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398th out of 1,069 books
—
2,419 voters
The Essential Neruda: Selected Poems
by
Pablo Neruda,
Mark Eisner (Goodreads Author) , Lawrence Ferlinghetti , Robert Hass , Stephen Mitchell (Goodreads Author) , Alastair Reid , Forrest Gander , Jack Hirschman
,
more…
This collection of Neruda’s most essential poems will prove indispensable. Selected by a team of poets and prominent Neruda scholars in both Chile and the U.S., this is a definitive selection that draws from the entire breadth and width of Neruda’s various styles and themes. An impressive group of translators that includes Alaistair Reid, Stephen Mitchell, Robert Hass, St
Paperback, Bilingual English and Spanish, 200 pages
Published
April 1st 2004
by City Lights Publishers
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Someone asked me why I had so many different copies of Neruda and I answered because no one book ever has all the poems or the translations that I want. That's the tricky thing about Neruda. It's also the reason I like dual translation editions, so I can see the original right next to the English.
I want you to know
one thing.
You know how this is:
if I look
at the crystal moon, at the red branch
of the slow autumn at my window,
if I touch
near the fire
the impalpable ash
or the wrinkled body of the log,
everything carries me to you,
as if everything that exists,
aromas, light, metals,
were little boats
that sail
toward those isles of yours that wait for me.
Well, now,
if little by little you stop loving me
I shall stop loving you little by little.
If suddenly
you forget me
do not look for me,
for I shall alr...more
one thing.
You know how this is:
if I look
at the crystal moon, at the red branch
of the slow autumn at my window,
if I touch
near the fire
the impalpable ash
or the wrinkled body of the log,
everything carries me to you,
as if everything that exists,
aromas, light, metals,
were little boats
that sail
toward those isles of yours that wait for me.
Well, now,
if little by little you stop loving me
I shall stop loving you little by little.
If suddenly
you forget me
do not look for me,
for I shall alr...more
Fable of the Mermaid and the Drunks
All those men were there inside,
when she came in totally naked.
They had been drinking: they began to spit.
Newly come from the river, she knew nothing.
She was a mermaid who had lost her way.
The insults flowed down her gleaming flesh.
Obscenities drowned her golden breasts.
Not knowing tears, she did not weep tears.
Not knowing clothes, she did not have clothes.
They blackened her with burnt corks and cigarette stubs,
and rolled around laughing on the tavern floor.
She...more
All those men were there inside,
when she came in totally naked.
They had been drinking: they began to spit.
Newly come from the river, she knew nothing.
She was a mermaid who had lost her way.
The insults flowed down her gleaming flesh.
Obscenities drowned her golden breasts.
Not knowing tears, she did not weep tears.
Not knowing clothes, she did not have clothes.
They blackened her with burnt corks and cigarette stubs,
and rolled around laughing on the tavern floor.
She...more
A superb collection from the poetic master and titan with a great collaboration of translators. I've read this in Spanish to friends from South America and it has connected every time. Inspiring and prolific work as well as a great introduction for someone seeking to discover a reflection of his soul.
Can I give this six stars?
I had read very few of Neruda's poems before encountering this collection. He is now my favorite poet. I have read and re-read these diverse and gorgeous poems, and look forward to plunging deeper into his body of work.
Although I know little Spanish, I value being able to try to read it in the facing page translation format; sometimes I can begin to discern untranslatable sounds, rhythms, and multiple meanings.
Thank you, Mark Eisner, for this beautiful book.
I had read very few of Neruda's poems before encountering this collection. He is now my favorite poet. I have read and re-read these diverse and gorgeous poems, and look forward to plunging deeper into his body of work.
Although I know little Spanish, I value being able to try to read it in the facing page translation format; sometimes I can begin to discern untranslatable sounds, rhythms, and multiple meanings.
Thank you, Mark Eisner, for this beautiful book.
I believe that death's song is the colour of wet violets,
violets accustomed to the earth,
because the face of death is green,
and the gaze of death is green,
with the sharp wetness of the leaf of a violet,
and its serious colour of wintry impatience.
wow.
I'm not sure I can say much more. I brought this on a whim and keep picking it up, delving through it and spending so long just going over and over the same poems. Each time I read them I find something different, something beautiful and sad and min...more
violets accustomed to the earth,
because the face of death is green,
and the gaze of death is green,
with the sharp wetness of the leaf of a violet,
and its serious colour of wintry impatience.
wow.
I'm not sure I can say much more. I brought this on a whim and keep picking it up, delving through it and spending so long just going over and over the same poems. Each time I read them I find something different, something beautiful and sad and min...more
I'll say that this, my first dip into the Neruda universe, affected me more than any encounter with 20th century poetry I've yet had. But I also haven't had many. I'm still at a "greatest hits" level when it comes to poetry, especially modern poetry. Before Neruda, I would have said Yates was my fave 20th century poet, much more than Eliot, but Neruda eclipsed them by a lot.
