An afternoon in springMurmured these words to me:If you are seeking pathsWith flowers in this worldThen put to death your wordsAnd let your old soul speak.Let the same white linenThat you are wearing nowClothe you in your mourningClothe you at party time.Cherish your happinessCherish your sadness too,If you are seeking pathsWith flowers in this world.I spoke then my replyTo that spring afternoon:You have told the secretThat is spoken in my soul:I abhor happinessAbhorring suffering.But before I ever treadYour flower-strewn path,I would like to presentMy old soul to you: dead.Antonio Machado Soledades. Galerías. Otros Poemas (1907- I used the edition edited by Geoffrey Ribbans (Cátedra, 1993)).