--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have forgotten the reason, forgive me…" description: "\"“I have forgotten the reason, forgive me. I have forgotten my name in the language I was born to, forgive me.”\" — Joy Harjo" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/085/joy-harjo-14629_forgive_i-have-forgotten-the-reason-forgive-me-i_2840698.png" --- # I have forgotten the reason, forgive me. I have forgotten… ![“I have forgotten the reason, forgive me. I have forgotten my name in the language I was born to, forgive me.” quote by Joy Harjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/085/joy-harjo-14629_forgive_i-have-forgotten-the-reason-forgive-me-i_2840698.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/085/joy-harjo-14629_forgive_i-have-forgotten-the-reason-forgive-me-i_2840698.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/085/joy-harjo-14629_forgive_i-have-forgotten-the-reason-forgive-me-i_2840698.png) > ““I have forgotten the reason, forgive me. I have forgotten my name in the language I was born to, forgive me.”” [Joy Harjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-harjo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker has lost language and self‑identity, pleading for forgiveness and remembrance. **In simple terms:** Loss of name and language, seeking forgiveness. Key Takeaway Reclaim identity and memory. Themes identity memory forgiveness Mood melancholic hopeful Type reflective poetic When to use this quote - cultural gatherings - personal therapy - storytelling Key Concepts cultural loss personal reflection language preservation Questions to Reflect On - What restores lost identity? - How does language shape self? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Forgiveness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiveness/) ## Related quotes > [I am not yet born; Forgive me For the sins that in me the world shall commit, my words When they speak me, my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-macneice/i-am-not-yet-born-forgive-me-for-the-sins-that-in-me-the-world-shall/) [Louis MacNeice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-macneice/) > [“PRAYER BEFORE BIRTH I am not yet born; O hear me. 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And so am I.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-max/the-reason-i-forgive-you-is-because-you-are-not-perfect-you-are/) Mary & Max > [I forgive but never forget the reason I had to forgive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-forgive-but-never-forget-the-reason-i-had-to-forgive/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You don't need a reason to forgive... If you want to go on with someone, that is what you do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-bank/you-don-t-need-a-reason-to-forgive-if-you-want-to-go-on-with-someone/) [Melissa Bank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-bank/) > [“The reason to forgive ourselves is not because we feel like it or because we want to see ourselves as blameless but because we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-augustine/the-reason-to-forgive-ourselves-is-not-because-we-feel-like-it-or/) [Sue Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-augustine/) > [“Love is reason enough to forgive,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-d-justice/love-is-reason-enough-to-forgive/) A.D. 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I say, "And should I forgive him because it would be easier?"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-banks/you-are-making-it-harder-than-it-has-to-be-she-says-i-say-and-should/) [Melissa Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-banks/) > [I am done being your punching bag all you do is treat me like sh\*t I'm done I have always found a reason to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-am-done-being-your-punching-bag-all-you-do-is-treat-me-like-sh-t-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“We are asked to forgive those who have injured us. Unless we have first judged and condemned them for what they did, there would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-anon-family-groups/we-are-asked-to-forgive-those-who-have-injured-us-unless-we-have/) [Al-Anon Family Groups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-anon-family-groups/) ## More by Joy Harjo > [If we cry more tears we will ruin the land with salt; instead let's praise that which would distract us with despair. Make a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-harjo/if-we-cry-more-tears-we-will-ruin-the-land-with-salt-instead-let-s/) [Joy Harjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-harjo/) > [“This morning when I looked out the roof window before dawn and a few stars were still caught in the fragile weft of ebony…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-harjo/this-morning-when-i-looked-out-the-roof-window-before-dawn-and-a-few/) [Joy Harjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-harjo/) > [“The songs of the guardians of silence are the most powerful—”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-harjo/the-songs-of-the-guardians-of-silence-are-the-most-powerful/) [Joy Harjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-harjo/) > [“I know I walk in and out of several worlds each day.