Angel Gonzalez
Translated by Donald D. Walsh

• Frontmatter,
• PREFACE,
• CONTENTS,
• INTRODUCTION,
• Áspero Mundo / Harsh World,
• Cumpleaños / Birthday,
• Eso no es nada / That's Not Anything,
• Me falta una palabra . . . / I'm lacking one word...,
• Muerte en la tarde / Death in the Evening,
• A qué mirar . . . / Why look?...,
• Todos ustedes parecen felices... / You All Seem Happy,
• Adiós . . . / Farewell,
• Por aquí pasa un rio . . . / Through here a river passes,
• El otoño cruzaba . . . / Autumn sent . . .,
• Lluvia sobre la nieve en primavera / Rain upon the Snow in the Spring,
• Perros contra la Iuna . . . / Dogs against the moon . . .,
• Apoyas la mano . . . / You rest your hand . . .,
• Pájaros / Birds,
• Son las gaviotas, amor . . . / They are the seagulls, my love . . .,
• Milagro de la luz . . . / Miracle of light . . .,
• Bosque / Woods,
• Otro tiempo vendrá . . . / Another time will come . . .,
• El derrotado / The Defeated One,
• Yo mismo / I Myself,
• Mundo asombroso . . . / An astonishing world . . .,
• Si serenases. . . / If you composed . . .,
• Esperanza . . . / Hope . . .,
• El recuerdo / Memory,
• Crisis / Crisis,
• Sé Io que es esperar .../ I know what it's like to wait...,
• Ayer / Yesterday,
• Domingo / Sunday,
• El inviemo / Winter,
• Cumpleaños de amor/ Love's Birthday,
• Diciembre / December,
• Mendigo / Beggar,
• Carta sin despedida / Letter without Farewell,
• Símbolo / Symbol,
• Narración breve / Brief Narrative,
• Entreacto / Intermission,
• Pájaro enorme ... / Enormous bird .. .,
• Piedra rota / Broken Stone,
• Esperad que llegue / Wait for It to Come,
• Estío en Bidonville / Summerin the Slums,
• Prueba / Proof,
• Me basta así / That Is Enough for Me,
• Las palabras inútiles / Useless Words,
• Inventorio de lugares propicios al amor / Inventory of Places Propitious for Love,
• Plaza con torreones y palacios / Square with Towers and Palaces,
• Preámbulo a un silencio / Preamble to Silence,
• Vals de atardecer / Evening Waltz,
• Tango de madrugada / Tango of the Dawn,
• Canción para cantar una cancion / Song to Sing a Song,
• Qué Ie vamos a hacer / It's Hopeless,
• Letra para cantar un día domingo / Words to Be Sung on a Sunday,
• Ciudad cero / Zero City,
• Primera evocación / First Evocation,
• Siempre Io que quieras / Whatever You Want,
• Así nunca volvió a ser / It Was Never the Same Again,
• Empleo de la nostalgia / The Uses of Nostalgia,
• Quinteto enterramiento para cuerda en cementerio y piano rural / Funeral Quintet for Graveyard Strings and Country Piano,
• Realismo magico / Magic Realism,
• Ciencia aflicción / Science as Affliction,

Although seven volumes of his poetry are available in Spanish, the work of Ángel González has not been widely translated into English. This bilingual edition, introduced by the poet, presents selections from Palabra sobre palabra (Word upon Word), his definitive collection. Included are poems from Grado elemental (Elementary Grade), which won the Antonio Machado Prize for Poetry.
Born in Oviedo, Spain in 1925, Ángel González published his first book in 1956 to immediate acclaim. His poetry is characterized by striking imagery and deeply personal statement that is often sad and sardonic.
Of his work González writes, "'Experience,' 'reality', and 'preciseness of expression' are probably...the boundaries that limit the space, on a horizontal plane, in which my poetic intentions move. Upon this plane, trying to add another dimension, I attempt to erect my creative and imaginative possibilities....In some of these poems, written and published in Spain, the result of a determined desire to bear witness will have to be sought not in what the words say but in what they imply, in the spaces of shadow, of silence of anger, or of helplessness that they discover or uncover."
Originally published in 1977.
The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.