Old Poem
Did Chuang Chou dream he was the butterfly?
Or the butterfly dream he was Chuang Chou?
In the single body’s transformations
See the vortex of the Myriad Creatures.
No mystery then that the Magic Seas
Shrank again to crystal streams,
Or down by Ch’ang-an’s Green Gate
The gardener was Marquis of Tung-Ling.
If this is the fate of fame and power,
What is it for- this endless striving?
Related quotes
Chuang Tzu And The Butterfly
Chuang Tzu in dream became a butterfly,
And the butterfly became Chuang Tzu at waking.
Which was the real—the butterfly or the man ?
Who can tell the end of the endless changes of things?
The water that flows into the depth of the distant sea
Returns anon to the shallows of a transparent stream.
The man, raising melons outside the green gate of the city,
Was once the Prince of the East Hill.
So must rank and riches vanish.
You know it, still you toil and toil,—what for?
Chuang Tzu’s butterfly
Chuang Tzu has a dream
and when awake
he asks himself if, perhaps, this is the dream
is it Chuang Tzu who dreams of the butterfly
or is it the butterfly dreaming of Chuang Tzu?
not a poetic fancy
but probing into all our assumptions
and formations, and mind
poem by Raj Arumugam
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
I dreamed I was a butterfly, flitting around in the sky; then I awoke. Now I wonder: Am I a man who dreamt of being a butterfly, or am I a butterfly dreaming that I am a man?
quote by Chuang Tzu
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Butterfly...
Butterfly...my all..my own, Butterfly
My butterfly, I remember the
day we met. You bumped into me.
Well, sort of floated, from no where,
and from that moment, I recall what
I said, 'Well, my little butterfly,
where did you come from.?
Butterfly, you laughed, and responded,
'I picked you out, and just floated down,
and landed on your shoulder.
Butterfly, there are many that think
that a Butterfly, can't laugh, but you did.
They think that a Butterfly, does not cry,
but you have.
Can a Butterfly be happy, cause happiness?
Butterfly, of mine...you did.
Can a Butterfly, caused one to nearly burst
with joy? Butterfly, you did and you have.
Butterfly, there is not a moment, since I
met you, that I can not recall.
Some might wonder what a butterfly, drinks.
Butterfly, shall we let them know, we became
intoxicated, as we sipped the nectar of life.
As my butterfly and I floated through the
wonders of earth, I wish we could share the
joy we found, with all of this planet.
Butterfly, shall we always be together?
Butterfly, I do not mean, just here on
earth, I mean until the stars stop shinning.
Butterfly, I mean, until there is no moon...
no anything, but my Butterfly and I.
Butterfly...I think that we will. Butterfly,
I believe that we were meant to be.
On Wing and Wind...
My butterfly, I remember the
day we met. You bumped into me.
Well, sort of floated, from no where,
and from that moment, I recall what
I said, 'Well, my little butterfly,
where did you come from.?
Butterfly, you laughed, and responded,
'I picked you out, and just floated down,
and landed on your shoulder.
Butterfly, there are many that think
that a Butterfly, can't laugh, but you did.
They think that a Butterfly, does not cry,
but you have.
Can a Butterfly be happy, cause happiness?
Butterfly, of mine...you did.
Can a Butterfly, caused one to nearly burst
with joy? Butterfly, you did and you have.
Butterfly, there is not a moment, since I
met you, that I can not recall.
Some might wonder what a butterfly, drinks.
Butterfly, shall we let them know, we became
intoxicated, as we sipped the nectar of life.
As my butterfly and I floated through the
wonders of earth, I wish we could share the
joy we found, with all of this planet.
Butterfly, shall we always be together?
Butterfly, I do not mean, just here on
earth, I mean until the stars stop shinning.
Butterfly, I mean, until there is no moon...
no anything, but my Butterfly and I.
Butterfly...I think that we will. Butterfly,
I believe that we were meant to be.
Butterfly
Green fields where we used to wander
Purple valleys , near my home
We would play there , beneath the sky
And then I kissed you , butterfly
Young girl , you came restless
And you left me here to cry
My big teardrops, in red pastures
For I loved you , butterfly
Butterfly , yeah
I dream about you , lonely without you , butterfly
Butterfly , yeah
Each night Im sleeping, your face goes creeping, butterfly
Green fields where we used to wander
Purple valleys, near my home
We would play there beneath the sky
And I kissed you , butterfly
Butterfly, yeah
I dream bout you , lonely without you , butterfly
Butterfly , yeah
Each night Im sleeping, your face goes creeping, butterfly
song performed by by Bee Gees
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Butterfly, Butterfly
butterfly, butterfly
fly in the sky
butterfly, butterfly
flies so high
butterfly, butterfly
lands on my thigh
butterfly, butterfly
motionlessly lies
butterfly, butterfly
gracefully dies
poem by Adryan Bates
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Ode to a Butterfly
Butterfly, oh butterfly, why do you hide in the shadows?
