Anoche cuando dormia

Anoche cuando dormía
soñé ¡bendita ilusión!
que una fontana fluía
dentro de mi corazón.
Dí: ¿por qué acequia escondida,
agua, vienes hasta mí,
manantial de nueva vida
en donde nunca bebí?

Anoche cuando dormía
soñé ¡bendita ilusión!
que una colmena tenía
dentro de mi corazón;
y las doradas abejas
iban fabricando en él,
con las amarguras viejas,
blanca cera y dulce miel.

Anoche cuando dormía
soñé ¡bendita ilusión!
que un ardiente sol lucía
dentro de mi corazón.
Era ardiente porque daba
calores de rojo hogar,
y era sol porque alumbraba
y porque hacía llorar.

Anoche cuando dormía
soñé ¡bendita ilusión!
que era Dios lo que tenía
dentro de mi corazón.

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
translated from the Spanish by Robert Bly

One of my absolute favorite poems. For those who read Spanish, i will post the Spanish version soon.

It is interesting to note the translation of the phrase "marvelous error." In Spanish, the line reads "bendita ilusion." While the word "ilusion" does include the idea of error, i feel that such a translation excludes some of the other possible meanings found in the word illusion. For me, in reading this poem, i find an element of hope--which i think is central to the piece--that is not captured with the repetition of the word "error." The word "bendita," means blessed or holy. I suggest reading the line as "holy illusion," thus maintaining the feeling of hope while keeping with the tension found in the Spanish version.