by António Machado (1875 - 1939)
Translation by Robert Bly (b. 1926)
Anoche cuando dormía
Language: Spanish (Español)
Our translations: ENG
Anoche cuando dormía
soñé, ¡bendita ilusión!,
que una fontana fluía
dentro de mi corazón.
Di, ¿por qué acequia escondida,
agua, vienes hasta mí,
manantial de nuestra vida
de donde nunca bebí?
Anoche cuando dormía
soñé, ¡bendita ilusión!,
que una colmena tenía
dentro de mi corazón;
y las doradas abejas
iban fabricando en él,
con las amarguras viejas,
blanca cera y dulce miel.
Anoche cuando dormía
soñé, ¡bendita ilusión!,
que un ardiente sol lucía
dentro de mi corazón.
Era ardiente porque daba
calores de rojo hogar,
y era sol porque alumbraba
y porque hacía llorar.
Anoche cuando dormía
soñé, ¡bendita ilusión!,
que era Dios lo que tenía
dentro de mi corazón.
Text Authorship:
- by António Machado (1875 - 1939), "Anoche cuando dormía" [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "Anoche cuando dormía", 2008 [ tenor and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by John Plant , "Anoche cuando dormía", first performed 2009 [ voice and piano ], from Babel is a blessing, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in English, a translation by Robert Bly (b. 1926) ; composed by Andrea Ramsey.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Gary Bachlund) , "Last night as I slept", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (John Plant) , "Last night as I slept", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Jocelyne Fleury) , "Hier, alors que je dormais", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-03-18
Line count: 28
Word count: 111
Here Inside My Heart
Language: English after the Spanish (Español)
Last night as I was sleeping, I dreamt—marvelous error!— that a spring was breaking out in my heart. I said: Along which secret aqueduct, Oh water, are you coming to me, water of a new life that I have never drunk? Last night as I was sleeping, I dreamt—marvelous error!— that I had a beehive here inside my heart. And the golden bees were making white combs and sweet honey from my old failures. Last night as I was sleeping, I dreamt—marvelous error!— that a fiery sun was giving light inside my heart. It was fiery because I felt warmth as from a hearth, and sun because it gave light and brought tears to my eyes. Last night as I slept, I dreamt—marvelous error!— that it was God I had here inside my heart.
Text Authorship:
Based on:
- a text in Spanish (Español) by António Machado (1875 - 1939), "Anoche cuando dormía"
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Andrea Ramsey (b. 1977), "Here Inside My Heart", copyright © 2008 [ mixed chorus and piano ], Santa Barbara Music Publishing
Publisher: Santa Barbara Music Publishing [external link] [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2026-09-02
Line count: 28
Word count: 134