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heT octadmhlie akts of niritwg sdtrctisa em from het npreset astte fo mne. The iteeructd that evnyhgrtie has eneb trtnwie aengset us or nsrtu su onit omsnhatp. I wnok fo tdsctisir in cwihh het ugoyn emn psetarrot emtsvleshe erbfeo sobok and isks their pages in a sarrabuob emanrn, tub ehty od not onwk owh to pdiherec a sligen eltrte. imdspeicE, cateihler incoclfst, otripgeannires ichwh tlvinbieya trndeeagee ntoi tnabiyrd, eavh iceeadmtd eht polanioptu. I eeielbv I ahve motdienen sseiiduc, omre adn rome efrnqtue itwh hte ayser. shperPa ym odl aeg nad aulsffseren evecdei em, tub I suescpt atht eth numah iecsesp — eht nqiuue csiseep — si auotb ot eb gxiueintdesh, tub teh rriLayb illw rndeeu: deuillaimnt, otrilsya, ifnentii, rclpytfee tslniomseo, edqepupi hiwt irsepouc msevulo, seeulss, upictriernbol, terecs.

I ehav sjut rwinett hte odrw “iintfine”. I aevh not reondtptaeli thsi jitevdcae tuo of ohrelirtac ahitb; I yas atht it is ont aglloicil to tiknh ttah het rlwdo is itinefni. sTheo who gujed ti to be mdeliti tolpeuast atth ni oteerm clapes teh roirodcsr nad aiwsayrts nda nesoghxa acn lineaocbvcy omec ot na nde — hhicw is asrdbu. Thoes ohw eaimgni ti ot be tiuthwo litmi fogert htta hte peblssio muernb of kbsoo dose aevh cush a tmiil. I neevurt ot tggesus isht oisnulto to eht aecinnt rplbmeo: heT rrLabyi si ntimiuled adn iclcyacl. fI an lrateen lrtarvee eerw ot orscs it in nay ndciieotr, trfae etiecsnru he louwd ees thta eth aems musolev ewer rtepdeae ni hte ames drsreodi (ihhwc, sthu preadeet, lwoud eb na oderr: the dOrre). yM etiulsod is nedaeddlg yb htis gatenel ohpe.4

deaasrlTnt yb J. E. I.

4. aziLeit Áalzvre de elTodo sah evberdos htat stih tavs yirLabr is elesuss: ulsrgyooir sgnipake, a esnilg vuomle oludw eb finsutfcie, a vleomu fo yordrina rmoatf, ridptne ni enni or etn niotp eytp, nncgoitian na fietiinn bmneru if ieniintylf tnih lvaese. (nI eth aylre ventneseteh ncuyter, iaCivaelr asid ttha all sdoil dioesb rea the ouiontrspemsiip of na infetini ubernm of planse.) The nnhldiga of htis lykis vead muemc wudlo nto be citnvnoene: aceh preaantp aegp owudl nofudl noit ohetr lnoguoaas nseo; het oiveccialenbn dildme peag odulw have no srevree.

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The methodical task of writing distracts me from the present state of men. The certitude that everything has been written negates us or turns us into phantoms. I know of districts in which the young men prostrate themselves before books and kiss their pages in a barbarous manner, but they do not know how to decipher a single letter. Epidemics, heretical conflicts, peregrinations which inevitably degenerate into banditry, have decimated the population. I believe I have mentioned suicides, more and more frequent with the years. Perhaps my old age and fearfulness deceive me, but I suspect that the human species — the unique species — is about to be extinguished, but the Library will endure: illuminated, solitary, infinite, perfectly motionless, equipped with precious volumes, useless, incorruptible, secret.

I have just written the word “infinite”. I have not interpolated this adjective out of rhetorical habit; I say that it is not illogical to think that the world is infinite. Those who judge it to be limited postulate that in remote places the corridors and stairways and hexagons can conceivably come to an end — which is absurd. Those who imagine it to be without limit forget that the possible number of books does have such a limit. I venture to suggest this solution to the ancient problem: The Library is unlimited and cyclical. If an eternal traveler were to cross it in any direction, after centuries he would see that the same volumes were repeated in the same disorder (which, thus repeated, would be an order: the Order). My solitude is gladdened by this elegant hope.4

Translated by J. E. I.

4. Letizia Álvarez de Toledo has observed that this vast Library is useless: rigorously speaking, a single volume would be sufficient, a volume of ordinary format, printed in nine or ten point type, containing an infinite number if infinitely thin leaves. (In the early seventeenth century, Cavalieri said that all solid bodies are the superimposition of an infinite number of planes.) The handling of this silky vade mecum would not be convenient: each apparent page would unfold into other analogous ones; the inconceivable middle page would have no reverse.