Traveler, Find Your Own Way

Machado’s poem:

Traveler, Find Your Own Way

 TRAVELER, THERE IS NO ROAD

Traveler, there is no path.

The path is made by walking.

Traveler, the path is your tracks

And nothing more.

Traveler, there is no path.

The path is made by walking.

By walking you make a path

And turning, you look back

At a way you will never tread again

Traveler, there is no road

Only wakes in the sea.

                                -Antonio Machado

  

2nd translation:

Traveler, your footprints

are the only road, nothing else.

Traveler, there is no road;

you make your own path as you walk.

As you walk, you make your own road,

and when you look back

you see the path

you will never travel again.

Traveler, there is no road;

only a ship’s wake on the sea.