The Captain's Verses is a celebration of love, ecstasy, devotion, and fury, capturing all the erotic energy of a new love. First published anonymously in 1952, these poems were addressed to Matilde Urrutia, the one with "the fire / of an unchained meteor," some years before Pablo Neruda married her.

This bilingual edition is considered by many as the most intimate and passionate volume of Neruda's love poetry.

Against the backdrop of Isla Negra - the sea and wind, the white sand with its scattering of delicate wild flowers, the hot sun and salty smells of the Pacific - the poet sets the poems in celebration of his love. The subject of that love is Matilde Urrutia de Neruda, Pablo's beloved wife.

This collection offers a vibrant translation of Neruda’s sensual and erotic poetry. Famous for his politically engaged lyrics, the Nobel Laureate also wrote bold and sexual sonnets, capturing the spirit and verbal dexterity of this lesser-known genre.