Lord - senor; castellano, senor
Bob Southey! You're a poet, poet laureate,
Bob - Beto
Laureate - laureado, galardonado, ganador, laurear
And representative of all the race.
representative - representante, representativo, representante
Although 'tis true that you turned out a Tory at
Last, yours has lately been a common case.
lately - últimamente
And now my epic renegade, what are ye at
epic - epopeya, poema épico
renegade - renegado, renegada, rebelde
ye - sí; vos
With all the lakers, in and out of place?
A nest of tuneful persons, to my eye
nest - nido
Like four and twenty blackbirds in a pye,
blackbirds - mirlos; mirlo, turpial, soldadito
Which pye being opened they began to sing'
(This old song and new simile holds good),
simile - símil
'A dainty dish to set before the King'
dainty - delicado, manoso
Or Regent, who admires such kind of food.
Regent - regente
And Coleridge too has lately taken wing,
But like a hawk encumbered with his hood,
hawk - gavilán; halcón
hood - capucha
Explaining metaphysics to the nation.
metaphysics - metafísica
I wish he would explain his explanation.
You, Bob, are rather insolent, you know,
insolent - insolente
At being disappointed in your wish
To supersede all warblers here below,
supersede - suprimir; substituir, sustituir, suplantar
warblers - currucas; curruca, aranero, chipe, reinita
And be the only blackbird in the dish.
blackbird - mirlo, turpial, soldadito
And then you overstrain yourself, or so,
overstrain - Sobreesfuerzo
And tumble downward like the flying fish
tumble - dar la vuelta; caída, caer, revolverse
downward - hacia abajo
Gasping on deck, because you soar too high,
gasping - Jadeando; (gasp); jadear, bocanada, calada
deck - baraja
soar - subir; planear, elevarse, planar
Bob, And fall for lack of moisture quite a dry Bob.
moisture - humedad
And Wordsworth in a rather long Excursion
excursion - excursión
(I think the quarto holds five hundred pages)
quarto - Cuarto
Has given a sample from the vasty version
vasty - Vasta
Of his new system to perplex the sages.
perplex - perplejidad; confundir, desconcertar
sages - sabios; salvia
'Tis poetry, at least by his assertion,
assertion - aserción; afirmación, aserto
And may appear so when the Dog Star rages,
rages - furia; rabia, furor
And he who understands it would be able
To add a story to the tower of Babel.
You gentlemen, by dint of long seclusion
dint - no; abolladura
From better company, have kept your own
At Keswick, and through still continued fusion
fusion - derretimiento, fundición, fusión
Of one another's minds at last have grown
To deem, as a most logical conclusion,
deem - considerar, concluir, estimar
logical - lógico
That poesy has wreaths for you alone.
poesy - poesía
wreaths - coronas; guirnalda, corona, burelete, rodear
There is a narrowness in such a notion,
narrowness - estrechez
notion - noción, ganas, intención
Which makes me wish you'd change your lakes for ocean.
I would not imitate the petty thought,
imitate - imitar
petty - pequeno; baladí, de pitiminí, detallista, insignificante
Nor coin my self-love to so base a vice,
self-love - (self-love) Amor propio
vice - vicio; torno de banco
For all the glory your conversion brought,
glory - gloria
conversion - conversión
Since gold alone should not have been its price.
You have your salary; was't for that you wrought?
And Wordsworth has his place in the Excise.
excise - impuestos especiales; impuesto sobre el consumo
You're shabby fellows"true"but poets still
shabby - desalinado; raído, astroso, zarrapastroso, cutre, harapiento
fellows - companeros; tipo
And duly seated on the immortal hill.
duly - bien; debidamente
immortal - inmortal, inmortal
Your bays may hide the baldness of your brows,
bays - ahías; bahía
baldness - calvicie
brows - cejas; (brow) cejas
Perhaps some virtuous blushes; let them go.
virtuous - virtuoso
blushes - se ruboriza; sonrojo, rubor
To you I envy neither fruit nor boughs,
envy - envidia, pelusa, envidiar
boughs - ramas; rama
And for the fame you would engross below,
fame - fama
engross - absorber; acaparar, arramblar, apandar, alzarse con
The field is universal and allows
universal - universal
Scope to all such as feel the inherent glow.
scope - alcance; oportunidad
inherent - inherente
glow - resplandor; fulgir, fulgurar, iluminar, brillar
Scott, Rogers, Campbell, Moore, and Crabbe will try
Rogers - rogers; Rogelio
'Gainst you the question with posterity.
gainst - Contra
posterity - posteridad
For me, who, wandering with pedestrian Muses,
wandering - deambulando; errabundo, andariego, errante, peripatético
pedestrian - peatón; peatonal, común, prosaico, banal, pedestre
muses - musas; Musa
Contend not with you on the winged'steed,
contend - contender, sostener
steed - caballo; corcel
I wish your fate may yield ye, when she chooses,
fate - destino, azar
yield - ceder
The fame you envy and the skill you need.
And recollect a poet nothing loses
recollect - recuerdas; recordar, acordarse de
In giving to his brethren their full meed
brethren - hermanos
Of merit, and complaint of present days
merit - mérito, merecimiento, meritar
Is not the certain path to future praise.
Praise - elogios; alabanza, loa, enaltecimiento, elogio, adoración
He that reserves his laurels for posterity
reserves - reservas; reserva, reservar
laurels - aureles; laurel, corona de laurel
(Who does not often claim the bright reversion)
Has generally no great crop to spare it, he
crop - cultivo; cosecha
spare - de repuesto; prescindir, pasar sin
Being only injured by his own assertion.
And although here and there some glorious rarity
glorious - glorioso
rarity - raridad, rareza
Arise like Titan from the sea's immersion,
arise - surgir, levantarse, provenir, aparecer
Titan - titán
immersion - inmersión, inmersión
The major part of such appellants go
appellants - recurrentes; apelante
To"God knows where"for no one else can know.
If fallen in evil days on evil tongues,
evil - malo, malvado
Milton appealed to the avenger, Time,
appealed - apelado; suplicar, rogar
avenger - vengador, vengadora
If Time, the avenger, execrates his wrongs
execrates - ejecuta; execrar
And makes the word Miltonic mean sublime,
He deigned not to belie his soul in songs,
deigned - disenado; dignarse
belie - ocultar, contradecir
soul - alma, espíritu
Nor turn his very talent to a crime.
He did not loathe the sire to laud the son,
loathe - detestar, repugnar, odiar
sire - amo, dueno, senor, seor
laud - loar
But closed the tyrant-hater he begun.
tyrant - tirano
hater - odiador, odiadora, detractor, detractora, envidioso
Think'st thou, could he, the blind old man, arise
thou - tú; vos
blind - ciego, invidente, celosía, persiana, ciega, ciego, cegar
Like Samuel from the grave to freeze once more
grave - tumba
The blood of monarchs with his prophecies,
Monarchs - monarcas; monarca
prophecies - rofecías; profecía
Or be alive again"again all hoar
With time and trials, and those helpless eyes
trials - pruebas; proceso, juicio
helpless - desamparado; indefenso, incapaz
And heartless daughters"worn and pale and poor,
heartless - sin corazón; cruel, desalmado
Would he adore a sultan? He obey
adore - adorar, querer
sultan - sultán
obey - obedecer
The intellectual eunuch Castlereagh?
intellectual - intelectual
Eunuch - eunuco
cold-blooded, smooth-faced, placid miscreant!
cold blooded - (cold blooded) sangre fría
placid - pacido; plácido
Miscreant - delincuente; facineroso
Dabbling its sleek young hands in Erin's gore,
dabbling - jugando; (dabble); chapotear, aventurarse en, chapoteo, escarceo
sleek - elegante; liso
gore - sangre derramada, sangre coagulada
And thus for wider carnage taught to pant,
thus - así
carnage - carnicería, masacre, carnaje, matanza
pant - jadeo; jadear, resollar
Transferred to gorge upon a sister shore,
transferred - transferido; transferir, trasladar, calcar, imprimir
gorge - desfiladero; barranco
shore - oribera; costa, playa
The vulgarest tool that tyranny could want,
vulgarest - más vulgar; vulgar, chabacano, ramplón
tyranny - tiranía
With just enough of talent and no more,
To lengthen fetters by another fixed
lengthen - alargar
fetters - grilletes; grillos, pihuelas, or animals, grillos, pihuela
And offer poison long already mixed.
An orator of such set trash of phrase,
orator - orador, oradora
trash - basura, caneca, basura, chusma, papelera
Ineffably, legitimately vile,
ineffably - inefablemente
legitimately - legítimamente
vile - vil
That even its grossest flatterers dare not praise,
grossest - más bruto; repulsivo, gruesa, bruto
flatterers - lisonjeros; lisonjeador, lisonjero, adulador
dare - te atreves; atraverse, osar
Nor foes"all nations"condescend to smile.
foes - enemigos; enemigo
condescend to - condescender
Not even a sprightly blunder's spark can blaze
sprightly - veloz
blunder - una metedura de pata; error
spark - chispa
blaze - arde; llamarada, incendio; resplandor
From that Ixion grindstone's ceaseless toil,
Ixion - Ixión
grindstone - muela, afiladora, esmoladera
toil - esfuerzo, labrar, trabajar
That turns and turns to give the world a notion
Of endless torments and perpetual motion.
endless - interminable, sin fin, infinito
torments - ormentos; tormento, atormentar
perpetual - perpetua; perpetuo
motion - movimiento, moción
A bungler even in its disgusting trade,
bungler - un chapucero; torpe
disgusting - asqueroso; repugnar, dar asco, asquear, asco, repugnancia
And botching, patching, leaving still behind
botching - una chapuza; (botch) una chapuza
patching - Parcheo; (patch) Parcheo
Something of which its masters are afraid,
masters - maestros; senor, dueno; senora, duena
States to be curbed and thoughts to be confined,
thoughts - pensamientos; pensamiento
confined - confinado; confinar, encorsetar, confín, raya
Conspiracy or congress to be made,
conspiracy - conspiración, contubernio, panish: t-needed
Congress - congreso
Cobbling at manacles for all mankind,
cobbling - empedrado; (cobble); zapatero, ensamblar
manacles - esposas, manillas, esposar
mankind - la humanidad; humanidad, género humano, raza humana
A tinkering slave-maker, who mends old chains,
slave - esclavo, esclava, checkesclava
Maker - hacedor, fabricante
mends - reparaciones; remiendo, remendar, reparar
With God and man's abhorrence for its gains.
abhorrence - aversión; aborrecimiento, odio, repugnancia
gains - ganancias; ganar, adquirir, obtener, conseguir
If we may judge of matter by the mind,
Emasculated to the marrow, it
Emasculated - emasculado, castrado; debilitado, emascular, castrar
marrow - médula, tuétano
Hath but two objects, how to serve and bind,
bind - bindar; atar, atar (tie), empastar (books), liar, acoplar
Deeming the chain it wears even men may fit,
deeming - considerar, concluir, estimar
Eutropius of its many masters, blind
To worth as freedom, wisdom as to wit,
freedom - libertad
wisdom - sabiduría
wit - agudeza, ingenio, chispa, gracia
Fearless, because no feeling dwells in ice;
fearless - intrépido, impávido, sin miedo
dwells - habitar, morar
Its very courage stagnates to a vice.
courage - coraje, valor, valentía
stagnates - se estanca; estancar
Where shall I turn me not to view its bonds,
Bonds - fianzas; vínculo
For I will never feel them. Italy,
Italy - Italia
Thy late reviving Roman soul desponds
thy - tu; vuestro, vuestra, vuestros, vuestras
reviving - Reviviendo; (revive); revivir
Roman - romano, romano, romana, Román
Beneath the lie this state-thing breathed o'er thee.
beneath - por debajo; bajo
er - r; em
thee - tú; vos (en Espana)
Thy clanking chain and Erin's yet green wounds
clanking - Tocando; (clank) Tocando
wounds - Herida
Have voices, tongues to cry aloud for me.
aloud - en voz alta, de viva voz
Europe has slaves, allies, kings, armies still,
slaves - esclavos; esclavo, esclava, checkesclava
allies - aliados; aliarse (con)
And Southey lives to sing them very ill.
Meantime, Sir Laureate, I proceed to dedicate
meantime - mientras tanto; entretanto, en tanto
proceed - continuar, proceder
dedicate - dedicar, destinar, dedicarse, inaugurar
In honest simple verse this song to you.
verse - verso; estrofa
And if in flattering strains I do not predicate,
flattering - palanqueador; halagar, adular
strains - correas; estirar, tensar
predicate - predicado
'Tis that I still retain my buff and blue;
retain - retener, detentar
Buff - color de ante
My politics as yet are all to educate.
Apostasy's so fashionable too,
apostasy - apostasía
To keep one creed's a task grown quite
creed - credo, creer; (cree); credo, creer
Herculean Is it not so, my Tory, ultra-Julian?
Julian - Julián, juliano
I want a hero: an uncommon want,
uncommon - incomún; raro, poco común, extrano, poco frecuente
When every year and month sends forth a new one,
forth - adelante
Till, after cloying the gazettes with cant,
cloying - Dulce
gazettes - gacetas; gaceta
cant - no puedes; hipocresía
The age discovers he is not the true one;
Of such as these I should not care to vaunt,
vaunt - Vanagloriarse
I'll therefore take our ancient friend Don Juan"
We all have seen him, in the pantomime,
Sent to the devil somewhat ere his time.
devil - demonio; diablo
somewhat - algo, un poco, de algún modo, de alguna manera
ere - Aquí
Vernon, the butcher Cumberland, Wolfe, Hawke,
butcher - carnicero; (butch) carnicero
Prince Ferdinand, Granby, Burgoyne, Keppel, Howe,
Evil and good, have had their tithe of talk,
tithe - diezmo
And fill'd their sign posts then, like Wellesley now;
Each in their turn like Banquo's monarchs stalk,
stalk - tallo; palanca; acechar, acosar
Followers of fame, 'nine farrow'of that sow:
followers - seguidores; seguidor, seguidora, imitador
farrow - lechigada (de cochinillos)
sow - sembrar
France, too, had Buonaparte and Dumourier
Recorded in the Moniteur and Courier.
courier - mensajero, estafeta
Barnave, Brissot, Condorcet, Mirabeau,
Petion, Clootz, Danton, Marat, La Fayette,
Were French, and famous people, as we know:
And there were others, scarce forgotten yet,
scarce - escaso
Joubert, Hoche, Marceau, Lannes, Desaix, Moreau,
With many of the military set,
military - militar, ejército
Exceedingly remarkable at times,
exceedingly - excesivamente; extremadamente, sumamente, sobremanera, asaz
remarkable - notable, remarcable, destacable
But not at all adapted to my rhymes.
adapted - adaptar, ajustar, adaptarse, adaptado
rhymes - rimas; rima, rima, rimar
Nelson was once Britannia's god of war,
And still should be so, but the tide is turn'd;
tide - marea
There's no more to be said of Trafalgar,
'Tis with our hero quietly inurn'd;
Because the army 's grown more popular,
At which the naval people are concern'd;
naval - naval
concern - preocupación, referirse a, ataner, concernir, tocar, preocupar
Besides, the prince is all for the land-service,
besides - además; al lado de, cabe
Forgetting Duncan, Nelson, Howe, and Jervis.
Brave men were living before Agamemnon
Agamemnon - Agamenón
And since, exceeding valorous and sage,
exceeding - excediéndose; sobrepasar, pasarse, exceder
valorous - valiente
sage - sabio; salvia
A good deal like him too, though quite the same none;
But then they shone not on the poet's page,
And so have been forgotten:"I condemn none,
condemn - condenar, clausurar
But can't find any in the present age
Fit for my poem (that is, for my new one);
So, as I said, I'll take my friend Don Juan.
Most epic poets plunge 'in medias res'
plunge - saltar; lanzarse, zambullirse, tirarse de cabeza
(Horace makes this the heroic turnpike road),
heroic - heroico
turnpike - panish: t-needed
And then your hero tells, whene'er you please,
whene - Cuándo
What went before"by way of episode,
While seated after dinner at his ease,
ease - facilidad; aliviar
Beside his mistress in some soft abode,
beside - al lado de, cabe
Mistress - senora; duena, maestra, querida, amante, barragana, manceba, ama
abode - Morada; (abide); quedar, permanecer, resistir, aguantar
Palace, or garden, paradise, or cavern,
paradise - el paraíso; paraíso
cavern - caverna
Which serves the happy couple for a tavern.
happy couple - una pareja feliz
tavern - taberna
That is the usual method, but not mine"
My way is to begin with the beginning;
The regularity of my design
regularity - regularidad, periodicidad
Forbids all wandering as the worst of sinning,
forbids - prohíbe; prohibir, vedar, vetar, negar
sinning - pecando; pecado
And therefore I shall open with a line
(Although it cost me half an hour in spinning)
spinning - girando; hilatura; (spin) girando; hilatura
Narrating somewhat of Don Juan's father,
narrating - narrando; narrar, contar
And also of his mother, if you'd rather.
In Seville was he born, a pleasant city,
Seville - Sevilla
Famous for oranges and women"he
Who has not seen it will be much to pity,
pity - compasión, piedad, lástima, pena, tener lástima
So says the proverb"and I quite agree;
proverb - proverbio, refrán, paremia
Of all the Spanish towns is none more pretty,
Spanish - espanol; espanol, castellano, espanol, castellano, hispano
Cadiz perhaps"but that you soon may see;
Cadiz - Cádiz
Don Juan's parents lived beside the river,
A noble stream, and call'd the Guadalquivir.
noble - noble
stream - corriente, flujo, arroyo, fluir, recibir flujo, (2) checkcorrer
His father's name was Jose"Don, of course,"
A true Hidalgo, free from every stain
Hidalgo - Hidalgo
stain - mancha, lamparón, tacha, mancilla, colorante, contraste
Of Moor or Hebrew blood, he traced his source
moor - páramos; páramo
Hebrew - hebreo, hebreo, hebrea
traced - rastreado; rastro, huella, vestigio, indicio
Through the most Gothic gentlemen of Spain;
Gothic - gótico
Spain - espana; Espana
A better cavalier ne'er mounted horse,
cavalier - caballero
ne - No
mounted - montado; montar
Or, being mounted, e'er got down again,
Than Jose, who begot our hero, who
begot - engendró; engendrar, concebir
Begot"but that 's to come"Well, to renew:
renew - reanudar, renovar, reiniciar, recomenzar
His mother was a learned lady, famed
famed - famoso; fama
For every branch of every science known
In every Christian language ever named,
Christian - cristiano, cristiana, Cristián
With virtues equall'd by her wit alone,
virtues - irtudes; virtud
equall - igual
She made the cleverest people quite ashamed,
ashamed - avergonzado, abochornado, apenado
And even the good with inward envy groan,
inward - hacia dentro; interior, adentro
groan - gimoteo; gemido, grunido, gemir, grunir
Finding themselves so very much exceeded
exceeded - excedido; sobrepasar, pasarse, exceder
In their own way by all the things that she did.
Her memory was a mine: she knew by heart
All Calderon and greater part of Lope,
lope - lopar; correr a paso largo
So that if any actor miss'd his part
She could have served him for the prompter's copy;
prompter - apuntador, apuntadora; (prompt); rápido, pronto, puntual, pie
For her Feinagle's were an useless art,
useless - inútil, negado
And he himself obliged to shut up shop"he
obliged - obligado; obligar
Could never make a memory so fine as
That which adorn'd the brain of Donna Inez.
adorn - adornar, engalanar
Her favourite science was the mathematical,
mathematical - matemáticas; matemático
Her noblest virtue was her magnanimity,
noblest - el más noble; noble
virtue - virtud
magnanimity - magnanimidad, generosidad
Her wit (she sometimes tried at wit) was Attic all,
attic - tico; buhardilla, desván, zaquizamí, sobrado
Her serious sayings darken'd to sublimity;
sayings - dichos; dicho, proverbio, refrán
darken - oscurecer, obscurecer
sublimity - sublimidad
In short, in all things she was fairly what I call
A prodigy"her morning dress was dimity,
prodigy - prodigio; presagio, augurio, agüero, auspicio, maravilla
Her evening silk, or, in the summer, muslin,
silk - seda
muslin - muselina
And other stuffs, with which I won't stay puzzling.
She knew the Latin"that is, 'the Lord's Prayer,'
Latin - Latín
the Lord's Prayer - El Padre Nuestro
And Greek"the alphabet"I'm nearly sure;
Greek - griego, griego, griega
alphabet - alfabeto, abecedario
She read some French romances here and there,
romances - romances; romance
Although her mode of speaking was not pure;
mode - modo
pure - pura; puro
For native Spanish she had no great care,
At least her conversation was obscure;
obscure - oscuro; obscuro, esconder, ocultar
Her thoughts were theorems, her words a problem,
theorems - teoremas; teorema, teoría, conjetura, suposición, especulación
As if she deem'd that mystery would ennoble 'em.
She liked the English and the Hebrew tongue,
And said there was analogy between 'em;
analogy - una analogía; analogía
She proved it somehow out of sacred song,
somehow - de algún modo, de alguna manera, de alguna forma
sacred - sagrado
But I must leave the proofs to those who've seen 'em;
ve - e
proofs - pruebas; prueba
But this I heard her say, and can't be wrong
And all may think which way their judgments lean 'em,
judgments - juicios; juicio
lean - esbelta; inclinarse
''Tis strange"the Hebrew noun which means śI am,ť
noun - sustantivo, nombre substantivo, nombre sustantivo
The English always use to govern d--n.'
govern - gobernar
Some women use their tongues"she look'd a lecture,
Each eye a sermon, and her brow a homily,
sermon - sermón
homily - Homilía
An all-in-all sufficient self-director,
sufficient - suficiente
self - yo; uno mismo
Like the lamented late Sir Samuel Romilly,
lamented - lamentó; lamento, lamentación, lamentar
The Law's expounder, and the State's corrector,
expounder - Exponente
Whose suicide was almost an anomaly"
suicide - suicidio, autolisis, suicida
anomaly - anomalía
One sad example more, that 'All is vanity'
vanity - vanidad
(The jury brought their verdict in 'Insanity').
jury - jurado
verdict - veredicto, fallo
insanity - locura, insania, vesania
In short, she was a walking calculation,
calculation - cálculo, cálculo, cómputo, conjetura
Miss Edgeworth's novels stepping from their covers,
Or Mrs. Trimmer's books on education,
Trimmer - Recortadora; (trim); recortar, orlar, ribetear
Or 'Coelebs'Wife'set out in quest of lovers,
quest - busca, búsqueda
lovers - amante
Morality's prim personification,
morality - moralidad
prim - formal, remilgado
personification - personificación, prosopopeya
In which not Envy's self a flaw discovers;
flaw - defecto
To others'share let 'female errors fall,'
For she had not even one"the worst of all.
O! she was perfect past all parallel"
parallel - en paralelo; paralelo, paralelo
Of any modern female saint's comparison;
saint - Santo
So far above the cunning powers of hell,
cunning - astucia; astuto
hell - infierno
Her guardian angel had given up his garrison;
guardian angel - Ángel de la guarda
garrison - guarnición, apostar
Even her minutest motions went as well
motions - mociones; movimiento, moción
As those of the best time-piece made by Harrison:
In virtues nothing earthly could surpass her,
earthly - terrenal
surpass - sobrepasar, superar, aventajar
Save thine 'incomparable oil,'Macassar!
thine - tu, tuyo, tuya, el tuyo, la tuya
incomparable - incomparable, inigualable
Perfect she was, but as perfection is
perfection - perfección
Insipid in this naughty world of ours,
insipid - insípido, insulso, soso, cursi
naughty - pícaro; cachondo, travieso, maleducado, obsceno, picante
Where our first parents never learn'd to kiss
Till they were exiled from their earlier bowers,
exiled - exilio, destierro, exiliado, desterrado, exiliar, desterrar
Where all was peace, and innocence, and bliss
innocence - inocencia
bliss - euforia, dicha, beatitud
(I wonder how they got through the twelve hours),
Don Jose, like a lineal son of Eve,
eve - víspera, vigilia
Went plucking various fruit without her leave.
plucking - desplumando; herir, desplumar, perseverancia
He was a mortal of the careless kind,
mortal - mortal
With no great love for learning, or the learn'd,
Who chose to go where'er he had a mind,
And never dream'd his lady was concern'd;
The world, as usual, wickedly inclined
wickedly - malvadamente
To see a kingdom or a house o'erturn'd,
Kingdom - reino
erturn - Girar
Whisper'd he had a mistress, some said two"
whisper - susurro, rumor, rastro, susurrar
But for domestic quarrels one will do.
domestic - doméstico, nacional, empleada doméstica, empleada, malos tratos
quarrels - peleas; pelea, rina
Now Donna Inez had, with all her merit,
A great opinion of her own good qualities;
Neglect, indeed, requires a saint to bear it,
neglect - descuido; descuidar, negligir, desoír, hacer caso omiso
Saint - San, Santa, Santo
And such, indeed, she was in her moralities;
moralities - moralidades; moralidad
But then she had a devil of a spirit,
And sometimes mix'd up fancies with realities,
And let few opportunities escape
Of getting her liege lord into a scrape.