There's a line in the editor's introduction that compares Neruda's style to red wine. The comparison really stuck with me...more
There's a line in the editor's introduction that compares Neruda's style to red wine. The comparison really stuck with me...more
3 likes · like · see review
Being a fan of Pablo Neruda's poetry, I wanted to get my hands on The Essential Neruda to take a look at more of his work. After reading Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair, I fell in love with the poet.
The Essential Neruda contains 50 of Neruda's poems, not all of them about love.
I enjoyed this collection, a few of my favorites are in here, such as I Can Write the Saddest Lines, Leaning into the Afternoons and I Like For You To Be Still.
I did find the translation to be slightly different f...more
The Essential Neruda contains 50 of Neruda's poems, not all of them about love.
I enjoyed this collection, a few of my favorites are in here, such as I Can Write the Saddest Lines, Leaning into the Afternoons and I Like For You To Be Still.
I did find the translation to be slightly different f...more
I can write the saddest verses tonight
Write, for example, "The night is full of stars,
twinkling blue, in the distance."
The night wind spins in the sky and sings.
I can write the saddest verses tonight.
I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too.
On nights like this I held her in my arms.
I kissed her so many times beneath the infinite sky.
She loved me, at times I loved her too.
How not to have loved her great still eyes.
I can write the saddest verses tonight.
To think that I don't have her....more
Write, for example, "The night is full of stars,
twinkling blue, in the distance."
The night wind spins in the sky and sings.
I can write the saddest verses tonight.
I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too.
On nights like this I held her in my arms.
I kissed her so many times beneath the infinite sky.
She loved me, at times I loved her too.
How not to have loved her great still eyes.
I can write the saddest verses tonight.
To think that I don't have her....more
3 likes · like · see review
عشق من، ما همدیگر را تشنه یافتیم
و سر کشیدیم هر آنچه که آب بود و خون،
ما همدیگر را گرسنه یافتیم و یکدیگر را به دندان کشیدیم
آنگونه که آتش می کند و زخم بر تنمان می گذارد.
اما در انتظار من بمان، شیرینی خود را برایم نگهدار.
من نیز به تو
گل سرخی خواهم داد.
و سر کشیدیم هر آنچه که آب بود و خون،
ما همدیگر را گرسنه یافتیم و یکدیگر را به دندان کشیدیم
آنگونه که آتش می کند و زخم بر تنمان می گذارد.
اما در انتظار من بمان، شیرینی خود را برایم نگهدار.
من نیز به تو
گل سرخی خواهم داد.
1 like · like · see review
Mar 27, 2009
Matt
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone interested in heart-felt poetry
Recommended to Matt by:
no one
Shelves:
poetry
Perhaps the best book of poetry ever. (Spanish on left and English on the right.)
Mark Eisner is a genius! This beautiful collection of poetry contains both English & Spanish versions of Neruda's poetry. It contains great breadth & depth at the core and encompasses the vastness of Neruda's work - love, politics, everyday life, landscape. This is a GREAT gift book!
An interesting tidbit - Eisner is also currently working on a film/documentary about Neruda - www.redpoppy.net for more info.
An interesting tidbit - Eisner is also currently working on a film/documentary about Neruda - www.redpoppy.net for more info.
A beautiful and broad collection of his poems, from love to workers' rights....
I Like You When You Are Quiet
I like you when you are quiet because it is as though you are absent,
and you hear me from far away, and my voice does not touch you.
It looks as though your eyes had flown away
and it looks as if a kiss had sealed your mouth.
Like all things are full of my soul
You emerge from the things, full of my soul.
Dream butterfly, you look like my soul,
and you look like a melancoly word.
I like you when...more
I Like You When You Are Quiet
I like you when you are quiet because it is as though you are absent,
and you hear me from far away, and my voice does not touch you.
It looks as though your eyes had flown away
and it looks as if a kiss had sealed your mouth.
Like all things are full of my soul
You emerge from the things, full of my soul.
Dream butterfly, you look like my soul,
and you look like a melancoly word.
I like you when...more
Neruda is HOT!!! If you love poetry, this man wrote some seriously prolific material. The translations in this book are some of the best I've seen -- though some of them I had to stop and think for a while, but they are probably really in alignment with Neruda's original Spanish verses.
Delicious, sensual poetry, in original Spanish and translation. The highest and lowest of love, the stars, the sea... I'd also recommend his "Twenty Poems of Love and a Song of Sadness" - this collection includes some but not all of those poems.
my friend gave me this book to read on the greyhound to florida. apparently she fucked the translator. i had this mexican sitting across from me read me one of the poems in spanish. i about creamed myself although i had no idea what he was saying.
I love that this book is bilingual, that I can read the poems in both Spanish and English.
Neruda is a master at his craft, no one can write like that anymore, not without sounding forced, or dated, or overly dramatic.
Neruda is a master at his craft, no one can write like that anymore, not without sounding forced, or dated, or overly dramatic.
One of my best birthday presents this year! I will definitely be coming back to this translation over and over again. The dual translation is fantastic - and I keep pretending I can read the spanish page...
