It is a pleasure to express my thanks to the following Czech writers, or their copyright owners, who have allowed me to reproduce their poems in this book:

Jiři Reif, for Jarní Noc and Vánoce by J. Vrchlický; Madame Marešová-Machar, for Posel by J. S. Machar; A. Klášterský, for Ráno and Hu “Dobrý Vody”; P. Bezruč, for Kdo na moje místo?; The Czechoslovak Literary Fund (Český Literarní-Fond), for Jarní Noc by O. Březina; Madame Horová, for Okno by J. Hora; The Regional Council, Prostějev, for Balada o Očích Topičových by J. Wolker; V. Nezval, for the first three stanzas of “Po deštíku který crčí v rákosí . . .” and Sbohem a Šáteček; J. Seifert, for “Z těch písní, . . .”; Madame Halasová, for Smrt by F. Halas; V. Holan, for Neštěstí.

In making some of these arrangements I have been grateful for the kind help of the Czechoslovak Theatrical and Literary Agency (Dilia).

I gratefully acknowledge my debt to all those who have given me the benefit of their advice in preparing this collection. I am especially indebted to Mr. J. F. N. Bradley, of Fitzwilliam House, Cambridge, for seeing the book through the press, and to the University of Adelaide for making possible its publication. I have also to thank the editors of Meanjin and Southerly for allowing me to reproduce material first published there.A. F.