King Arthur Movie Tristan

title: Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair

author: Pablo Neruda

genre: poetry

first published in 1924 as Veinte poemas de amor y una canción desesperada, first translated in 1969

rated: 5 out of 5



Pablo Neruda's Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair is a wonderful collection of beautiful poems that will break your heart, but in a good way. Know what I mean?

These are poems I'll be reading time and time again. I also enjoyed reading the poems in Spanish.

Here's one of my favorites:


I Like For You To Be Still


I like for you to be still

It is as though you are absent

And you hear me from far away

And my voice does not touch you

It seems as though your eyes had flown away

And it seems that a kiss had sealed your mouth

As all things are filled with my soul

You emerge from the things

Filled with my soul

You are like my soul

A butterfly of dream

And you are like the word: Melancholy



I like for you to be still

And you seem far away

It sounds as though you are lamenting

A butterfly cooing like a dove

And you hear me from far away

And my voice does not reach you

Let me come to be still in your silence

And let me talk to you with your silence

That is bright as a lamp

Simple, as a ring

You are like the night

With its stillness and constellations

Your silence is that of a star

As remote and candid



I like for you to be still

It is as though you are absent

Distant and full of sorrow

So you would've died

One word then, One smile is enough

And I'm happy;

Happy that it's not true.






I was introduced to Pablo Neruda by Kelly...aka...TheChicGeek. Thanks Kelly!