This collection contains some of the most important works by one of the twentieth century’s most popular and influential poets. The appeal of Fried’s verse lies in its simplicity and directness, whether he is writing – with his customary humanity, honesty and perception – about love, about political and moral issues, or about the problems brought on by illness, bereavement, ageing and death. This bilingual edition – with English translations by Stuart Hood, his long-term friend and colleague at the BBC – enables the reader to get a flavour of the original of these immensely enjoyable and enlightening poems.

"Hood’s sensitive translation accurately captures Fried’s style, his incisive, constant questioning and his refusal to shy away from any issue… an apposite introduction to the English-speaking reader of an important contemporary German poet." - TLS

"A poetry bared to the ironic quick, to the quintessential bone." - The Guardian