dreaming

A Confession by Tu Mu

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With my wine-bottle, watching by river and lake
For a lady so tiny as to dance on my palm,
I awake, after dreaming ten years in Yang-chou,
Known as fickle, even in the Street of Blue Houses.

translated by Witter Bynner & Kiang Kang-hu

Nocturne by Juan Ramon Jimenez

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. . .The ship, slow and swift at once, conquers the water
but not the sky.
The blue remains behind, opening into living silver,
and once more is in front.
Fixed, the mast sways, always returning
–like the hour hand turning in even numbers
on the clock face–
to the stars themselves,
hour after hour, black and green.
One’s body, dreaming, returns
to the country it’s from, coming from the world
it does not belong to. One’s soul remains and
continues, always, through its eternal domain.

translated by Dennis Maloney & Clark Zlotchew

Dreams by Sowol Kim

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Even dogs and fowls
have dreams to dream–so some believe.
True, springtime is good for dreaming,
yet I go dreamless.
If only I could dream
and dream till the end of my days. . .

translated by Jaihiun Kim & Ronald B. Hatch

Last Night, As I Was Sleeping by Antonio Machado

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Last night, as I was sleeping,
I dreamt–marvellous error!–
that a spring was breaking
out in my heart.
I said: Along which secret aqueduct,
Oh water, are you coming to me,
water of a new life
that I have never drunk?

Last night, as I was sleeping,
I dreamt–marvellous error!–
that I had a beehive
here inside my heart.
And the golden bees
were making white combs
and sweet honey
from my old failures.

Last night, as I was sleeping,
I dreamt–marvellous error!–
that a fiery sun was giving
light inside my heart.
It was fiery because I felt
warmth as from a hearth,
and sun because it gave light
and brought tears to my eyes.

Last night, as I slept,
I dreamt–marvellous error!–
that it was God I had
here inside my heart.

translated by Robert Bly