Not the torch of colors, not the mirror

If your house was already full, then why did you call me?
Why did you want to build another house of love?
In that colorful journey, was there nothing colorful at all?
Here you are, searching for another color even among colors…
The hue of twilight and the hue of dawn — both are different,
yet aren't they both colors, tell me?
The one who watches dance and the one who dances — don't they both love dance?

You may have searched for a grey kite, but found a bright red one instead,
but whatever color kite you buy, it will fly in your sky after all…!
Your house may indeed be small,
or perhaps a bit too large for your needs,
whatever it is, it's still your house!

Where do you search for measure, to your measure?
Are you looking for clothes, of your style?
Can one know beforehand
which fabric won't run its colors after washing?
Tell me, why does a person living in a house still search for another house?
Is the one who bought your house so worthless, tell me… that
the house must be abandoned?

An open roof, surrounded by high walls,
in sun and rain and storm the person inside burns endlessly,
yet looking from outside, everyone would say,
'Look, what a careful person,
has built walls all around!'
But who knows…
that the person inside burns daily in a roofless house?

The person burns!
People, they burn every day!
People are torches!
We are those human flames.

I cover emptiness with emptiness,
in incompleteness I have sought all completeness,
if you ever knew how empty the heart remains,
then dig the heart with the heart itself!

Does anyone know what is to become… the meaning of this life?
This life changes every moment,
from moment to moment it runs in the urgency of moments,
does it find neither emptiness nor fullness?

Today this vast emptiness between you and me,
if you and I go our separate ways, what remains between us, tell me?
What could remain but an endless emptiness?
In your departure I scatter words with you into that void,
does my silence draw you closer to me?
Does silence mean only that words have stopped…nothing more?
Does emptiness mean nothing remains at all?

How many times we've passed each other by,
yet have our feelings ever fled from within?
Where are those feelings now?
Is your part no longer with me then?
That you fill all of me — have you managed to forget that?

Another heart remains to be burned.
The one that burned yesterday was yours,
the heart bound to you burned today.
Now another heart lies within this heart,
look separately, you'll see,
it too is preparing to burn itself,
when this heart burns, nothing remains to burn!
Whatever is to burn, let it burn first,
when nothing remains to be burned,
I'll dress myself then in colored flames.

My fingers found no place in your fingers,
such a vast island, tell me, how do I manage it alone?
If I could be this heart's messenger,
ah, if I could whisper to everyone—
A girl alone,
yet see, how a solitary heart knows to manage everything!

I wanted to be your mirror,
when you'd come stand before me each day in ever-new attire,
I had such longing to see those clothes and ornaments!
Then I became your mirror!
But from somewhere suddenly came an unknown wind,
and immediately blew out the lamp!