The first authorized English translation of Aun, considered among Neruda's finest long poems. More aware than ever of his imminent death, these 28 cantos--written during two intensely lyrical days--launch the poet on a personal expedition in search of his deepest roots. It is a soaring tribute to the Chilean people, their history and survival, that invokes the Araucanian Indians, the conquistadors who tried to enslave them, folklore, the people and places of his childhood, and the sights and smells of the marketplace. As in the best poetry, Neruda's particulars become profoundly universal. With an introduction by translator O'Daly. --From publisher description.