgar Smith". Facebook (in Spanish).
- "Edgar Smith Presenta obras literarios en la Biblioteca Rep. Dom" (in Spanish). Fox Magazine RD. February 3, 2015.
- Montolio, Gladys (August 15, 2015). "Presentacion de Libros y Conversatorio con Edgar Smith". Organizacion Lacuhe (in Spanish). Hamilton Grange library.
- Sena/Quina, la inmortalidad del cangrejo at IMDb
- "La inmortalidad del cangrejo". WordReference.com Language Forums. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
- ktoś mysli o niebieskich migdałach. Archived from the original on December 18, 2021.
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External links
- "Spanish Proverbs". Archived from the original on July 18, 2001.