the silence of water

«"I returned to the spot, the sun had already set, I cast my line and waited. I don't believe there is a silence in the world more profound than the silence of the water. I felt it at that moment and I have never forgotten it."»
Originally published in As Pequenas Memórias (2006), this childhood recollection by José Saramago has been transformed into a universal tale, full of wisdom and sweetness, now with the enchanting illustrations of Yolanda Mosquera.

«"To José, who made the water speak." M. Estrada

«"I returned to the spot, the sun had already set, I cast my line and waited. I don't believe there is a deeper silence in the world than the silence of the water. I felt it at that moment and never forgot it." José Saramago. Based on a childhood memory, José Saramago composed a universal fable that stands out for its wisdom. Manuel Estrada, one of the greatest contemporary graphic artists, masterfully recreates all the depth of this memorable story.

On a quiet afternoon, a boy goes fishing by the Tagus River and is surprised by a huge fish that pulls at his hook. Unfortunately, the line breaks, letting him escape. He runs to his grandparents' house, hoping to return, re-tap his rod, and "settle the score with the monster." Of course, upon reaching the same spot on the river, the boy finds nothing left, only the silence of the water. His sadness is not complete only because the fish, as he says, "with my hook caught in its gills, bore my mark, it was mine." This boy was José Saramago, who narrates in this book a childhood adventure that, for him, culminates in an awakening of lucidity. Illustrated by Manuel Estrada, this short autobiographical tale becomes a fable of extraordinary beauty and wisdom.

Sallim Publishing

2015 (Illustrations by Manuel Estrada)

The silence of the water is the only one that the protagonist of this beautiful story watches while he waits by the river. Wait, wait and wait for the barbo to return to avenge his broken cane. But he knows that he won't be the one to hunt the animal... Another great poetic story by José Saramago, accompanied by precious illustrations by Yolanda Mosquera.

The silence of the water comes from Las pequeñas memorias, originally published in 2006.

«I return to the place, the sun is ready, I cast the blue light and wait. I do not believe that there is a silence deeper in the world than the silence of water. I felt it at that time and never forgot it.» On the shores of the Tajo River, a child is about to get caught in a big rock. At the same moment that he loses his prey, he begins to awaken his lucidity. From a childhood memory, José Saramago creates a fable of great beauty and wisdom that Manuel Estrada marvelously recreates.

The silence of water comes from Las pequeñas memorias, originally published in 2006.

Επέστρεψα στο ίδιο σημείο,ο ήλιος είχε πια δύσει,έριξα το αγκίστρι και περίμενα.Δεν πιστεύω πως υπάρχει στον κόσμοάλλη σιωπή πιο βαθιά από τη σιωπή του νερού.Το ένιωσα την ώρα εκείνηκαι δεν το λησμόνησα ποτέ.Ένας σπουδαίος συγγραφέας θυμάται τα χρόνια που ήταν κι αυτός παιδί. Μόνο που οι αναμνήσεις μας, όταν ξέρουμε να τις διηγηθούμε ωραία, μοιάζουν με το καλύτερο παραμύθι που γράφτηκε ποτέ…

“Tornai indietro, il sole era ormai tramontato, lanciai l'amo e aspettai.”

“"Kıyıya geri döndüğümde güneş batmıştı bile, oltamı attım, bekledim. Dünyada suyun sessizliğinden daha derin bir sessizlik olduğunu sanmıyorum. O saatte un hissettim ve asla unutmadım." Tijo Nehri'nin kıyısında bir çocuk saatlerce büyük bir balık yakalamaya çalışır. Sonunda oltasına bir balık takılır ama çocuk onu elinden kaçırır. Nobel Ödüllü usta yazar Jose Saramago bu olağanüstü güzel ve bilgelik dolu masalı bir çocukluk anısından esinlenerek kaleme aldı. Suların Sessizliği, okumaya yeni başlayan çocuklara edebiyatın keyifli dünyasıyla tanışma fırsatı sunuyor.