Song of the Heart: Selected Poems by Ramón López Velarde

Ramón López Velarde

Book

Song of the Heart

Selected Poems by Ramón López Velarde

Ramón López Velarde
Translated by: Margaret Sayers Peden
Illustrator: Juan Soriano

Languages: English, English, Spanish

Published/Copyright: 1995

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Texas Pan American Series

About this book

Ramón López Velarde (1888-1921) was one of the most Mexican of Mexican poets, whose sense of history found expression in many poems, including his best-known "La suave Patria" ("Sweet Land"). This bilingual collection, drawn primarily from Poesías completas y el minutero, offers English-language readers our first book-length introduction to his poetry.

Often called a "poet of the provinces," López Velarde gives us a glimpse into a slower and more gentle way of life. His poems present the contrast between city and hometown and between urban and pastoral landscapes. Through these contrasts runs the thread of religious faith, while urgency of language informs the entire body of his poetic production.

Original, specially commissioned drawings by noted contemporary Mexican artist Juan Soriano complement the poems. This combination of poetry and art speaks to universal emotions; indeed the poetry of López Velarde belongs to everyone who sings the Song of the Heart.

Author / Editor information

Corecipient of the first Gregory Kolovakos Award in 1992, Margaret Sayers Peden is a distinguished critic and translator of Latin American literature.

Reviews

This posthumous, bilingual collection of the works of Velarde (1888–1921), one of Mexico's most cherished poets who remains relatively unrecognized in the U.S., is a celebration of passion, that "song of the heart," in all its beautiful, tortured, contemplative, urgent glory. Peden's faithful translation allows the passionate perfection of Velarde's work, which consistently couples extravagant, consuming emotion with cool, formal precision, to shine through. Although there is much pain and anguish in these poems, sounded most consistently is the joyful music of simply being alive.... Soriano's sensual line drawings, created for this edition, are a deceptively simple visual complement of Velarde's streamlined, powerfully moving verse.

— Publishers Weekly

Topics

Literary Studies Topics in Literary Studies Poetics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
CONTENTS Publicly Available Download PDF	v
El retorno maléfico / Ill-Omened Return Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	1
La mancha de púrpura / The Purple Stain Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	6
Mi prima Agueda / My Cousin Agueda Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	8
Boca flexible, ávida... / Avid, Ambivalent Lips . . . Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	10
Me estás vedada tú... / Forbidden Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	12
Noches de hotel / Hotel Nights Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	14
Del pueblo natal / Hometown Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	16
En el piélago veleidoso / Ever-Changing Seas Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	18
Mi corazón se amerita... / My Heart Fares Better... Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	20
Tierra mojada... / Wet Earth Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	22
Humildemente... / Humbly... Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	42
Día 13 / The 13th Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	48
El campanero / The Bell Ringer Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	52
Que sea para bien... / May It Be for the Best Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	54
El sueño de los guantes negros / Dream of the Black Gloves Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	56
El sueño de la inocencia / Dream of Innocence Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	58
A Sara / To Sara Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	60
Nuestras vidas son péndulos / Our Lives Are Pendulums Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	62
La última odalisca / The Last Odalisque Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	64
En las tinieblas húmedas... / In Misty Darkness Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	68
Te honro en el espanto... / In My Terror, I Honor You Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	70
Memorias del circo / Circus Memories Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	72
La suave Patria / Suave Patria: Sweet Land Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	78
Disco de Newton / Newton's Disk Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	88
El viejo pozo / The Old Well Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	90
Canonización / Canonization Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	94
Y pensar que pudimos... / And to Think... Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	96
La lágrima... / The Tear Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	98
El son del corazón / Song of the Heart Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	100
Afterword Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	103

Publishing information

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

eBook published on:

May 1, 2013

eBook ISBN:

9780292753389

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

Main content:

114

https://doi.org/10.7560/746855

eBook ISBN: 9780292753389

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Song of the Heart

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