Who is the luckiest in this whole orchestra? The reed.
Its mouth touches your lips to learn music.

All reeds, sugarcane especially, think only
of this chance. They sway in the canebrakes,
free in the many ways they dance.

Without you the instruments would die.
One sits close beside you. Another takes a long kiss.
The tambourine begs, Touch my skin so I can be myself.

Let me feel you enter each limb bone by bone,
that what died last night can be whole today.

Why live some soberer way, and feel you ebbing out?
I won’t do it.

Either give me enough wine or leave me alone,
now that I know how it is
to be with you in a constant conversation.

translated by Coleman Barks