Liege - lieja; senor feudal, vasallo
scrape - raspar, aranarse, rasparse, abrasión, rasponazo, pelea, pinada
This was an easy matter with a man
Oft in the wrong, and never on his guard;
And even the wisest, do the best they can,
wisest - el más sabio; sabio
Have moments, hours, and days, so unprepared,
unprepared - Prepararse
That you might 'brain them with their lady's fan;'
And sometimes ladies hit exceeding hard,
And fans turn into falchions in fair hands,
falchions - falchones; bracamante
And why and wherefore no one understands.
wherefore - por qué
'Tis pity learned virgins ever wed
virgins - vírgenes; virgen, doncel, doncella, senorita
wed - casarse; casar
With persons of no sort of education,
Or gentlemen, who, though well born and bred,
bred - criado; (breed); criar, procrear, aparearse, cultivar
Grow tired of scientific conversation:
I don't choose to say much upon this head,
I'm a plain man, and in a single station,
plain - plano; sencillo; liso; sin ornamentos; llano (persona)
But"Oh! ye lords of ladies intellectual,
lords - senores; castellano, senor
Inform us truly, have they not hen-peck'd you all?
inform - informar
truly - de verdad; verdaderamente, realmente
hen - gallina
peck - picotear
Don Jose and his lady quarrell'd"why,
quarrell - Discutir
Not any of the many could divine,
divine - divino
Though several thousand people chose to try,
'Twas surely no concern of theirs nor mine;
Twas - wa
I loathe that low vice"curiosity;
curiosity - curiosidad
But if there's anything in which I shine,
'Tis in arranging all my friends'affairs,
affairs - asuntos; negocio, asunto, rollo, amorío, aventura
Not having of my own domestic cares.
And so I interfered, and with the best
interfered - interferido; panish: t-needed
Intentions, but their treatment was not kind;
I think the foolish people were possess'd,
foolish - tonto, necio, imprudente
possess - poseer
For neither of them could I ever find,
Although their porter afterwards confess'd"
afterwards - después
confess - confesar, panish: t-needed
But that 's no matter, and the worst 's behind,
For little Juan o'er me threw, down stairs,
A pail of housemaid's water unawares.
pail - cubo
housemaid - Empleada doméstica
unawares - inconsciente, desprevenido, ignorante
A little curly-headed, good-for-nothing,
And mischief-making monkey from his birth;
mischief - travesuras; travesura, diablura, gamberrada
His parents ne'er agreed except in doting
doting - Carinoso; (dot) Carinoso
Upon the most unquiet imp on earth;
unquiet - Inquietos
imp - diablillo
Instead of quarrelling, had they been but both in
quarrelling - Discutiendo; (quarrel) Discutiendo
Their senses, they'd have sent young master forth
Master - maestro; senor, dueno; senora, duena
To school, or had him soundly whipp'd at home,
soundly - a fondo; profundo
To teach him manners for the time to come.
Don Jose and the Donna Inez led
For some time an unhappy sort of life,
Wishing each other, not divorced, but dead;
They lived respectably as man and wife,
respectably - respetablemente, dignamente
Their conduct was exceedingly well-bred,
conduct - conducción, conducta, guiar, dirigir, manejar, conducir
And gave no outward signs of inward strife,
outward - hacia fuera
strife - conflicto; disensión, altercado
Until at length the smother'd fire broke out,
smother - asfixiar, ahogar
And put the business past all kind of doubt.
For Inez call'd some druggists and physicians,
druggists - Farmacia
physicians - médicos; médico, médica, facultativo
And tried to prove her loving lord was mad;
But as he had some lucid intermissions,
lucid - lúcido, lucido, brillante
intermissions - intermedios; intermisión, intermedio
She next decided he was only bad;
Yet when they ask'd her for her depositions,
No sort of explanation could be had,
Save that her duty both to man and God
Required this conduct"which seem'd very odd.
She kept a journal, where his faults were noted,
faults - fallas; defecto, falla, culpa, falta
And open'd certain trunks of books and letters,
trunks - troncos; tronco, baúl, trompa
All which might, if occasion served, be quoted;
And then she had all Seville for abettors,
abettors - instigadores; cómplice
Besides her good old grandmother (who doted);
doted - doted; amoroso
The hearers of her case became repeaters,
hearers - Oyente
repeaters - repetidores; repetidor, repetidora
Then advocates, inquisitors, and judges,
advocates - defensores; abogado, abogada, portavoz, representante, vocero
inquisitors - inquisidores; inquisidor
Some for amusement, others for old grudges.
amusement - divertimiento, esparcimiento, diversión
grudges - rencor, manía
And then this best and weakest woman bore
With such serenity her husband's woes,
serenity - sosiego, tranquilidad, serenidad, excelencia
woes - problemas; pena, infortunio, ay
Just as the Spartan ladies did of yore,
yore - antano; antano
Who saw their spouses kill'd, and nobly chose
spouses - cónyuges; cónyuge, consorte
nobly - noblemente
Never to say a word about them more"
Calmly she heard each calumny that rose,
calmly - con calma; tranquilamente
calumny - calumnias; calumnia
And saw his agonies with such sublimity,
agonies - agonías; agonía, angustia
That all the world exclaim'd, 'What magnanimity!'
exclaim - exclamar
No doubt this patience, when the world is damning us,
patience - paciencia, solitario
damning - condenatorio; maldecir, condenar, reprobar, maldito, puto
Is philosophic in our former friends;
philosophic - filosófica
former - antiguo, anterior
'Tis also pleasant to be deem'd magnanimous,
magnanimous - magnánimo
The more so in obtaining our own ends;
obtaining - obteniendo; obtener, coger
And what the lawyers call a 'malus animus'
Conduct like this by no means comprehends;
comprehends - comprender
Revenge in person 's certainly no virtue,
revenge - venganza
But then 'tis not my fault, if others hurt you.
fault - defecto, falla, culpa, falta
And if your quarrels should rip up old stories,
rip - rasgar, desgarrar
And help them with a lie or two additional,
additional - adicional, extra, de más
I'm not to blame, as you well know"no more is
blame - culpar, responsabilizar, echar la culpa
Any one else"they were become traditional;
Besides, their resurrection aids our glories
resurrection - resurrección
Aids - SIDA; (aid); SIDA
glories - glorias; gloria
By contrast, which is what we just were wishing all:
And science profits by this resurrection"
Dead scandals form good subjects for dissection.
scandals - escándalos; escándalo
dissection - disección
Their friends had tried at reconciliation,
reconciliation - reconciliación
Then their relations, who made matters worse.
('Twere hard to tell upon a like occasion
To whom it may be best to have recourse"
recourse - recurso
I can't say much for friend or yet relation):
The lawyers did their utmost for divorce,
utmost - extremo, descollante, extremado, sobresaliente, sumo, máximo
divorce - divorcio, divorciar, divorciarse
But scarce a fee was paid on either side
fee - tasa; honorario, tarifa, cuota
Before, unluckily, Don Jose died.
unluckily - desgraciadamente; desafortunadamente
He died: and most unluckily, because,
According to all hints I could collect
hints - sugerencias; pista, indicio, indirecta, buscapié, toque
From counsel learned in those kinds of laws
counsel - consulta, consejo, abogado
(Although their talk 's obscure and circumspect),
circumspect - circunspecto, cauteloso, cauto, precavido
His death contrived to spoil a charming cause;
contrived - ingenioso; idear, improvisar
spoil - expoliar, despojar, danar, arruinar, echar a perder
charming - encantador; (charm); encantador
A thousand pities also with respect
pities - compasión, piedad, lástima, pena, tener lástima
To public feeling, which on this occasion
public feeling - Sentimiento público
Was manifested in a great sensation.
manifested - manifestado; manifiesto, evidente, declaración de carga
sensation - sensación
But, ah! he died; and buried with him lay
The public feeling and the lawyers'fees:
fees - cuotas; honorario, tarifa, cuota
His house was sold, his servants sent away,
sent away - se ha enviado lejos
A Jew took one of his two mistresses,
mistresses - amantes; duena, maestra, querida, amante, barragana, manceba
A priest the other"at least so they say:
I ask'd the doctors after his disease"
He died of the slow fever call'd the tertian,
fever - fiebre, calentura
tertian - terciano
And left his widow to her own aversion.
widow - viuda, enviudar
aversion - aversión
Yet Jose was an honourable man,
honourable - Honorable
That I must say who knew him very well;
Therefore his frailties I'll no further scan
frailties - debilidades; fragilidad
Indeed there were not many more to tell;
And if his passions now and then outran
Discretion, and were not so peaceable
discretion - discreción
peaceable - paz; pacifista, pacífico, apacible
As Numa's (who was also named Pompilius),
He had been ill brought up, and was born bilious.
bilious - bilioso, biliar, biliario, atrabiliario, atrabilioso
Whate'er might be his worthlessness or worth,
Poor fellow! he had many things to wound him.
fellow - colega; tipo
wound - Herida
Let 's own"since it can do no good on earth"
It was a trying moment that which found him
Standing alone beside his desolate hearth,
desolate - desierto, desolado, devastado
hearth - hogar, lar, solera, fogón, crisol
Where all his household gods lay shiver'd round him:
household - hogar, agregado familiar, núcleo familiar, familia, casero
shiver - tiritando; temblar, tiritar, estremecerse
No choice was left his feelings or his pride,
feelings - Sentimientos
pride - orgullo, soberbia, cachondez, toriondez, verriondez, manada
Save death or Doctors'Commons"so he died.
Dying intestate, Juan was sole heir
dying - Muriendo; (dye) Muriendo
intestate - intestado; abintestato
sole heir - único heredero
To a chancery suit, and messuages, and lands,
Chancery - Cancillería
messuages - mesones; mansión
Which, with a long minority and care,
minority - minoría, minoritario
Promised to turn out well in proper hands:
Inez became sole guardian, which was fair,
sole - suela; planta
guardian - guardián, guardia, apoderado, tutor, custodio, jefe
And answer'd but to nature's just demands;
demands - demandas; demanda, exigencia, exigir, demandar
An only son left with an only mother
Is brought up much more wisely than another.
wisely - sabiamente
Sagest of women, even of widows, she
Sagest - sagest; combarse, ceder, arquearse
widows - viudas; viuda, enviudar
Resolved that Juan should be quite a paragon,
resolved - resuelto; tomar la decisión de, resolver
paragon - modelo, dechado, parangón, gran paragon
And worthy of the noblest pedigree
worthy - Digno
pedigree - pedigrí
(His sire was of Castile, his dam from Aragon):
Castile - Castilla
dam - presa; dique
Aragon - Aragón
Then for accomplishments of chivalry,
accomplishments - logros; logro, éxito
chivalry - caballerismo; caballerosidad
In case our lord the king should go to war again,
He learn'd the arts of riding, fencing, gunnery,
And how to scale a fortress"or a nunnery.
scale - escala
fortress - fortaleza
nunnery - un convento; convento
But that which Donna Inez most desired,
most desired - el más deseado
And saw into herself each day before all
The learned tutors whom for him she hired,
tutors - tutores; tutor
Was, that his breeding should be strictly moral;
breeding - Cría; (breed); criar, procrear, aparearse, cultivar, engendrar
strictly - estrictamente, terminantemente
moral - moral, moraleja
Much into all his studies she inquired,
inquired - preguntó; investigar, informarse
And so they were submitted first to her, all,
submitted - sometido; someter, presentar, entregar, cursar
Arts, sciences, no branch was made a mystery
To Juan's eyes, excepting natural history.
The languages, especially the dead,
The sciences, and most of all the abstruse,
abstruse - abstruso
The arts, at least all such as could be said
To be the most remote from common use,
In all these he was much and deeply read;
deeply - profundamente; a fondo
But not a page of any thing that 's loose,
loose - suelto; flojo
Or hints continuation of the species,
continuation - continuación
species - Especie
Was ever suffer'd, lest he should grow vicious.
vicious - panish: t-needed
His classic studies made a little puzzle,
classic - clásico, clásico
puzzle - rompecabezas, enigma, puzle, acertijo, intrigar, dejar perplejo
Because of filthy loves of gods and goddesses,
filthy - sucio, mugriento, mugroso, inmundo
goddesses - diosas; diosa
Who in the earlier ages raised a bustle,
bustle - tiempo; polisón, abundar
But never put on pantaloons or bodices;
bodices - corpinos; corpino, jubón
His reverend tutors had at times a tussle,
Reverend - reverendo
And for their AEneids, Iliads, and Odysseys,
Aeneids - aneidas; Eneida
Iliads - iliadas; Ilíada
Odysseys - odiseas; odisea
Were forced to make an odd sort! of apology,
apology - una disculpa; disculpa, excusa
For Donna Inez dreaded the Mythology.
dreaded - temido; temer, pavor, temor
mythology - mitología
Ovid 's a rake, as half his verses show him,
rake - rastrillo
verses - versos; estrofa
Anacreon's morals are a still worse sample,
morals - moral, moraleja
Catullus scarcely has a decent poem,
scarcely - apenas, difícilmente
decent - decente
I don't think Sappho's Ode a good example,
Sappho - Safo
Ode - oda
Although Longinus tells us there is no hymn
hymn - himno
Where the sublime soars forth on wings more ample:
soars - se dispara; planear, elevarse, planar
ample - amplio, extenso, abundante, generoso
But Virgil's songs are pure, except that horrid one
Virgil - Virgilio
horrid - horrible; hórrido, horrendo
Beginning with 'Formosum Pastor Corydon.'
pastor - pastor, checkpastora
Lucretius'irreligion is too strong,
irreligion - irreligión
For early stomachs, to prove wholesome food;
wholesome - saludable, sano, íntegro
I can't help thinking Juvenal was wrong,
Although no doubt his real intent was good,
intent - intención, intento, propósito, concentrado, entregado
For speaking out so plainly in his song,
So much indeed as to be downright rude;
And then what proper person can be partial
partial - parcial
To all those nauseous epigrams of Martial?
nauseous - náuseas; nauseabundo
epigrams - epigramas; epigrama
martial - marcial, soldadesco, castrense
Juan was taught from out the best edition,
edition - edición, tiraje
Expurgated by learned men, who place
expurgated - expurgado; expurgar
Judiciously, from out the schoolboy's vision,
vision - vista, visión
The grosser parts; but, fearful to deface
grosser - Más asqueroso; (gross); repulsivo, gruesa, bruto
fearful - miedoso, temeroso, terrible, checkespantoso, checktremendo
deface - desfigurar; pintarrajear
Too much their modest bard by this omission,
modest - modesto, humilde, pequeno, moderado; (mod); modesto, humilde
Bard - Bardo
omission - omisión
And pitying sore his mutilated case,
pitying - compasión, piedad, lástima, pena, tener lástima
sore - dolorido; doloroso
mutilated - mutilado; mutilar
They only add them all in an appendix,
appendix - apéndice
Which saves, in fact, the trouble of an index;
index - índice, indizar, indexar
For there we have them all 'at one fell swoop,'
swoop - en picado; precipitarse, abalanzarse, lanzarse en picada
Instead of being scatter'd through the Pages;
Scatter - dispersión; dispersar, esparcir
They stand forth marshall'd in a handsome troop,
handsome - apuesto, guapo, de buen parecer, lindo
To meet the ingenuous youth of future ages,
ingenuous - inocente, ingenuo
Till some less rigid editor shall stoop
rigid - rígido
stoop - inclinarse, agacharse
To call them back into their separate cages,
cages - jaulas; jaula, cabina, enjaular
Instead of standing staring all together,
Like garden gods"and not so decent either.
The Missal too (it was the family Missal)
missal - misal
Was ornamented in a sort of way
ornamented - ornamentado; ornamento, ornamento musical
Which ancient mass-books often are, and this all
mass - montón, masa
Kinds of grotesques illumined; and how they,
grotesques - grotescos; grotesco
illumined - iluminar
Who saw those figures on the margin kiss all,
margin - margen
Could turn their optics to the text and pray,
optics - óptica; óptico
Is more than I know"But Don Juan's mother
Kept this herself, and gave her son another.
Sermons he read, and lectures he endured,
Sermons - sermones; sermón
endured - oportado; aguantar, perdurar, tolerar, consentir, condescender
And homilies, and lives of all the saints;
homilies - Homilía
Saints - santos; San, Santa, Santo
To Jerome and to Chrysostom inured,
Inured - enfermo; acostumbrar, habituar, avezar
He did not take such studies for restraints;
restraints - restricciones; restricción, limitación, reserva, moderación
But how faith is acquired, and then ensured,
Faith - fe, confianza
acquired - dquirido; obtener, adquirir
ensured - asegurado; asegurar
So well not one of the aforesaid paints
aforesaid - usodicha; antedicho, sobredicho, susodicho
As Saint Augustine in his fine Confessions,
Augustine - Augustín, Agustín
confessions - confesiones; confesión
Which make the reader envy his transgressions.
transgressions - ransgresiones; transgresión
This, too, was a seal'd book to little Juan"
seal - sello
I can't but say that his mamma was right,
mamma - mama, mamá
If such an education was the true one.
She scarcely trusted him from out her sight;
trusted - de confianza; confianza, crédito, fiar, consorcio, trust
Her maids were old, and if she took a new one,
maids - sirvientas; doncella, senorita, doméstica, empleada doméstica
You might be sure she was a perfect fright;
fright - miedo; susto
She did this during even her husband's life"
I recommend as much to every wife.
Young Juan wax'd in goodliness and grace;
wax - cera
goodliness - Bondad
grace - gracias, benedícite, gracia, donaire, merced
At six a charming child, and at eleven
With all the promise of as fine a face
As e'er to man's maturer growth was given:
maturer - más maduro; (mature) más maduro
He studied steadily, and grew apace,
steadily - De forma constante
And seem'd, at least, in the right road to heaven,
Heaven - el cielo; cielo, firmamento, paraíso
For half his days were pass'd at church, the other
Between his tutors, confessor, and mother.
confessor - confesor; confesante
At six, I said, he was a charming child,
At twelve he was a fine, but quiet boy;
Although in infancy a little wild,
They tamed him down amongst them: to destroy
tamed - domado; domesticado; doméstico
amongst - entre
His natural spirit not in vain they toil'd,
vain - vanidoso, vano, vacuo
At least it seem'd so; and his mother's joy
joy - alegría, júbilo
Was to declare how sage, and still, and steady,
declare - explicar, aclarar, declarar
steady - estable; firme, liso, fijo
Her young philosopher was grown already.
philosopher - filósofo, filósofa
I had my doubts, perhaps I have them still,
But what I say is neither here nor there:
I knew his father well, and have some skill
In character"but it would not be fair
From sire to son to augur good or ill:
augur - augur, augurar, presagiar
He and his wife were an ill-sorted pair"
But scandal 's my aversion"I protest
Scandal - escándalo
Against all evil speaking, even in jest.
jest - bromea; broma
For my part I say nothing"nothing"but
This I will say"my reasons are my own"
That if I had an only son to put
To school (as God be praised that I have none),
Praised - elogiado; alabanza, loa, enaltecimiento, elogio, adoración
'Tis not with Donna Inez I would shut
Him up to learn his catechism alone,
catechism - catecismo
No"no"I'd send him out betimes to college,
betimes - tiempo
For there it was I pick'd up my own knowledge.
For there one learns"'tis not for me to boast,
boast - presumir; vanagloriarse, jactarse de, fanfarronear
Though I acquired"but I pass over that,
pass over - pasar por encima
As well as all the Greek I since have lost:
I say that there's the place"but 'Verbum sat.'
I think I pick'd up too, as well as most,
Knowledge of matters"but no matter what"
I never married"but, I think, I know
That sons should not be educated so.
Young Juan now was sixteen years of age,
Tall, handsome, slender, but well knit: he seem'd
slender - esbelto
knit - hacer punto, tricotar, tejer, soldarse, construir, elaborar
Active, though not so sprightly, as a page;
And everybody but his mother deem'd
Him almost man; but she flew in a rage
rage - furia; rabia, furor
And bit her lips (for else she might have scream'd)
scream - grito, gritar
If any said so, for to be precocious
precocious - precoz
Was in her eyes a thing the most atrocious.
atrocious - atroz, malvado, ofensivo
Amongst her numerous acquaintance, all
numerous - numerosos; numeroso
acquaintance - conocido; amistad, conocimiento, junta, relación
Selected for discretion and devotion,
selected - seleccionado; selecto, seleccionar
devotion - devoción, dedicación, fervor, veneración
There was the Donna Julia, whom to call
Pretty were but to give a feeble notion
feeble - débil, endeble, feble, deficiente
Of many charms in her as natural
charms - encantos; encanto
As sweetness to the flower, or salt to ocean,
sweetness - dulzura, dulzor, melosidad, dulcedumbre, agradabilidad
Her zone to Venus, or his bow to Cupid
zone - zona, dividir en zona
Venus - Venus
bow - arco; inclinar(se), hacer una reverencia
Cupid - Cupido
(But this last simile is trite and stupid).
trite - rillado; banal
The darkness of her Oriental eye
darkness - oscuridad, tinieblas
Accorded with her Moorish origin
accorded - oncedido; acuerdo, convenio, acordar, conceder, conferir
Moorish - moriscos; morisco
origin - origen
(Her blood was not all Spanish, by the by;
In Spain, you know, this is a sort of sin);
sin - pecado
When proud Granada fell, and, forced to fly,
Granada - Granada
Boabdil wept, of Donna Julia's kin
wept - lloró; llorar
kin - familia, parientes
Some went to Africa, some stay'd in Spain,
Africa - África
Her great-great-grandmamma chose to remain.
grandmamma - Abuela
She married (I forget the pedigree)
With an Hidalgo, who transmitted down
transmitted - transmitido; transmitir
His blood less noble than such blood should be;
At such alliances his sires would frown,
alliances - alianzas; alianza
frown - fruncir el ceno
In that point so precise in each degree
precise - preciso, concreto, precisar, especificar, concretar
That they bred in and in, as might be shown,
Marrying their cousins"nay, their aunts, and nieces,
nieces - sobrinas; sobrina
Which always spoils the breed, if it increases.
spoils - otín; expoliar, despojar, danar, arruinar, echar a perder
breed - criar, procrear, aparearse, cultivar, engendrar, raza
This heathenish cross restored the breed again,
heathenish - agano
restored - restaurado; restablecer, restaurar
Ruin'd its blood, but much improved its flesh;
ruin - ruina, desbaratar, arruinar, estropear, dar al traste
flesh - carne, pellejo, descarnar
For from a root the ugliest in Old Spain
root - raíz
Sprung up a branch as beautiful as fresh;
The sons no more were short, the daughters plain:
But there's a rumour which I fain would hush,
rumour - rumor
Hush - callar, callarse, calmar, acallar, silencio
'Tis said that Donna Julia's grandmamma
Produced her Don more heirs at love than law.
heirs - herederos; heredero, sucesor, checkheredera
However this might be, the race went on
Improving still through every generation,
Until it centred in an only son,
Who left an only daughter; my narration
narration - narración
May have suggested that this single one
Could be but Julia (whom on this occasion
I shall have much to speak about), and she
Was married, charming, chaste, and twenty-three.
chaste - casta; casto
Her eye (I'm very fond of handsome eyes)
fond - carinoso, afectuoso
Was large and dark, suppressing half its fire
suppressing - suprimiendo; reprimar, contener, ocultar, suprimir
Until she spoke, then through its soft disguise
disguise - disfraz, pantalla, tapadera, disfrazar
Flash'd an expression more of pride than ire,
flash - destello
ire - Ira
And love than either; and there would arise
A something in them which was not desire,
desire - desear, deseo, gana
But would have been, perhaps, but for the soul
Which struggled through and chasten'd down the whole.
struggled - luchado; lucha, forcejeo, brega, luchar, esforzarse con denuedo
chasten - castigar, escarmentar
Her glossy hair was cluster'd o'er a brow
glossy - brillante, lustroso, reluciente
cluster - amontonamiento, agrupamiento, aglomeración, racimo, cúmulo
Bright with intelligence, and fair, and smooth;
Her eyebrow's shape was like th'aerial bow,
eyebrow - ceja
th - Qué
aerial - aéreo, antena
Her cheek all purple with the beam of youth,
cheek - mejilla, cacha, cachete, nalga, glúteo, descoco
beam - rayo; viga, timón, radio
Mounting at times to a transparent glow,
mounting - Montaje; (mount) Montaje
transparent - transparente
As if her veins ran lightning; she, in sooth,
veins - venas; vena
lightning - un rayo; relámpago, rayo
sooth - calmar; verdad
Possess'd an air and grace by no means common:
Her stature tall"I hate a dumpy woman.
stature - estatura
dumpy - rechoncho
Wedded she was some years, and to a man
wedded - casada; casar
Of fifty, and such husbands are in plenty;
And yet, I think, instead of such a ONE
'Twere better to have TWO of five-and-twenty,
Especially in countries near the sun:
And now I think on 't, 'mi vien in mente,'
Ladies even of the most uneasy virtue
most uneasy - el más incómodo/ inquieto
Prefer a spouse whose age is short of thirty.
spouse - cónyuge, consorte
'Tis a sad thing, I cannot choose but say,
And all the fault of that indecent sun,
Who cannot leave alone our helpless clay,
leave alone - dejar en paz
clay - arcilla, barro
But will keep baking, broiling, burning on,
broiling - asar a la parrilla
That howsoever people fast and pray,
The flesh is frail, and so the soul undone:
frail - frágil; débil, delicado
undone - deshecho; deshacer
What men call gallantry, and gods adultery,
gallantry - galantería; coraje, valor
adultery - adulterio
Is much more common where the climate 's sultry.
sultry - suave; bochornoso, tórrido, caliente
Happy the nations of the moral North!
