Antonio Machado: Last Night As I Was Sleeping

Last night as I was sleeping,
I dreamt—marvelous 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—marvelous 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—marvelous 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—marvelous error!—
that it was God I had
here inside my heart.

Antonio Machado: Proverbs and Folk Songs 1, 8, 10

1

The eye you see is not
an eye because you see it;
it is an eye because it sees you.

8

Form your letters slowly and well:
making things well
is more important than making them.

10

Beyond living and dreaming
there is something more important:
waking up.

Antonio Machado: Proverbios y cantares IV, XIII, XXIV

IV
Nuestras horas son minutos
cuando esperamos saber,
y siglos cuando sabemos
lo que se puede aprender.


XIII
Es el mejor de los buenos
quien sabe que en esta vida
todo es cuestión de medida:
un poco más, algo menos...

XXIV
De diez cabezas, nueve
embisten y una piensa.
Nunca extrañéis que un bruto
se descuerne luchando por la idea.

Antonio Machado: Proverbios y cantares

De lo que llaman los hombres
virtud, justicia y bondad,
una mitad es envidia,
y la otra, no es caridad.

Antonio Machado: Proverbs and songs, X

X

The Envy of Virtue
made a criminal of Cain.
Glory to Cain! Today vice
is what we envy most of all.

Antonio Machado: Proverbios y cantares X

X 

La envidia de la virtud 
hizo a Caín criminal. 
¡Gloria a Caín! Hoy el vicio 
es lo que se envidia más.

Antonio Machado: Proverbios y cantares XXIX

Wayfarer, the only way
is your footsteps, there is no other.
Wayfarer, there is no way,
you make the way by walking.
As you go, you make the way
and stopping to look behind,
you see the path that your feet
will never travel again. Wayfarer, there is no way - 
Only foam trails to the sea.

(Translated by A. Trueblood)

Antonio Machado : Proverbios y cantares XXIX

Caminante, son tus huellas

el camino y nada más;

Caminante, no hay camino,

se hace camino al andar.

Al andar se hace el camino,

y al volver la vista atrás

se ve la senda que nunca

se ha de volver a pisar.

Caminante no hay camino

sino estelas en la mar.

Antonio Machado: Proverbios y cantares 47

A man has four things
that don't work on the sea:
anchor, rudder and oars,
and fear of drowning.

Antonio Machado: Proverbios y cantares 47

Cuatro cosas tiene el hombre 
que no sirven en la mar: 
ancla, gobernalle y remos, 
y miedo de naufragar.