Butterfly Dreams [Oil on Canvas 16×20 inch] © Omay Lee 2022

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。
~ 莊子 – 齊物論

It is I, Zhuang Zhou who dreams of butterfly
A butterfly so real and vivid
Strong and far-reaching in her will and ambition!
But I did not realise that the butterfly was in fact Zhou.
Asleep I was awoken,
Metamorphosing back again into the veritable Zhou,
Unaware if it was Zhou who dreamt of butterfly,
Or rather was it butterfly who dreamt of Zhou? 
Between Zhou and Butterfly,
There must exist a difference,
This is what is called the Transformation of Things. 

~ From the Zhuangzi (350BC) – Adjustment of the Controversies