12 July 2010



Brown and Agile Child

Brown and agile child, the sun which forms the fruit
And ripens the grain and twists the seaweed
Has made your happy body and your luminous eyes
And given your mouth the smile of water.

A black and anguished sun is entangled in the twigs
Of your black mane when you hold out your arms.
You play in the sun as in a tidal river
And it leaves two dark pools in your eyes.

Brown and agile child, nothing draws me to you,
Everything pulls away from me here in the noon.
You are the delirious youth of bee,
The drunkenness of the wave, the power of the heat.

My somber heart seeks you always
I love your happy body, your rich, soft voice.
Dusky butterfly, sweet and sure
Like the wheat field, the sun, the poppy, and the water.

Pablo Neruda

Today is the anniversary of the birth of this wonderful poet.  His biography is on the link of his name.  For more of his poetry can be found here.

3 comments:

Travis Cody said...

That's a fascinating piece.

Durward Discussion said...

Here are some of Neruda's sonnets in both the original Spanish and the English translations. Either way they are beautiful

Sonnets

Mimi Lenox said...

So many shades of life's good here. Love it.