Rima VIII de Bécquer
When I watch the blue horizon
disappear in the distance,
through a gauze of gold
and restless dust,
it seems possible to tear myself
from the miserable ground
and float with the golden mist,
in weightless atoms,
undone.
When I watch the night stars tremble
like flaming eyes
on the dark background of sky,
it seems possible to fly up
where they shine,
drown in their light,
fuse with them in a burning kiss.
In this sea of doubt I sail,
I still don’t know what I believe,
but these longings tell me
I carry something
divine inside.
Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer (1836-1870) is one of Spain’s best-known poets.
Charles Patterson teaches Spanish language, culture, and literature at Western Washington University.