'There was a merchant in Baghdad who sent his servant to market to buy provisions and in a little while the servant came back, white and trembling, and said, Master, just now when I was in the marketplace I was jostled by a woman in the crowd and when I turned I saw it was Death that jostled me. She looked at me and made a threatening gesture; now, lend me your horse, and I will ride away from this city and avoid my fate. I will go to Samarra and there Death will not find me. The merchant lent him his horse, and the servant mounted it, and he dug his spurs in its flanks and as fast as the horse could gallop he went. Then the merchant went down to the market-place and he saw me standing in the crowd and he came to me and said, Why did you make a threatening gesture to my servant when you saw him this morning? That was not a threatening gesture, I said, it was only a start of surprise. I was astonished to see him in Baghdad, for I had an appointment with him tonight in Samarra.'

This is an old Arabian story quoted by Somerset Maugham in his last play, 'Sheppey', and used by Jeffrey Archer to head his short story collection entitled 'To Cut a Long Story Short'. I love the final twist, when we find out that Death is not just a character of the story, but its narrator. And since Death is talking to the merchant, I wonder if she also had an appointment with him all along.

I love this description of a solar eclipse from ‘In the Name of the Mother’ by Erri De Luca:
 
‘I also like it when the Moon travels across the face of the Sun and switches it off in broad daylight. A crushing silence falls upon the Earth, and even the ants stay still. In that moment, no one steals, no one kills, no one dies. For one minute, the world has to behave, to keep its voice down.’ (my translation)
 
 
Alberico Collina

In the original Italian:
‘Mi piace pure quando la luna passa in faccia al sole e lo spegne in pieno giorno. In terra si fa una pace schiacciante, si fermano pure le formiche. In quel momento, nessuno ruba, nessuno ammazza, nessuno muore. Per un minuto il mondo è costretto a comportarsi bene, parlare a bassa voce.’ 
da 'In nome della madre' di Erri De Luca

'In summer, the stars fell like crumbs, catching fire in flight and fizzling out in the meadows. On these occasions, he would go to those that had landed nearby, and he would lick them. The king tasted the salt of the stars.'
from 'The Weight of the Butterfly' by Erri De Luca (my translation)

The next time I see a falling star, I may forget to make a wish, but I'll remember its taste.

Alberico Collina
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'D'estate le stelle cadevano a briciole, ardevano in volo spegnendosi sui prati. Allora andava da quelle cadute vicino, a leccarle. Il re assaggiava il sale delle stelle.'
da 'Il peso della farfalla' di Erri De Luca

We say half-truths to make our lies more credible, but we are not kidding anyone - you can't split the truth. As this eloquent proverb reminds us:

'Half a truth is a whole lie.' Yiddish proverb

'Una mezza verità è una bugia intera.' proverbio Yiddish


Alberico Collina

Not everything can (or should) be done over the phone. And this is why:

'The face is the index of the mind.' William Hogarth

'Il viso è l'indice della mente.' William Hogarth


Alberico Collina

I try to remember this saying every time I receive advice or I am about to give it:

'No enemy is worse than bad advice.' Horace

'Nessun nemico è peggiore di un cattivo consiglio.' Orazio


Alberico Collina

Anyone who has experienced how financial problems can undermine sentimental relationships will recognise the truth behind this saying.

'Love is sweet, but tastes best with bread.' Yiddish proverb

'L'amore è dolce, ma si assapora meglio col pane.' proverbio yiddish


Alberico Collina

"Words should be weighed, not counted.' Spanish proverb

'Le parole dovrebbero essere pesate, non contate.' proverbio spagnolo


Alberico Collina

'Coincidences are God's way of remaining anonymous.' Albert Einstein

'Le coincidenze sono il modo con il quale Dio rimane anonimo.' Albert Einstein


​Alberico Collina

'Women hold up half the sky.' Mao Zedong

'Le donne sorreggono metà del cielo.' Mao Zedong


Alberico Collina