This is the first comprehensive English-language collection of verse by the most celebrated Slovenian poet of modern times and one of Europe's most notable postwar poets, Edvard Kocbek (1904-1981).The selections introduce the reader to the full spectrum of Kocbek's long and distinguished career, starting with the pantheist and expressionist nature poems of his early period and continuing through the politically engaged poetry written during and after World War II, to the philosophical and metaphysical meditations of his fecund late period.Readers will be struck by the originality and freshness of Kocbek's sinewy and intense vision, rendered into fluid and idiomatic English by two experienced translators. The Slovenian texts appear on the facing pages.The opening stanza of "Moon with a Halo"The man beside me was killed.He had a mother who bore himand a father who made him toys,he had a brother and a playful uncleand a little girl with blond braids,he had a wooden cart and a wooden horse,a trunkful of colored dreamsand a brook where he used to fish.

Foreword by Charles Simic ix
Acknowledgments xiii
Introduction by Michael Scammell 1
From EARTH 13
Silent birds perch on my shoulders 15
The sun is wreathed in cobwebs 17
A pair of strong young oxen goes slowly 19
The women are coming from work 21
The heavy bole presses the last basket of grapes 23
O noise of waters, collapse of the universe 25
Loud greetings to you, my living comrades 27
Drunk with change I lie on the ground 29
Earth, I get everything from you 31
From DREAD 33
Rain 35
Hands 37
Moonlight 39
Moon with a Halo 41
Crucifix in a Field 43
The Game 45
After the Meeting 47
Unknown Woman 49
The Bay 51
Night Ritual 53
Midnight Wind 55
Dialectics 57
Black Sea 59
The Stick 61
Grace 63
Landscape 65
Migration 67
Things 69
Summons 71
Presentiment 73
Prayer 75
From PENTAGRAM 77
On Night Watch 79
Doubled 81
How Shall I Be? 83
Pentagram 85
The Cave 87
Image in Old Bark 89
Night Doffs Its Weapons 91
From REPORT 93
Parrots 95
Contraband 97
Exercise 99
Girl's Apron 101
Climax 103
Ditty 105
Now 107
Pontic 109
The Game Is Over 111
Play Backwards 113
Longing for Jail 115
My Partisan Name 117
Lippizaners 119
From EMBERS 125
Tree 127
What Happens to the Mountain 129
Unknown Beloved 131
The Time of the Poem 133
Blessed Search 135
From BRIDE IN BLACK 137
Amok 139
What We Were Looking For 141
The Statue 143
Tongue 145
Plea 147
Stammer, Children 149
Girl 151
On Freedom of Mind 153
Ancient Miracle 155
The Generosity of the Poem 157
Now We Are Alone 159
Game 161
I haven't done playing with words 163