Portuguese Sea

Oh salty sea, so much of your salt
Is tears of Portugal!
Because we crossed you, so many mothers wept,
So many sons prayed in vain!
So many brides remained unmarried
That you might be ours, oh sea!


Was it worthwhile? All is worthwhile
When the spirit is not small.
He who wants to go beyond the Cape
Has to go beyond pain.
God to the sea peril and abyss has given
But it was in it that He mirrored heaven.

Fernando Pessoa

Mar Português (after which the second part of Mensagem is named) is the capital short poem of Portuguese Literature and also Pessoa's best known poem in his homeland. It sums up the cost of conquering the seas in terms of human suffering and asks "Was it worthwhile?" immediately replying with two resounding sentences "All is worthwhile when the spirit is not small" and "He who wants to go beyond the Cape has to go beyond pain". The poem then concludes in a grand manner with the statement that God created the sea dangerous but it was in it that He chose to mirror the sky that symbolizes heaven!

João Manuel Mimoso

La peine gravée dans la pierre et les mots de Fernando Pessoa. La mer pourvoyeuse de veuves, de larmes et de drames. Des photos étonnantes et mystérieuses que viennent illustrer les mots. Superbe post Antonio ! josy63 · 2011-11-15: 06:15

wow! thats great... alaskalea · 2011-11-15: 06:28

interesting in especially # 3, simple but it is something in misiu · 2011-11-15: 07:38

So strong ...Beautiful post my Dear friend. Thank you for post this. EvaLizette · 2011-11-15: 08:03

Strong post. unreal · 2011-11-15: 14:32

I do not know who said it, but it sounds like you have to throw the heart beyond the obstacle if you want to achieve the goals more difficult. More prosaically, I'd like to think that anyone who goes to sea for duty or to escape poverty or death deserves better luck. Congratulations on the post that has many points of reflection. deandrade · 2011-11-15: 16:07

what cool perspectives! and awesome narrative! KatysPassionata · 2011-11-15: 17:43

very patrimonial thoughts... i always wished i would live my life somewhere at the sea. i think when you have an ocean present in your life all the time, you are balanced with that heavy, sandy, earthy part of your soul. i praise whoever invented salty tears - to have an ocean like the one in front of portugal's coast, is worth every drop. mawey · 2011-11-16: 08:33

p.s. patrimonial, of course, should read "patriotic"... ;-) mawey · 2011-11-16: 08:34

Mots et supliques gravés dans la pierre! Un excellent hommage pour rappeler les marins disparus en mer! Dommage que je ne puisse lire les mots. Mais elle m'intrigue la dernière photo; Je n'arrive pas à déterminer si c'est une photo ou bien une plaque commémorative! tikine3gogours · 2011-11-16: 10:50

JUST GREAT! Love the b&w experiments. YUKJA · 2011-11-17: 06:57

God created the sea dangerous but it was in it that He chose to mirror the sky that symbolizes heaven!" And the sea inspires great minds and encourages brave hearts! Kudos! This post invites curiosity and prompts reflection globetrotdreamer · 2011-11-20: 05:59

Uma bela ideia e um resultado brilhante. Gosto muito do que fizeste na segunda renatomartins · 2011-11-20: 14:53