Octavio Paz -La mariposa-

La mariposa

La mariposa
volaba entre los autos.
Marie José me dijo: ha de ser Chuang Tzu,
de paso por Nueva York.
Pero la mariposa
no sabía que era una mariposa
que soñaba ser Chuang Tzu
o Chuang Tzu
que soñaba ser una mariposa.
La mariposa no dudaba:
volaba.


The butterfly

The butterfly flew among the cars.
Marie Jose said to me: it has to be Chuang Tzu
On the way to New York.
But the butterfly
did not know it was a butterfly
that dreamed to be Chaung Tzu
or Chaung Tzu
who dreamed to be a butterfly.
But the butterfly did not doubt:
Off it flew.