Friday, August 7, 2009

Pablo Neruda's Sonnet XVII

I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,
or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.
I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul.
I love you as the plant that never blooms
but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;
thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,
risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.
I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
so I love you because I know no other way
than this: where I does not exist, nor you,
so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,
so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.

2 comments:

  1. Pablo neruda tulis ini ya?
    I love reading it pastu pejam mata.

    ReplyDelete
  2. kan? his poems are all like that. I love his love poems the best.
    the words reach the depth of the soul.

    ReplyDelete

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