Aquí era el paraíso : selección de poemas de Humberto Ak'abal
(Book)

Includes bibliographical references.

"A collection of poetry by one of the greatest Indigenous poets of the Americas about the vanished world of his childhood -- that of the Maya K'iche'. Aquí era el paraíso / Here Was Paradise is a selection of poems written by the great Maya poet Humberto Ak'abal. They evoke his childhood in and around the Maya K'iche' village of Momostenango, Guatemala, and also describe his own role as a poet of the place. Ak'abal writes about children, and grandfathers, and mothers, and animals, and ghosts, and thwarted love, and fields, and rains, and poetry, and poverty, and death. The poetry was written for adults but can also be read and loved by young people, especially in this collection, beautifully illustrated by award-winning Guatemalan-American illustrator Amelia Lau Carling. Ak'abal is famous worldwide as one of the great contemporary poets in the Spanish language, and one of the greatest Indigenous poets of the Americas. Ak'abal created and wrote his poems first in K'iche', then translated them into Spanish."--,Provided by publisher.

"Aquí era el paraíso / Here was paradise es una selección de poemas escritos por el gran poeta maya Humberto Ak'abal. Creados primero en k'ické, estos poemas evocan su infancia en y alrededor de la aldea maya k'iché de Momostenango, Guatemala. Ak'abal es reconocido mundiamente como uno de los grades poetas contemporaneous de la lengua hispana y uno de los más grandes poetas indígenas de América. Escribió sobre niños, abuelos, madres, animales, fantasmas, amores frustrados, sembradíos, lluvias, poesía, pobreza y muerte. Aunque Ak'abal escribió para adultos, esta colección bilingüe en español e inglés es también accessible para jóvenes, acompañada por la Hermosa obra de la ilustrdora guatemalteca Amelia Lau Carling y por un prólogo de la editor Patricia Aldana."--Inside cover.

Ages 10-13.

Grades 5-8.

Issued also in electronic formats.

Poems in Spanish and English on facing pages.