Although it's not his day yet everywhere, and I don't know why they would celebrate a 112th birthday of Borges I just wish to add a short translated poem of his, as by chance I have his poems in from the library.

TEXAS

Here too. Here as at the other edge
Of the hemisphere, an endless plain
Where a man's cry dies a lonely death.
Here too the Indian, the lasso, the wild horse.
Here too the bird that never shows itself,
That sings for the memory of one evening
Over the rumblings of history;
Here too the mystic alphabet of stars
Leading my pen over the page to names
Not swept aside in the continual
Labyrith of days; San Jacinto
And that other Thermopylae, the Alamo.
Here too the never understood,
Anxious, and brief affair that is life.

(transl. Mark Strand)

Wow, that's really good. Who is this Borges, please?

oh, Jackie, what a sheltered life you lead: Jorge Luis Borges

Studied him back in World Culture in College, but must
confess I'd forgotten about him.

see also, Collected Fictions, trans. by Andrew Hurley

I only read some translations of his essays in Dutch and 'The Book of Imaginary Beings'. I didn't know till recently how beautiful is the poetry he wrote. And that he considered himself a poet first, then something else. Thank you tsuwm, I will like to read more ; thanks also to libraries.

Yep; but merci.

Edit: OH! I just went to Google; NOW I know why you brought this up today.

Yes, Google's logo motivations and choices are mysterious. I wondered why celebrate the 112th celebraty's birthday?

Cause its good to reflect

Probably because that's what it is this year. Next year we'll celebrate his 113th.

And probably, if the world does not end, the 114 the year after.

Never mind, reading poetry to me is a pleasure and interesting. Studying poetry I never did but I'd like to share another Borges poem on his unbirthday.

AT THE BUTCHER's

Meaner than a house of prostitution
the meat market flaunts itself in the street like an insult.
Above the door
the head of a steer in a blind-eyed stare
watches over the witches' Sabbath
of flayed flesh and marble slabs
with the aloof majesty of an idol.

+ the original

CARNICERIA

Más vil que un lupanar
la carnicería rubrica como una afrenta la calle.
Sobre el dintel
una ciega cabeza de vaca
preside el aquellarre
de carne charra y mármoles finales
con la remota majestad de un ídolo.

Transl. N.Th. di Giovanni

watches over the witches' Sabbath / preside el aquellarre

Great word that aquelarre. According to the RAE (link), it is from the Basque word for 'coven; witches' Sabbath'. According to the etymology at the Spanish Wikipedia (link) "del euskera akelarre, "aker" = macho cabrío; "larre" = campo": aker 'billy goat (or buck)' + larre 'field, meadow'.

Nice that RAE - link. It's nice to have this besides the double language edition. Thank you! Clear definitions.