trace their black shadows symmetrically on the white sand

A beautiful summer night. 

The tall houses leave 

their balcony shutters open 

to the wide plaza of the old village. 

In the large deserted square, 

stone benches, burning bush and acacias 

trace their black shadows 

symmetrically on the white sand. 

In its zenith, the moon; in the tower, 

the clock's illuminated globe. 

I walk through this ancient village, 

alone, like a ghost. 

 

[Antonio Machado {1895-1939} 'Summer Night' {translated from the Spanish by Willis Barnstone}, from A Book of Luminous Things: An international anthology of poetry, edited by Czeslaw Milosz]