Old Story

After crossing many ways 

A man arrived at a clear and long road
Full of calmness and light
The man walked the road 
Listening to the birds and receiving the strong sunlight
With his chest full of songs and the mouth full with smiles.
The man walked days and days the long road
Which was lost in an uniform planeness.
He walked days and days…
The few birds flew away
Only the sun stayed
The strong sun that burnt his pale face.
After long time he remembered to look for a source
But the sun had dried all the sources.
He observed the horizon
And saw that the road went beyond, much beyond all the things.
He observed the sky
And did not see any cloud.
And the man remembered other paths.
They were hard, but the water sang in all the sources
They were steep, but the flowers embalmed the pure air
The feet bleed on rough soil, but the friendly tree guarded his sleep.
There was storm and there was plenty
There was shade and there was light.

The man looked at the clear and desert road for a moment
Looked into himself for a long time
And turned back.

(By Vinicius de Moraes)