Spread wide your wings, let your heart sing
And come dance with me in the meadow
Butterfly, oh butterfly, why do you fear?
You'll never stray, I'll lead the way
Just follow the path, I'll be near
Butterfly, oh butterfly, have you no hope?
Drink of the sun, our life's just begun
Thro time's hills and valleys we'll lope
Butterfly, oh butterfly, dare you to dream?
On our hearts we depend, shall we follow the wind
And consign to the fates grander scheme?
poem by Sheri Hockman
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Butterfly Fly Away
You tucked me in, turned out the light
Kept me safe and sound at night
Little girls depend on things like that
Brushed my teeth and combed my hair
Had to drive me everywhere
You were always there when I looked back
You had to do it all alone
Make a living, make a home
Must have been as hard as it could be
And when I couldn't sleep at night
Scared things wouldn't turn out right
You would hold my hand and sing to me
Caterpillar in the tree
How you wonder who you'll be
Can't go far but you can always dream
Wish you may and wish you might
Don't you worry, hold on tight
I promise you there will come a day
Butterfly fly away
Butterfly fly away, butterfly fly away
Flap your wings now you can't stay
Take those dreams and make them all come true
Butterfly fly away, butterfly fly away
We've been waiting for this day
All along and knowing just what to do
Butterfly, butterfly, butterfly, butterfly fly away
Butterfly fly away
Butterfly fly away
poem by Zack Horton
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Butterfly, Butterfly
Hoping to catch your eye
Circling around you, oh my
Butterfly, butterfly, come into the light
Oh, what a beautiful sight
Flying so gracefully
Into the sky, the butterfly
Trying to catch a butterfly
Fly, fly, fly, butterfly
There he sets upon the mums
I'm having so much fun
Here's another on the sill
Your standing so still
You go to touch him
There he goes, the butterfly
I hear a tapping on the window
It's the butterfly, fly, fly, fly
There he goes into the sky
Flying so high, the butterfly
I'll see you another day
Butterfly, butterfly, away
poem by Sharon Adamson
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Apparition of a Butterfly
Upon a fuzzy vista – vision blurred –
I tried to focus; nothing ever solid
Came to view, but undeterred, I blinked
An eye to try again. Through the mist
A coloured hue; polychromatic flames
Had flickered at a whim; a rhythm bore
A thrumming too: a naturalistic hymn.
Behold! Were I to find a synonym to
Reproduce or recreate
The apparition of a butterfly,
Evolving through the waning vapour,
Drawing on a sigh from this romantic.
Glory be! The raging sun above
Had fired his furnace, flaming off
The hangers on. Now I saw the flare:
His time has come. He spread a tortoiseshell –
A scene of Mother Nature at her best.
I lay in peace in knowing I was blessed.
Copyright Mark R Slaughter 2009
Butterfly Butterfly Butterfly Butterfly Butterfly Butterfly
Butterfly Butterfly Butterfly Butterfly Butterfly Butterfly fly
Butterfly Butterfly Butterfly Butterfly Butterfly Butterfly fly
poem by Mark R Slaughter
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly dreaming I am a man.
quote by Chuang Tzu
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Butterfly's Dream
I'm having a butterfly's dream
Sealed off from the real world
Shielded from the storm
Yet I feel at home
Having a butterfly's dream
I'm having a butterfly's dream
Looking out, the world looking in
Imprisoned by nature, all alone
Yet I feel at home
Having my butterfly's dream
I can see the pretty colors come and go
The sun is shining, the moon a glow
I want all that to be a part of me
I want my dreaming to become a reality
I want to feel the fresh ocean breeze
I want to rest on flowers, rest on trees
I want to be part of the world that everybody sees
I feel the light flashing in
The air fills my cocoon all too soon
My wings search to spread towards the sun
And lift me to my new home-All alone
On my own to face the storm
I should have known
A dream is nothing but a dream
poem by Alfred Ramos
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
This Game
this game of doubting
sleep
whether you are the butterfly
inside your dream
or the dream inside a
butterfly
whether it is you
dreaming about a butterfly
or the butterfly dreaming
about you
this game of the mind
flowering
wonders
fluttering sighs
we like it
we do not want this game stopped
because for the meantime
they make
this stay
memorable, dream and reality tugging
like a game
on the beach one summer
you and i, this dream and this reality
time and sleep
bosom and blossom
measure for measure
drag and lag
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The Butterfly Weed
Oh lady bug, you've done a good deed.
