During her weekly translation practice with fellow students at the International Institute of Translation of Buddhist Texts last year, Christine Wee translated a passage from the Zhuangzi, using Edgar Allan Poe’s poetic style.

昔者莊周夢為胡蝶，栩栩然胡蝶也，自喻適志與！不知周也。俄然覺，則蘧蘧然周也。不知周之夢為胡蝶與，胡蝶之夢為周與？周與胡蝶，則必有分矣。此之謂物化。

Zhuang Zhou was happily being-

A butterfly when he was dreaming

He didn’t know-

That he was Zhuang Zhou

Then, he woke up, startled to find-

It was him in his mind

“Did I just dream as a butterfly? Oh Gee-

Or did a butterfly dream it was me?”

Zhuang Zhou and a butterfly-

Are two distinct beings

Beings manifested in-

The Transformation of Things.