Behind closed doors and drawn blinds,
In the midst of this man-made twilight,
I’m putting on my suit of lights*,
My fragile armor;
/
Woven of silk thread, decorated
With pearls and diamonds,
It is designed not to protect the wearer
But to challenge darkness;
/
It will not stand the test of steel
Nor this of fire,
And through the fine skin-like fabric
Pain and desire
/
Hurt, wound and scar the one, who calls
Upon herself the evil of the world
And, like its axis, stands alone
Inside the whirlwind;
/
Behind closed doors and drawn blinds
In front of a mirror,
Dressed in my suit of lights, I check the fit
Before the devil sees me;
/
Its fabric glows, its diamonds shine,
Its white pearls glimmer;
It will be torn; I will be killed,
Yet, my heart sings as if I were the winner
*Suit of lights or traje de luces[1] is the traditional clothing that Spanish bullfighters (toreros, picadors and rejoneadors) wear in the bullring. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traje_de_luces)