The poem
I can write the saddest poem of all tonight.
Write, for instance: "The night is full of stars, and the stars, blue, shiver in the distance."
The night wind whirls in the sky and sings.
I can write the saddest poem of all tonight. I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too.
On nights like this, I held her in my arms. I kissed her so many times under the infinite sky.
She loved me, sometimes I loved her. How could I not have loved her large, still eyes?
I can write the saddest poem of all tonight. To think I don't have her. To feel that I've lost her.
To hear the immense night, more immense without her. And the poem falls to the soul as dew to grass.
What does it matter that my love couldn't keep her. The night is full of stars and she is not with me.
That's all. Far away, someone sings. Far away. My soul is lost without her.
As if to bring her near, my eyes search for her. My heart searches for her and she is not with me.
The same night that whitens the same trees. We, we who were, we are the same no longer.
I no longer love her, true, but how much I loved her. My voice searched the wind to touch her ear.
Someone else's. She will be someone else's. As she once belonged to my kisses. Her voice, her light body. Her infinite eyes.
I no longer love her, true, but perhaps I love her. Love is so short and oblivion so long.
Because on nights like this I held her in my arms, my soul is lost without her.
Although this may be the last pain she causes me, and this may be the last poem I write for her.
this is a poem that i get... i dont realli get all tha other ones..this is a sad peom and makes sense to me.. about a person who once loved so much and then the person that he loved, is no longer with him but because he loved her so much, he still does but wont admit it......write a comment :)
But he is admitting it. He is saying that he did love her very much, and really he still does. But he is letting her go with this poem, saying he will no longer write about her. It's a beautiful poem.
he really loved her,and he knows that whatever happened he will always remember her, because she was an important thing in his life ........she will be always in his mind....
While I believe that he may have loved her, I also believe that he may be in love with the idea of being in love and loving someone else, as many people are. He is trying to encompass his emotions towards this woman before, during, and after his relationship with her. The irony behind the poem is that they were in lvoe with each other at different times, which is a frequent occurence in several relationships. He is almost writing this poem on behalf of every person that has ever been in love and will ever be in love.
Who translated this!? this is my favourite poem of all time but this particular translation is absolutely horrendous. this poem is so beautiful in spanish but its even captured in the standard english translation, which this isnt. anyone who found this poem amazing i urge you to find a decent translation so you can enjoy its beauty in full!
I think this one is about love fading away into the passage of time however the guy still loves her.I personally like this poem because it's so relevant to my life now.
And yes this one is written in a way i could comprehend--simple,direct and killing.
Very thoughtful and beautiful.. Love hurts but it never fades...
It's sad to lose love....but it's beauty lingers on till life fades....into infinity. Wish lovers had abetter fate!
I agree with davinita from Kenya. Who translated this and is it the direct translation? I knew another version that was far more poignant and emotional. Once you know the beauty of that, this version does not cut it..though it does tell the tale. My favorite poem of all time just because love was shown by neruda to be coming from the soul. If someone finds the english version that starts with.."Tonight I can write.." please let me know where.
hey mari.. here's the version that i have.. you're right, it's far better.. "Tonight I Can Write" By Pablo Neruda Tonight I can write the saddest lines. Write, for example, "The night is starry and the stars are blue and shiver in the distance." The night wind revolves in the sky and sings. Tonight I can write the saddest lines. I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too. Through nights like this one I held her in…
Read the whole commenthey mari.. here's the version that i have.. you're right, it's far better..
"Tonight I Can Write"
By Pablo Neruda
Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
Write, for example, "The night is starry
and the stars are blue and shiver in the distance."
The night wind revolves in the sky and sings.
Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too.
Through nights like this one I held her in my arms.
I kissed her again and again under the endless sky.
She loved me, sometimes I loved her too.
How could one not have loved her great still eyes.
Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
To think that I do not have her. To feel that I have lost her.
To hear the immense night, still more immense without her.
And the verse falls to the soul like dew to the pasture.
What does it matter that my love could not keep her.
The night is starry and she is not with me.
This is all. In the distance someone is singing. In the distance.
My soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.
My sight tries to find her as though to bring her closer.
My heart looks for her, and she is not with me.
The same night whitening the same trees.
We, of that time, are no longer the same.
I no longer love her, that's certain, but how I loved her.
My voice tried to find the wind to touch her hearing.
Another's. She will be another's. As she was before my kisses.
Her voice, her bright body. Her infinite eyes.
I no longer love her, that's certain, but maybe I love her.
Love is so short, forgetting is so long.
Because through nights like this one I held her in my arms
my soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.
Though this be the last pain that she makes me suffer
and these the last verses that I write for her.