Where all is virtue, and the winter season
Sends sin, without a rag on, shivering forth
rag - trapo
shivering - Tiritando; (shiver) Tiritando
('Twas snow that brought St. Anthony to reason);
Where juries cast up what a wife is worth,
juries - jurados; jurado
cast - moldear, elenco, castear, sondar, sondear, lanzar, lanzamiento
By laying whate'er sum in mulct they please on
sum - suma
mulct - multar
The lover, who must pay a handsome price,
lover - amante
Because it is a marketable vice.
marketable - comercializable; comerciable, marquetinero
Alfonso was the name of Julia's lord,
A man well looking for his years, and who
Was neither much beloved nor yet abhorr'd:
beloved - querida; amado, querido, bienamado
abhorr - Aborrecer
They lived together, as most people do,
lived together - vivir juntos
Suffering each other's foibles by accord,
foibles - debilidades; manía, defecto, punto débil, parte débil
accord - acuerdo, convenio, acordar, conceder, conferir
And not exactly either one or two;
Yet he was jealous, though he did not show it,
jealous - celoso, encelado, envidioso, checkenvidioso
For jealousy dislikes the world to know it.
jealousy - celo, celos, envidia
Julia was"yet I never could see why"
With Donna Inez quite a favourite friend;
Between their tastes there was small sympathy,
sympathy - simpatía; compasión, empatía, compasión
For not a line had Julia ever penn'd:
Some people whisper but no doubt they lie,
For malice still imputes some private end,
malice - malicia
imputes - imputar
That Inez had, ere Don Alfonso's marriage,
Forgot with him her very prudent carriage;
Prudent - prudente, atentado
carriage - coche, carruaje
And that still keeping up the old connection,
Which time had lately render'd much more chaste,
render - renderizar; dejar, volver
more chaste - más casto
She took his lady also in affection,
affection - afecto, carino, apego
And certainly this course was much the best:
She flatter'd Julia with her sage protection,
protection - protección
And complimented Don Alfonso's taste;
complimented - cumplido, felicitar, cumplimentar
And if she could not (who can?) silence scandal,
silence - silencio, silenciar, hacer callar
At least she left it a more slender handle.
more slender - más delgado
handle - manejar; mango; asa; manilla, pomo(puerta)
I can't tell whether Julia saw the affair
affair - negocio, asunto, rollo, amorío, aventura
With other people's eyes, or if her own
Discoveries made, but none could be aware
Of this, at least no symptom e'er was shown;
Perhaps she did not know, or did not care,
Indifferent from the first or callous grown:
indifferent - indiferente
callous - insensible, cruel, desconsiderado, calloso
I'm really puzzled what to think or say,
puzzled - rompecabezas, enigma, puzle, acertijo, intrigar, dejar perplejo
She kept her counsel in so close a way.
Juan she saw, and, as a pretty child,
Caress'd him often"such a thing might be
caress - caricia, carantona, acariciar
Quite innocently done, and harmless styled,
innocently - inocentemente
harmless - inocuo, inofensivo
When she had twenty years, and thirteen he;
But I am not so sure I should have smiled
When he was sixteen, Julia twenty-three;
These few short years make wondrous alterations,
wondrous - maravilloso
alterations - alteraciones; alteración, cambio, modificación
Particularly amongst sun-burnt nations.
Whate'er the cause might be, they had become
Changed; for the dame grew distant, the youth shy,
distant - distante, a distancia, hurano, remoto
Their looks cast down, their greetings almost dumb,
greetings - saludos; saludo
dumb - tonto; mudo
And much embarrassment in either eye;
embarrassment - vergüenza, corte g
There surely will be little doubt with some
That Donna Julia knew the reason why,
But as for Juan, he had no more notion
Than he who never saw the sea of ocean.
Yet Julia's very coldness still was kind,
coldness - frío, frialdad, displicencia
And tremulously gentle her small hand
tremulously - Temblorosamente
Withdrew itself from his, but left behind
withdrew - se retiró; retirar(se)
A little pressure, thrilling, and so bland
thrilling - emocionante; excitar; emocionar, conmover
bland - soso; de sabor imperceptible, insípido
And slight, so very slight, that to the mind
Slight - insignificante, leve, ligero, falta de respeto
'Twas but a doubt; but ne'er magician's wand
magician - mago, fenómeno, checkhechicero
wand - varita
Wrought change with all Armida's fairy art
fairy - hada, marica, mujercita
Like what this light touch left on Juan's heart.
And if she met him, though she smiled no more,
She look'd a sadness sweeter than her smile,
sadness - tristeza, desgracia, infortunio
As if her heart had deeper thoughts in store
She must not own, but cherish'd more the while
cherish - apreciar; mimar
For that compression in its burning core;
compression - compresión
core - corazón (fruta); núcleo
Even innocence itself has many a wile,
And will not dare to trust itself with truth,
trust - confiar; confianza, crédito, fiar, consorcio, trust
And love is taught hypocrisy from youth.
hypocrisy - hipocresía
But passion most dissembles, yet betrays
dissembles - disimular, fingir
Betrays - traicionar, entregar, vender, delatar, demostrar
Even by its darkness; as the blackest sky
Foretells the heaviest tempest, it displays
foretells - predice; predecir, pronosticar, vaticinar
tempest - tormenta; tempestad, temporal
displays - displays; espectáculo, exposición, monitor, expositor
Its workings through the vainly guarded eye,
workings - Trabajando
vainly - en vano; vanamente
And in whatever aspect it arrays
aspect - aspecto
arrays - atrices; atavío, galas, distribución, ristra, gama, vector
Itself, 'tis still the same hypocrisy;
Coldness or anger, even disdain or hate,
anger - ira, enfado, enojo, rabia
disdain - desdén, desprecio, desdeno, desdenar, despreciar
Are masks it often wears, and still too late.
masks - máscaras; máscara, careta, mascarilla
Then there were sighs, the deeper for suppression,
sighs - suspirar
And stolen glances, sweeter for the theft,
glances - miradas; ojear, echar un vistazo, mirar, pispear, vistazo
theft - robo, hurto
And burning blushes, though for no transgression,
transgression - una transgresión; transgresión
Tremblings when met, and restlessness when left;
restlessness - agitación, desasosiego, desazón, inquietud
All these are little preludes to possession,
preludes - preludios; preludio, antesala
Of which young passion cannot be bereft,
bereft - desamparado; privado (de); (bereave); arrebatar, despojar
And merely tend to show how greatly love is
merely - simplemente; meramente, puramente, solamente, sólo
greatly - en gran medida; grandemente, enormemente, sobremanera
Embarrass'd at first starting with a novice.
embarrass - avergonzar, abochornar, sonrojar, humillar
novice - novato; novicio
Poor Julia's heart was in an awkward state;
awkward - torpe, desmanado, embarazoso, delicado, incómodo, tímido
She felt it going, and resolved to make
The noblest efforts for herself and mate,
mate - colega; aparear, acoplar
For honour's, pride's, religion's, virtue's sake;
honour - honor; honradez
sake - por, por motivo de; por el bien de
Her resolutions were most truly great,
resolutions - resoluciones; resolución, panish: t-needed
And almost might have made a Tarquin quake:
She pray'd the Virgin Mary for her grace,
Virgin - virgen, doncel, doncella, senorita
Mary - María
As being the best judge of a lady's case.
She vow'd she never would see Juan more,
vow - voto, manda, promesa
And next day paid a visit to his mother,
And look'd extremely at the opening door,
Which, by the Virgin's grace, let in another;
Grateful she was, and yet a little sore"
Again it opens, it can be no other,
'Tis surely Juan now"No! I'm afraid
I'm afraid - Tengo miedo
That night the Virgin was no further pray'd.
She now determined that a virtuous woman
Should rather face and overcome temptation,
overcome - vencer, superar
temptation - tentación
That flight was base and dastardly, and no man
dastardly - Desalmado
Should ever give her heart the least sensation;
That is to say, a thought beyond the common
beyond - más allá de
Preference, that we must feel upon occasion
preference - Preferencia
For people who are pleasanter than others,
But then they only seem so many brothers.
And even if by chance"and who can tell?
The devil 's so very sly"she should discover
sly - astuto, pillo, listo, habilidoso
That all within was not so very well,
And, if still free, that such or such a lover
Might please perhaps, a virtuous wife can quell
quell - acabar; reprimir, sofocar
Such thoughts, and be the better when they're over;
And if the man should ask, 'tis but denial:
denial - mentira, negación, negativa
I recommend young ladies to make trial.
trial - proceso, juicio
And then there are such things as love divine,
Bright and immaculate, unmix'd and pure,
immaculate - inmaculada; inmaculado
unmix - desmezclar
Such as the angels think so very fine,
angels - ángeles; ángel
And matrons who would be no less secure,
matrons - matronas; matrona
secure - seguro, resguardado, confiable, aplomado
Platonic, perfect, 'just such love as mine;'
Thus Julia said"and thought so, to be sure;
And so I'd have her think, were I the man
On whom her reveries celestial ran.
reveries - recuperación
celestial - celestial, celeste
Such love is innocent, and may exist
Between young persons without any danger.
A hand may first, and then a lip be kist;
For my part, to such doings I'm a stranger,
doings - Haciendo
But hear these freedoms form the utmost list
freedoms - ibertades; libertad
Of all o'er which such love may be a ranger:
Ranger - alimanero, guardaparque, guardacaza, montaraz
If people go beyond, 'tis quite a crime,
But not my fault"I tell them all in time.
Love, then, but love within its proper limits,
Was Julia's innocent determination
determination - determinación, decisión, resolución, ahínco
In young Don Juan's favour, and to him its
Exertion might be useful on occasion;
exertion - esfuerzo
And, lighted at too pure a shrine to dim its
shrine - santuario, relicario
dim - débil, ténue
Ethereal lustre, with what sweet persuasion
ethereal - etéreo
lustre - brillo
persuasion - persuasión
He might be taught, by love and her together"
I really don't know what, nor Julia either.
Fraught with this fine intention, and well fenced
fraught - enso
In mail of proof"her purity of soul"
Proof - pruebas; prueba
purity - pureza
She, for the future of her strength convinced.
And that her honour was a rock, or mole,
mole - lunar
Exceeding sagely from that hour dispensed
sagely - sabiamente
dispensed - dispensado; dispensar
With any kind of troublesome control;
troublesome - problemático, prolijo
But whether Julia to the task was equal
Is that which must be mention'd in the sequel.
sequel - secuela
Her plan she deem'd both innocent and feasible,
feasible - es factible; factible, asequible, dable, viable
And, surely, with a stripling of sixteen
Not scandal's fangs could fix on much that 's seizable,
fangs - colmillos; colmillo
seizable - incautables
Or if they did so, satisfied to mean
satisfied - satisfecho; satisfacer
Nothing but what was good, her breast was peaceable"
breast - pecho, seno, teta, corazón, pechuga
A quiet conscience makes one so serene!
conscience - conciencia
serene - sereno
Christians have burnt each other, quite persuaded
Christians - cristianos; cristiano, cristiana, Cristián
That all the Apostles would have done as they did.
apostles - apóstoles; apóstol
And if in the mean time her husband died,
But Heaven forbid that such a thought should cross
forbid - prohibir, vedar, vetar, negar
Her brain, though in a dream! (and then she sigh'd)
sigh - suspiro; suspirar
Never could she survive that common loss;
But just suppose that moment should betide,
I only say suppose it"inter nos.
inter - enterrar
(This should be entre nous, for Julia thought
In French, but then the rhyme would go for naught.)
rhyme - rima, rima, rimar
naught - nada
I only say suppose this supposition:
supposition - suposición
Juan being then grown up to man's estate
estate - patrimonio; propiedad, inmueble, bien, estamento, finca
Would fully suit a widow of condition,
fully - totalmente; completamente, a fondo
Even seven years hence it would not be too late;
hence - de aquí, por lo tanto, por eso, de ahí
And in the interim (to pursue this vision)
interim - interino, ínterin
pursue - perseguir, apuntar a
The mischief, after all, could not be great,
For he would learn the rudiments of love,
rudiments - rudimentos; rudimento
I mean the seraph way of those above.
seraph - serafín
So much for Julia. Now we'll turn to Juan.
Poor little fellow! he had no idea
Of his own case, and never hit the true one;
In feelings quick as Ovid's Miss Medea,
He puzzled over what he found a new one,
But not as yet imagined it could be
Thing quite in course, and not at all alarming,
Which, with a little patience, might grow charming.
Silent and pensive, idle, restless, slow,
pensive - pensativo, meditabundo, amohinado, melancólico
idle - ocioso; parado, inactivo
restless - inquieto
His home deserted for the lonely wood,
Tormented with a wound he could not know,
tormented - atormentado; tormento, atormentar
His, like all deep grief, plunged in solitude:
grief - duelo; pesar, pesadumbre, dolor, sufrimiento
plunged - se hundió; lanzarse, zambullirse, tirarse de cabeza
solitude - soledad, solitud
I'm fond myself of solitude or so,
But then, I beg it may be understood,
beg - pedir limosna; pedir
By solitude I mean a sultan's, not
A hermit's, with a haram for a grot.
Hermit - ermitano; ermitano
'Oh Love! in such a wilderness as this,
wilderness - salvajes; descampado, jungla, maleza, monte
Where transport and security entwine,
Here is the empire of thy perfect bliss,
Empire - imperio
And here thou art a god indeed divine.'
The bard I quote from does not sing amiss,
amiss - algún problema; mal
With the exception of the second line,
exception - excepción, salvedad, ofensa
For that same twining 'transport and security'
Are twisted to a phrase of some obscurity.
twisted - retorcido; torcer, sacar punta a, torcerse
obscurity - obscuridad; oscuridad
The poet meant, no doubt, and thus appeals
appeals - apelaciones; suplicar, rogar
To the good sense and senses of mankind,
The very thing which every body feels,
As all have found on trial, or may find,
That no one likes to be disturb'd at meals
disturb - perturbar, molestar
Or love."I won't say more about 'entwined'
Or 'transport,'as we knew all that before,
But beg 'Security'will bolt the door.
bolt - perno; pestillo
Young Juan wander'd by the glassy brooks,
wander - vagar, divagar, errar, deambular, enganar
glassy - vidrioso, vítreo
brooks - brooks; arroyo
Thinking unutterable things; he threw
Himself at length within the leafy nooks
leafy - hojas; frondoso, foliáceo
nooks - rincones; rincón, recoveco
Where the wild branch of the cork forest grew;
cork - corcho; Cork
There poets find materials for their books,
And every now and then we read them through,
So that their plan and prosody are eligible,
prosody - prosodia
eligible - es elegible; elegible, propio, cualificado, apto
Unless, like Wordsworth, they prove unintelligible.
unintelligible - ininteligible
He, Juan (and not Wordsworth), so pursued
pursued - perseguido; perseguir, apuntar a
His self-communion with his own high soul,
communion - comunión
Until his mighty heart, in its great mood,
mighty - poderoso
Had mitigated part, though not the whole
mitigated - mitigado; mitigar
Of its disease; he did the best he could
With things not very subject to control,
And turn'd, without perceiving his condition,
perceiving - Percibiendo; (perceive); percibir, entender
Like Coleridge, into a metaphysician.
metaphysician - metafísico
He thought about himself, and the whole earth
Of man the wonderful, and of the stars,
And how the deuce they ever could have birth;
deuce - Dos
And then he thought of earthquakes, and of wars,
How many miles the moon might have in girth,
girth - círculo; cincha, circunferencia, cintura
Of air-balloons, and of the many bars
balloons - globos; globo, vejiga, bomba
To perfect knowledge of the boundless skies;"
boundless - ilimitado, sin límites
And then he thought of Donna Julia's eyes.
In thoughts like these true wisdom may discern
discern - percibir, sensar, vislumbrar, discernir
Longings sublime, and aspirations high,
longings - Anhelo
aspirations - aspiración
Which some are born with, but the most part learn
To plague themselves withal, they know not why:
plague - plaga, peste, plagar, molestar, atormentar
withal - con todo
'Twas strange that one so young should thus concern
His brain about the action of the sky;
If you think 'twas philosophy that this did,
Philosophy - filosofía
I can't help thinking puberty assisted.
puberty - pubertad
He pored upon the leaves, and on the flowers,
pored - pored; poro
And heard a voice in all the winds; and then
winds - vientos; viento, aire
He thought of wood-nymphs and immortal bowers,
nymphs - ninfas; ninfa
And how the goddesses came down to men:
He miss'd the pathway, he forgot the hours,
pathway - camino; via, ruta
And when he look'd upon his watch again,
He found how much old Time had been a winner"
He also found that he had lost his dinner.
Sometimes he turn'd to gaze upon his book,
gaze - mirada; observar, mirar fijamente
Boscan, or Garcilasso;"by the wind
wind - viento, aire
Even as the page is rustled while we look,
rustled - susurrado; crujido
So by the poesy of his own mind
Over the mystic leaf his soul was shook,
mystic - místico, mística
As if 'twere one whereon magicians bind
whereon - dónde; en donde
Magicians - magos; mago, fenómeno, checkhechicero
Their spells, and give them to the passing gale,
gale - revuelo; vendaval, galerna
According to some good old woman's tale.
Tale - cuento; historia, relato
Thus would he while his lonely hours away
Dissatisfied, nor knowing what he wanted;
dissatisfied - insatisfecho; descontentar
Nor glowing reverie, nor poet's lay,
glowing - resplandeciente; fulgir, fulgurar, iluminar, brillar
reverie - ensonación; ensueno
Could yield his spirit that for which it panted,
panted - jadeaba; jadear, resollar
A bosom whereon he his head might lay,
bosom - seno, pechera, busto
And hear the heart beat with the love it granted,
granted - concedido; otorgar, conceder, subvención, beca, patrocinio
With"several other things, which I forget,
Or which, at least, I need not mention yet.
Those lonely walks, and lengthening reveries,
Lengthening - alargamiento; alargar
reveries - ensonaciones; ensueno
Could not escape the gentle Julia's eyes;
She saw that Juan was not at his ease;
But that which chiefly may, and must surprise,
chiefly - principalmente, sobre todo, particularmente, especialmente
Is, that the Donna Inez did not tease
tease - bromear; cardar, peinar, burlarse de, molestar, tomar el pelo
Her only son with question or surmise:
surmise - supongo; suponer, conjeturar, presumir
Whether it was she did not see, or would not,
Or, like all very clever people, could not.
This may seem strange, but yet 'tis very common;
For instance"gentlemen, whose ladies take
instance - caso, ejemplo, ocasión, instancia
Leave to o'erstep the written rights of woman,
erstep - rstep
And break the"Which commandment is 't they break?
commandment - mandamiento
(I have forgot the number, and think no man
Should rashly quote, for fear of a mistake.)
I say, when these same gentlemen are jealous,
They make some blunder, which their ladies tell us.
A real husband always is suspicious,
suspicious - sospechoso, suspicaz, desconfiado
But still no less suspects in the wrong place,
suspects - sospechosos; barruntar, sospechar, sospechoso
Jealous of some one who had no such wishes,
Or pandering blindly to his own disgrace,
blindly - ciegamente, a ciegas, a tientas, a tiento
disgrace - desgracia, baldón, deshonrar
By harbouring some dear friend extremely vicious;
harbouring - aguantando; puerto
The last indeed 's infallibly the case:
infallibly - infaliblemente
And when the spouse and friend are gone off wholly,
wholly - Por completo
He wonders at their vice, and not his folly.
folly - una locura; capricho
Thus parents also are at times short-sighted;
Though watchful as the lynx, they ne'er discover,
watchful - vigilante; atento, avizor
lynx - lince
The while the wicked world beholds delighted,
wicked - malvado, cruel, insoportable; (wick) malvado, cruel
beholds - contemplar, mirar, observar, he aquí, mirad
delighted - encantado; deleite, regocijo, delicia, placer
Young Hopeful's mistress, or Miss Fanny's lover,
hopeful - esperanzado, esperanzador
Till some confounded escapade has blighted
confounded - confundido; confundir, empeorar
escapade - escapada; aventura, andanza, correría, travesura
blighted - rruinado; mildiu, tizón, mal, plaga
The plan of twenty years, and all is over;
And then the mother cries, the father swears,
swears - jurar
And wonders why the devil he got heirs.
But Inez was so anxious, and so clear
anxious - ansioso, inquieto, deseoso
Of sight, that I must think, on this occasion,
She had some other motive much more near
motive - motivo, móbil
For leaving Juan to this new temptation;
But what that motive was, I sha'n't say here;
Perhaps to finish Juan's education,
Perhaps to open Don Alfonso's eyes,
In case he thought his wife too great a prize.
It was upon a day, a summer's day."
Summer's indeed a very dangerous season,
And so is spring about the end of May;
The sun, no doubt, is the prevailing reason;
prevailing - revaleciendo; prevalecer, vencer
But whatsoe'er the cause is, one may say,
whatsoe - Qué
And stand convicted of more truth than treason,
stand convicted - condenado
treason - traición, colaboración con el enemigo, colaboracionismo
That there are months which nature grows more merry in,"
merry - contento; alegre
March has its hares, and May must have its heroine.
hares - iebres; liebre
heroine - heroína
'Twas on a summer's day"the sixth of June:"
I like to be particular in dates,
Not only of the age, and year, but moon;
They are a sort of post-house, where the Fates
fates - destinos; destino, azar
Change horses, making history change its tune,
tune - melodía, tonada, afinar, sintonizar
Then spur away o'er empires and o'er states,
spur - espolear; espuela
empires - imperios; imperio
Leaving at last not much besides chronology,
Chronology - cronología
Excepting the post-obits of theology.
obits - obituario
theology - teología
'Twas on the sixth of June, about the hour
Of half-past six"perhaps still nearer seven"
When Julia sate within as pretty a bower
sate - ado
As e'er held houri in that heathenish heaven
houri - hurí
Described by Mahomet, and Anacreon Moore,
Mahomet - Mahoma
To whom the lyre and laurels have been given,
lyre - lira
With all the trophies of triumphant song"
trophies - Trofi
triumphant - triunfante, triunfador
He won them well, and may he wear them long!
She sate, but not alone; I know not well
How this same interview had taken place,
And even if I knew, I should not tell"
People should hold their tongues in any case;
No matter how or why the thing befell,
But there were she and Juan, face to face"
When two such faces are so, 'twould be wise,
twould - lo haría
wise - sabio
But very difficult, to shut their eyes.
How beautiful she look'd! her conscious heart
conscious - consciente
Glow'd in her cheek, and yet she felt no wrong.
O Love! how perfect is thy mystic art,
Strengthening the weak, and trampling on the strong,
strengthening - fortalecimiento; fortalecer, animar
trampling - Pisoteando; (trample); pisotear, hollar, maltratar, humillar
How self-deceitful is the sagest part
deceitful - enganoso; falso, deshonesto
Sagest - sagest; salvia
Of mortals whom thy lure hath led along"
mortals - ortales; mortal
lure - enuelo; tentación, aliciente
The precipice she stood on was immense,
precipice - precipicio
immense - inmenso
So was her creed in her own innocence.
She thought of her own strength, and Juan's youth,
And of the folly of all prudish fears,
prudish - privilegiado; pudibundo, santurrón, mojigato, pacato
Victorious virtue, and domestic truth,
victorious - victorioso
And then of Don Alfonso's fifty years:
I wish these last had not occurr'd, in sooth,
occurr - Ocurre algo
Because that number rarely much endears,
endears - entusiasma; hacerse querer
And through all climes, the snowy and the sunny,
climes - clima
sunny - asoleado
Sounds ill in love, whate'er it may in money.
When people say, 'I've told you fifty times,'
They mean to scold, and very often do;
scold - reganar; reganar, retar, renir
When poets say, 'I've written fifty rhymes,'
They make you dread that they'll recite them too;
dread - miedo; temer, pavor, temor
recite - recitar, declamar
In gangs of fifty, thieves commit their crimes;
gangs - pandillas; grupo, cuadrilla, equipo
At fifty love for love is rare, 'tis true,
But then, no doubt, it equally as true is,
A good deal may be bought for fifty Louis.
Julia had honour, virtue, truth, and love,
For Don Alfonso; and she inly swore,
inly - sólo
swore - lo juraste; jurar
By all the vows below to powers above,
vows - votos; voto, manda, promesa
She never would disgrace the ring she wore,
ring - anillo
Nor leave a wish which wisdom might reprove;
reprove - reprobar, reprender
And while she ponder'd this, besides much more,
ponder - pensar; considerar, meditar, cavilar, discurrir, ponderar
One hand on Juan's carelessly was thrown,
Quite by mistake"she thought it was her own;
Unconsciously she lean'd upon the other,
unconsciously - inconscientemente
Which play'd within the tangles of her hair:
tangles - enredos; desorden, marana, enredo
And to contend with thoughts she could not smother
She seem'd by the distraction of her air.
Distraction - distracción, locura
'Twas surely very wrong in Juan's mother
To leave together this imprudent pair,
imprudent - imprudente
She who for many years had watch'd her son so"
I'm very certain mine would not have done so.
The hand which still held Juan's, by degrees
by degrees - Poco a poco
Gently, but palpably confirm'd its grasp,
gently - suavemente; mansamente, suave
palpably - Palpablemente
grasp - agarrar, asir, comprender, asimiento, comprensión, alcance
As if it said, 'Detain me, if you please;'
detain - panish: t-needed
Yet there's no doubt she only meant to clasp
clasp - cierre; broche, manija, corchete, hebilla, agarrar
His fingers with a pure Platonic squeeze:
squeeze - exprimir, apretar, apretujar, apuro, crisis, apretón
She would have shrunk as from a toad, or asp,
shrunk - ncogido; contraerse, encogerse, achicarse, mermar
toad - sapo, sapa
Had she imagined such a thing could rouse
rouse - revivir; despertar
A feeling dangerous to a prudent spouse.
I cannot know what Juan thought of this,
But what he did, is much what you would do;
His young lip thank'd it with a grateful kiss,
And then, abash'd at its own joy, withdrew
abash - confundir, avergonzar, abochornar
In deep despair, lest he had done amiss,"
despair - desesperar, desesperanzar, desesperación, desesperanza
Love is so very timid when 'tis new:
timid - tímido
She blush'd, and frown'd not, but she strove to speak,
blush - sonrojo, rubor
strove - se esforzó; esforzarse
And held her tongue, her voice was grown so weak.
The sun set, and up rose the yellow moon:
The devil 's in the moon for mischief; they
Who call'd her CHASTE, methinks, began too soon
methinks - me equivoco; ; (methink) me equivoco
Their nomenclature; there is not a day,
nomenclature - nomenclatura
The longest, not the twenty-first of June,
Sees half the business in a wicked way
On which three single hours of moonshine smile"
Moonshine - bebida alcohólica; alcohol ilegal
And then she looks so modest all the while.
