Cold clear stream,
Shadowed by trees—
I had a dream
Which made my soul freeze.
Snakes of all colors—
Bright, fine, colors—
Were swimming upstream
In my dream.
Swimming upstream
In my dream,
Swimming upstream
In my dream.
I was careful
As I stood by the stream,
I was fearful
As I looked at the stream.
I saw the snakes swimming,
Swimming, swimming, swimming, swimming,
Hideously, sinuously, swimming
In my dream.
The snakes were as long as I.
I wished to step back.
I sensed an attack
In my dream.
I feared an attack.
I tried to step back
In my dream.
All at once my reason for a feeling flew.
All at once my reason for a feeling flew.
I stepped in the stream,
On a stone in the stream.
I made a small, triumphant cry.
And the snakes went by
With invisible eyes.
I was in the middle of the stream
In my dream.
I was not unhappy to be in the stream,
To be standing on a rock in my dream.
But with the fright of a dream
Inside another dream
I looked down to my horror,
O! Horror of horror!
A giant snake curled
Under the stone where the clear water swirled,
A giant snake, asleep,
Right under my feet,
In the middle of the stream.
The giant snake
Asleep in the clear stream.
My life threatened,
The dream ended.
The snake of my dream haunts me,
Its silent form taunts me,
The snake which had no intention of swimming upstream
In my dream.