The Fool's Journey

You stand at the edge. The wind carries a direction nothing has named yet. Close the map; let the step grow under you.

Doy el salto sin pruebas, y lo no probado se vuelve sendero.

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You see your hands for the first time. One points up, one down — a channel runs through you. Let one small thing take form.

Soy el conducto — lo que arriba da, abajo se muestra.

A veil stands before you. Do not knock with voice. Sit — let what cannot be spoken speak itself.

Custodio el velo, y dejo que se abra.

You enter the wheat field. Some things cannot be hurried. Put your hand to the earth; feel a seed waking on its own time.

Dejo que la semilla madure a su propio compás.

You sit on the stone throne. Structure is not a cage — it is the scaffold you grow up along. Set one stake for today.

Clavo cuatro estacas; la forma adquiere sus huesos.

You step into the temple. Tradition is not a chain but a torch. Before you take it, ask which fire you will carry.

Paso el fuego antiguo al siguiente par de manos.

A fork opens before you. Not good against bad — this self against another self. Choose, and carry the seam.

Elijo entre dos, y cargo con la costura.

You mount the chariot. The two horses pull apart. Not the whip but your will braids them. Ride.

Unzo dos aguas a mi voluntad, y cruzo la línea.

A lion draws close. Do not fight it. Lay your hand on its mane; let your breath match its breath. The jaw will close itself.

Cierro las fauces con suavidad, respirando junto a la fiera.

You climb alone. One lamp lights one step; the next appears only as you arrive. Slow down.

Camino a solas y juzgo el sendero por un solo paso de luz de farol.

A wheel turns above you. You are not the wheel — you are the still axle. Let it turn; hold the center.

La rueda gira por sí sola; yo me sostengo en el eje quieto.

The scales wait. No shortcut — only after both sides have been heard does the sword have the right to fall.

Mi espada es haber escuchado; mi balanza, haber pesado.

You hang inverted from the tree. Time stills. Don't fight it — see the world upside-down for a while; what upright hides will show.

Cuelgo de cabeza; colgar ya es haber llegado.

An older self is falling. Do not prop it up. Let it fall — only where it falls can the truer life begin.

Dejo partir lo que debe morir; la vida más honda se acerca.

You stand between two cups — water moves back and forth. Not compromise: let the two become a third thing inside you.

Entre dos vasijas vierto hasta que se forma una tercera cosa.

A chain rests loose around your neck — unlocked. See its shape clearly first; then decide whether to lift it off.

Examino la cadena antes de forcejear.

Lightning strikes the tower; the wall splits. Do not cling to stone — it was false. The fall itself is how you wake.

El rayo parte la torre falsa; despierto al caer.

After the storm, starlight lands on your shoulders. Pour out the last of your water; let the far stars see you bare, undefended.

Vierto lo que me queda, y dejo que las estrellas lejanas me vean desnuda.

You pass between the two towers. Moonlight makes the familiar strange. Trust your feet, not your eyes.

Cruzo entre las torres y sostengo, sin pestañear, la mirada de la Luna.

You ride out beyond the wall. The noon light reads you whole, nothing hidden. Not-hiding is your offering.

Cabalgo desnudo más allá del muro; que el mediodía me lea entero.

The horn sounds. A self you thought buried sits up in the grave. This time, let it rise.

Suena el cuerno. Me levanto para responderle.

You are dancing — the four quarters ring you, the circle closes. Not the end. Closing one door opens the next.

Cierro este círculo y abro el siguiente.