Cloudburst-

Eric Whitacre

Translation: Adapted from a poem by Octavio Paz

The rain ...

Eyes of shadow-water

eyes of well-water

eyes of dream-water.

Blue suns, green whirlwinds,

pecks of light that open

pomegranate stars.

But tell me, burnt earth,

is there no water?

Only blood, only dust,

only naked footsteps on the thorns?

The rain awakens ...

We must sleep with open eyes,

We must dream with our hands

we must dream dreams of active rivers

Searching for their cause

Dreams of the sun dreaming of its worlds

we must dream aloud,

we must sing till the song

casts roots,

trunks, branches, birds, stars,

we must unearth the lost word,

and remember

what the blood, the tides,

the earth, and the body say,

and return to the point of departure