There is a dangerous silence in that hour,
A stillness, which leaves room for the full soul
To open all itself, without the power
Of calling wholly back its self-control;
self-control - (self-control) autocontrol
The silver light which, hallowing tree and tower,
Sheds beauty and deep softness o'er the whole,
sheds - obertizos; cobertizo, nave
softness - suavidad, molicie
Breathes also to the heart, and o'er it throws
A loving languor, which is not repose.
languor - Languidez
repose - reposo
And Julia sate with Juan, half embraced
embraced - abrazado; abrazar, abrazo
And half retiring from the glowing arm,
Which trembled like the bosom where 'twas placed;
trembled - tembló; tiritar, temblar, temblor, vibración, temblequera
Yet still she must have thought there was no harm,
harm - dano; dano, danar
Or else 'twere easy to withdraw her waist;
withdraw - retirarse; retirar(se)
waist - cintura
But then the situation had its charm,
charm - encanto
And then"God knows what next"I can't go on;
I'm almost sorry that I e'er begun.
O Plato! Plato! you have paved the way,
Plato - Platón
paved - pavimentado; pavimentar
With your confounded fantasies, to more
fantasies - Fantasía
Immoral conduct by the fancied sway
immoral - inmoral
sway - maniobrar; balanceo, influencia, influjo, preponderancia
Your system feigns o'er the controulless core
feigns - finge; fingir, inventar, aparentar, imaginar
controulless - sin control
Of human hearts, than all the long array
array - atavío, galas, distribución, ristra, gama, vector, arreglo
Of poets and romancers:"You're a bore,
romancers - romántica
A charlatan, a coxcomb"and have been,
charlatan - un charlatán; charlatán, vendehúmos, vendedor de crecepelo
coxcomb - cresta, lechuguino
At best, no better than a go-between.
And Julia's voice was lost, except in sighs,
Until too late for useful conversation;
The tears were gushing from her gentle eyes,
gushing - goteando; manar, salir a borbotones, brotar, hacer efusión
I wish indeed they had not had occasion,
But who, alas! can love, and then be wise?
Alas - !ay!; (ala) !ay!
Not that remorse did not oppose temptation;
remorse - remordimientos; remordimiento, compunción
oppose - oponerse; oponer
A little still she strove, and much repented
repented - se arrepintió; arrepentirse
And whispering 'I will ne'er consent'"consented.
consented - consintió; consentir, consentimiento, venia, anuencia
'Tis said that Xerxes offer'd a reward
Reward - recompensa
To those who could invent him a new pleasure:
Methinks the requisition 's rather hard,
requisition - requisición; requisar
And must have cost his majesty a treasure:
Majesty - majestad
treasure - tesoro, atesorar
For my part, I'm a moderate-minded bard,
moderate - moderado, comedido, mediocre, moderar
Fond of a little love (which I call leisure);
I care not for new pleasures, as the old
Are quite enough for me, so they but hold.
O Pleasure! you are indeed a pleasant thing,
Although one must be damn'd for you, no doubt:
damn - maldecir; maldita sea
I make a resolution every spring
resolution - resolución, panish: t-needed
Of reformation, ere the year run out,
reformation - Reforma protestante
But somehow, this my vestal vow takes wing,
vestal - vestal
Yet still, I trust it may be kept throughout:
I'm very sorry, very much ashamed,
And mean, next winter, to be quite reclaim'd.
reclaim - reclamar
Here my chaste Muse a liberty must take"
muse - Musa
liberty - libertad
Start not! still chaster reader"she'll be nice hence"
chaster - chaster; casto
Forward, and there is no great cause to quake;
This liberty is a poetic licence,
poetic - poético
licence - licencia, permiso
Which some irregularity may make
irregularity - irregularidad
In the design, and as I have a high sense
Of Aristotle and the Rules, 'tis fit
Aristotle - Aristóteles
To beg his pardon when I err a bit.
err - error; errar, equivocarse
This licence is to hope the reader will
Suppose from June the sixth (the fatal day,
fatal day - un día fatal
Without whose epoch my poetic skill
epoch - época
For want of facts would all be thrown away),
But keeping Julia and Don Juan still
In sight, that several months have pass'd; we'll say
'Twas in November, but I'm not so sure
About the day"the era 's more obscure.
era - época, era, período
We'll talk of that anon."'Tis sweet to hear
anon - anónimo
At midnight on the blue and moonlit deep
The song and oar of Adria's gondolier,
oar - remo
gondolier - gondolero, gondolera
By distance mellow'd, o'er the waters sweep;
mellow - suave; mantecoso, relajado, blando
sweep - barrer, peinar
'Tis sweet to see the evening star appear;
evening star - estrella de la tarde
'Tis sweet to listen as the night-winds creep
creep - se arrastran; reptar, hormigueo, fatiga
From leaf to leaf; 'tis sweet to view on high
The rainbow, based on ocean, span the sky.
rainbow - arco iris, abanico, multicolor, policromático, irisado
span - luz, palmo
'Tis sweet to hear the watch-dog's honest bark
bark - corteza; ladrido
Bay deep-mouth'd welcome as we draw near home;
bay - bahía
draw near - Acercarse
'Tis sweet to know there is an eye will mark
Our coming, and look brighter when we come;
'Tis sweet to be awaken'd by the lark,
awaken - despertar, despertarse
lark - alondra
Or lull'd by falling waters; sweet the hum
lull - calma; arrullar, adormecer
Hum - tararear, canturrear
Of bees, the voice of girls, the song of birds,
The lisp of children, and their earliest words.
lisp - ceceo, balbuceo, cecear, balbucear
Sweet is the vintage, when the showering grapes
vintage - vendimia, cosecha, clásico, antiguo
grapes - uvas; uva
In Bacchanal profusion reel to earth,
Bacchanal - bacanal, bacanal
profusion - profusión
reel - carrete, enrollar, titubear
Purple and gushing: sweet are our escapes
From civic revelry to rural mirth;
civic - cívico
rural - rural
mirth - felicidad, alegría, júbilo
Sweet to the miser are his glittering heaps,
miser - miserable; tacano, rata, pesetero, tacano
glittering - resplandeciente; chispeante; (glitter); brillo, purpurina
heaps - montones; pila, montón, cúmulo, montículo, checkpila, amontonar
Sweet to the father is his first-born's birth,
first-born - (first-born) primogénito
Sweet is revenge"especially to women,
Pillage to soldiers, prize-money to seamen.
pillage - paqueo; saquear, saqueo, pillaje
Sweet is a legacy, and passing sweet
legacy - legado, herencia
The unexpected death of some old lady
unexpected - inesperado, inopinado
Or gentleman of seventy years complete,
Who've made 'us youth'wait too"too long already
For an estate, or cash, or country seat,
Still breaking, but with stamina so steady
stamina - estamina, resistencia, aguante
That all the Israelites are fit to mob its
Israelites - israelitas; israelita
mob - mafia; banda, chusma
Next owner for their double-damn'd post-obits.
Damn - maldecir, condenar, reprobar, maldito, puto, malditamente
'Tis sweet to win, no matter how, one's laurels,
By blood or ink; 'tis sweet to put an end
ink - tinta, entintar, firmar, tatuar
To strife; 'tis sometimes sweet to have our quarrels,
Particularly with a tiresome friend:
tiresome - cansino; fatigoso, cansador, agotador
Sweet is old wine in bottles, ale in barrels;
ale - cerveza inglesa, ale, cerveza ale
in barrels - en barriles
Dear is the helpless creature we defend
creature - criatura
defend - defender
Against the world; and dear the schoolboy spot
We ne'er forget, though there we are forgot.
But sweeter still than this, than these, than all,
Is first and passionate love"it stands alone,
passionate - apasionado
Like Adam's recollection of his fall;
Adam - Adam, Adán
recollection - Recuerdo
The tree of knowledge has been pluck'd"all 's known"
pluck - herir, desplumar, perseverancia
And life yields nothing further to recall
yields - rendimientos; ceder
recall - recordar, evocar, retirada
Worthy of this ambrosial sin, so shown,
No doubt in fable, as the unforgiven
fable - fábula
unforgiven - in perdón
Fire which Prometheus filch'd for us from heaven.
Prometheus - Prometeo
filch - hurtar
Man 's a strange animal, and makes strange use
Of his own nature, and the various arts,
And likes particularly to produce
Some new experiment to show his parts;
This is the age of oddities let loose,
oddities - extranezas; rareza
Where different talents find their different marts;
marts - marts; mercado
You'd best begin with truth, and when you've lost your
Labour, there's a sure market for imposture.
labour - trabajo, campesinos, trabajadores, parto, trabajar
imposture - imposturas; impostura
What opposite discoveries we have seen!
(Signs of true genius, and of empty pockets.)
genius - genio, genia
One makes new noses, one a guillotine,
guillotine - guillotina
One breaks your bones, one sets them in their sockets;
sockets - enchufes; enchufe, toma corriente, toma, cuenca (eye socket)
But vaccination certainly has been
vaccination - vacunación
A kind antithesis to Congreve's rockets,
antithesis - antítesis
rockets - cohetes; cohete
With which the Doctor paid off an old pox,
By borrowing a new one from an ox.
ox - buey
Bread has been made (indifferent) from potatoes;
And galvanism has set some corpses grinning,
corpses - cadáveres; cuerpo, cadáver
grinning - sonriendo; sonreír abiertamente, sonreír de oreja a oreja
But has not answer'd like the apparatus
apparatus - aparato, equipo, aparataje
Of the Humane Society's beginning
humane - humano
By which men are unsuffocated gratis:
unsuffocated - sin asignación
What wondrous new machines have late been spinning!
I said the small-pox has gone out of late;
Perhaps it may be follow'd by the great.
'Tis said the great came from America;
Perhaps it may set out on its return,"
The population there so spreads, they say
'Tis grown high time to thin it in its turn,
With war, or plague, or famine, any way,
famine - hambruna, hambre
So that civilisation they may learn;
civilisation - ivilización
And which in ravage the more loathsome evil is"
ravage - arrasar; estragar, estrago
loathsome - asqueroso; aborrecible, detestable, odioso, abominable
Their real lues, or our pseudo-syphilis?
lues - ues
syphilis - sífilis, gálico
This is the patent-age of new inventions
patent - patente
For killing bodies, and for saving souls,
souls - almas; alma, espíritu
All propagated with the best intentions;
Sir Humphry Davy's lantern, by which coals
lantern - farol, linterna
Are safely mined for in the mode he mentions,
safely - seguro; seguramente
Tombuctoo travels, voyages to the Poles,
poles - postes; polo
Are ways to benefit mankind, as true,
Perhaps, as shooting them at Waterloo.
Man 's a phenomenon, one knows not what,
phenomenon - fenómeno
And wonderful beyond all wondrous measure;
'Tis pity though, in this sublime world, that
Pleasure 's a sin, and sometimes sin 's a pleasure;
Few mortals know what end they would be at,
But whether glory, power, or love, or treasure,
The path is through perplexing ways, and when
perplexing - perplejo; confundir, desconcertar
The goal is gain'd, we die, you know"and then"
gain - ganar, adquirir, obtener, conseguir
What then?"I do not know, no more do you"
And so good night."Return we to our story:
'Twas in November, when fine days are few,
And the far mountains wax a little hoary,
hoary - cansado; cano
And clap a white cape on their mantles blue;
clap - aplaudir
Cape - capa
mantles - mantos; manto, camisa
And the sea dashes round the promontory,
dashes - guiones; raya, guion largo, carrerita, gota, pizca, lanzarse
promontory - promontorio
And the loud breaker boils against the rock,
breaker - Rompedor
And sober suns must set at five o'clock.
sober - sobrio, sereno, apagado
'Twas, as the watchmen say, a cloudy night;
watchmen - vigilantes; guardián, celador, guarda, vigía
cloudy - nublado, nublo, turbio
No moon, no stars, the wind was low or loud
By gusts, and many a sparkling hearth was bright
gusts - rachas; ráfaga, racha
sparkling - chispeante; centelleante, gaseoso, efervescente
With the piled wood, round which the family crowd;
piled - apilado; montón, pila
There's something cheerful in that sort of light,
Even as a summer sky 's without a cloud:
I'm fond of fire, and crickets, and all that,
Crickets - los grillos; críquet, cricket
A lobster salad, and champagne, and chat.
Lobster - langosta, bogavante
champagne - champán; Champana
'Twas midnight"Donna Julia was in bed,
Sleeping, most probably,"when at her door
Arose a clatter might awake the dead,
arose - surgió; surgir, levantarse, provenir, aparecer
clatter - ruido; trapalear
awake - despierto; despertar(se)
If they had never been awoke before,
awoke - despertó; despertar(se)
And that they have been so we all have read,
And are to be so, at the least, once more.--
The door was fasten'd, but with voice and fist
fist - puno
First knocks were heard, then 'Madam"Madam"hist!
madam - senora; senora, cabrona
'For God's sake, Madam"Madam"here's my master,
For God's sake - Por el amor de Dios
With more than half the city at his back"
Was ever heard of such a curst disaster!
'Tis not my fault"I kept good watch"Alack!
Alack - ah, sí; ay
Do pray undo the bolt a little faster"
undo - deshacer
They're on the stair just now, and in a crack
crack - rajarse, resquebrajarse
Will all be here; perhaps he yet may fly"
Surely the window 's not so very high!'
By this time Don Alfonso was arrived,
With torches, friends, and servants in great number;
torches - linternas; antorcha, incendiar
The major part of them had long been wived,
wived - Esposa
And therefore paused not to disturb the slumber
paused - receso, checkdescanso, pausar, interrumpir, suspender
slumber - sueno; adormecimiento, adormilamiento, adormecer, adormilar
Of any wicked woman, who contrived
By stealth her husband's temples to encumber:
stealth - sigilo, cautela
temples - templos; templo
Examples of this kind are so contagious,
contagious - contagioso, infeccioso, contagiante
Were one not punish'd, all would be outrageous.
I can't tell how, or why, or what suspicion
suspicion - sospecha, suspicacia
Could enter into Don Alfonso's head;
But for a cavalier of his condition
It surely was exceedingly ill-bred,
Without a word of previous admonition,
admonition - amonestación; admonición
To hold a levee round his lady's bed,
levee - ique
And summon lackeys, arm'd with fire and sword,
summon - convocar
lackeys - lacayos; lacayo
sword - espada, gladio
To prove himself the thing he most abhorr'd.
Poor Donna Julia, starting as from sleep
(Mind"that I do not say"she had not slept),
Began at once to scream, and yawn, and weep;
yawn - bostezar, abrirse, bostezo
weep - llorar
Her maid Antonia, who was an adept,
maid - mucama; doncella, senorita, doméstica, empleada doméstica
adept - depto; experto, hábil, experto, experta
Contrived to fling the bed-clothes in a heap,
fling - una aventura; arrojar, lanzar
heap - pila, montón, cúmulo, montículo, checkpila, amontonar
As if she had just now from out them crept:
crept - se arrastró; reptar, hormigueo, fatiga
I can't tell why she should take all this trouble
To prove her mistress had been sleeping double.
But Julia mistress, and Antonia maid,
Appear'd like two poor harmless women, who
Of goblins, but still more of men afraid,
goblins - duendes; duende, trasgo
Had thought one man might be deterr'd by two,
deterr - detener
And therefore side by side were gently laid,
Until the hours of absence should run through,
absence - ausencia, falta, ausencia de hierro
And truant husband should return, and say,
Truant - truante, novillero, novillera, absentista
'My dear, I was the first who came away.'
Now Julia found at length a voice, and cried,
'In heaven's name, Don Alfonso, what d'ye mean?
Has madness seized you? would that I had died
madness - locura
seized - incautado; agarrar, apoderarse de, apresar, aferrar, tomar
Ere such a monster's victim I had been!
monster - monstruo, fiera
What may this midnight violence betide,
violence - violencia
A sudden fit of drunkenness or spleen?
drunkenness - borrachera, embriaguez, pedo, cogorza
spleen - bazo, esplín
Dare you suspect me, whom the thought would kill?
suspect - barruntar, sospechar, sospechoso
Search, then, the room!'"Alfonso said, 'I will.'
He search'd, they search'd, and rummaged everywhere,
rummaged - rebuscado; revolver
Closet and clothes'press, chest and window-seat,
closet - ropero, armario, clóset
And found much linen, lace, and several pair
linen - lino, linge, ropa blanca, linocros
lace - encaje; cordón
Of stockings, slippers, brushes, combs, complete,
stockings - medias; media
slippers - zapatillas; zapatilla, pantufla, babucha
combs - peines; peine
With other articles of ladies fair,
To keep them beautiful, or leave them neat:
neat - bien; pulcro, ordenado
Arras they prick'd and curtains with their swords,
prick - idiota; pinchar, perforar
swords - espadas; espada, gladio
And wounded several shutters, and some boards.
wounded - Herida
shutters - persianas; postigo, contraventana, obturador
Under the bed they search'd, and there they found"
No matter what"it was not that they sought;
sought - buscado; buscar
They open'd windows, gazing if the ground
gazing - mirando; observar, mirar fijamente
Had signs or footmarks, but the earth said nought;
footmarks - Marca del pie
nought - nada; cero
And then they stared each other's faces round:
'Tis odd, not one of all these seekers thought,
seekers - buscadores; buscador
And seems to me almost a sort of blunder,
Of looking in the bed as well as under.
During this inquisition, Julia's tongue
inquisition - Inquisición
Was not asleep"'Yes, search and search,'she cried,
'Insult on insult heap, and wrong on wrong!
insult - insultar, insulto, ofensa, improperio
It was for this that I became a bride!
For this in silence I have suffer'd long
A husband like Alfonso at my side;
But now I'll bear no more, nor here remain,
If there be law or lawyers in all Spain.
'Yes, Don Alfonso! husband now no more,
If ever you indeed deserved the name,
deserved - merecido; merecer, meritar
Is 't worthy of your years?"you have threescore"
threescore - treinta
Fifty, or sixty, it is all the same"
Is 't wise or fitting, causeless to explore
For facts against a virtuous woman's fame?
Ungrateful, perjured, barbarous Don Alfonso,
ungrateful - desagradecido, ingrato, malagradecido
perjured - perjuró; perjurar
barbarous - bárbaro
How dare you think your lady would go on so?
'Is it for this I have disdain'd to hold
The common privileges of my sex?
privileges - privilegios; privilegio, privilegiar
That I have chosen a confessor so old
And deaf, that any other it would vex,
deaf - sordo, sordos, sordas
vex - molestar, irritar, disgustar, afligir, atormentar, fastidiar
And never once he has had cause to scold,
But found my very innocence perplex
So much, he always doubted I was married"
How sorry you will be when I've miscarried!
'Was it for this that no Cortejo e'er
I yet have chosen from out the youth of Seville?
Is it for this I scarce went anywhere,
Except to bull-fights, mass, play, rout, and revel?
Bull - toro
rout - rutina; derrotar
revel - revelar; deleitarse
Is it for this, whate'er my suitors were,
suitors - retendientes; pretendiente
I favor'd none"nay, was almost uncivil?
uncivil - incivil; maleducado, grosero
Is it for this that General Count O'Reilly,
Who took Algiers, declares I used him vilely?
Algiers - Argel
declares - explicar, aclarar, declarar
vilely - Vilmente
'Did not the Italian Musico Cazzani
Sing at my heart six months at least in vain?
Did not his countryman, Count Corniani,
countryman - paisano, paisana, compatriota, campesino, campesina
Call me the only virtuous wife in Spain?
Were there not also Russians, English, many?
Russians - rusos; ruso, ruso, rusa
The Count Strongstroganoff I put in pain,
And Lord Mount Coffeehouse, the Irish peer,
mount - montar
Coffeehouse - Cafetería
Irish - irlandés, irlandeses
peer - companero; par, noble
Who kill'd himself for love (with wine) last year.
'Have I not had two bishops at my feet,
bishops - obispos; obispo
The Duke of Ichar, and Don Fernan Nunez?
Duke - duque
And is it thus a faithful wife you treat?
faithful - fieles; fiel, leal
I wonder in what quarter now the moon is:
I praise your vast forbearance not to beat
vast - vasta; vasto, enorme
forbearance - ndulgencia; templanza
Me also, since the time so opportune is"
opportune - oportuno, apropiado
O, valiant man! with sword drawn and cock'd trigger,
valiant - valiente
cock - polla; gallo, macho
trigger - gatillo, detonador, detonante, desencadenante, disparador
Now, tell me, don't you cut a pretty figure?
'Was it for this you took your sudden journey.
Under pretence of business indispensable
indispensable - indispensable, imprescindible
With that sublime of rascals your attorney,
rascals - gamberros; pícaro, bribón, canalla
attorney - abogado, abogada, notario
Whom I see standing there, and looking sensible
Of having play'd the fool? though both I spurn, he
fool - idiota; bobo, imbécil, necio, pendejo, bufón, loco
spurn - despreciar; desdenar, patada
Deserves the worst, his conduct 's less defensible,
deserves - merecer, meritar
defensible - defendible, sostenible
Because, no doubt, 'twas for his dirty fee,
And not from any love to you nor me.
'If he comes here to take a deposition,
By all means let the gentleman proceed;
You've made the apartment in a fit condition:
There's pen and ink for you, sir, when you need"
Let every thing be noted with precision,
precision - exactitud, precisión
I would not you for nothing should be fee'd"
But, as my maid 's undrest, pray turn your spies out.'
undrest - descanso
spies out - espías fuera
'Oh!'sobb'd Antonia, 'I could tear their eyes out.'
sobb - Sobby
'There is the closet, there the toilet, there
The antechamber"search them under, over;
antechamber - antecámara, antesala
There is the sofa, there the great arm-chair,
sofa - sofá, sillón
arm-chair - (arm-chair) sillón
The chimney"which would really hold a lover.
chimney - chimenea, tubo
I wish to sleep, and beg you will take care
And make no further noise, till you discover
The secret cavern of this lurking treasure"
lurking - al acecho; (lurk); acechar, agazaparse, ocultarse, esconderse
And when 'tis found, let me, too, have that pleasure.
'And now, Hidalgo! now that you have thrown
Doubt upon me, confusion over all,
confusion - confusión
Pray have the courtesy to make it known
courtesy - cortesía, de cortesía
Who is the man you search for? how d'ye cal
Him? what 's his lineage? let him but be shown"
lineage - linaje, estirpe
I hope he 's young and handsome"is he tall?
Tell me"and be assured, that since you stain
assured - asegurado; (assure); asegurar
My honour thus, it shall not be in vain.
'At least, perhaps, he has not sixty years,
At that age he would be too old for slaughter,
slaughter - matanza, masacre, carnicería, escabechina, matar, masacrar
Or for so young a husband's jealous fears
(Antonia! let me have a glass of water).
I am ashamed of having shed these tears,
shed - cobertizo, nave
They are unworthy of my father's daughter;
unworthy - indigno
My mother dream'd not in my natal hour
natal hour - Hora de nacimiento
That I should fall into a monster's power.
'Perhaps 'tis of Antonia you are jealous,
You saw that she was sleeping by my side
When you broke in upon us with your fellows:
Look where you please"we've nothing, sir, to hide;
Only another time, I trust, you'll tell us,
Or for the sake of decency abide
decency - decencia
abide - morir; quedar, permanecer, resistir, aguantar
A moment at the door, that we may be
Drest to receive so much good company.
drest - Descanso
'And now, sir, I have done, and say no more;
The little I have said may serve to show
The guileless heart in silence may grieve o'er
grieve - duelo; afligirse, acongojarse
The wrongs to whose exposure it is slow:
exposure - exposición, exposición, checkpublicidad, checkdenuncia
I leave you to your conscience as before,
'Twill one day ask you why you used me so?
twill - sarga
God grant you feel not then the bitterest grief!-
Grant - otorgar, conceder, subvención, beca, patrocinio
bitterest - más amargo; amargo
Antonia! where's my pocket-handkerchief?'
handkerchief - panuelo; panuelo
She ceased, and turn'd upon her pillow; pale
ceased - esado; cesar, parar, terminar
pillow - almohada
She lay, her dark eyes flashing through their tears,
flashing - parpadeando; impermeabilización, flaseo
Like skies that rain and lighten; as a veil,
lighten - Aligerar
veil - velo, velar
Waved and o'ershading her wan cheek, appears
ershading - sombreado
wan - pálido, macilento; débil
Her streaming hair; the black curls strive, but fail,
streaming - treaming; (stream); corriente, flujo, arroyo, fluir
curls - rizos; rizo, bucle, flexión
strive - esforzarse
To hide the glossy shoulder, which uprears
uprears - Arriba
Its snow through all;"her soft lips lie apart,
And louder than her breathing beats her heart.
The Senhor Don Alfonso stood confused;
Senhor - Senor
Antonia bustled round the ransack'd room,
bustled - buscado; polisón, abundar
ransack - saquear, desvalijar, escudrinar
And, turning up her nose, with looks abused
abused - abusado; Abuso
Her master and his myrmidons, of whom
Not one, except the attorney, was amused;
amused - divertido; entretener, distraer, divertir
He, like Achates, faithful to the tomb,
tomb - tumba
So there were quarrels, cared not for the cause,
Knowing they must be settled by the laws.
settled - resuelto; instalar, colocar
With prying snub-nose, and small eyes, he stood,
prying - entrometido; (pry) entrometido
snub-nose - (snub-nose) Nariz respingona
Following Antonia's motions here and there,
With much suspicion in his attitude;
For reputations he had little care;
reputations - eputaciones; reputación
So that a suit or action were made good,
Small pity had he for the young and fair,
And ne'er believed in negatives, till these
Were proved by competent false witnesses.
competent - competente
witnesses - testigos; testimonio, testigo, prueba, testificar, probar
But Don Alfonso stood with downcast looks,
downcast - alicaído, abatido
And, truth to say, he made a foolish figure;
When, after searching in five hundred nooks,
And treating a young wife with so much rigour,
He gain'd no point, except some self-rebukes,
rebukes - reprimendas; reproche, reprensión, reprimenda, reprobación
Added to those his lady with such vigour
vigour - vigor, vivacidad, vigor, lozanía, fuerza, energía
Had pour'd upon him for the last half-hour,
Quick, thick, and heavy"as a thunder-shower.
thunder - trueno, estruendo, fragor, tronar
At first he tried to hammer an excuse,
hammer - martillo, percutor, malleus, martillar; (ham); martillo
Excuse - disculpe; excusar, perdonar, panish: t-needed
To which the sole reply was tears and sobs,
sobs - sollozos; hdp
And indications of hysterics, whose
indications - indicaciones; indicación
Prologue is always certain throes, and throbs,
prologue - prólogo
throes - tirar
throbs - pulsa; palpitar
Gasps, and whatever else the owners choose:
gasps - jadeos; jadear, bocanada, calada
owners - propietarios; propietario, dueno, poseedor
Alfonso saw his wife, and thought of Job's;
He saw too, in perspective, her relations,
perspective - perspectiva
And then he tried to muster all his patience.
