THE PALACE OF FORTUNE Poem by Antero de Quental

I dream I'm a knight who ventures forth
Through deserts, hot days, and pitch-black nights.
A defender of love, with all my might
I seek the enchanted palace of Fortune!

But I'm already faint with weariness,
My sword is broken, my armor smashed. . .
And then I suddenly see it, flashing
With pomp and lofty magnificence!

I bang on the doors and cry in distress:
"I'm the Vagabond, the Dispossessed.
Have pity and open up, golden doors!"

The golden doors open with a din. . .
But sadly all I find within
Is silence and darkness - nothing more