SOURCE: Stutchkoff, Der Oytser fun der Yidisher Shprakh. Related sayings:
.די גאַנצע וועלט איז אַ חלום—נאָר בעסער אַ גוטער חלום איידער אַ שלעכטער
Di gantse velt iz a kholem—nor beser a guter kholem eyder a shlekhter.
The whole world is a dream—but better a good dream than a bad one.
SOURCE: Bernstein, Jüdische Sprichwörter und Redensarten
.די גאַנצע וועלט איז אַ חלום און דער טויט איז דער פּיתרון
Di gantse velt iz a kholem un der toyt iz der pisren.
The whole world is a dream and death is the interpretation.
SOURCE: Stutchkoff, Der Oytser fun der Yidisher Shprakh
Compare the story of the Chinese Taoist philosopher Zhuangzi (莊子), who dreamt that he was a butterfly, then awoke to consider whether he might be a butterfly dreaming that he was a man.