He stood in act to speak, or rather stammer,
stammer - tartamudear, balbucir, balbucear, gaguear, tartamudeo
But sage Antonia cut him short before
The anvil of his speech received the hammer,
anvil - yunque, bigornia
With 'Pray, sir, leave the room, and say no more,
Or madam dies.'"Alfonso mutter'd, 'D"n her,'
mutter - hablar entre dientes, murmurar; (mut) hablar entre dientes
But nothing else, the time of words was o'er;
He cast a rueful look or two, and did,
rueful - arrepentido; sentir lastima o compasion
He knew not wherefore, that which he was bid.
bid - ofertar; pujar, hacer una oferta
With him retired his 'posse comitatus,'
posse comitatus - cuadrilla
The attorney last, who linger'd near the door
linger - permanecer, demorar, persistir, perdurar, pervivir
Reluctantly, still tarrying there as late as
reluctantly - a reganadientes, de mala gana, con renuencia
tarrying - tardar
Antonia let him"not a little sore
At this most strange and unexplain'd 'hiatus'
most strange - el más extrano
unexplain - nexplicable
hiatus - pausa, vacaciones, descanso, hiato
In Don Alfonso's facts, which just now wore
An awkward look; as he revolved the case,
revolved - giró; girar, rotar
The door was fasten'd in his legal face.
No sooner was it bolted, than"Oh shame!
bolted - atornillado; pestillo
shame - vergüenza, pena
O sin! Oh sorrow! and oh womankind!
sorrow - pena; tristeza, aflicción, infelicidad, pesar
How can you do such things and keep your fame,
Unless this world, and t'other too, be blind?
Nothing so dear as an unfilch'd good name!
unfilch - Desfiltrar
But to proceed"for there is more behind:
With much heartfelt reluctance be it said,
heartfelt - de corazón; sentido
reluctance - reticencia; reluctancia
Young Juan slipp'd half-smother'd, from the bed.
slipp - Resbalar
He had been hid"I don't pretend to say
How, nor can I indeed describe the where"
Young, slender, and pack'd easily, he lay,
No doubt, in little compass, round or square;
compass - brújula
But pity him I neither must nor may
His suffocation by that pretty pair;
'Twere better, sure, to die so, than be shut
With maudlin Clarence in his Malmsey butt.
maudlin - malhumorado; lloraduelos, amanerado, melindroso, remilgado
Malmsey - malvasía
butt - culo; dar un cabezazo
And, secondly, I pity not, because
He had no business to commit a sin,
Forbid by heavenly, fined by human laws,
heavenly - celestial, celeste
At least 'twas rather early to begin;
But at sixteen the conscience rarely gnaws
gnaws - roer
So much as when we call our old debts in
debts - deudas; deuda, pufo
At sixty years, and draw the accompts of evil,
accompts - acompanar
And find a deuced balance with the devil.
deuced - Dos
Of his position I can give no notion:
'Tis written in the Hebrew Chronicle,
chronicle - crónica
How the physicians, leaving pill and potion,
pill - píldora, pastilla
potion - poción, brebaje, elixir, pócima
Prescribed, by way of blister, a young belle,
prescribed - prescrito; prescribir, recetar, ordenar
blister - una ampolla; ampolla, ámpula, ampollar
When old King David's blood grew dull in motion,
David - David
dull - sordo; romo, desafilado, embotado, aburrido, soso
And that the medicine answer'd very well;
Perhaps 'twas in a different way applied,
For David lived, but Juan nearly died.
What 's to be done? Alfonso will be back
The moment he has sent his fools away.
fools - idiotas; bobo, imbécil, necio, pendejo, bufón, loco
Antonia's skill was put upon the rack,
rack - estante
But no device could be brought into play"
And how to parry the renew'd attack?
parry - parar; parada, guardia
Besides, it wanted but few hours of day:
Antonia puzzled; Julia did not speak,
But press'd her bloodless lip to Juan's cheek.
bloodless - sin sangre; exangüe, incruento, sin efusión de sangre, exánime
He turn'd his lip to hers, and with his hand
Call'd back the tangles of her wandering hair;
Even then their love they could not all command,
Command - orden, mandato, mando, comando, dominio
And half forgot their danger and despair:
Antonia's patience now was at a stand"
'Come, come, 'tis no time now for fooling there,'
fooling - Bromeando; (fool); bobo, imbécil, necio, pendejo, bufón, loco
She whisper'd, in great wrath"'I must deposit
wrath - cólera, ira, castigo
deposit - depósito, empeno, depositar
This pretty gentleman within the closet:
'Pray, keep your nonsense for some luckier night"
nonsense - tonterías; tontería, tontada, tontuna, disparate
Who can have put my master in this mood?
What will become on 't"I'm in such a fright,
The devil 's in the urchin, and no good"
urchin - erizo; gamín, gamina, golfillo
Is this a time for giggling? this a plight?
giggling - Risas; (giggle); reír
plight - drama, situación grave
Why, don't you know that it may end in blood?
You'll lose your life, and I shall lose my place,
My mistress all, for that half-girlish face.
girlish - nina
'Had it but been for a stout cavalier
stout - cerveza; sólido, fuerte
Of twenty-five or thirty (come, make haste)"
haste - prisa, premura
But for a child, what piece of work is here!
I really, madam, wonder at your taste
(Come, sir, get in)"my master must be near:
There, for the present, at the least, he's fast,
And if we can but till the morning keep
Our counsel"(Juan, mind, you must not sleep).'
Now, Don Alfonso entering, but alone,
Closed the oration of the trusty maid:
She loiter'd, and he told her to be gone,
loiter - holgazanear, perder el tiempo, merodear, vagar
An order somewhat sullenly obey'd;
sullenly - Hoscamente
However, present remedy was none,
remedy - remedio, recurso, remediar
And no great good seem'd answer'd if she stay'd:
Regarding both with slow and sidelong view,
regarding - con respecto a; considerar
sidelong - De reojo
She snuff'd the candle, curtsied, and withdrew.
snuff - tabaco; rapé
candle - una vela; vela, candela, cirio
curtsied - hiciste una reverencia; reverencia
Alfonso paused a minute"then begun
Some strange excuses for his late proceeding;
excuses - excusas; excusar, perdonar, panish: t-needed
He would not justify what he had done,
justify - legitimar, justificar, absolver
To say the best, it was extreme ill-breeding;
But there were ample reasons for it, none
Of which he specified in this his pleading:
specified - specificado; especificar
pleading - suplicando; (plead); rogar
His speech was a fine sample, on the whole,
Of rhetoric, which the learn'd call 'rigmarole.'
rhetoric - Retórica
rigmarole - un galimatías; embrollo
Julia said nought; though all the while there rose
A ready answer, which at once enables
enables - permite; habilitar, posibilitar, activar
A matron, who her husband's foible knows,
Matron - matrona
foible - fallo; manía, defecto, punto débil, parte débil
By a few timely words to turn the tables,
timely - oportuno
Which, if it does not silence, still must pose,"
pose - postura, pose
Even if it should comprise a pack of fables;
comprise - comprender
fables - fábulas; fábula
'Tis to retort with firmness, and when he
retort - replicar
firmness - firmeza
Suspects with one, do you reproach with three.
reproach - reproche, vergüenza, reprochar, avergonzar, echar en cara algo
Julia, in fact, had tolerable grounds,"
tolerable - tolerable, soportable, checktolerable, checkaceptable
Alfonso's loves with Inez were well known,
But whether 'twas that one's own guilt confounds"
guilt - culpa, culpabilidad
confounds - confusiones; confundir, empeorar
But that can't be, as has been often shown,
A lady with apologies abounds;"
apologies - disculpas; disculpa, excusa
abounds - abundar, ser abundante
It might be that her silence sprang alone
From delicacy to Don Juan's ear,
delicacy - una delicia; fineza, delicadeza, fragilidad, exquisitez
To whom she knew his mother's fame was dear.
There might be one more motive, which makes two;
Alfonso ne'er to Juan had alluded,"
alluded - aludido; aludir, referirse
Mention'd his jealousy but never who
Had been the happy lover, he concluded,
Conceal'd amongst his premises; 'tis true,
conceal - esconder, ocultar
premises - ocales; premisa
His mind the more o'er this its mystery brooded;
brooded - refrescado; cría, polluelo, prole, empollar, proteger
To speak of Inez now were, one may say,
Like throwing Juan in Alfonso's way.
A hint, in tender cases, is enough;
hint - insinuación; pista, indicio, indirecta, buscapié, toque
tender - tierno
Silence is best, besides there is a tact
tact - tacto, tiento, mano izquierda
(That modern phrase appears to me sad stuff,
But it will serve to keep my verse compact)"
compact - compacto
Which keeps, when push'd by questions rather rough,
A lady always distant from the fact:
The charming creatures lie with such a grace,
creatures - criaturas; criatura
There's nothing so becoming to the face.
They blush, and we believe them; at least I
Have always done so; 'tis of no great use,
In any case, attempting a reply,
attempting - intentando; intentar, tentativa, intento, ensayo
For then their eloquence grows quite profuse;
eloquence - elocuencia
profuse - rofusa; profuso
And when at length they're out of breath, they sigh,
And cast their languid eyes down, and let loose
languid - lánguida; lánguido
A tear or two, and then we make it up;
And then"and then"and then"sit down and sup.
sup - Qué pasa
Alfonso closed his speech, and begg'd her pardon,
Which Julia half withheld, and then half granted,
withheld - retenido; retener, negar, rehusar
And laid conditions he thought very hard on,
Denying several little things he wanted:
denying - negar
He stood like Adam lingering near his garden,
Lingering - Permaneciendo; (linger); permanecer, demorar, persistir
With useless penitence perplex'd and haunted,
penitence - penitencia
haunted - hechizado; frecuentar, espantar, desasosegar, inquietar
Beseeching she no further would refuse,
beseeching - suplicando; (beseech); rogar, implorar, suplicar
refuse - rechazar; negarse (a)
When, lo! he stumbled o'er a pair of shoes.
stumbled - tropezón, traspié, desliz, torpeza, tropiezo, tropezar
A pair of shoes!"what then? not much, if they
Are such as fit with ladies'feet, but these
(No one can tell how much I grieve to say)
Were masculine; to see them, and to seize,
masculine - masculino, varonil, viril, macho
seize - incautar; agarrar, apoderarse de, apresar, aferrar, tomar
Was but a moment's act."Ah! well-a-day!
My teeth begin to chatter, my veins freeze"
chatter - cháchara; chacharear, parlotear
Alfonso first examined well their fashion,
And then flew out into another passion.
flew out - salir; despegar; alejarse volando
He left the room for his relinquish'd sword,
relinquish - abandonar, renunciar, soltar, desistir
And Julia instant to the closet flew.
instant - instantáneo, inmediato
'Fly, Juan, fly! For heaven's sake"not a word"
For heaven's sake - Por Dios
The door is open"you may yet slip through
slip - resbalón; resbalar
The passage you so often have explored"
passage - pasaje; pasillo, pasadizo
Here is the garden-key"Fly"fly"Adieu!
adieu - adiós
Haste"haste! I hear Alfonso's hurrying feet"
Day has not broke"there's no one in the street:
None can say that this was not good advice,
The only mischief was, it came too late;
Of all experience 'tis the usual price,
A sort of income-tax laid on by fate:
income - ingresos, renta
Juan had reach'd the room-door in a. trice,
And might have done so by the garden-gate,
But met Alfonso in his dressing-gown,
dressing-gown - (dressing-gown) bata
Who threaten'd death"so Juan knock'd him down.
threaten - amenazar
Dire was the scuffle, and out went the light;
dire - terrible; de mal agüero, portentoso, maligno
scuffle - rina, pelea, escaramuza
Antonia cried out 'Rape!'and Julia 'Fire!'
rape - violación
But not a servant stirr'd to aid the fight.
stirr - Agitar
aid - ayuda, auxilio
Alfonso, pommell'd to his heart's desire,
Swore lustily he'd be revenged this night;
lustily - Lujuriosamente
revenged - vengarme; venganza
And Juan, too, blasphemed an octave higher;
blasphemed - lasfemado; blasfemar
octave - octava
His blood was up: though young, he was a Tartar,
Tartar - tártaro; Sarro Dental
And not at all disposed to prove a martyr.
disposed - dispuesto; deshacerse
martyr - mártir, martirizar
Alfonso's sword had dropp'd ere he could draw it,
dropp - Gota
And they continued battling hand to hand,
For Juan very luckily ne'er saw it;
luckily - afortunadamente, por suerte, por fortuna, dichosamente
His temper not being under great command,
temper - temperamento, temple, templar, temperar
If at that moment he had chanced to claw it,
claw - garra
Alfonso's days had not been in the land
Much longer."Think of husbands', lovers'lives!
And how ye may be doubly widows"wives!
doubly - doblemente
Alfonso grappled to detain the foe,
grappled - agarrado; forcejear, luchar
foe - enemigo
And Juan throttled him to get away,
throttled - válvula reguladora, acelerador
And blood ('twas from the nose) began to flow;
At last, as they more faintly wrestling lay,
wrestling - lucha libre, pressing catch; (wrestle); luchar
Juan contrived to give an awkward blow,
And then his only garment quite gave way;
garment - prenda, prenda de vestir
He fled, like Joseph, leaving it; but there,
fled - huyó; huir, desvanecerse, checkfugarse
Joseph - José, José de Arimetea
I doubt, all likeness ends between the pair.
likeness - semejanza; retrato, trasunto
Lights came at length, and men, and maids, who found
An awkward spectacle their eyes before;
spectacle - espectáculo, papelón
Antonia in hysterics, Julia swoon'd,
swoon - desmayo; desmayarse
Alfonso leaning, breathless, by the door;
leaning - Inclinado; (lean) Inclinado
breathless - jadeante, sin aliento
Some half-torn drapery scatter'd on the ground,
drapery - cortinas; cortina
Some blood, and several footsteps, but no more:
Footsteps - pasos; huella, paso
Juan the gate gain'd, turn'd the key about,
And liking not the inside, lock'd the out.
Here ends this canto."Need I sing, or say,
How Juan naked, favour'd by the night,
naked - desnudo
Who favours what she should not, found his way,
And reach'd his home in an unseemly plight?
unseemly - ndecoroso; inapropiado, extemporal, extemporáneo, impropio
The pleasant scandal which arose next day,
The nine days'wonder which was brought to light,
And how Alfonso sued for a divorce,
sued - demandado; (sue); demandar
Were in the English newspapers, of course.
If you would like to see the whole proceedings,
The depositions, and the cause at full,
The names of all the witnesses, the pleadings
pleadings - suplicando
Of counsel to nonsuit, or to annul,
nonsuit - no demanda
annul - revocar, anular, invalidar
There's more than one edition, and the readings
readings - lecturas; lectura
Are various, but they none of them are dull;
The best is that in short-hand ta'en by Gurney,
ta - gracias
Gurney - camilla
Who to Madrid on purpose made a journey.
But Donna Inez, to divert the train
divert - divertirse; desviar, entretener, distraer
Of one of the most circulating scandals
circulating - circulando; circular
That had for centuries been known in Spain,
At least since the retirement of the Vandals,
retirement - jubilación, retirada
Vandals - vándalos; vándalo
First vow'd (and never had she vow'd in vain)
To Virgin Mary several pounds of candles;
candles - velas; vela, candela, cirio
And then, by the advice of some old ladies,
She sent her son to be shipp'd off from Cadiz.
She had resolved that he should travel through
All European climes, by land or sea,
by land - por tierra
To mend his former morals, and get new,
mend - remiendo, remendar, reparar
Especially in France and Italy
(At least this is the thing most people do).
Julia was sent into a convent: she
convent - convento
Grieved, but, perhaps, her feelings may be better
grieved - penado; afligirse, acongojarse
Shown in the following copy of her Letter:"
'They tell me 'tis decided; you depart:
depart - irse, salir, partir, panish:
'Tis wise"'tis well, but not the less a pain;
I have no further claim on your young heart,
Mine is the victim, and would be again;
To love too much has been the only art
I used;"I write in haste, and if a stain
Be on this sheet, 'tis not what it appears;
My eyeballs burn and throb, but have no tears.
eyeballs - ojos; globo ocular
throb - palpitar
'I loved, I love you, for this love have lost
State, station, heaven, mankind's, my own esteem,
esteem - estima
And yet can not regret what it hath cost,
regret - lamentar, pena, pesar, arrepentimiento
So dear is still the memory of that dream;
Yet, if I name my guilt, 'tis not to boast,
None can deem harshlier of me than I deem:
I trace this scrawl because I cannot rest"
trace - rastrear; rastro, huella, vestigio, indicio
scrawl - un garabato; garabatear
I've nothing to reproach, or to request.
'Man's love is of man's life a thing apart,
'Tis woman's whole existence; man may range
existence - existencia
The court, camp, church, the vessel, and the mart;
vessel - vasija; embarcación, barco, casco, recipiente, receptáculo
mart - mercado
Sword, gown, gain, glory, offer in exchange
Pride, fame, ambition, to fill up his heart,
And few there are whom these cannot estrange;
estrange - extranar; alienar, enajenar
Men have all these resources, we but one,
To love again, and be again undone.
'You will proceed in pleasure, and in pride,
Beloved and loving many; all is o'er
For me on earth, except some years to hide
My shame and sorrow deep in my heart's core;
These I could bear, but cannot cast aside
aside - aparte, a un lado, aparte
The passion which still rages as before"
And so farewell"forgive me, love me"No,
Farewell - adiós, despedida, despedirse
forgive - perdonar, disculpar
That word is idle now"but let it go.
'My breast has been all weakness, is so yet;
weakness - debilidad, flaqueza, punto débil, debilidad por, carino
But still I think I can collect my mind;
My blood still rushes where my spirit 's set,
rushes - prisas; precipitarse, lanzarse, correr, ir rápidamente
As roll the waves before the settled wind;
My heart is feminine, nor can forget"
feminine - femenino, femenil, de mujeres, femenino
To all, except one image, madly blind;
madly - locamente; alocadamente
So shakes the needle, and so stands the pole,
pole - pértiga; polo
As vibrates my fond heart to my fix'd soul.
vibrates - vibrar
'I have no more to say, but linger still,
And dare not set my seal upon this sheet,
seal - sello
And yet I may as well the task fulfil,
fulfil - cumplir
My misery can scarce be more complete:
misery - miseria, sinvivir, desgracia, desdicha, infortunio
I had not lived till now, could sorrow kill;
till now - hasta ahora
Death shuns the wretch who fain the blow would meet,
shuns - rehuir; evitar
wretch - desgraciado, miserable
And I must even survive this last adieu,
And bear with life, to love and pray for you!'
This note was written upon gilt-edged paper
gilt - dorado; (gild) dorado
With a neat little crow-quill, slight and new:
crow - cuervo, grajo
quill - cálamo, pluma, púa
Her small white hand could hardly reach the taper,
It trembled as magnetic needles do,
magnetic - magnético
And yet she did not let one tear escape her;
The seal a sun-flower; 'Elle vous suit partout,'
partout - Participación
The motto cut upon a white cornelian;
motto - mote, divisa, lema
cornelian - corneliana
The wax was superfine, its hue vermilion.
superfine - Superfino
hue - color; matiz
vermilion - vermellón; bermellón, bermejo
This was Don Juan's earliest scrape; but whether
I shall proceed with his adventures is
Dependent on the public altogether;
dependent - dependiente, dependiente
altogether - todos juntos; totalmente, completamente, en general, en suma
We'll see, however, what they say to this:
Their favour in an author's cap 's a feather,
feather - pluma
And no great mischief 's done by their caprice;
caprice - capricho
And if their approbation we experience,
approbation - aprobación
Perhaps they'll have some more about a year hence.
My poem 's epic, and is meant to be
divided in twelve books; each book containing,
divided in - dividido en
With love, and war, a heavy gale at sea,
heavy gale - Vendaval fuerte
A list of ships, and captains, and kings reigning,
reigning - reinado, reinar
New characters; the episodes are three:
A panoramic view of hell 's in training,
panoramic - panorámica; panorámico
After the style of Virgil and of Homer,
So that my name of Epic 's no misnomer.
misnomer - nombre equivocado; nombre inapropiado
All these things will be specified in time,
With strict regard to Aristotle's rules,
strict - estricto
regard - respecto a; considerar
The Vade Mecum of the true sublime,
Which makes so many poets, and some fools:
Prose poets like blank-verse, I'm fond of rhyme,
prose - prosa
Good workmen never quarrel with their tools;
quarrel - discutir; pelea, rina
I've got new mythological machinery,
mythological - mitológico
machinery - máquinas, maquinaria, checkmecánica
And very handsome supernatural scenery.
supernatural - sobrenatural
scenery - paisaje, decorado
There's only one slight difference between
Me and my epic brethren gone before,
And here the advantage is my own, I ween
(Not that I have not several merits more,
merits - méritos; mérito, merecimiento, meritar
But this will more peculiarly be seen);
They so embellish, that 'tis quite a bore
embellish - embellecer, adornar
Their labyrinth of fables to thread through,
labyrinth - laberinto, dédalo
thread - hilo, hebra, hilaza, tema, argumento, hilazón, subproceso
Whereas this story 's actually true.
whereas - ientras que..; mientras que, siendo que, por cuanto, visto que
If any person doubt it, I appeal
appeal - apelación; suplicar, rogar
To history, tradition, and to facts,
To newspapers, whose truth all know and feel,
To plays in five, and operas in three acts;
Operas - operas; ópera
All these confirm my statement a good deal,
But that which more completely faith exacts
Is that myself, and several now in Seville,
Saw Juan's last elopement with the devil.
elopement - fuga; panish: t-needed
If ever I should condescend to prose,
condescend - condescender
I'll write poetical commandments, which
poetical - poético
Commandments - mandamientos; mandamiento
Shall supersede beyond all doubt all those
That went before; in these I shall enrich
enrich - enriquecer
My text with many things that no one knows,
And carry precept to the highest pitch:
precept - precepto
pitch - plantar, armar, montar
I'll call the work 'Longinus o'er a Bottle,
Or, Every Poet his own Aristotle.'
Thou shalt believe in Milton, Dryden, Pope;
pope - Papa
Thou shalt not set up Wordsworth, Coleridge, Southey;
Because the first is crazed beyond all hope,
crazed - enloquecido; panish: t-needed
The second drunk, the third so quaint and mouthy:
quaint - raro, singular; pintoresco
mouthy - bocazas; deslenguado
With Crabbe it may be difficult to cope,
cope - hacer frente; arreglárselas con, poder con, dar abasto
And Campbell's Hippocrene is somewhat drouthy:
drouthy - gota
Thou shalt not steal from Samuel Rogers, nor
Commit"flirtation with the muse of Moore.
flirtation - coqueteo
Thou shalt not covet Mr. Sotheby's Muse,
covet - desear, codiciar, checkenvidiar
His Pegasus, nor anything that 's his;
Pegasus - Pegaso
Thou shalt not bear false witness like 'the Blues'
witness - Testigo
(There's one, at least, is very fond of this);
Thou shalt not write, in short, but what I choose:
This is true criticism, and you may kiss"
criticism - críticas; crítica
Exactly as you please, or not,"the rod;
rod - barra, rodillo, cana, vara, bastón, verga, barra
But if you don't, I'll lay it on, by G"d!
If any person should presume to assert
assert - asegurar, aseverar, afirmar, ejercer; confirmar, sostener
This story is not moral, first, I pray,
That they will not cry out before they're hurt,
Then that they'll read it o'er again, and say
(But, doubtless, nobody will be so pert)
doubtless - indudable, sin duda, indudablemente
That this is not a moral tale, though gay;
gay - gay, homosexual
Besides, in Canto Twelfth, I mean to show
twelfth - duodécimo, décimo segundo, doceavo
The very place where wicked people go.
If, after all, there should be some so blind
To their own good this warning to despise,
despise - despreciar; desdenar
Led by some tortuosity of mind,
tortuosity - tortuosidad
Not to believe my verse and their own eyes,
And cry that they 'the moral cannot find,'
I tell him, if a clergyman, he lies;
clergyman - clérigo
Should captains the remark, or critics, make,
remark - observación, comentario
critics - críticos; crítico
They also lie too"under a mistake.
The public approbation I expect,
And beg they'll take my word about the moral,
Which I with their amusement will connect
(So children cutting teeth receive a coral);
coral - coral
Meantime, they'll doubtless please to recollect
My epical pretensions to the laurel:
pretensions - Pretensión
laurel - laurel, corona de laurel
For fear some prudish readers should grow skittish,
skittish - esquiva; temeroso, tímido, caprichoso, voluble
I've bribed my grandmother's review"the British.
bribed - sobornada; soborno, coima, sobornar, cohechar, coimear
I sent it in a letter to the Editor,
Who thank'd me duly by return of post"
by return of post - a vuelta de correo
I'm for a handsome article his creditor;
creditor - acreedor, acreedora
Yet, if my gentle Muse he please to roast,
roast - asar, rostir, planchar, brindis cómico, vejamen, carne asada
And break a promise after having made it her,
Denying the receipt of what it cost,
And smear his page with gall instead of honey,
smear - manchar, untar, embadurnar, aplicar
gall - bilis, hiel
honey - carino; miel, dulzura, carino, tesoro, cielo
All I can say is"that he had the money.
