"He speaks to us; and his explanations of some of his symbols suggest to us the rarest of illusions. It occurs to me he is an oriental prince who travels in pursuit of impossible sacred bayaderes" - Cesar Vallejo


Originally published in Peru in 1916, The Song of the Figures, Jose Maria Eguren's second volume of poetry, consolidated his reputation as one of the leading voices of his generation and earned him the unanimous praise of his contemporaries, such as Jose Carlos Mariategui, Cesar Vallejo and Abraham Valdelomar. Displaying a penchant for Oriental themes shrouded in mystery and sensuality, The Song of the Figures is an outstanding follow-up to the landmark success of Symbolics (1911), and remains as one of the highlights of Latin American poetry in the 20th century.


This first English translation, long overdue, restitutes the figure of one of the most uniquely crafted voices of Latin American poetry and opens up a window to his timeless past.