Meanwhile Take My Hand
The American debut of Basque writer Kirmen Uribe's "simple, devastating poems" (Bob Holman)

Whenever we're saddened everything looks dark,
When we're heartened, again, the world crumbles.
Every one of us keeps forever someone else's hidden side,
If it's a secret, if a mistake, if a gesture.
—from "May"

Kirmen Uribe has become one of the best-known Basque-language writers—an important contemporary voice from a vital but largely unknown language. Meanwhile Take My Hand presents Uribe's poetry to American readers in both the original and in the poet Elizabeth Macklin's skillful and award-winning translations.

In these poems are the drug addicts of Spanish fishing towns, the paved-over rivers of urbanized medieval cities, the remains of loving relationships, whether entirely uprooted or making do with a companionable silence. The Basque phrase Bitartean heldu eskutik, which became the book's title—Meanwhile Take My Hand—Uribe has said is "what you say when there's nothing at all you can say."

"1100946870"
Meanwhile Take My Hand
The American debut of Basque writer Kirmen Uribe's "simple, devastating poems" (Bob Holman)

Whenever we're saddened everything looks dark,
When we're heartened, again, the world crumbles.
Every one of us keeps forever someone else's hidden side,
If it's a secret, if a mistake, if a gesture.
—from "May"

Kirmen Uribe has become one of the best-known Basque-language writers—an important contemporary voice from a vital but largely unknown language. Meanwhile Take My Hand presents Uribe's poetry to American readers in both the original and in the poet Elizabeth Macklin's skillful and award-winning translations.

In these poems are the drug addicts of Spanish fishing towns, the paved-over rivers of urbanized medieval cities, the remains of loving relationships, whether entirely uprooted or making do with a companionable silence. The Basque phrase Bitartean heldu eskutik, which became the book's title—Meanwhile Take My Hand—Uribe has said is "what you say when there's nothing at all you can say."

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Meanwhile Take My Hand

Meanwhile Take My Hand

Meanwhile Take My Hand

Meanwhile Take My Hand

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Overview

The American debut of Basque writer Kirmen Uribe's "simple, devastating poems" (Bob Holman)

Whenever we're saddened everything looks dark,
When we're heartened, again, the world crumbles.
Every one of us keeps forever someone else's hidden side,
If it's a secret, if a mistake, if a gesture.
—from "May"

Kirmen Uribe has become one of the best-known Basque-language writers—an important contemporary voice from a vital but largely unknown language. Meanwhile Take My Hand presents Uribe's poetry to American readers in both the original and in the poet Elizabeth Macklin's skillful and award-winning translations.

In these poems are the drug addicts of Spanish fishing towns, the paved-over rivers of urbanized medieval cities, the remains of loving relationships, whether entirely uprooted or making do with a companionable silence. The Basque phrase Bitartean heldu eskutik, which became the book's title—Meanwhile Take My Hand—Uribe has said is "what you say when there's nothing at all you can say."


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781555974589
Publisher: Graywolf Press
Publication date: 01/09/2007
Pages: 200
Sales rank: 754,527
Product dimensions: 6.03(w) x 8.96(h) x 0.43(d)

About the Author

Kirmen Uribe was born in Ondarroa, Spain, in 1970. His debut poetry collection won Spain's 2001 Premio de la Critica.

Elizabeth Macklin's translations of Uribe have appeared in The New Yorker, and in 2005 she won a PEN Translation Fund grant.

Table of Contents

Introduction and a note on this translation by Elizabeth Macklin

Ibaia
The River

One / Bat
Irla
The Island
Bisita
Visit
Arriskua
Danger
Loren
Loren
Pagoa
The Beech Tree
Mohammed
Mohammed
Maite zaitut, ez
I Love You, No
Kardiograma
Cardiogram

Two / Bi
Gerraostea
Postwar
Txoriak neguan
Birds in Winter
Gereziondoa
The Cherry Tree
Teknologia
Technology
John Keats-en hilartitzaz
After John Keat's Gravestone

Three / Hiru
Arima gaiztoak
Evil Spirits
Sagarrak
Apples
Musua
The Kiss
Zuhaitzen denbora
The Space-Times of Trees
Haiku
Haiku
Gauza perfektuak
Things That Are Perfect
Ez da egia
It Isn't True

Four / Lau
Bidaztia sorterriaz mintzo da
The Traveler Speaks of His Birthplace
Amesgaiztoa
Bad Dream
Bidaia kaiera: Bhutan
Travel Notes: Bhutan
Memoria historikoa
Historical Memory
Sasiakazia
Animalien hiskuntza
The Language of Animals
Hiskuntza bat
A Language
Hodeiak
Clouds

Five / Bost
Ezin esan
No Saying
Bada beldur bat
There's a Fear
Gadda
Gadda
Igogailua
The Elevator
Arrain-ontzia
The Fishbowl

Six / Sei
Aresti-Duchamp xake partida
The Aresti-Duchamp Chess Game

Seven / Zazpi
Ez eman hautatzeko
Don't Make It a Choice
Urrezko eraztuna
The Gold Ring
Oroimen ariketa
Memory Exercise
Kukua
The Cuckoo
Aparte-apartean
Way Off Over There
Notak paper solte batean
Notes on a Loose Piece of Paper
Maiatza
May

Afterword: Anus mundi

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