I think that with this holy new alliance
holy - santo, sagrado
alliance - alianza
I may ensure the public, and defy
ensure - asegurar
defy - desafiar, desobedecer, renunciar
All other magazines of art or science,
Daily, or monthly, or three monthly; I
monthly - mensual, mensualmente
Have not essay'd to multiply their clients,
multiply - multiplicar
Because they tell me 'twere in vain to try,
And that the Edinburgh Review and Quarterly
Edinburgh - Edimburgo
quarterly - trimestral, acuartelado, trimestralmente
Treat a dissenting author very martyrly.
dissenting - disidente; discrepar, disentir, disenso, disentimiento
martyrly - Mártir
'Non ego hoc ferrem calida juventa
non - No
ego - ego, yo
Consule Planco,'Horace said, and so
consule - cápsula
Say I; by which quotation there is meant a
Hint that some six or seven good years ago
(Long ere I dreamt of dating from the Brenta)
I was most ready to return a blow,
And would not brook at all this sort of thing
brook - rok; arroyo
In my hot youth"when George the Third was King.
George - Jorge
But now at thirty years my hair is grey
(I wonder what it will be like at forty?
I thought of a peruke the other day)"
peruke - peluca
My heart is not much greener; and, in short, I
Have squander'd my whole summer while 'twas May,
squander - malbaratar, despilfarrar, derrochar, farrear
And feel no more the spirit to retort; I
Have spent my life, both interest and principal,
principal - principal, capital, director, directora, principal de escuela
And deem not, what I deem'd, my soul invincible.
invincible - invencible, invencible
No more"no more"Oh! never more on me
The freshness of the heart can fall like dew,
freshness - frescura, frescor
dew - rocío
Which out of all the lovely things we see
Extracts emotions beautiful and new,
extracts - extractos; extracto, fragmento, pasaje, extraer, sacar
Hived in our bosoms like the bag o'the bee:
bosoms - pechos; seno, pechera, busto
Think'st thou the honey with those objects grew?
Alas! 'twas not in them, but in thy power
To double even the sweetness of a flower.
No more"no more"Oh! never more, my heart,
Canst thou be my sole world, my universe!
canst - anst
universe - universo
Once all in all, but now a thing apart,
Thou canst not be my blessing or my curse:
blessing - bendición; (bless); bendición
curse - maldición; maldecir
The illusion 's gone for ever, and thou art
illusion - ilusión
Insensible, I trust, but none the worse,
insensible - insensible
And in thy stead I've got a deal of judgment,
judgment - juicio
Though heaven knows how it ever found a lodgment.
lodgment - alojamiento
My days of love are over; me no more
The charms of maid, wife, and still less of widow,
Can make the fool of which they made before,"
In short, I must not lead the life I did do;
The credulous hope of mutual minds is o'er,
mutual - mutua; mutuo, recíproco
The copious use of claret is forbid too,
copious - copioso
claret - claro; clarete, vino clarete
So for a good old-gentlemanly vice,
gentlemanly - caballeresco, caballeroso, galante
I think I must take up with avarice.
avarice - avaricia, codicia
Ambition was my idol, which was broken
idol - ídolo
Before the shrines of Sorrow, and of Pleasure;
shrines - antuarios; santuario, relicario
And the two last have left me many a token
token - sena, recuerdo, ficha, prenda, símbolo, simbólico, cosmético
O'er which reflection may be made at leisure:
reflection - reflexión, reflejo
Now, like Friar Bacon's brazen head, I've spoken,
friar - fray; fraile
bacon - tocino
brazen - descarado
'Time is, Time was, Time 's past:'"a chymic treasure
chymic - Címico
Is glittering youth, which I have spent betimes"
My heart in passion, and my head on rhymes.
What is the end of Fame? 'tis but to fill
A certain portion of uncertain paper:
portion - porción
uncertain - incierto
Some liken it to climbing up a hill,
liken - comparar
climbing up - subiendo
Whose summit, like all hills, is lost in vapour;
summit - cumbre, cima, cúspide; punto álgido
vapour - vapor
For this men write, speak, preach, and heroes kill,
preach - predicar
And bards burn what they call their 'midnight taper,'
bards - Bardo
To have, when the original is dust,
A name, a wretched picture, and worse bust.
bust - reventar; busto, pecho
What are the hopes of man? Old Egypt's King
Cheops erected the first pyramid
erected - rigido; erecto, erguido
pyramid - pirámide
And largest, thinking it was just the thing
To keep his memory whole, and mummy hid;
mummy - mamá
But somebody or other rummaging,
rummaging - rebuscando; revolver
Burglariously broke his coffin's lid:
coffin - ataúd, féretro, cajón
lid - tapa
Let not a monument give you or me hopes,
monument - monumento
Since not a pinch of dust remains of Cheops.
pinch - pellizcar, repizcar, afanar, chorizar, pellizco
But I being fond of true philosophy,
Say very often to myself, 'Alas!
All things that have been born were born to die,
And flesh (which Death mows down to hay) is grass;
mows - siega; segar, cortar
Hay - heno
You've pass'd your youth not so unpleasantly,
unpleasantly - desagradablemente
And if you had it o'er again"'twould pass"
So thank your stars that matters are no worse,
And read your Bible, sir, and mind your purse.'
Bible - la biblia; biblia
purse - bolsa, monedero, fruncir
But for the present, gentle reader! and
Still gentler purchaser! the bard"that 's I"
Must, with permission, shake you by the hand,
And so 'Your humble servant, and good-b'ye!'
humble - humilde
We meet again, if we should understand
Each other; and if not, I shall not try
Your patience further than by this short sample"
'Twere well if others follow'd my example.
'Go, little book, from this my solitude!
I cast thee on the waters"go thy ways!
And if, as I believe, thy vein be good,
vein - vena
The world will find thee after many days.'
When Southey's read, and Wordsworth understood,
I can't help putting in my claim to praise"
The four first rhymes are Southey's every line:
For God's sake, reader! take them not for mine.
O ye! who teach the ingenuous youth of nations,
Holland, France, England, Germany, or Spain,
I pray ye flog them upon all occasions,
flog - azotar
It mends their morals, never mind the pain:
The best of mothers and of educations
In Juan's case were but employ'd in vain,
Since, in a way that 's rather of the oddest, he
Became divested of his native modesty.
divested - desinvertido; privar
modesty - modestia, pudor
Had he but been placed at a public school,
In the third form, or even in the fourth,
His daily task had kept his fancy cool,
daily task - tarea diaria
At least, had he been nurtured in the north;
nurtured - limentado; cuidado, crianza, ternura, levantamiento
Spain may prove an exception to the rule,
But then exceptions always prove its worth"
exceptions - excepciones; excepción, salvedad, ofensa
A lad of sixteen causing a divorce
lad - nino, chico, mozo, mozalbete
Puzzled his tutors very much, of course.
I can't say that it puzzles me at all,
puzzles - puzzles; rompecabezas, enigma, puzle, acertijo, intrigar
If all things be consider'd: first, there was
His lady"mother, mathematical,
A"never mind; his tutor, an old ass;
ass - culo; asno, burro
A pretty woman (that 's quite natural,
Or else the thing had hardly come to pass);
A husband rather old, not much in unity
unity - unidad
With his young wife"a time, and opportunity.
Well"well, the world must turn upon its axis,
axis - eje
And all mankind turn with it, heads or tails,
And live and die, make love and pay our taxes,
And as the veering wind shifts, shift our sails;
veering - Virando; (veer) Virando
The king commands us, and the doctor quacks us,
commands - mandos; orden, mandato, mando, comando, dominio
quacks - harlatanes; graznido
The priest instructs, and so our life exhales,
instructs - instrucciones; instruir
exhales - espirar, exhalar
A little breath, love, wine, ambition, fame,
Fighting, devotion, dust,"perhaps a name.
I said that Juan had been sent to Cadiz"
A pretty town, I recollect it well"
'Tis there the mart of the colonial trade is
Colonial - colonial
(Or was, before Peru learn'd to rebel),
Peru - Perú
rebel - rebelde
And such sweet girls"I mean, such graceful ladies,
graceful - gracia; grácil, gracioso
Their very walk would make your bosom swell;
swell - genial; hinchar(se), inflar(se)
I can't describe it, though so much it strike,
strike - tachar, borrar, golpear, pegar, acunar, hacer la huelga
Nor liken it"I never saw the like:
An Arab horse, a stately stag, a barb
stately - enorial; majestuoso
stag - el ciervo; ciervo, potro, potra, potranca, rastrear
barb - púas; lengüeta
New broke, a cameleopard, a gazelle,
cameleopard - Camaleopardo
gazelle - gacela
No"none of these will do;"and then their garb!
garb - Atuendo
Their veil and petticoat"Alas! to dwell
petticoat - enaguas
dwell - habitar, morar
Upon such things would very near absorb
absorb - absorber
A canto"then their feet and ankles,"well,
Thank Heaven I've got no metaphor quite ready
metaphor - metáfora
(And so, my sober Muse"come, let 's be steady"
Chaste Muse!"well, if you must, you must)"the veil
thrown back a moment with the glancing hand,
thrown back - lanzar hacia atrás; frenar; apurar; devolver
glancing - echando un vistazo; (glance); ojear, echar un vistazo, mirar
While the o'erpowering eye, that turns you pale,
erpowering - Potente
Flashes into the heart:"All sunny land
flashes - flashes; destello
Of love! when I forget you, may I fail
To"say my prayers"but never was there plann'd
plann - Plan
A dress through which the eyes give such a volley,
volley - salva, volea, voleo
Excepting the Venetian Fazzioli.
venetian - veneciano, veneciano, veneciana, véneto
But to our tale: the Donna Inez sent
Her son to Cadiz only to embark;
embark - embarcar, embarcarse
To stay there had not answer'd her intent,
But why?"we leave the reader in the dark"
'Twas for a voyage that the young man was meant,
As if a Spanish ship were Noah's ark,
Noah - Noé
ark - arca
To wean him from the wickedness of earth,
wean - destetar
wickedness - maldad, perversidad
And send him like a dove of promise forth.
dove - paloma; (dive) paloma
Don Juan bade his valet pack his things
valet - vale; edecán, mánager, aparcacoches
According to direction, then received
A lecture and some money: for four springs
He was to travel; and though Inez grieved
(As every kind of parting has its stings),
stings - piquetes; aguijón
She hoped he would improve"perhaps believed:
A letter, too, she gave (he never read it)
Of good advice"and two or three of credit.
In the mean time, to pass her hours away,
Brave Inez now set up a Sunday school
For naughty children, who would rather play
(Like truant rogues) the devil, or the fool;
rogues - pícaros; canalla, granuja, vago
Infants of three years old were taught that day,
infants - infantes; nene, infante
Dunces were whipt, or set upon a stool:
dunces - tontos; tonto de capirote
whipt - Latigazo
stool - heces; taburete
The great success of Juan's education,
Spurr'd her to teach another generation.
Juan embark'd"the ship got under way,
The wind was fair, the water passing rough:
A devil of a sea rolls in that bay,
As I, who've cross'd it oft, know well enough;
And, standing upon deck, the dashing spray
deck - cubierta
dashing - legante; raya, guion largo, carrerita, gota, pizca, lanzarse
spray - pulverizador; rociada, pulverización
Flies in one's face, and makes it weather-tough:
tough - difícil; resistente, severo, de mano dura, ni modo
And there he stood to take, and take again,
His first"perhaps his last"farewell of Spain.
I can't but say it is an awkward sight
To see one's native land receding through
native land - tierra nativa
receding - retrocediendo; alejarse
The growing waters; it unmans one quite,
Especially when life is rather new:
I recollect Great Britain's coast looks white,
Britain - Gran Bretana
But almost every other country 's blue,
When gazing on them, mystified by distance,
We enter on our nautical existence.
nautical - náutica; náutico
So Juan stood, bewilder'd on the deck:
bewilder - confundir, desconcertar
The wind sung, cordage strain'd, and sailors swore,
strain - tensión; estirar, tensar
And the ship creak'd, the town became a speck,
creak - crujido, crujir, chirriar, rechinar
speck - mancha; manchita
From which away so fair and fast they bore.
The best of remedies is a beef-steak
remedies - remedios; remedio, recurso, remediar
steak - bistec, bisté, filete, filete
Against sea-sickness: try it, sir, before
sickness - enfermedad, dolencia
You sneer, and I assure you this is true,
assure - asegurar
For I have found it answer"so may you.
Don Juan stood, and, gazing from the stern,
stern - severo, austero, serio
Beheld his native Spain receding far:
beheld - ontemplado; contemplar, mirar, observar, he aquí, mirad
First partings form a lesson hard to learn,
partings - despedidas; carrera, crencha, raya del cabello, raya del pelo
Even nations feel this when they go to war;
There is a sort of unexprest concern,
A kind of shock that sets one's heart ajar:
shock - conmoción, golpe
ajar - entreabierto
At leaving even the most unpleasant people
most unpleasant - ás desagradable
And places, one keeps looking at the steeple.
steeple - campanario
But Juan had got many things to leave,
His mother, and a mistress, and no wife,
So that he had much better cause to grieve
Than many persons more advanced in life;
And if we now and then a sigh must heave
heave - arriba; ondular
At quitting even those we quit in strife,
No doubt we weep for those the heart endears"
That is, till deeper griefs congeal our tears.
griefs - duelos; pesar, pesadumbre, dolor, sufrimiento
congeal - congelarse; congelar, coagular
So Juan wept, as wept the captive Jews
captive - cautivo, prisionero, preso
By Babel's waters, still remembering Sion:
I'd weep,"but mine is not a weeping Muse,
weeping - Llorando; (weep) Llorando
And such light griefs are not a thing to die on;
Young men should travel, if but to amuse
amuse - entretener, distraer, divertir
Themselves; and the next time their servants tie on
Behind their carriages their new portmanteau,
carriages - carrozas; coche, carruaje
Perhaps it may be lined with this my canto.
And Juan wept, and much he sigh'd and thought,
While his salt tears dropp'd into the salt sea,
'Sweets to the sweet'(I like so much to quote;
You must excuse this extract, 'tis where she,
extract - extracto, fragmento, pasaje, extraer, sacar
The Queen of Denmark, for Ophelia brought
Denmark - Dinamarca
Flowers to the grave); and, sobbing often, he
sobbing - sollozando; sollozo, sollozante; (sob); hdp
Reflected on his present situation,
And seriously resolved on reformation.
'Farewell, my Spain! a long farewell!'he cried,
'Perhaps I may revisit thee no more,
revisit - revisitar; Volver a Visitar
But die, as many an exiled heart hath died,
Of its own thirst to see again thy shore:
thirst - sed, hambre, ambición, ansias, tener sed, desear
Farewell, where Guadalquivir's waters glide!
glide - deslizarse; deslizar, planear
Farewell, my mother! and, since all is o'er,
Farewell, too, dearest Julia!"(Here he drew
Her letter out again, and read it through.)
'And, oh! if e'er I should forget, I swear"
swear - jurar
But that 's impossible, and cannot be"
Sooner shall this blue ocean melt to air,
melt - material fundido, derretirse, fundirse
Sooner shall earth resolve itself to sea,
resolve - tomar la decisión de, resolver
Than I resign thine image, oh, my fair!
resign - dimitir
Or think of any thing excepting thee;
A mind diseased no remedy can physic
physic - Física
(Here the ship gave a lurch, and he grew sea-sick).
lurch - golpe; tambalearse
'Sooner shall heaven kiss earth (here he fell sicker),
O, Julia! what is every other wo?
(For God's sake let me have a glass of liquor;
liquor - jugo, licor
Pedro, Battista, help me down below.)
Julia, my love! (you rascal, Pedro, quicker)"
rascal - granuja; pícaro, bribón, canalla
O, Julia! (this curst vessel pitches so)"
pitches - lanzamientos; plantar, armar, montar
Beloved Julia, hear me still beseeching!'
(Here he grew inarticulate with retching.)
retching - las arcadas
He felt that chilling heaviness of heart,
chilling - escalofriante; (chill) escalofriante
heaviness - pesadez
Or rather stomach, which, alas! attends,
Beyond the best apothecary's art,
apothecary - boticario
The loss of love, the treachery of friends,
treachery - traición; alevosía
Or death of those we dote on, when a part
dote - amoroso
Of us dies with them as each fond hope ends:
No doubt he would have been much more pathetic,
pathetic - patético, penoso
But the sea acted as a strong emetic. I
emetic - emético
Love 's a capricious power: I've known it hold
capricious - aprichosa; caprichoso, antojadizo
Out through a fever caused by its own heat,
But be much puzzled by a cough and cold,
cough - toser, tos
And find a quincy very hard to treat;
Against all noble maladies he 's bold,
maladies - ales; mal
bold - osado; valiente, audaz, atrevido
But vulgar illnesses don't like to meet,
vulgar - vulgar, chabacano, ramplón
Nor that a sneeze should interrupt his sigh,
sneeze - estornudar, estornudo
interrupt - interrumpir, interrupción
Nor inflammations redden his blind eye.
inflammations - inflamaciones; inflamación
redden - enrojecer
But worst of all is nausea, or a pain
nausea - náusea, repulsión, asco, náuseas
About the lower region of the bowels;
bowels - intestinos; intestino grueso, tripa, intestino, entranas
Love, who heroically breathes a vein,
heroically - heroicamente
Shrinks from the application of hot towels,
shrinks - se encoge; contraerse, encogerse, achicarse, mermar
And purgatives are dangerous to his reign,
purgatives - purgantes; purgativo
reign - reinado, reinar
Sea-sickness death: his love was perfect, how else
Could Juan's passion, while the billows roar,
billows - olas; oleada, ola, hincharse
roar - rugir, bramar, rugido, bramido
resist his stomach, ne'er at sea before?
resist - resistir
The ship, call'd the most holy 'Trinidada,'
Was steering duly for the port Leghorn;
steering - dirección; (steer); dirección
For there the Spanish family Moncada
Were settled long ere Juan's sire was born:
They were relations, and for them he had a
Letter of introduction, which the morn
morn - manana
Of his departure had been sent him by
His Spanish friends for those in Italy.
His suite consisted of three servants and
suite - secuta
A tutor, the licentiate Pedrillo,
Who several languages did understand,
But now lay sick and speechless on his pillow,
speechless - sin palabras, sin habla, atónito, perplejo
And rocking in his hammock, long'd for land,
hammock - hamaca, hamaca paraguaya
His headache being increased by every billow;
billow - willow; oleada, ola, hincharse
And the waves oozing through the port-hole made
oozing - rezumando; manar, rezumar
His berth a little damp, and him afraid.
berth - itera; catre, amarradero, plaza, atracar
damp - húmedo, humedad, amortiguar
'Twas not without some reason, for the wind
Increased at night, until it blew a gale;
And though 'twas not much to a naval mind,
Some landsmen would have look'd a little pale,
landsmen - terrateniente
For sailors are, in fact, a different kind:
At sunset they began to take in sail,
sunset - puesta de sol; puesta del sol, ocaso, atardecer
For the sky show'd it would come on to blow,
And carry away, perhaps, a mast or so.
carry away - dejarse llevar
mast - mástil
At one o'clock the wind with sudden shift
Threw the ship right into the trough of the sea,
trough - comedero (for food), abrevadero (for drinking), canaleta, valle
Which struck her aft, and made an awkward rift,
struck - golpeado; tachar, borrar, golpear, pegar, acunar
aft - De popa
rift - fisura; hendedura, grieta
Started the stern-post, also shatter'd the
shatter - destrozar; astillar, estrellar, quebrantar, hacer anicos
Whole of her stern-frame, and, ere she could lift
Herself from out her present jeopardy,
jeopardy - peligro, riesgo
The rudder tore away: 'twas time to sound
rudder - timón; (rud); timón
tore - Romper
The pumps, and there were four feet water found.
pumps - bombas; bomba
One gang of people instantly was put
gang - pandilla; grupo, cuadrilla, equipo
instantly - al instante, al hilo, al tiro, instantáneamente
Upon the pumps and the remainder set
remainder - restos; resto, remanente, sobras, restante
To get up part of the cargo, and what not;
cargo - carga
But they could not come at the leak as yet;
leak - fuga; gotera, agujero, rotura, vía, pérdida, filtración, gotear
At last they did get at it really, but
Still their salvation was an even bet:
Salvation - salvación
bet - apostar
The water rush'd through in a way quite puzzling,
rush - prisa; precipitarse, lanzarse, correr, ir rápidamente
While they thrust sheets, shirts, jackets, bales of muslin,
thrust - estocada, empuje, envión, impulso, énfasis, propulsar, asestar
bales - pacas; fardo
Into the opening; but all such ingredients
Would have been vain, and they must have gone down,
Despite of all their efforts and expedients,
expedients - exigencias; conveniente, expediente
But for the pumps: I'm glad to make them known
To all the brother tars who may have need hence,
tars - alquitranes; alquitrán, brea, chapapote
For fifty tons of water were upthrown
tons - toneladas; tonelada
upthrown - Derribar
By them per hour, and they had all been undone,
But for the maker, Mr. Mann, of London.
As day advanced the weather seem'd to abate,
abate - reducir; disminuir, amainar
And then the leak they reckon'd to reduce,
reckon - te parece; considerar
And keep the ship afloat, though three feet yet
afloat - a flote
Kept two hand and one chain-pump still in use.
pump - bomba
The wind blew fresh again: as it grew late
A squall came on, and while some guns broke loose,
squall - chillar; tormenta, borrasca
A gust"which all descriptive power transcends"
gust - ráfaga, racha
descriptive - descriptivo
transcends - rasciende; trascender
Laid with one blast the ship on her beam ends.
blast - ráfaga
There she lay motionless, and seem'd upset;
motionless - inmóvil, inerte, quieto, en reposo
The water left the hold, and wash'd the decks,
decks - mazos; cubierta
And made a scene men do not soon forget;
For they remember battles, fires, and wrecks,
wrecks - naufragios; cacharro, trasto, guinapo, choque, desastre
Or any other thing that brings regret,
Or breaks their hopes, or hearts, or heads, or necks:
Thus drownings are much talk'd of by the divers,
drownings - hogamientos; ahogamiento
divers - buceadores; saltador, saltadora, piscinero, piscinera
And swimmers, who may chance to be survivors.
swimmers - nadadores; nadador, nadadora
survivors - sobrevivientes; sobreviviente
Immediately the masts were cut away,
masts - mástiles; mástil
Both main and mizen; first the mizen went,
The main-mast follow'd: but the ship still lay
Like a mere log, and baffled our intent.
mere - simple, mero
log - registro; tronco, leno
baffled - desconcertado; desconcertar, confundir
Foremast and bowsprit were cut down, and they
foremast - el trinquete; palo de trinquete
bowsprit - bauprés
Eased her at last (although we never meant
eased - aliviado; aliviar
To part with all till every hope was blighted),
And then with violence the old ship righted.
It may be easily supposed, while this
Was going on, some people were unquiet,
That passengers would find it much amiss
To lose their lives, as well as spoil their diet;
That even the able seaman, deeming his
able seaman - marinero profesional
Days nearly o'er, might be disposed to riot,
riot - alboroto, tumulto, disturbios, algarada
As upon such occasions tars will ask
For grog, and sometimes drink rum from the cask.
grog - grog
rum - ron
cask - barril; cuba, tonel
There's nought, no doubt, so much the spirit calms
As rum and true religion: thus it was,
Some plunder'd, some drank spirits, some sung psalms,
plunder - saquear, saqueo, botín
Psalms - salmos; salmo
The high wind made the treble, and as bas
treble - agudos; triple
The hoarse harsh waves kept time; fright cured the qualms
hoarse - ronco
harsh - áspero, duro, severo, despotricar
cured - curado; chucho, quiltro
qualms - reticencias; escrúpulo, escrupulo, naúsea
Of all the luckless landsmen's sea-sick maws:
Strange sounds of wailing, blasphemy, devotion,
wailing - aullidos; (wail) aullidos
blasphemy - blasfemia
Clamour'd in chorus to the roaring ocean.
clamour - clamor, griterío
chorus - coro, estribillo, corear
Perhaps more mischief had been done, but for
Our Juan, who, with sense beyond his years,
Got to the spirit-room, and stood before
It with a pair of pistols; and their fears,
pistols - pistolas; pistola
As if Death were more dreadful by his door
more dreadful - más terrible
Of fire than water, spite of oaths and tears,
spite - rencor
oaths - juramentos; juramento, jurar
Kept still aloof the crew, who, ere they sunk,
aloof - apartado, distante, sin compasión, alejado, reservado
crew - tripulación
Thought it would be becoming to die drunk.
'Give us more grog,'they cried, 'for it will be
All one an hour hence.'Juan answer'd, 'No!
'Tis true that death awaits both you and me,
awaits - te espera; esperar, aguantar
But let us die like men, not sink below
Like brutes;'"and thus his dangerous post kept he,
brutes - brutos; animal, bestia
And none liked to anticipate the blow;
anticipate - anticiparse; anticipar, prever
And even Pedrillo, his most reverend tutor,
Was for some rum a disappointed suitor.
suitor - pretendiente
The good old gentleman was quite aghast,
aghast - asustado; espantado, aterrado, horrorizado
And made a loud and pious lamentation;
pious - piadoso
lamentation - lamentación
Repented all his sins, and made a last
sins - pecados; pecado
Irrevocable vow of reformation;
irrevocable - irrevocable
Nothing should tempt him more (this peril past)
tempt - tentar
peril - peligro, riesgo
To quit his academic occupation,
occupation - ocupación
In cloisters of the classic Salamanca,
cloisters - claustro
To follow Juan's wake, like Sancho Panca.
But now there came a flash of hope once more;
Day broke, and the wind lull'd: the masts were gone,
The leak increased; shoals round her, but no shore,
shoals - bancos; banco, cardumen
The vessel swam, yet still she held her own.