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-harjo/i-know-i-walk-in-and-out-of-several-worlds-each-day/) [Joy Harjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-harjo/) > [In Isleta the rainbow was a crack in the universe. We saw the barest of all life that is possible. Bright horses rolled over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-harjo/in-isleta-the-rainbow-was-a-crack-in-the-universe-we-saw-the-barest/) [Joy Harjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-harjo/) > [A story matrix connects all of us. There are rules, processes, and circles of responsibility in this world. And the story begins exactly where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-harjo/a-story-matrix-connects-all-of-us-there-are-rules-processes-and/) [Joy Harjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-harjo/) > [“Be respectful of the small insects, birds and animal people who accompany you. Ask their forgiveness for the harm we humans have brought down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-harjo/be-respectful-of-the-small-insects-birds-and-animal-people-who/) [Joy Harjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-harjo/) > [I can hear the sizzle of newborn stars, and know anything of meaning, of the fierce magic emerging here. I am witness to flexible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-harjo/i-can-hear-the-sizzle-of-newborn-stars-and-know-anything-of-meaning/) [Joy Harjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-harjo/) > [“It's possible to understand the world from studying a leaf. You can comprehend the laws of aerodynamics, mathematics, poetry and biology through the complex…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-harjo/it-s-possible-to-understand-the-world-from-studying-a-leaf-you-can/) [Joy Harjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-harjo/) > [Remember the plants, trees, animal life who all have their families, their histories too. Talk to them, listen to them. They are alive poems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-harjo/remember-the-plants-trees-animal-life-who-all-have-their-families/) [Joy Harjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-harjo/) > [There is no separation. We are all from the same place. 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Forgive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-what-is-given-to-you-and-do-it-well-and-you-will-have-done-enough/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The public, more often than not, will forgive mistakes, but it will not forgive trying to wiggle out of one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-grizzard/the-public-more-often-than-not-will-forgive-mistakes-but-it-will-not/) [Lewis Grizzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-grizzard/) > [Im so sorry,i screwed up again.i didnt meant hurting you.please,forgive me,again?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/redeyeen/im-so-sorry-i-screwed-up-again-i-didnt-meant-hurting-you-please/) Redeyeen > [“He fell back. He had cried out so loud that even if there had been no breach in the wall, I should have heard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-barbusse/he-fell-back-he-had-cried-out-so-loud-that-even-if-there-had-been-no/) [Henri Barbusse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-barbusse/) > [Forgive us our trespasses," says Margarethe, "and get out of our way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/forgive-us-our-trespasses-says-margarethe-and-get-out-of-our-way/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“ving self and others is an every second of every day of every week, of every month, of every year gift that should not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjo-jendayi/ving-self-and-others-is-an-every-second-of-every-day-of-every-week-of/) [Sanjo Jendayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjo-jendayi/) > [Ive learned¦ that no matter how good a friend is, theyre going to hurt you every once in a while, and you must forgive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ive-learned-that-no-matter-how-good-a-friend-is-theyre-going-to-hurt/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Forgive yourself for not being the richest, the thinnest, the tallest, the one with the best hair. Forgive yourself for not being the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/forgive-yourself-for-not-being-the-richest-the-thinnest-the-tallest/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [If you can't forgive and forget, pick only one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-brault/if-you-can-t-forgive-and-forget-pick-only-one/) [Robert Brault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-brault/) > [I feel people relate with your entire journey and forgive your mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rahul-vaidya/i-feel-people-relate-with-your-entire-journey-and-forgive-your/) [Rahul Vaidya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rahul-vaidya/) > [More courage is required to forgive than is required to take up arms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ramos-horta/more-courage-is-required-to-forgive-than-is-required-to-take-up-arms/) [Jose Ramos-Horta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ramos-horta/) > [“The Bible says, “You must make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/the-bible-says-you-must-make-allowance-for-each-other-s-faults-and/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [“By choosing to forgive, you are choosing to love. By choosing to operate in love, you are choosing to operate in an unconditional state…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-watterson/by-choosing-to-forgive-you-are-choosing-to-love-by-choosing-to/) Eric Watterson > [The most important thing about being a father is being able to forgive yourself. If you don't forgive yourself, you're not going to forgive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evander-holyfield/the-most-important-thing-about-being-a-father-is-being-able-to/) [Evander Holyfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evander-holyfield/) Browse all 3,381 Forgive quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I have forgotten the reason, forgive me. 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