« Olhe que a gente começa Às vezes por brincadeira… »
(‘Look, we sometimes Begin as a joke…’)
João de Deus (1830-1896)
You spoke of Kant, of Homer and the rhapsodists,
Blue, your passionate voice flowed into my mind
Like a dawn gentler than the soul of aquilegias
And slowly my soul was transformed into an ode!
Translated from the French of Athanase Vantchev de Thracy