They tried the pumps again, and though before
Their desperate efforts seem'd all useless grown,
desperate - desesperado
A glimpse of sunshine set some hands to bale"
Glimpse - un vistazo; atisbo, entrever, atisbar, vislumbrar, ojear
sunshine - sol, luz del sol
bale - bala; fardo
The stronger pump'd, the weaker thrumm'd a sail.
thrumm - Zumbido
Under the vessel's keel the sail was past,
keel - quilla
And for the moment it had some effect;
But with a leak, and not a stick of mast,
Nor rag of canvas, what could they expect?
canvas - lienzo; lona
But still 'tis best to struggle to the last,
Struggle - lucha, forcejeo, brega, luchar, esforzarse con denuedo
'Tis never too late to be wholly wreck'd:
wreck - naufragio; cacharro, trasto, guinapo, choque, desastre
And though 'tis true that man can only die once,
'Tis not so pleasant in the Gulf of Lyons.
Gulf - golfo
There winds and waves had hurl'd them, and from thence,
hurl - arrojar, lanzar, tirar, proyectar, volver
thence - desde ahí
Without their will, they carried them away;
For they were forced with steering to dispense,
dispense - dispensar
And never had as yet a quiet day
On which they might repose, or even commence
commence - comenzar, empezar, iniciar, principiar
A jurymast or rudder, or could say
The ship would swim an hour, which, by good luck,
Still swam"though not exactly like a duck.
Duck - pato; hundir, sumergir
The wind, in fact, perhaps was rather less,
But the ship labour'd so, they scarce could hope
To weather out much longer; the distress
distress - aflicción, angustia, desasosiego, ansiedad
Was also great with which they had to cope
For want of water, and their solid mess
Was scant enough: in vain the telescope
scant - escaso, magro, exiguo
telescope - telescopio
Was used"nor sail nor shore appear'd in sight,
Nought but the heavy sea, and coming night.
Again the weather threaten'd,"again blew
A gale, and in the fore and after hold
Water appear'd; yet, though the people knew
All this, the most were patient, and some bold,
Until the chains and leathers were worn through
Of all our pumps:"a wreck complete she roll'd,
At mercy of the waves, whose mercies are
mercy - misericordia, piedad
mercies - misericordias; misericordia, piedad
Like human beings during civil war.
beings - seres; ser, criatura, existencia
civil - civil
Then came the carpenter, at last, with tears
Carpenter - carpintero, carpintera, ebanista
In his rough eyes, and told the captain he
Could do no more: he was a man in years,
And long had voyaged through many a stormy sea,
stormy sea - mar tempestuoso
And if he wept at length, they were not fears
That made his eyelids as a woman's be,
eyelids - párpados; párpado
But he, poor fellow, had a wife and children,"
Two things for dying people quite bewildering.
bewildering - esconcertante; confundir, desconcertar
The ship was evidently settling now
evidently - evidentemente
settling - asentarse; sedimento, decantación
Fast by the head; and, all distinction gone,
distinction - distinción
Some went to prayers again, and made a vow
Of candles to their saints"but there were none
To pay them with; and some look'd o'er the bow;
Some hoisted out the boats; and there was one
hoisted - izadas; izar, aparejo
That begg'd Pedrillo for an absolution,
absolution - la absolución; absolución
Who told him to be damn'd"in his confusion.
Some lash'd them in their hammocks; some put on
lash - pestanas; pestana
hammocks - hamacas; hamaca, hamaca paraguaya
Their best clothes, as if going to a fair;
Some cursed the day on which they saw the sun,
cursed - Maldito; (curs) Maldito
And gnash'd their teeth, and, howling, tore their hair;
howling - aullando; (howl); aullido, aullar, ganir
And others went on as they had begun,
Getting the boats out, being well aware
That a tight boat will live in a rough sea,
rough sea - Mar agitado
Unless with breakers close beneath her lee.
breakers - Rompedor
Lee - abrigo, sotavento, socaire
The worst of all was, that in their condition,
Having been several days in great distress,
'Twas difficult to get out such provision
provision - provisión, aprovisionar, avituallar
As now might render their long suffering less:
Men, even when dying, dislike inanition;
inanition - inanición
Their stock was damaged by the weather's stress:
stock - cciones; existencias, stock
Two casks of biscuit and a keg of butter
casks - barricas; cuba, tonel
keg - barril
Were all that could be thrown into the cutter.
But in the long-boat they contrived to stow
Stow - estibar; guardar, poner, colocar
Some pounds of bread, though injured by the wet;
Water, a twenty-gallon cask or so;
gallon - galón
Six flasks of wine; and they contrived to get
flasks - frascos; petaca, licorera disfrazado
A portion of their beef up from below,
And with a piece of pork, moreover, met,
pork - cerdo, puerco
Moreover - además, adicionalmente, otrosí
But scarce enough to serve them for a luncheon"
luncheon - almuerzo
Then there was rum, eight gallons in a puncheon.
gallons - galones; galón
The other boats, the yawl and pinnace, had
pinnace - pinaza
Been stove in the beginning of the gale;
stove - fogón; estufa, cocina, horno; (stave); duela, estrofa
And the long-boat's condition was but bad,
As there were but two blankets for a sail,
blankets - mantas; manta, capa, general
And one oar for a mast, which a young lad
threw in by good luck over the ship's rail;
threw in - agregar, anadir, echar en, incluir
rail - ferrocarril; barra
And two boats could not hold, far less be stored,
To save one half the people then on board.
'Twas twilight, and the sunless day went down
twilight - crepúsculo, penumbra
Over the waste of waters; like a veil,
Which, if withdrawn, would but disclose the frown
withdrawn - retirada; retirar(se)
disclose - revelar, divulgar
Of one whose hate is mask'd but to assail,
mask - máscara, careta, mascarilla
assail - atacar, asaltar, aturdir
Thus to their hopeless eyes the night was shown,
hopeless - sin esperanza; desesperado
And grimly darkled o'er the faces pale,
grimly - Con tristeza
darkled - Oscuridad
And the dim desolate deep: twelve days had Fear
Been their familiar, and now Death was here.
Some trial had been making at a raft,
raft - balsa
With little hope in such a rolling sea,
A sort of thing at which one would have laugh'd,
If any laughter at such times could be,
Unless with people who too much have quaff'd,
And have a kind of wild and horrid glee,
glee - júbilo, alegría, regocijo
Half epileptical and half hysterical:"
epileptical - epiléptico
Their preservation would have been a miracle.
preservation - preservación
miracle - milagro
At half-past eight o'clock, booms, hencoops, spars,
booms - boom, auge
spars - Partes; (Spar) Partes
And all things, for a chance, had been cast loose,
That still could keep afloat the struggling tars,
struggling - con dificultades; (struggle); lucha, forcejeo, brega, luchar
For yet they strove, although of no great use:
There was no light in heaven but a few stars,
The boats put off o'ercrowded with their crews;
ercrowded - Abarrotado
crews - tripulaciones; tripulación
She gave a heel, and then a lurch to port,
heel - tacón; talón
And, going down head foremost"sunk, in short.
Then rose from sea to sky the wild farewell"
Then shriek'd the timid, and stood still the brave,
shriek - gritar; alarido, chillido, chillar
Then some leap'd overboard with dreadful yell,
leap - salto; saltar, brincar
dreadful - terrible; espantoso, espantosa
yell - gritar; grito, alarido
As eager to anticipate their grave;
eager - ávido, ansioso, deseoso
And the sea yawn'd around her like a hell,
And down she suck'd with her the whirling wave,
suck - chupar, sorber, ser un asco, dar asco, apestar
whirling - Girando; (whirl) Girando
Like one who grapples with his enemy,
grapples - grapples; forcejear, luchar
And strives to strangle him before he die.
strives - se esfuerza; esforzarse
strangle - estrangular
And first one universal shriek there rush'd,
Louder than the loud ocean, like a crash
crash - chocar; estruendo, estrépito
Of echoing thunder; and then all was hush'd,
echoing - haciendo eco; eco, repercutir, repetir, hacer eco
Save the wild wind and the remorseless dash
remorseless - Sin remordimientos
Dash - raya, guion largo, carrerita, gota, pizca, lanzarse, romper
Of billows; but at intervals there gush'd,
intervals - intervalos; intervalo
gush - manar, salir a borbotones, brotar, hacer efusión
Accompanied with a convulsive splash,
accompanied - acompanado; acompanar
convulsive - convulsivo, convulso
splash - salpicaduras; salpicadura, chapotear, salpicar
A solitary shriek, the bubbling cry
solitary - solitario
Of some strong swimmer in his agony.
swimmer - nadador, nadadora
agony - agonía, angustia
The boats, as stated, had got off before,
And in them crowded several of the crew;
And yet their present hope was hardly more
Than what it had been, for so strong it blew
There was slight chance of reaching any shore;
And then they were too many, though so few"
Nine in the cutter, thirty in the boat,
Were counted in them when they got afloat.
All the rest perish'd; near two hundred souls
perish - perecer
Had left their bodies; and what 's worse, alas!
When over Catholics the ocean rolls,
They must wait several weeks before a mass
Takes off one peck of purgatorial coals,
purgatorial - Purgatorio
Because, till people know what 's come to pass,
They won't lay out their money on the dead"
It costs three francs for every mass that 's said.
francs - francos; franco
Juan got into the long-boat, and there
Contrived to help Pedrillo to a place;
It seem'd as if they had exchanged their care,
For Juan wore the magisterial face
Which courage gives, while poor Pedrillo's pair
Of eyes were crying for their owner's case:
Battista; though (a name call'd shortly Tita),
shortly - pronto, en breve
Was lost by getting at some aqua-vita.
Pedro, his valet, too, he tried to save,
But the same cause, conducive to his loss,
conducive - propicio; favorable
Left him so drunk, he jump'd into the wave
As o'er the cutter's edge he tried to cross,
And so he found a wine-and-watery grave;
watery - agua; acuoso, lloroso
They could not rescue him although so close,
rescue - salvamento; rescatar, rescate
Because the sea ran higher every minute,
And for the boat"the crew kept crowding in it.
A small old spaniel,"which had been Don Jose's,
spaniel - paniel; perro de aguas
His father's, whom he loved, as ye may think,
For on such things the memory reposes
reposes - reposa; reposo
With tenderness"stood howling on the brink,
tenderness - ternura
brink - al borde; borde
Knowing (dogs have such intellectual noses!),
No doubt, the vessel was about to sink;
And Juan caught him up, and ere he stepp'd
Off, threw him in, then after him he leap'd.
He also stuff'd his money where he could
About his person, and Pedrillo's too,
Who let him do, in fact, whate'er he would,
Not knowing what himself to say, or do,
As every rising wave his dread renew'd;
But Juan, trusting they might still get through,
trusting - confiado; confianza, crédito, fiar, consorcio, trust
And deeming there were remedies for any ill,
Thus re-embark'd his tutor and his spaniel.
'Twas a rough night, and blew so stiffly yet,
That the sail was becalm'd between the seas,
Though on the wave's high top too much to set,
They dared not take it in for all the breeze:
dared - se atrevió; atraverse, osar
breeze - brisa
Each sea curl'd o'er the stern, and kept them wet,
curl - rulo; rizo, bucle, flexión
And made them bale without a moment's ease,
So that themselves as well as hopes were damp'd,
And the poor little cutter quickly swamp'd.
swamp - embalsadero, pantano, ciénaga, embalse
Nine souls more went in her: the long-boat still
Kept above water, with an oar for mast,
Two blankets stitch'd together, answering ill
stitch - puntada
Instead of sail, were to the oar made fast:
Though every wave roll'd menacing to fill,
menacing - amenazante; amenaza, peligro
And present peril all before surpass'd,
They grieved for those who perish'd with the cutter,
And also for the biscuit-casks and butter.
The sun rose red and fiery, a sure sign
Of the continuance of the gale: to run
Before the sea until it should grow fine,
Was all that for the present could be done:
A few tea-spoonfuls of their rum and wine
spoonfuls - cucharadas; cucharada
Were served out to the people, who begun
To faint, and damaged bread wet through the bags,
faint - desmayarse; débil, tenue
And most of them had little clothes but rags.
rags - trapos; trapo
They counted thirty, crowded in a space
Which left scarce room for motion or exertion;
They did their best to modify their case,
modify - modificar
One half sate up, though numb'd with the immersion,
numb - entumecido, entumido
While t'other half were laid down in their place
At watch and watch; thus, shivering like the tertian
Ague in its cold fit, they fill'd their boat,
ague - fiebre intermitente, escalofrío
With nothing but the sky for a great coat.
'Tis very certain the desire of life
Prolongs it: this is obvious to physicians,
prolongs - prolongar
When patients, neither plagued with friends nor wife,
plagued - plagado; plaga, peste, plagar, molestar, atormentar
Survive through very desperate conditions,
Because they still can hope, nor shines the knife
Nor shears of Atropos before their visions:
shears - cizallas; cizallar, cortar, esquilar, tonsurar, tundir
visions - visiones; vista, visión
Despair of all recovery spoils longevity,
recovery - recuperación, repunte
longevity - longevidad
And makes men miseries miseries of alarming brevity.
miseries - iserias; miseria, sinvivir, desgracia, desdicha, infortunio
brevity - brevedad, concisión
'Tis said that persons living on annuities
annuities - nualidades; anualidad
Are longer lived than others,"God knows why,
Unless to plague the grantors,"yet so true it is,
grantors - otorgante
That some, I really think, do never die;
Of any creditors the worst a Jew it is,
creditors - acreedores; acreedor, acreedora
And that 's their mode of furnishing supply:
furnishing - mobiliario; (furnish); amoblar, amueblar, suministrar
In my young days they lent me cash that way,
Which I found very troublesome to pay.
'Tis thus with people in an open boat,
They live upon the love of life, and bear
More than can be believed, or even thought,
And stand like rocks the tempest's wear and tear;
And hardship still has been the sailor's lot,
hardship - dificultades; sufrimientos, apuro, penalidades
Since Noah's ark went cruising here and there;
cruising - crucero; cancaneo; (cruise) crucero; cancaneo
She had a curious crew as well as cargo,
Curious - tienes curiosidad; curioso; extrano, raro
Like the first Old Greek privateer, the Argo.
Old Greek - Griego antiguo
privateer - privado; buque corsario
Argo - Argo
But man is a carnivorous production,
carnivorous - carnívoro
And must have meals, at least one meal a day;
He cannot live, like woodcocks, upon suction,
woodcocks - gallo; chocha, chochaperdiz
suction - succión, succionar, chupar
But, like the shark and tiger, must have prey;
Shark - tiburón
tiger - tigre; tigresa
prey - botín, presa
Although his anatomical construction
anatomical - anatómico
construction - construcción
Bears vegetables, in a grumbling way,
grumbling - refunfunando; (grumble); refunfunar, rezongar
Your labouring people think beyond all question,
labouring - trabajando; trabajo, campesinos, trabajadores, parto, trabajar
Beef, veal, and mutton, better for digestion.
veal - ternera
mutton - ovino; cordero
digestion - digestión, descomposición, putrefacción, asimilación
And thus it was with this our hapless crew;
hapless - desventurado; infeliz, infortunado, desgraciado
For on the third day there came on a calm,
And though at first their strength it might renew,
And lying on their weariness like balm,
balm - bálsamo
Lull'd them like turtles sleeping on the blue
turtles - tortugas; tortuga marina
Of ocean, when they woke they felt a qualm,
qualm - dudas; escrúpulo, escrupulo, naúsea
And fell all ravenously on their provision,
ravenously - orazmente
Instead of hoarding it with due precision.
hoarding - acaparamiento; valla; (hoard) acaparamiento; valla
The consequence was easily foreseen"
foreseen - previsto; pronosticar, prever, antever
They ate up all they had, and drank their wine,
ate up - se comió
In spite of all remonstrances, and then
On what, in fact, next day were they to dine?
dine - cenar
They hoped the wind would rise, these foolish men!
And carry them to shore; these hopes were fine,
But as they had but one oar, and that brittle,
brittle - frágil, quebradizo, friable, crocante
It would have been more wise to save their victual.
victual - Virtual
The fourth day came, but not a breath of air,
And Ocean slumber'd like an unwean'd child:
unwean - Destetar
The fifth day, and their boat lay floating there,
floating - flotante, flotador; (float); flotar, carroza
The sea and sky were blue, and clear, and mild"
With their one oar (I wish they had had a pair)
What could they do? and hunger's rage grew wild:
hunger - hambre
So Juan's spaniel, spite of his entreating,
Entreating - interesante; rogar, suplicar, invitar, compartir, negociar
Was kill'd and portion'd out for present eating.
On the sixth day they fed upon his hide,
And Juan, who had still refused, because
refused - rechazado; negarse (a)
The creature was his father's dog that died,
Now feeling all the vulture in his jaws,
vulture - buitre, zopilote
jaws - mandíbulas; maxilar
With some remorse received (though first denied)
denied - negado; negar
As a great favour one of the fore-paws,
paws - patas; pata, garra (gato), zarpa (león)
Which he divided with Pedrillo, who
Devour'd it, longing for the other too.
devour - devorar, jambar
The seventh day, and no wind"the burning sun
Blister'd and scorch'd, and, stagnant on the sea,
scorch - chamuscar
stagnant - estancada; estancado, atascado
They lay like carcasses; and hope was none,
carcasses - cadáveres; cadáver, carcasa
Save in the breeze that came not; savagely
savagely - salvajemente
They glared upon each other"all was done,
glared - miró; mirada fulminante
Water, and wine, and food,"and you might see
The longings of the cannibal arise
cannibal - caníbal
(Although they spoke not) in their wolfish eyes.
At length one whisper'd his companion, who
companion - companero; companero, companera
Whisper'd another, and thus it went round,
And then into a hoarser murmur grew,
hoarser - ronas
murmur - murmullo; soplo, murmurar
An ominous, and wild, and desperate sound;
ominous - ominoso, siniestro, agorero
And when his comrade's thought each sufferer knew,
comrade - companero, colega, camarada, correligionario, camarada
sufferer - nfermo; sufridor
'Twas but his own, suppress'd till now, he found:
Suppress - reprimar, contener, ocultar, suprimir
And out they spoke of lots for flesh and blood,
And who should die to be his fellow's food.
But ere they came to this, they that day shared
Some leathern caps, and what remain'd of shoes;
leathern - de cuero
And then they look'd around them and despair'd,
And none to be the sacrifice would choose;
sacrifice - sacrificar, sacrificio
At length the lots were torn up, and prepared,
torn up - hecho pedazos, destrozado
But of materials that much shock the Muse"
Having no paper, for the want of better,
They took by force from Juan Julia's letter.
The lots were made, and mark'd, and mix'd, and handed,
In silent horror, and their distribution
distribution - distribución
Lull'd even the savage hunger which demanded,
savage - salvaje
demanded - exigió; demanda, exigencia, exigir, demandar
Like the Promethean vulture, this pollution;
Promethean - prometeo; prometeico
None in particular had sought or plann'd it,
'Twas nature gnaw'd them to this resolution,
gnaw - roer
By which none were permitted to be neuter"
permitted - permitido; permitir
neuter - esterilizar; neutral, neutro, castrar, capar
And the lot fell on Juan's luckless tutor.
He but requested to be bled to death:
bled - sangrar, desangrar, purgar, sangría, sangrado, sangre
The surgeon had his instruments, and bled
surgeon - cirujano, cirujana
Pedrillo, and so gently ebb'd his breath,
Ebb - reflujo, marea, marea baja, bajamar
You hardly could perceive when he was dead.
perceive - percibir, entender
He died as born, a Catholic in faith,
Like most in the belief in which they're bred,
And first a little crucifix he kiss'd,
crucifix - crucifijo
And then held out his jugular and wrist.
jugular - yugular
wrist - muneca; muneca
The surgeon, as there was no other fee,
Had his first choice of morsels for his pains;
morsels - bocaditos; pizca, porción, gota
But being thirstiest at the moment, he
Preferr'd a draught from the fast-flowing veins:
draught - de barril; dama
Part was divided, part thrown in the sea,
And such things as the entrails and the brains
entrails - Trail
Regaled two sharks, who follow'd o'er the billow"
regaled - regalado; regio, real
sharks - tiburones; tiburón
The sailors ate the rest of poor Pedrillo.
The sailors ate him, all save three or four,
Who were not quite so fond of animal food;
animal food - alimento para animales
To these was added Juan, who, before
Refusing his own spaniel, hardly could
refusing - te niegas; negarse (a)
Feel now his appetite increased much more;
appetite - apetito, deseo, ganas
'Twas not to be expected that he should,
Even in extremity of their disaster,
extremity - extremidad
Dine with them on his pastor and his master.
'Twas better that he did not; for, in fact,
The consequence was awful in the extreme;
For they, who were most ravenous in the act,
ravenous - hambriento; famélico
Went raging mad"Lord! how they did blaspheme!
raging - enfurecido; rabia, furor
blaspheme - blasfemar
And foam and roll, with strange convulsions rack'd,
foam - espuma, espumar
convulsions - convulsiones; convulsión
Drinking salt water like a mountain-stream,
Tearing, and grinning, howling, screeching, swearing,
screeching - chillando; chirrido, rechinar, chirriar, estridular
swearing - jurando; (swear) jurando
And, with hyaena-laughter, died despairing.
hyaena - Hiena
despairing - desesperado; desesperar, desesperanzar, desesperación
Their numbers were much thinn'd by this infliction,
thinn - Delgado
infliction - inflicción
And all the rest were thin enough, Heaven knows;
And some of them had lost their recollection,
Happier than they who still perceived their woes;
perceived - percibido; percibir, entender
But others ponder'd on a new dissection,
As if not warn'd sufficiently by those
sufficiently - suficientemente
Who had already perish'd, suffering madly,
For having used their appetites so sadly.
appetites - apetito, deseo, ganas
And next they thought upon the master's mate,
As fattest; but he saved himself, because,
Besides being much averse from such a fate,
averse - averso; opuesto
There were some other reasons: the first was,
He had been rather indisposed of late;
indisposed - Indisponer
And that which chiefly proved his saving clause
Was a small present made to him at Cadiz,
By general subscription of the ladies.
subscription - abono, suscripción
Of poor Pedrillo something still remain'd,
But was used sparingly,"some were afraid,
sparingly - con moderación; parsimoniosamente
And others still their appetites constrain'd,
constrain - restricción
Or but at times a little supper made;
supper - cenar; cena
All except Juan, who throughout abstain'd,
abstain - abstenerse, retener
Chewing a piece of bamboo and some lead:
chewing - masticar, mascar
bamboo - bambú
At length they caught two boobies and a noddy,
boobies - Teta
And then they left off eating the dead body.
And if Pedrillo's fate should shocking be,
shocking - impresionante; conmoción, golpe
Remember Ugolino condescends
condescends - condesciende; condescender
To eat the head of his arch-enemy
arch - arco; bóveda
The moment after he politely ends
politely - educadamente, cortésmente
His tale: if foes be food in hell, at sea
'Tis surely fair to dine upon our friends,
When shipwreck's short allowance grows too scanty,
shipwreck - pecio, naufragio, naufragar
allowance - permiso; paga
scanty - escaso, exiguo
Without being much more horrible than Dante.
more horrible - más horrible
Dante - Dante
And the same night there fell a shower of rain,
For which their mouths gaped, like the cracks of earth
cracks - fisuras; rajarse, resquebrajarse
When dried to summer dust; till taught by pain
Men really know not what good water 's worth;
If you had been in Turkey or in Spain,
turkey - pavo, chompipe
Or with a famish'd boat's-crew had your berth,
famish - Hambriento
Or in the desert heard the camel's bell,
camel - camello
You'd wish yourself where Truth is"in a well.
It pour'd down torrents, but they were no richer
torrents - orrentes; torrente
Until they found a ragged piece of sheet,
ragged - Desgarrado; (rag) Desgarrado
Which served them as a sort of spongy pitcher,
spongy - fofo, esponjoso
Pitcher - Cántaro
And when they deem'd its moisture was complete
They wrung it out, and though a thirsty ditcher
wrung - escurrido; torcer, retorcer
ditcher - Zanjadora
Might not have thought the scanty draught so sweet
As a full pot of porter, to their thinking
They ne'er till now had known the joys of drinking.
joys - legrías; alegría, júbilo
And their baked lips, with many a bloody crack,
bloody - Sangriento
Suck'd in the moisture, which like nectar stream'd;
nectar - néctar, néctar
Their throats were ovens, their swoln tongues were black,
As the rich man's in hell, who vainly scream'd
To beg the beggar, who could not rain back
beggar - mendigo, mendiga, pordiosero, mendicante
A drop of dew, when every drop had seem'd
To taste of heaven"If this be true, indeed
Some Christians have a comfortable creed.
There were two fathers in this ghastly crew,
ghastly - fantasmal, cadavérico, espantoso, horripilante, malísimo
And with them their two sons, of whom the one
Was more robust and hardy to the view,
robust - robusto
hardy - robusto, resistente
But he died early; and when he was gone,
His nearest messmate told his sire, who threw
messmate - companero; comensal
One glance at him, and said, 'Heaven's will be done!
glance - mirada; ojear, echar un vistazo, mirar, pispear, vistazo
I can do nothing,'and he saw him thrown
Into the deep without a tear or groan.
The other father had a weaklier child,
weaklier - débilmente
Of a soft cheek and aspect delicate;
delicate - delicado, delicado (1, 2)
But the boy bore up long, and with a mild
And patient spirit held aloof his fate;
Little he said, and now and then he smiled,
As if to win a part from off the weight
He saw increasing on his father's heart,
With the deep deadly thought that they must part.
deadly - mortal, letal, mortífero
And o'er him bent his sire, and never raised
His eyes from off his face, but wiped the foam
wiped - borrada; limpiar
From his pale lips, and ever on him gazed,
gazed - mirada; observar, mirar fijamente
And when the wish'd-for shower at length was come,
And the boy's eyes, which the dull film half glazed,
glazed - esmalte, frita, vidriado, veladura, barniz, glasé
Brighten'd, and for a moment seem'd to roam,
roam - vagar
He squeezed from out a rag some drops of rain
squeezed - exprimido; exprimir, apretar, apretujar, apuro, crisis, apretón
Into his dying child's mouth"but in vain.
