Walt Whitman

O Me! O Life!
O ME! O life!... of the questions of these recurring;
Of the endless trains of the faithless—of cities fill’d with the foolish;
Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more
faithless?)
Of eyes that vainly crave the light—of the objects mean—of the struggle ever
renew’d;
Of the poor results of all—of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me;
Of the empty and useless years of the rest—with the rest me intertwined;
The question, O me! so sad, recurring—What good amid these, O me, O life?

Answer.
That you are here—that life exists, and identity;
That the powerful play goes on, and you will contribute a verse.

Full Of Life Now (original)
Full of life now, compact, visible,I, forty years old the eighty-third year of the Sates,To one a century hence or any number of centuries hence,To you yet unborn these, seeking you.When you read these I that was visible am become invisible,Now it is you, compact, visible, realizing my poems, seeking me,Fancying how happy you were if I could be with you and become your comrade,Be it as if I were with you. (Be not too certain but I am now with you.)
From “Calamus” – Leaves Of Grass


Pleno de Vida Agora (tradução)
Pleno de vida agora, concreto, visível,Eu, aos quarenta anos de idade e aos oitenta e três dos Estados Unidos,A ti que viverás dentro de um século ou vários séculos mais,A ti, que ainda não nasceste, me dirijo, procurando-te.Quando leres isto, eu que era visível, serei invisível,Agora és tu, concreto, visível, aquele que me lê, aquele que me procura,Imagino como serias feliz se eu estivesse a teu lado e fosse teu companheiro,Sê tão feliz como se eu estivesse contigo. (Não penses que não estou agora junto a ti.)
Tradução José Agostinho Baptista