If anyone can please tell me a poem a lot like this but full of a lot more passion and love can you please post it on here???I would be so happy if you could.
this poem is one of my favorites. neruda is one of my favorite authors and this is just one of his great poems.
Original poem written in spanish. Poema 20 Puedo escribir los versos mas tristes esta noche. Escribir, por ejemplo: "La noche esta estrellada, y tiritan, azules, los astros, a lo lejos". El viento de la noche gira en el cielo y canta. Puedo escribir los versos mas tristes esta noche. Yo la quise, y a veces ella tambien me quiso. En las noches como esta la tuve entre mis brazos. La bese tantas veces bajo el cielo…
Read the whole commentOriginal poem written in spanish.
Poema 20
Puedo escribir los versos mas tristes esta noche.
Escribir, por ejemplo: "La noche esta estrellada,
y tiritan, azules, los astros, a lo lejos".
El viento de la noche gira en el cielo y canta.
Puedo escribir los versos mas tristes esta noche.
Yo la quise, y a veces ella tambien me quiso.
En las noches como esta la tuve entre mis brazos.
La bese tantas veces bajo el cielo infinito.
Ella me quiso, a veces yo tambien la queria.
Como no haber amado sus grandes ojos fijos.
Puedo escribir los versos mas tristes esta noche.
Pensar que no la tengo. Sentir que la he perdido.
Oir la noche inmensa, mas inmensa sin ella.
Y el verso cae al alma como al pasto el rocio.
Que importa que mi amor no pudiera guardarla.
La noche esta estrellada y ella no esta conmigo.
Eso es todo. A lo lejos alguien canta. A lo lejos.
Mi alma no se contenta con haberla perdido.
Como para acercarla mi mirada la busca.
Mi corazon la busca, y ella no esta conmigo.
La misma noche que hace blanquear los mismos arboles.
Nosotros, los de entonces, ya no somos los mismos.
Ya no la quiero, es cierto, pero cuanto la quise.
Mi voz buscaba el viento para tocar su oido.
De otro. Sera de otro. Como antes de mis besos.
Su voz, su cuerpo claro. Sus ojos infinitos.
Ya no la quiero, es cierto, pero tal vez la quiero.
Es tan corto el amor, y es tan largo el olvido.
Porque en noches como esta la tuve entre mis brazos,
mi alma no se contenta con haberla perdido.
Aunque este sea el ultimo dolor que ella me causa,
y estos sean los ultimos versos que yo le escribo.
The title is such a powerful hook, and then the flow of the poem builds to a surprising content. Love has such a hold on a person and this poem proves it!
There is a value to understanding that translations can alter the finer meanings--and it's good that many of you challenged the version that was posted!
This poem makes me feel that the poet labored with his word choices. He spent time writing it. I feel like it was almost like a birthing experience--trying to make sense of what he was feeling, why he was feeling it...and it all came out as the "saddest poem".
The language is simple, no double meanings. It is an approachable poem.
This poem is anything BUT simple!!
His lover is the wind, not an actual person.
With that in mind reread it and think of what he is actually speaking about.
hm... strange.
well.. it's like I thought!
emm.. interesting
now I know it!
Tonight I Can Write Tonight I can write the saddest lines. Write, for example, "The night is starry and the stars are blue and shiver in the distance." The night wind revolves in the sky and sings. Tonight I can write the saddest lines. I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too. Through nights like this one I held her in my arms. I kissed her again and again under the endless sky. She loved me, sometimes I loved…
Read the whole commentTonight I Can Write
Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
Write, for example, "The night is starry
and the stars are blue and shiver in the distance."
The night wind revolves in the sky and sings.
Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too.
Through nights like this one I held her in my arms.
I kissed her again and again under the endless sky.
She loved me, sometimes I loved her too.
How could one not have loved her great still eyes.
Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
To think that I do not have her. To feel that I have lost her.
To hear the immense night, still more immense without her.
And the verse falls to the soul like dew to the pasture.
What does it matter that my love could not keep her.
The night is starry and she is not with me.
This is all. In the distance someone is singing. In the distance.
My soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.
My sight tries to find her as though to bring her closer.
My heart looks for her, and she is not with me.
The same night whitening the same trees.
We, of that time, are no longer the same.
I no longer love her, that's certain, but how I loved her.
My voice tried to find the wind to touch her hearing.
Another's. She will be another's. As she was before my kisses.
Her voice, her bright body. Her infinite eyes.
I no longer love her, that's certain, but maybe I love her.
Love is so short, forgetting is so long.
Because through nights like this one I held her in my arms
my soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.
Though this be the last pain that she makes me suffer
and these the last verses that I write for her.