IX

IX

I am a herdsman of flocks.
The flock is my thoughts,
and my thoughts are all sensations.
I think with my eyes and my ears
and with my hands and feet
and with my nose and mouth.
To think a flower is to see and smell it,
and to eat a fruit is to sense its taste.
Therefore, when on a hot day
I feel sad, because of enjoying so much,
I stretch out on the grass
and close my sun-warmed eyes,
I feel my whole body immersed in reality,
know the truth and am happy.

ALBERTO CAEIRO (FERNANDO PESSOA), Portugal (1901-1988)
Translation: Germain Droogenbroodt – Stanley Barkan