Neruda

[sixsmith]

Can anyone recommend a collection of Neruda's poetry? I'm new to his work and am desperate to get hold of a quality translation.

[Dinkleberry2010]

Here are some recent editions of Neruda's work:
Pablo Neruda: Selected Poems, edited by Ilan Stovans
The Poetry of Neruda by Rene de Costa
The Essential Neruda, edited by Mark Eisner
Pablo Neruda by Manuel Duran

[wessexgirl]

Me too Sixsmith. I've recently discovered him and bought Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair which has the poem in Spanish on the one page, and the translation on the other. It is translated by W.S.Merwin. I don't know how good the translation is, as I don't speak Spanish. I also bought The Essential Neruda edited by Mark Eisner with different translators, and this does the same with the parallel texts. I really want to learn Spanish after hearing some of these, (I know he was from Chile, but I'm sure the language is the same). Anyway, have you checked out Youtube, as I have been listening to Andy Garcia amongst others, reading his work, and it's beautiful? I got into him from the film Truly, Madly, Deeply when Alan Rickman recites a poem. Have you seen it? You can get that on Youtube too. I haven't seen the film Il Postino yet, but I believe that uses his work as a main part of the story. I have some other works on my wishlist, such as The Captain's Verses(?) I think, which the poem from TMD comes from. There is quite a selection to choose from, so happy reading.

[sixsmith]

Great, thanks wessex and Jermac. I was thinking either the 'Essential' or the Stavans translation. I haven't seen 'Truly, Madly, Deeply' wessex but I just might have to check it out now.

[wessexgirl]

The dvd is extremely hard to get hold of Sixsmith, or it was. I taped my copy from the tv years ago, but there are definitely bits on Youtube. I'm not sure if you can watch the whole thing online though. You can see the poem

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAS8LhgYp2M&feature=related

and watch the wonderful Alan Rickman here. He's soooooo gorgeous :nod:.

[stlukesguild]

Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair is a marvelous collection and W.S. Merwin (a major living American poet) is one of the most talented translators... especially from Spanish. Other good translations would be William O'Daly's efforts on collections The Book of Questions, World's End, and The Hands of Day. The Essential Neruda:Selected Poems, translated by Mark Eisner, Robert Hass, and Stephen Mitchell seems to be the most critically acclaimed anthology... although Anthony Kerrigan's and Aleister Reid's are also quite well regarded. Two of Nerudas most important books, The Captain's Verses and Residence on Earth have long been available in well-regarded translations by Donald Walsh. Residence on Earth is quite probably Neruda's greatest achievement and one of the greatest volumes of poetry of the 20th century.

[sixsmith]

Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair is a marvelous collection and W.S. Merwin (a major living American poet) is one of the most talented translators... especially from Spanish. Other good translations would be William O'Daly's efforts on collections The Book of Questions, World's End, and The Hands of Day. The Essential Neruda:Selected Poems, translated by Mark Eisner, Robert Hass, and Stephen Mitchell seems to be the bost critically acclaimed anthology... although Anthony Kerrigan's and Aleister Reid's are also quite well regarded. Two of Nerudas most important books, The Captain's Verses and Residence on Earth have long been available in well-regarded translations by Donald Walsh. Residence on Earth is quite probably Neruda's greatest achievement and one of the greatest volumes of poetry of the 20th century.

Awesome. Thanks stlukes.

wessex, I live in close proximity to a dvd/video store which specialises in rare and hard to find films. I'm sure they'll have TMD. By the way, I was shocked to discover that Anthony Minghella died in 2008.