Selected Translations

For twenty years, Ilan Stavans has been translating poetry from Spanish, Yiddish, Hebrew, French, Portuguese, Russian, German, Georgian, and other languages. His versions of Borges, Neruda, Sor Juana Ins de la Cruz, Ferreira Gullar, Ral Zurita, and dozens of others have become classics. This volume, which includes poems from more than forty poets from all over the world, is testimony to a life dedicated to the pursuit of beauty through poetry in different languages. Lightning from the Stable by Elizabeth Schn (Venezuela, 19212007) You dont choosethe abyss, the chaos, the nothingnessThey reach youin water running slowlyfor you not to be surprised by the absence of matter around younear the light of the soul callingthe wings passing flap of the earth you live in.