Setting your table on the butterfly weed,
You're the custodian of all you survey,
On butterfly weed, till the end of the day.
Oh beautiful monarch, where do you feed,
I see you too love the butterfly weed.
You and the ladybug would be poor indeed,
If it was'nt for the butterfly weed.
Oh hummingbird whose throat seems to bleed,
What do you here on the butterfly weed?
All hummingbirds, good advice heed,
We love the orange butterfly weed.
God's smallest creatures, go by one creed,
To congregate on the butterfly weed.
Let the south wind blow, and spread your seed,
So that there will be millions of the butterfly weed.
5/31/03 Alton Texas
poem by Juan Olivarez
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Butterfly Dream
Once in my dream I became a butterfly
Over the flowers happily I flied
Resting on a flower drank I its juice
Shifting from one to another till belly was full
I only felt the happiness of the butterfly
Forgetting at that moment who am I
Suddenly I awakened from my dream
I found my soul again in human skin
At that moment could not say for sure I
If butterfly-me dreamed of being in human style
Or had human-I dreamed of being a butterfly
Which was happily enjoying the open sky
poem by Henry Chen
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The Dwarves of Tao-Chou
In the land of Tao-chou
Many of the people are dwarfs;
The tallest of them never grow to more than three feet.
They were sold in the market as dwarf slaves and yearly sent to Court;
Described as “an offering of natural products from the land of Tao-chou.”
A strange “offering of natural products “; I never heard of one yet
That parted men from those they loved, never to meet again!
Old men—weeping for their grandsons; mothers for their children!
One day—Yang Ch’ëng came to govern the land;
He refused to send up dwarf slaves in spite of incessant mandates.
He replied to the Emperor “Your servant finds in the Six Canonical Books
‘In offering products, one must offer what is there, and not what isn’t there’
On the waters and lands of Tao-chou, among all the things that live
I only find dwarfish people; no dwarfish slaves.”
The Emperor’s heart was deeply moved and he sealed and sent a scroll
“The yearly tribute of dwarfish slaves is henceforth annulled.’’
The people of Tao-chou,
Old ones and young ones, how great their joy!
Father with son and brother with brother henceforward kept together;
From that day for ever more they lived as free men.
The people of Tao-chou
Still enjoy this gift.
And even now when they speak of the Governor
Tears start to their eyes.
And lest their children and their children’s children should forget the Governor’s name,
When boys are born the syllable “Yang” is often used in their forename.
Butterfly Dreams
I dream what it would be like to be a Butterfly
See the wonder of their world through a thoughtful eye
Taste the fragrant flowers drink the morning dew
Play around the petals and pollinate a few
I want to witness the magic of Mother Nature’s womb
Be there at the beginning of a futures flower’s bloom
Try to pry the difference between a petal and thorn
Aiding in the arrival of seeds being born
Imagine the vista and the intimate views
The collage of colors and their heavenly hues
What would it be like to wake as something new
Awake from a silken sleep starting life anew
Some dream they’re men that ply special powers
I dream I'm a Butterfly a Fae among the flowers
poem by Ed_ Schmidt
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Torn Butterfly
Torn butterfly torn butterfly
Seeing you there it makes me cry
Torn butterfly your wings they tore
From the weight that they bore
Torn butterfly it's plain to see
That you are just the same as me
Torn butterfly the world is tough
Hard as stones and just as rough
Torn butterfly I know your pain
And I don't want to know it again
Torn butterfly come join me now
And we'll regain our wings somehow
Torn butterfly it's sad but true
In death our wings become brand new
Torn butterfly just fade away
And we will fly this very day
Torn butterfly this note I send
And hope that you will cause your end
So we can fly in clear blue skies
Where no one hurts and no one cries
Torn butterfly with my last breath
I ask you to come join me in death
poem by Anonymous Ghurl
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
My One Last Dream
One last dream of rejecting your protective arms...
One last dream of harm...
One last dream of never changing...
One last dream of never being held...
One last dream of no objection...
One last dream of a scarful you...
One last dream of no summer dew...
One last dream self injury...
One last dream of our own little theory...
One last dream of being six feet under soil...
One last dream of a lost soul...
One last dream of pulling a trigger...
One last dream of having a power that’s bigger...
One last dream of never needing help...
poem by Crystal Fuller
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!