The first book of Montale's poems is one of the greatest of modern poetry. Although it has been translated into English at various occasions, Antonio Mazza's translation should be praised and recognised as one of the best. Mazza has been translating Montale for some years. this choice would seem to be a matter of faithfulness to the voice whose language, also Mazza's mother tongue, is Italian, with all its musical, rhythmical, incantatory and lexical implications.