Essential Neruda

Pablo Neruda (1904-1973) was born Neftali Ricardo Reyes Basoalto in Parral, Chile. He started publishing his poems in 1920, taking the pen name of Pablo Neruda, after his heroes Paul Verlaine and Czech poet Jan Neruda. He spent much of his adult life either in exile or in diplomatic posts under favourable Chilean governments. Philippe Noiret played him in the film "Il Postino", set in Italy during his exile there. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1971. He was close to President Salvador Allende, but in hospital with cancer at the time of the coup d'etat led by Augusto Pinochet. His funeral a fortnight later became the first public protest against the Chilean military dictatorship.

'What better way to celebrate the hundred years of Neruda's glorious residence on our earth than this selection of crucial works - in both languages! - by one of the greatest poets of all time. A splendid way to begin a love affair with our PABLO or, having already succumbed to his infinite charms, revisit him passionately again and again and yet again' - Ariel Dorfman, author of "Death and the Maiden". 'The call for a more accessible collection of Neruda's important poems is answered with The Essential Neruda - The editors and translators know how to extract gold from a lifetime of prolific writing. If you want a handy Neruda companion and don't know where to begin, this is it' - Ray Gonzalez, Bloomsbury Review. 'The best introduction to Neruda available in English. In fact, I can think of few other books that have given me so much delight so easily. At only 234 pages (bilingual), it somehow manages to convey the fullness of Neruda's poetic arc: reading it is like reading the autobiography of a poetic sensibility (granted, the abridged version)' - Dominic Luxford, Austin Chronicle.

• Preface by Lawrence Ferlinghetti xv Introduction by Mark Eisner xvii From Veinte poemas de amor y una cancion desesperada (1924) 1. Cuerpo de mujer / Body of woman 2 / 3 7. Inclinado en las tardes / Leaning into the evenings 4 / 5 15. Me gustas cuando callas / I like you when you're quiet 6 / 7 20. Puedo escribir los versos mas tristes / I can write the saddest verses 8 / 9 From Residencia en la tierra, I (1933) Galope muerto / Dead Gallop 12 / 13 Unidad / Oneness 16 / 17 Arte poetica / Ars Poetica 18 / 19 Sistema sombrio / System of Gloom 20 / 21 El fantasma del buque de carga / The Phantom of the Cargo Ship 22 / 23 Significa sombras / It Means Shadows 28 / 29 From Residencia en la tierra, II (1935) Solo la muerte / Only Death 32 / 33 Barcarola / Barcarole 36 / 37 Walking around / Walking Around 42 / 43 Oda con un lamento / Ode With a Lament 46 / 47 Entrada a la madera / Entrance Into Wood 50 / 51 Vuelve el otono / Autumn Returns 54 / 55 No hay olvido (sonata) / There's No Forgetting (Sonata) 58 / 59 From Tercera residencia (1947) Explico algunas cosas / I Explain Some Things 62 / 63 From Canto general (1950) Alturas de Macchu Picchu / The Heights of Macchu Picchu I. Del aire al aire / From air to air 68 / 69 IV. La poderosa muerte / Powerful death 70 / 71 VI. Entonces en la escala / And then on the ladder 74 / 75 VIII. Sube conmigo / Climb up with me 78 / 79 X. Piedra en la piedra / Stone upon stone 84 / 85 XI. A traves del confuso esplendor / Down through the blurred splendor 88 / 89 XII. Sube a nacer conmigo / Rise up and be born with me 90 / 91 La United Fruit Co. / The United Fruit Co. 94 / 95 El Fugitivo XII: A todos, a vosotros / To everyone, to you 98 / 99 El gran oceano / The Great Ocean 102 / 103 From Los versos del capitan (1952) El alfarero / The Potter 106 / 107 From Odas elementales (1954) Oda a una castana en el suelo / Ode to a Chestnut on the Ground 108 / 109 Oda al libro (II) / Ode to the Book (II) 114 / 115 Oda a un reloj en la noche / Ode to a Watch in the Night 122 / 123 Oda al vino / Ode to Wine 128 / 129 From Estravagario (1958) Fabula de la sirena y los borrachos / The Fable of the Mermaid and the Drunkards 134 / 135 El gran mantel / The Great Tablecloth 136 / 137 From Cien sonetos de amor (1960) XII. Plena mujer, manzana carnal / Full woman, carnal apple 140 / 141 XVII. No te amo como si fueras rosa / I don't love you as if you were a rose 142 / 143 From Plenos poderes (1962) Deber del poeta / The Poet's Obligation 144 / 145 La palabra / The word 148 / 149 El mar / The Sea 154 / 155 El pueblo / The People 156 / 157 From Memorial de Isla Negra (1964) La poesia / Poetry 166 / 167 Aquellas vidas / Those Lives 170 / 171 Pleno octubre / October Fullness 174 / 175 No hay pura luz / There Is No Clear Light 178 / 179 Insomnio / Insomnia 182 / 183 El futuro es espacio / The Future Is Space 184 / 185 From El mar y las campanas (posthumous) Si, camarada, es hora de jardin / Right, comrade, it's the hour of the garden 188 / 189 From Jardin de invierno (posthumous) El egoista / The Egoist 192 / 193 Jardin de invierno / Winter Garden 196 / 197