Versos Sencillos

In 1890, the great Cuban revolutionary leader Jose Marti wrote his definitive work, Versos Sencillos, in a small town called Haines Falls in the Catskill Mountains of New York. Simple as their title suggests, yet intensely personal in tone, these verses form a unique autobiographical expression which appeals to a widely varied audience. This dual-language edition of Versos Sencillos offers both the Spanish-language original and a graceful English translation of each poem in the collection. The translation follows the original rhyme scheme where feasible but deliberately chooses meaning over form, staying true to mood and method. In addition to notes on the poems, this edition also includes the particulars of translation and provides a background for the composition of the verses, features lacking in earlier translations. An index of first lines, both English and Spanish, is included.