We've always been big Pablo Neruda fans, especially in college when we vacillated between horny and emo. Not speaking fluent Spanish it's been a hunt for the most accurate translations of the Chilean's works. Specifically, there's always been an issue with Veinte Poemas de Amor y una Cancion Desesperada. In the last part of the collection, the sad song, Neruda writes "I no longer love her, that's certain, but maybe I love her. Love is so short, forgetting is so long." In this sense , the statement is love is fleeting but forgetting that love takes forever. But, the W.S. Merwin translation has it as "Love is so short, oblivion so long." Still depressing, but it suggests love is fleeting and your non-existence will last a while. Both translations trouble us for different reasons — though not as much as the mistranslation drewhayman cleared up in Wert's post in defense of Camaro haters.
We can't erase the image of a Carrie-esque Wert now, thanks.