When Pablo mentioned the sonnet #130 from the Dark Lady series - my mind immediately flew to this 'hymn' Neruda wrote to his wife. There is no flowery language, no hyperbole in describing her, just like Shakespeare's work. She is not the most beautiful in the world, certainly not perfect. Just perfect for him. Yes, I'll admit it. My heart flutters when I read these words.

La Reina

Yo te he nombrado reina.
Hay mas altas que tu, mas altas.
Hay mas puras que tu, mas puras.
Hay mas bellas que tu, hay mas bellas.
Pero tu eres la reina.

Cuando vas por las calles
nadie te reconoce.
Nadie ve tu corona
de cristal, nadie mira
la alfombra de oro rojo
que pisas donde pasas,
la alfombra que no existe.

Y cuando asomas
suenan todos los ríos
de mi cuerpo, sacuden
el cielo las campanas,
y un himno llena el mundo.

Solo tu y yo,
solo tu y yo,
amor mio,
lo escuchamos.

-Pablo Neruda



The Queen

I have named you Queen.
There are others higher than you, higher.
There are others purer than you, purer.
There are others more beautiful than you, more beautiful.

But you are the queen.

When you wander the streets,
no one recognizes you.
No one sees your crystal crown. No one sees
the carpet of red-gold that you step on
when you pass by.
The carpet that does not exist.

And when you appear,
Ripples form in all the rivers in my body.
Bells rattle the skies
And a hymn of praise fills the world.

Only you and I,
Only you and I, My Love,
Hear it.

-my translation