A uma Senhora que me pediu versos
(poema traduzido)


Dwell upon yourself, you will find
Better poetry,
Liveliness, grace, joy,
Sweetness and peace.

If I gave flowers away one day,
As a young man,
Now the ones I give are filled indeed
With melancholy.

One of your hours only
Is worth a month's time
Of the souls that have already dried.

The suns and the moons
I believe God made them
For yet other lives.

- Machado de Assis