Love Poems

Jaime Sabines Gutierrez, Mexico's most influential modern poet, was born in Chiapas in 1926. His first collection, Horal, appeared in 1950 and met with widespread critical acclaim. Several of his later titles are considered classics, and his poetry continues to be anthologized and widely translated. He received numerous literary awards and honours over the course of his career, including the City of Mexico Prize, the National Prize for Literature, and the Belisario Dominguez Medal of honour. Often regarded as one of the major poets of the 20th century, he died in Mexico City in March 1999. Colin Carberry was born in Toronto and raised in Ireland. He is the author of the poetry collections The Crossing, The Green Table and Ceasefire in Purgatory, and is the translator of an earlier volume of verse by Sabines. He lives in Mexico.

One of the finest contemporary poets of our language. His intense personal opus is in my view among the most important in Latin America and the Spanish language. - Octavio Paz He has a voice completely his own. His poetry is extremely intimate and plain, but powerful, sometimes shockingly powerful. - W.S. Merwin His best poems are revelations of truths, odd truths, truths we immediately accept, which we have long suspected as truths but have never before heard articulated - Philip Levine One of the indispensable poets, not merely of Mexico but of all Latin America and the Spanish language. - Mario Benedetti