Published to mark the centenary of Joan Alcover’s death, Balanguera is the first representative collection of his poetry in English. It includes the first published English translation of La Balanguera, the poem that became Mallorca’s anthem, together with a selection of Alcover’s finest work on love, loss, memory and the landscapes of Mallorca.
Timed to mark the centenary of Alcover’s death, this is the first representative collection of his work in English, including the first published translation of ‘La Balanguera’.
Joan Alcover (1854 – 1926) is a seminal figure in Catalan literature and Mallorca’s most celebrated poet. He is best known for his poem ‘La Balanguera’, about a mysterious woman who represents fate and the passing of time as she spins the thread of our lives. After it was set to music in 1926 the song came to symbolise the pride that Mallorcans feel for their language and their island home. Alcover’s subjects include love, loss and the passing of time, as well as the rugged beauty of the Mallorcan countryside.
