Brazil

THE RIVER AND THE SERPENT

The river and the serpent are mysterious, my son.

On the top of the mountain

Were two circles of the Eternal.

One circle was the serpent.

The other circle was the river:

Both precipitated,

Both came searching for man,

One to purify him,

The other to poison him..

Down there they both found

The simple man.

One offered him the Fish to feed him,

The other offered him the fruit to intoxicate him.

The river and the serpent are mysterious, my son.

From the clowds they precipitated,

Both are crawling on the earth

Like the two ways of man,

For him to choose as his guide.

The river and the serpent are mysterious my son:

They come from the beginning of things,

They run towards the end of everything

And sometimes in the water of  the river

You will find the black serpent.

Things were simple, my son,

But they became confused:

The river that washes you

Can also drown you,

For under the appearance of the river

Slides the serpent.

The river and the serpent are mysterious, my son:

In the brightening they were two circles,

 From there they came uncoiled.

JORGE DE LIMA
(1893-1953)