Don't go far off, not even for a day, because --
because -- I don't know how to say it: a day is long
and I will be waiting for you, as in an empty station
when the trains are parked off somewhere else, asleep.
Don't leave me, even for an hour, because
then the little drops of anguish will all run together,
the smoke that roams looking for a home will drift
into me, choking my lost heart.
Oh, may your silhouette never dissolve on the beach;
may your eyelids never flutter into the empty distance....more
because -- I don't know how to say it: a day is long
and I will be waiting for you, as in an empty station
when the trains are parked off somewhere else, asleep.
Don't leave me, even for an hour, because
then the little drops of anguish will all run together,
the smoke that roams looking for a home will drift
into me, choking my lost heart.
Oh, may your silhouette never dissolve on the beach;
may your eyelids never flutter into the empty distance....more
as a sentimental romantic, i'm pretty much obligated to like this book. moreover, i like to torture my significant other by reading passages from it aloud.
The Essential Neruda by Neruda made me enjoy reading poetry even more than ever! The selected poems contain deep meanings and variety of styles and themes. While reading the poetry in the book, I was mesmerized by the different metaphors Neruda used. I had never liked reading poetry more. What was better than other foreign poetry books was that it also had the spanish version of the poems. So that I was able to hear the richness of the spanish language. Even though I am not too familiar with the...more
Some were beautiful (I especially loved 'I Can Write The Saddest Verses Tonight'), some I couldn't even begin to understand (Which totally saddens me) but the poem that got me reading this book was 'I Do Not Love You.... Sonnet XVII' because of Anna and the French Kiss. I chanced upon a line in Anna and the French Kiss and that COMPLETELY made me certain I had to get my hands on a Neruda piece, no matter what. The line, if any of you are wondering, happens to be a very famous line (sorta, I thin...more
I truly love this collection of Neruda's work. It was so thoughtfully crafted and is a beautiful example of collaborative art.
Jun 05, 2013
Zbhall
added it
I want to re-visit this book after I learn Spanish and re-read it (aka, never. But it is great). Seriously:
"I no longer love her, it's true, but how much I loved her.
My voice searched for the wind that would touch her ear.
Another's. She will be another's. As before my kisses.
Her voice, her bright body. Her infinite eyes.
I no longer love her, it's true, but maybe I love her.
Love is so short, and forgetting is so long.
Because on nights like this I held her in my arms,
my soul is not at peace with h...more
"I no longer love her, it's true, but how much I loved her.
My voice searched for the wind that would touch her ear.
Another's. She will be another's. As before my kisses.
Her voice, her bright body. Her infinite eyes.
I no longer love her, it's true, but maybe I love her.
Love is so short, and forgetting is so long.
Because on nights like this I held her in my arms,
my soul is not at peace with h...more
Jul 02, 2008
Sarah
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone who likes poetry and likes it to relate to life
Amazing words from an amazing man. Although I don't like all of the translations, the original pieces are works of art.
Nobody knows about love, writes about love, like Pablo Neruda. What can I say about him that would ever be enough?
Love, love, love...it's so beautiful when read in Spanish. Oh, to live in Neruda's mind would be paradise.
It's Neruda! When looking for lyrical love poems in Spanish, where else would you turn?
I love Neruda mainly for being so harsh and so honest.
I've only ever wanted to be loved.
I've only ever wanted to be loved.
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Pablo Neruda was the pen name and, later, legal name of the Chilean writer and politician Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basoalto. Neruda assumed his pen name as a teenager, partly because it was in vogue, partly to hide his poetry from his father, a rigid man who wanted his son to have a "practical" occupation. Neruda's pen name was derived from Czech writer and poet Jan Neruda; Pablo is thought to be fro...more
More about Pablo Neruda...
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“Well, now
If little by little you stop loving me
I shall stop loving you
Little by little
If suddenly you forget me
Do not look for me
For I shall already have forgotten you
If you think it long and mad the wind of banners that passes through my life
And you decide to leave me at the shore of the heart where I have roots
Remember
That on that day, at that hour, I shall lift my arms
And my roots will set off to seek another land”
—
1,899 people liked it
If little by little you stop loving me
I shall stop loving you
Little by little
If suddenly you forget me
Do not look for me
For I shall already have forgotten you
If you think it long and mad the wind of banners that passes through my life
And you decide to leave me at the shore of the heart where I have roots
Remember
That on that day, at that hour, I shall lift my arms
And my roots will set off to seek another land”
“Nobody can claim the name of Pedro,
nobody is Rosa or María,
all of us are dust or sand,
all of us are rain under rain.
They have spoken to me of Venezuelas,
of Chiles and Paraguays;
I have no idea what they are saying.
I know only the skin of the earth
and I know it has no name.”
—
59 people liked it
More quotes…
nobody is Rosa or María,
all of us are dust or sand,
all of us are rain under rain.
They have spoken to me of Venezuelas,
of Chiles and Paraguays;
I have no idea what they are saying.
I know only the skin of the earth
and I know it has no name.”
