“L’étranger te permet d’être toi-même, en faisant de toi, un étranger.” E. Jabès.

Those of us who live, or have lived our lives outside the country or the culture we were born into will appreciate what Edmund Jabès wrote.  As well as those of us who have the role of  hosts … Jabès, born in Egypt, later made his home in Paris.

L’étranger te permet d’être toi-même, en faisant de toi, un étranger.

Edmund Jabès.

Among the many “translations” possible,  what’s yours ?

“L’étranger” : the foreigner?  the other ?

“te permet d’être toi-même” : lets you be yourself ? allows you to be yourself ?

“en faisant de toi” : by making you, by rendering you, by turning you into

“un étranger” : the foreigner, the other …

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Author: Mark