
One Hundred Love Sonnets
Cien sonetos de amor
“The happiness I feel in offering these to you is vast as a savanna,” Pablo Neruda wrote his adored wife, Matilde Urrutia de Neruda, in his dedication of One Hundred Love Sonnets. Set against the backdrop of his beloved Isla Negra, these joyfully sensual poems draw on the wind and tides, the white sand with its scattering of delicate wildflowers, and the hot sun and salty scent of the sea to celebrate their love. Generations of lovers since Pablo and Matilde have shared these poems with each other, making One Hundred Love Sonnets one of the most popular books of poetry of all time. This beautifully redesigned volume, perfect for gift-giving, presents both the original Spanish sonnets and graceful English translations.
Sensual as a tropical night swirling in honeysuckle and jazz. . . . With its lush textures and effervescent lyricism, this book is like a smoky champagne which two lovers, mesmerized by each other’s presence, are sipping.
Erotic feeling and human affection convey a warmth and immediacy that is direct, delicate, subtle, and strong by turns.
The greatest poet of the twentieth century—in any language.
Pablo Neruda (1904–1973) won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1971. A Chilean poet and diplomat, he was the author of many books, including 20 Love Poems and a Song of Despair.
Stephen Tapscott is Professor of Literature at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a widely published poet.
- Translator's Note
- Dedication
- Morning / Mañana
- Afternoon / Mediodía
- Evening / Tarde
- Night / Noche
- Notes
- Index of First Lines