Rima LXVIII

by Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer
translated by H. Landman


I don't know what I dreamed
    this past night;
sad very sad the dream must have been,
because the anguish is still with me.

I noticed when sitting up
    a wetness on the pillow,
and felt for the first time on seeing it
pleasure in the bitterness filling my soul.

A sad thing is the dream
    that starts us crying,
but in my sadness there is a joy...
I know that I still have tears.

No sé lo que he soñado
    en la noche pasada;
triste muy triste debió ser el sueño,
pues despierto la angustia me duraba.

Noté al incorporarme
    húmeda la almohada,
y por primera vez sentí al notarlo
de un amargo placer henchirse el alma.

Triste cosa es el sueño
    que llanto nos arranca,
mas tengo en mi tristeza una alegría...
sé que aún me quedan lágrimas.


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Copyright ©2001,2003 Howard A. Landman / howard@polyamory.org
Created 2001 December 1
Last updated 2003 August 15