“Don’t Go Far Off” is a deeply emotional love poem by Pablo Neruda, in which the poet expresses his intense fear of emotional distance and separation from his beloved. Rather than physical absence, the poem focuses on the pain caused by silence, neglect, and emotional withdrawal. Through simple yet powerful language, Neruda highlights how love depends on closeness, communication, and presence, making the poem a moving reflection on vulnerability and human connection.
Don't Go Far Off Poem By Pablo Neruda
Don't go far off, not even for a day, because -
because - I don't know how to say it: a day is long
and I will be waiting for you, as in an empty station
when the trains are parked off somewhere else, asleep.
Don't leave me, even for an hour, because
then the little drops of anguish will all run together,
the smoke that roams looking for a home will drift
into me, choking my lost heart.
Oh, may your silhouette never dissolve on the beach;
may your eyelids never flutter into the empty distance.
Don't leave me for a second, my dearest,
because in that moment you'll have gone so far
I'll wander mazily over all the earth, asking,
Will you come back? Will you leave me here, dying?