The gods grant nothing more than life

The gods grant nothing more than life
— 



The gods grant nothing more than life,
So let us reject whatever lifts us
            To unbreathable heights,
            Eternal but flowerless.
All that we need to accept is science,
And as long as the blood in our veins still pulses
            And love does not shrivel,
            Let us go on
Like panes of glass: transparent to light,
Pattered by the sad rain trickling down,
            Warmed by the sun,
            And reflecting a little.

Fernando Pessoa
trans: Richard Zenith

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