Qué lindo soñar que somos una mariposa y dormir tan profundamente que al despertador no sabemos quién somos

El sueño de Chuang Tzu

Chuang Tzu soñó que era una mariposa y no sabía al despertar si era un hombre que había soñado ser una mariposa o una mariposa que ahora soñaba ser un hombre.

Herbert Allen Giles, Chuang Tzu (1889)

Revoloteaba alegremente; era una mariposa muy contenta de serlo. No sabía que era Chuang Tse. De repente despierta. Era Chuang Tse y se asombró de serlo. Ya no le era posible saber si era Chuang Tse que soñaba ser una mariposa, o era una mariposa que soñaba ser Chuang Tse.

Quotations sourced to the book known as Zhuangzi:

Once upon a time, I, Chuang Chou, dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly. I was conscious only of my happiness as a butterfly, unaware that I was Chou. Soon I awaked, and there I was, veritably myself again. Now 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. Between a man and a butterfly there is necessarily a distinction. The transition is called the transformation of material things. 

As translated by Lin Yutang 

Alternate translations 

Once upon a time, I, Chuang Chou, dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, a veritable butterfly, enjoying itself to the full of its bent, and not knowing it was Chuang Chou. Suddenly I awoke, and came to myself, the veritable Chuang Chou. Now I do not know whether it was then I dreamt I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly dreaming I am a man. Between me and the butterfly there must be a difference. This is an instance of transformation. 

As translated by James Legge, and quoted in The Three Religions of China: Lectures Delivered at Oxford (1913) by William Edward Soothill, p. 75 

Once Zhuang Zhou dreamed he was a butterfly, a fluttering butterfly. What fun he had, doing as he pleased! He did not know he was Zhou. Suddenly he woke up and found himself to be Zhou. He did not know whether Zhou had dreamed he was a butterfly or a butterfly had dreamed he was Zhou. Between Zhou and the butterfly there must be some distinction. This is what is meant by the transformation of things. 

One night, Zhuangzi dreamed of being a butterfly — a happy butterfly, showing off and doing things as he pleased, unaware of being Zhuangzi. Suddenly he awoke, drowsily, Zhuangzi again. And he could not tell whether it was Zhuangzi who had dreamt the butterfly or the butterfly dreaming Zhuangzi. But there must be some difference between them! This is called 'the transformation of things'.

 庄子和蝴蝶 有一天，庄子在花园里睡着了。他作了一个梦，梦见他是一只很好看的蝴蝶。它飞到东、飞到西，最后飞累了，就睡着了。蝴蝶也作了一个梦，梦见它是庄子。这时候，庄子醒了。他不知道他现在是真的庄子呢，还是蝴蝶梦里的庄子…他也不知道是他梦见了蝴蝶呢，还是蝴蝶梦见了他。

Zhuangzi et le papillon

Un jour, le philosophe Zhuangzi s’endormit dans un jardin fleuri, et fit un rêve. Il rêva qu’il était un très beau papillon. Le papillon vola çà et là jusqu’à l’épuisement ; puis, il s’endormit à son tour. Le papillon fit un rêve aussi. Il rêva qu’il était Zhuangzi. À cet instant, Zhuangzi se réveilla. Il ne savait point s’il était, maintenant, le véritable Zhuangzi ou bien le Zhuangzi du rêve du papillon. Il ne savait pas non plus si c’était lui qui avait rêvé du papillon, ou le papillon qui avait rêvé de lui.

Érase una vez, Chuang Tzu soñó que era una mariposa. Al despertar ignoraba si era Chuang Tzu que había soñado que era una mariposa o si era una mariposa y estaba soñando que era Chuang Tzu.

Once upon a time, Chuang Tzu dreamed that he was a butterfly. Suddenly he awoke, and he did not know whether it was Chuang Tzu dreaming that he was a butterfly, or whether it was the butterfly dreaming that it was Chuang Tzu.

Jadis, Chuang Tzu rêva qu’il était un papillon. Brusquement il s’éveilla et il ne sut plus si c’était Chuang Tzu rêvant qu’il était un papillon, ou un papillon rêvant qu’il était Chuang Tzu.

Uma vez Chuang Tzu, sonhou que era uma borboleta. De repente acordou e não sabia se era Chuang Tzu sonhando que era uma borboleta ou uma borboleta sonhando que era ChuangTzu.

Libro I cap. II (18) Una volta Chuang-Tzu sognò d'essere una farfalla: era una farfalla perfettamente felice, che si dilettava di seguire il proprio capriccio. Non sapeva d'essere Tzu. Improvvisamente si destò e allora fu Tzu, gravato dalla forma. Non sapeva se era Tzu che aveva sognato d'essere una farfalla o una farfalla che sognava d'essere Tzu. Eppure tra Tzu e una farfalla c'è necessariamente una distinzione: così è la trasformazione degli esseri. 

Chuang-tzu e la farfalla 

Un tempo Chuang-tzu si vide, in sogno, come una farfalla. Si vide come una farfalla che volteggia liberamente, e si diverte. Non sapeva di essere Chuang-tzu. All'improvviso cominciò a percepire altre sensazioni, e si sentì di nuovo Chuang-tzu. Tuttavia, non sapeva se era Chuang-tzu che si era visto in sogno come una farfalla, o se era la farfalla che si era vista in sogno come Chuang-tzu. 

Zhuangzi va somniar que era una papallona. En despertar ignorava si era ell qui havia somniat que era una papallona o si era una papallona que havia somniat que era Zhuangzi.