The boy expired"the father held the clay,
expired - caducado; vencer, caducar
And look'd upon it long, and when at last
Death left no doubt, and the dead burthen lay
burthen - carga
Stiff on his heart, and pulse and hope were past,
stiff - rígido, duro, tieso, inflexible
pulse - pulso
He watch'd it wistfully, until away
wistfully - con nostalgia
'Twas borne by the rude wave wherein 'twas cast;
wherein - En qué
Then he himself sunk down all dumb and shivering,
sunk down - se hundió
And gave no sign of life, save his limbs quivering.
limbs - miembros; miembro
quivering - tiembla; estremecer(se)
Now overhead a rainbow, bursting through
overhead - sobrecarga; arriba, por encima de la cabeza; aéreo
bursting - reventar, romper, ráfaga, estallo, reventón
The scattering clouds, shone, spanning the dark sea,
spanning - abarcando; luz, palmo
Resting its bright base on the quivering blue;
And all within its arch appear'd to be
Clearer than that without, and its wide hue
Wax'd broad and waving, like a banner free,
broad - amplio; ancho
banner - bandera, estandarte
Then changed like to a bow that 's bent, and then
Forsook the dim eyes of these shipwreck'd men.
forsook - renunció; abandonar
It changed, of course; a heavenly chameleon,
chameleon - camaleón
The airy child of vapour and the sun,
airy - aireado; airoso
Brought forth in purple, cradled in vermilion,
cradled - acunado; cuna, brezo, brezar, brizar
Baptized in molten gold, and swathed in dun,
baptized - bautizado; bautizar
molten - fundido; derretido, incandescente; (melt); material fundido
swathed - envainada; envolver; vendar
Glittering like crescents o'er a Turk's pavilion,
crescents - crecientes; medialuna, creciente
Turk - turco, turca
pavilion - pabellón, pavillón
And blending every colour into one,
blending - mezcla; (blend); mezcla, mezclar, combinar
Just like a black eye in a recent scuffle
(For sometimes we must box without the muffle).
muffle - mufla
Our shipwreck'd seamen thought it a good omen"
omen - presagio
It is as well to think so, now and then;
'Twas an old custom of the Greek and Roman,
And may become of great advantage when
Folks are discouraged; and most surely no men
discouraged - desanimado; descorazonar, acobardar, desalentar, persuadir
Had greater need to nerve themselves again
nerve - nervio, coraje, descaro, frescura, nervios
Than these, and so this rainbow look'd like hope"
Quite a celestial kaleidoscope.
kaleidoscope - caleidoscopio
About this time a beautiful white bird,
Webfooted, not unlike a dove in size
And plumage (probably it might have err'd
plumage - plumaje
Upon its course), pass'd oft before their eyes,
And tried to perch, although it saw and heard
perch - percha
The men within the boat, and in this guise
guise - guisa; apariencia, forma, aspecto
It came and went, and flutter'd round them till
flutter - leteo; ondear, aletear
Night fell: this seem'd a better omen still.
But in this case I also must remark,
'Twas well this bird of promise did not perch,
Because the tackle of our shatter'd bark
tackle - atacar; equipo, aparejo, entrada, tacleada, placaje, afrontar
Was not so safe for roosting as a church;
roosting - posada; percha, gallinero
And had it been the dove from Noah's ark,
Returning there from her successful search,
Which in their way that moment chanced to fall,
They would have eat her, olive-branch and all.
olive - aceituna, oliva, olivo, verde oliva, aceitunado, verde aceituna
With twilight it again came on to blow,
But not with violence; the stars shone out,
The boat made way; yet now they were so low,
They knew not where nor what they were about;
Some fancied they saw land, and some said 'No!'
The frequent fog-banks gave them cause to doubt"
frequent - frecuente
Fog - niebla
Some swore that they heard breakers, others guns,
And all mistook about the latter once.
As morning broke, the light wind died away,
When he who had the watch sung out and swore,
If 'twas not land that rose with the sun's ray,
ray - rayo
He wish'd that land he never might see more;
And the rest rubb'd their eyes and saw a bay,
rubb - Frotar
Or thought they saw, and shaped their course for shore;
For shore it was, and gradually grew
gradually - gradualmente, poco a poco, paulatinamente
Distinct, and high, and palpable to view.
distinct - distinto
palpable - palpable
And then of these some part burst into tears,
burst - reventar, romper, ráfaga, estallo, reventón
And others, looking with a stupid stare,
stare - mirar fijamente
Could not yet separate their hopes from fears,
And seem'd as if they had no further care;
While a few pray'd (the first time for some years)"
And at the bottom of the boat three were
Asleep: they shook them by the hand and head,
And tried to awaken them, but found them dead.
The day before, fast sleeping on the water,
They found a turtle of the hawk's-bill kind,
Turtle - tortuga marina
And by good fortune, gliding softly, caught her,
Fortune - fortuna
softly - suavemente, inaudiblemente, silenciosamente
Which yielded a day's life, and to their mind
yielded - cedido; ceder
Proved even still a more nutritious matter,
more nutritious - más nutritivo
Because it left encouragement behind:
encouragement - aliento; apoyo
They thought that in such perils, more than chance
perils - peligros; peligro, riesgo
Had sent them this for their deliverance.
deliverance - entrega, salvación, liberación
The land appear'd a high and rocky coast,
And higher grew the mountains as they drew,
Set by a current, toward it: they were lost
toward - hacia, sobre, para
In various conjectures, for none knew
conjectures - onjeturas; conjetura, suposición, especulación, teoría
To what part of the earth they had been tost,
tost - tostar; tiro, lanzamiento, lanzar una moneda al aire
So changeable had been the winds that blew;
changeable - cambiable, cambiante, variable
Some thought it was Mount AEtna, some the highlands,
highlands - las tierras altas; tierras altas
Of Candia, Cyprus, Rhodes, or other islands.
Cyprus - Chipre
Meantime the current, with a rising gale,
Still set them onwards to the welcome shore,
onwards - en adelante; hacia adelante, para adelante
Like Charon's bark of spectres, dull and pale:
Charon - Caronte
spectres - espectros; espectro, fantasma
Their living freight was now reduced to four,
freight - carga, mercancías
And three dead, whom their strength could not avail
avail - aprovechar, servir
To heave into the deep with those before,
Though the two sharks still follow'd them, and dash'd
The spray into their faces as they splash'd.
Famine, despair, cold, thirst, and heat, had done
Their work on them by turns, and thinn'd them to
Such things a mother had not known her son
Amidst the skeletons of that gaunt crew;
amidst - en medio de; en medio
skeletons - esqueletos; esqueleto
gaunt - enjuto; demacrado, chupado, macilento
By night chill'd, by day scorch'd, thus one by one
chill - relajarme; frío
They perish'd, until wither'd to these few,
wither - marchitar(se)
But chiefly by a species of self-slaughter,
In washing down Pedrillo with salt water.
As they drew nigh the land, which now was seen
nigh - cerca, cabe, cercano
Unequal in its aspect here and there,
unequal - desigual
They felt the freshness of its growing green,
That waved in forest-tops, and smooth'd the air,
And fell upon their glazed eyes like a screen
From glistening waves, and skies so hot and bare"
glistening - resplandeciente; relucir, rielar
bare - desnudo, descubierto
Lovely seem'd any object that should sweep
Away the vast, salt, dread, eternal deep.
eternal - eterno, eternal
The shore look'd wild, without a trace of man,
And girt by formidable waves; but they
girt - Cinturón; (gird) Cinturón
Were mad for land, and thus their course they ran,
Though right ahead the roaring breakers lay:
A reef between them also now began
reef - arrecife
To show its boiling surf and bounding spray,
surf - marea, oleaje, surfear, navegar
bounding - atado
But finding no place for their landing better,
They ran the boat for shore,"and overset her.
overset - Sobrepasado
But in his native stream, the Guadalquivir,
Juan to lave his youthful limbs was wont;
youthful - juvenil, joven
wont - no
And having learnt to swim in that sweet river,
Had often turn'd the art to some account:
A better swimmer you could scarce see ever,
He could, perhaps, have pass'd the Hellespont,
Hellespont - el helesponto; Helesponto
As once (a feat on which ourselves we prided)
feat - hazana, proeza
prided - orgullo, soberbia, cachondez, toriondez, verriondez, manada
Leander, Mr. Ekenhead, and I did.
So here, though faint, emaciated, and stark,
emaciated - demacrado; demacrar, emaciar, demacrarse, emaciarse
Stark - escueto, crudo, duro
He buoy'd his boyish limbs, and strove to ply
buoy - boya
ply - ejercer
With the quick wave, and gain, ere it was dark,
The beach which lay before him, high and dry:
The greatest danger here was from a shark,
That carried off his neighbour by the thigh;
carried off - se lo han llevado
thigh - muslo, muslamen
As for the other two, they could not swim,
So nobody arrived on shore but him.
on shore - en la orilla
Nor yet had he arrived but for the oar,
Which, providentially for him, was wash'd
providentially - rovidencialmente
Just as his feeble arms could strike no more,
And the hard wave o'erwhelm'd him as 'twas dash'd
Within his grasp; he clung to it, and sore
clung - aferrado; engancharse, adherirse
The waters beat while he thereto was lash'd;
thereto - a ello; al respecto
At last, with swimming, wading, scrambling, he
wading - Vadeando; (wad) Vadeando
Roll'd on the beach, half-senseless, from the sea:
There, breathless, with his digging nails he clung
digging - Cavando; (dig) Cavando
Fast to the sand, lest the returning wave,
From whose reluctant roar his life he wrung,
reluctant - renuente, reacio, reluctante, reticente
Should suck him back to her insatiate grave:
insatiate - Insaciable
And there he lay, full length, where he was flung,
full length - largometraje; edición completa
flung - arrojado; arrojar, lanzar
Before the entrance of a cliff-worn cave,
cliff - acantilado
cave - cueva, caverna
With just enough of life to feel its pain,
And deem that it was saved, perhaps in vain.
With slow and staggering effort he arose,
But sunk again upon his bleeding knee
bleeding - sangrado, hemorragia; (bleed); sangrar, desangrar, purgar
And quivering hand; and then he look'd for those
Who long had been his mates upon the sea;
mates - companeros; aparear, acoplar
But none of them appear'd to share his woes,
Save one, a corpse, from out the famish'd three,
corpse - cuerpo, cadáver
Who died two days before, and now had found
An unknown barren beach for burial ground.
unknown - ignoto, desconocido, incógnita, desconocido
barren - yermo; estéril, infértil
burial ground - un cementerio
And as he gazed, his dizzy brain spun fast,
dizzy - mareado
spun - hilado; hacer girar
And down he sunk; and as he sunk, the sand
Swam round and round, and all his senses pass'd:
He fell upon his side, and his stretch'd hand
stretch - estirar, estirarse, dar, extenderse, estirón, estiramiento
Droop'd dripping on the oar (their jurymast),
dripping - goteo; chorreo; (drip) goteo; chorreo
And, like a wither'd lily, on the land
Lily - azucena, lirio
His slender frame and pallid aspect lay,
pallid - pálido
As fair a thing as e'er was form'd of clay.
How long in his damp trance young Juan lay
He knew not, for the earth was gone for him,
And Time had nothing more of night nor day
For his congealing blood, and senses dim;
congealing - congelación; congelar, coagular
And how this heavy faintness pass'd away
He knew not, till each painful pulse and limb,
limb - miembro
And tingling vein, seem'd throbbing back to life,
tingling - hormigueo; (tingle); hormigueo
throbbing - palpitaciones; (throb); palpitar
For Death, though vanquish'd, still retired with strife.
vanquish - vencer
His eyes he open'd, shut, again unclosed,
unclosed - Descubrir
For all was doubt and dizziness; he thought
dizziness - mareos; mareo, vértigo
He still was in the boat and had but dozed,
dozed - dormido; dormitar
And felt again with his despair o'erwrought,
And wish'd it death in which he had reposed;
reposed - reposado; reposo
And then once more his feelings back were brought,
And slowly by his swimming eyes was seen
A lovely female face of seventeen.
'Twas bending dose o'er his, and the small mouth
dose - dosis
Seem'd almost prying into his for breath;
And chafing him, the soft warm hand of youth
chafing - rozaduras; calor friccional, escocimiento, irritación, cocedura
Recall'd his answering spirits back from death;
And, bathing his chill temples, tried to soothe
soothe - calmar, serenar, aliviar, aliviarse, descansar
Each pulse to animation, till beneath
animation - vivificación, animación, animación
Its gentle touch and trembling care, a sigh
To these kind efforts made a low reply.
Then was the cordial pour'd, and mantle flung
cordial - cordial
mantle - manto, camisa
Around his scarce-clad limbs; and the fair arm
Raised higher the faint head which o'er it hung;
And her transparent cheek, all pure and warm,
Pillow'd his death-like forehead; then she wrung
forehead - la frente; frente
His dewy curls, long drench'd by every storm;
drench - empapar
And watch'd with eagerness each throb that drew
eagerness - avidez, ansia
A sigh from his heaved bosom"and hers, too.
heaved - pesado; ondular
And lifting him with care into the cave,
The gentle girl and her attendant,"one
attendant - asistente, guarda, concomitante, inherente
Young, yet her elder, and of brow less grave,
And more robust of figure,"then begun
To kindle fire, and as the new flames gave
kindle - indle; encender
flames - llamas; flama, llama
Light to the rocks that roof'd them, which the sun
Had never seen, the maid, or whatsoe'er
She was, appear'd distinct, and tall, and fair.
Her brow was overhung with coins of gold,
overhung - en voladizo; protuberancia
That sparkled o'er the auburn of her hair"
sparkled - brillaba; centelleo, destello
Auburn - castano, bermejo
Her clustering hair, whose longer locks were roll'd
clustering - amontonamiento, agrupamiento, aglomeración, racimo, cúmulo
In braids behind; and though her stature were
braids - trenzas; trenzar
Even of the highest for a female mould,
mould - moho; mantillo
They nearly reach'd her heel; and in her air
There was a something which bespoke command,
As one who was a lady in the land.
Her hair, I said, was auburn; but her eyes
Were black as death, their lashes the same hue,
lashes - pestanas; pestana
Of downcast length, in whose silk shadow lies
shadow - sombra
Deepest attraction; for when to the view
Forth from its raven fringe the full glance flies,
raven - cuervo
fringe - flecos; orla, extremista, radical, periferia, marginal, orlar
Ne'er with such force the swiftest arrow flew;
swiftest - más rápido; rápido, veloz, célere, pronto
arrow - flecha
'Tis as the snake late coil'd, who pours his length,
coil - bobina; enroscarse
And hurls at once his venom and his strength.
hurls - lanzas; arrojar, lanzar, tirar, proyectar, volver
venom - veneno, malicia
Her brow was white and low, her cheek's pure dye
dye - tinte; tenir
Like twilight rosy still with the set sun;
rosy - Rosa
Short upper lip"sweet lips! that make us sigh
Ever to have seen such; for she was one
Fit for the model of a statuary
(A race of mere impostors, when all 's done"
impostors - impostores; impostor, impostora
I've seen much finer women, ripe and real,
ripe - maduro
Than all the nonsense of their stone ideal).
I'll tell you why I say so, for 'tis just
One should not rail without a decent cause:
There was an Irish lady, to whose bust
I ne'er saw justice done, and yet she was
justice - justicia, justedad, justeza, justicia
A frequent model; and if e'er she must
Yield to stern Time and Nature's wrinkling laws,
wrinkling - se arruga; arruga
They will destroy a face which mortal thought
Ne'er compass'd, nor less mortal chisel wrought.
chisel - cincel
And such was she, the lady of the cave:
Her dress was very different from the Spanish,
Simpler, and yet of colours not so grave;
For, as you know, the Spanish women banish
banish - desterrar
Bright hues when out of doors, and yet, while wave
hues - atices; color; matiz
Around them (what I hope will never vanish)
vanish - desvanecerse, desaparecer, anularse
The basquina and the mantilla, they
mantilla - mantilla
Seem at the same time mystical and gay.
mystical - místico
But with our damsel this was not the case:
damsel - damasel; doncella, muchacha
Her dress was many-colour'd, finely spun;
finely - Finamente
Her locks curl'd negligently round her face,
negligently - con negligencia; negligentemente
But through them gold and gems profusely shone:
gems - gemas; joya, alhaja, piedra preciosa, gema
Her girdle sparkled, and the richest lace
girdle - faja; cinto
Flow'd in her veil, and many a precious stone
precious stone - una piedra preciosa
Flash'd on her little hand; but, what was shocking,
Her small snow feet had slippers, but no stocking.
stocking - medias; media; (stock) medias; media
The other female's dress was not unlike,
But of inferior materials: she
inferior - inferior
Had not so many ornaments to strike,
ornaments - dornos; ornamento, ornamento musical
Her hair had silver only, bound to be
bound - atado; (bind); atar, atar (tie), empastar (books), liar
Her dowry; and her veil, in form alike,
dowry - dote
alike - igual, semejante, parecido, igualmente
Was coarser; and her air, though firm, less free;
coarser - más grueso; tosco, rústico, rudo, bruto
firm - firma; firme, sólido
Her hair was thicker, but less long; her eyes
As black, but quicker, and of smaller size.
And these two tended him, and cheer'd him both
cheer - animar; viva, hurra
With food and raiment, and those soft attentions,
raiment - Ropa
Which are (as I must own) of female growth,
And have ten thousand delicate inventions:
They made a most superior mess of broth,
superior - superior, superior
broth - caldo
A thing which poesy but seldom mentions,
seldom - raramente, rara vez
But the best dish that e'er was cook'd since Homer's
Achilles ordered dinner for new comers.
Achilles - Aquiles
I'll tell you who they were, this female pair,
Lest they should seem princesses in disguise;
Besides, I hate all mystery, and that air
Of clap-trap which your recent poets prize;
trap - trampa
And so, in short, the girls they really were
They shall appear before your curious eyes,
Mistress and maid; the first was only daughter
Of an old man who lived upon the water.
A fisherman he had been in his youth,
fisherman - pescador, pescadora
And still a sort of fisherman was he;
But other speculations were, in sooth,
speculations - especulaciones; especulación
Added to his connection with the sea,
Perhaps not so respectable, in truth:
respectable - respetable
A little smuggling, and some piracy,
smuggling - contrabando; (smuggle); contrabandear, pasar de contrabando
piracy - piratería, secuestro, falsificación
Left him, at last, the sole of many masters
Of an ill-gotten million of piastres.
gotten - Conseguido
piastres - piastras; piastra
A fisher, therefore, was he,"though of men,
Like Peter the Apostle,"and he fish'd
Peter - Pedro, Pedro
apostle - apóstol
For wandering merchant-vessels, now and then,
merchant-vessels - buque mercante
And sometimes caught as many as he wish'd;
The cargoes he confiscated, and gain
cargoes - cargas; carga
confiscated - confiscado; decomisar, confiscar
He sought in the slave-market too, and dish'd
Full many a morsel for that Turkish trade,
morsel - un bocado; pizca, porción, gota
Turkish - turco
By which, no doubt, a good deal may be made.
He was a Greek, and on his isle had built
Isle - isla
(One of the wild and smaller Cyclades)
Cyclades - Cícladas
A very handsome house from out his guilt,
And there he lived exceedingly at ease;
Heaven knows what cash he got or blood he spilt,
spilt - derramado; derramar, verter
A sad old fellow was he, if you please;
But this I know, it was a spacious building,
spacious - espacioso, desahogado, amplio
Full of barbaric carving, paint, and gilding.
barbaric - barbárico, bárbaro
carving - tallar; tallado, escultura; (carve); cortar, trinchar, tallar
He had an only daughter, call'd Haidee,
The greatest heiress of the Eastern Isles;
heiress - heredera
Isles - islas; isla
Besides, so very beautiful was she,
Her dowry was as nothing to her smiles:
Still in her teens, and like a lovely tree
teens - adolescentes; Adolescente
She grew to womanhood, and between whiles
womanhood - mujer; feminidad
Rejected several suitors, just to learn
How to accept a better in his turn.
And walking out upon the beach, below
The cliff, towards sunset, on that day she found,
Insensible,"not dead, but nearly so,"
Don Juan, almost famish'd, and half drown'd;
drown - ahogarse
But being naked, she was shock'd, you know,
Yet deem'd herself in common pity bound,
As far as in her lay, 'to take him in,
A stranger'dying, with so white a skin.
But taking him into her father's house
Was not exactly the best way to save,
But like conveying to the cat the mouse,
conveying - transmitiendo; transportar, trasladar, comunicar, expresar
Or people in a trance into their grave;
Because the good old man had so much 'nous,'
Unlike the honest Arab thieves so brave,
He would have hospitably cured the stranger,
hospitably - hospitalariamente
cured - curado; curar, remediar
And sold him instantly when out of danger.
And therefore, with her maid, she thought it best
(A virgin always on her maid relies)
relies - relatos; contar con, atenerse
To place him in the cave for present rest:
And when, at last, he open'd his black eyes,
Their charity increased about their guest;
And their compassion grew to such a size,
compassion - compasión, conmiseración
It open'd half the turnpike-gates to heaven
(St. Paul says, 'tis the toll which must be given).
Paul - Pablo
Toll - peaje; taner, doblar
They made a fire,"but such a fire as they
Upon the moment could contrive with such
contrive - inventar; idear, improvisar
Materials as were cast up round the bay,"
Some broken planks, and oars, that to the touch
planks - placas; tablón, artículo, entablar
oars - remos; remo
Were nearly tinder, since so long they lay
tinder - yesca
A mast was almost crumbled to a crutch;
crumbled - se desmoronó; desmigajarse, desmoronarse, desmenuzarse, crumble
crutch - muleta, apoyo, soporte
But, by God's grace, here wrecks were in such plenty,
That there was fuel to have furnish'd twenty.
furnish - amoblar, amueblar, suministrar, proporcionar, dotar
He had a bed of furs, and a pelisse,
For Haidee stripped her sables off to make
stripped - despojado; quitar, desprender; arrancar; despojar
sables - sables; cebellina, marta cibelina, marta, sable
His couch; and, that he might be more at ease,
couch - un sofá; sofá, canapé
And warm, in case by chance he should awake,
They also gave a petticoat apiece,
apiece - cada uno
She and her maid"and promised by daybreak
daybreak - amanecer
To pay him a fresh visit, with a dish
For breakfast, of eggs, coffee, bread, and fish.
And thus they left him to his lone repose:
Lone - solitario; solo
Juan slept like a top, or like the dead,
Who sleep at last, perhaps (God only knows),
Just for the present; and in his lull'd head
Not even a vision of his former woes
Throbb'd in accursed dreams, which sometimes spread
accursed - exacto
Unwelcome visions of our former years,
unwelcome - no es bienvenido; embarazoso, inoportuno, molesto
Till the eye, cheated, opens thick with tears.
Young Juan slept all dreamless:"but the maid,
dreamless - Sin suenos
Who smooth'd his pillow, as she left the den
den - guarida
Look'd back upon him, and a moment stay'd,
And turn'd, believing that he call'd again.
He slumber'd; yet she thought, at least she said
(The heart will slip, even as the tongue and pen),
He had pronounced her name"but she forgot
That at this moment Juan knew it not.
And pensive to her father's house she went,
Enjoining silence strict to Zoe, who
enjoining - ordenando; imponer, ordenar, mandar, prohibir
Better than her knew what, in fact, she meant,
She being wiser by a year or two:
wiser - más sabio; sabio
A year or two 's an age when rightly spent,
rightly - verdad
And Zoe spent hers, as most women do,
In gaining all that useful sort of knowledge
gaining - Ganando; (gain) Ganando
Which is acquired in Nature's good old college.
The morn broke, and found Juan slumbering still
slumbering - dormir; (slumber); adormecimiento, adormilamiento, adormecer
Fast in his cave, and nothing clash'd upon
clash - chocar; estruendo, escaramuza
His rest; the rushing of the neighbouring rill,
rushing - Prisa; (rush) Prisa
rill - arroyito
And the young beams of the excluded sun,
beams - vigas; viga, timón, radio
excluded - excluidos; excluir
Troubled him not, and he might sleep his fill;
And need he had of slumber yet, for none
Had suffer'd more"his hardships were comparative
hardships - dificultades; sufrimientos, apuro, penalidades
comparative - comparativa; comparativo, comparativo
To those related in my grand-dad's 'Narrative.'
grand - grande; magnífico, espléndido, imponente
Not so Haidee: she sadly toss'd and tumbled,
toss - tiro, lanzamiento, lanzar una moneda al aire, echar un volado
tumbled - tumbado; caída, caer, revolverse
And started from her sleep, and, turning o'er
Dream'd of a thousand wrecks, o'er which she stumbled,
And handsome corpses strew'd upon the shore;
strew - estirar; esparcir
And woke her maid so early that she grumbled,
grumbled - refunfunó; refunfunar, rezongar
And call'd her father's old slaves up, who swore
In several oaths"Armenian, Turk, and Greek"
Armenian - armenio, armenio, armenia
They knew not what to think of such a freak.
freak - monstruo; fenómeno
But up she got, and up she made them get,
With some pretence about the sun, that makes
Sweet skies just when he rises, or is set;
And 'tis, no doubt, a sight to see when breaks
Bright Phoebus, while the mountains still are wet
Phoebus - Foebus
With mist, and every bird with him awakes,
mist - niebla; neblina
awakes - se despierta; despertar(se)
And night is flung off like a mourning suit
mourning - duelo, luto; (mourn); lamentar, estar de luto
Worn for a husband,"or some other brute.
brute - bruto; animal, bestia
I say, the sun is a most glorious sight,
most glorious - el más glorioso
I've seen him rise full oft, indeed of late
I have sat up on purpose all the night,
Which hastens, as physicians say, one's fate;
Hastens - se precipita; correr, acelerar, precipitar, anticipar, adelantar
And so all ye, who would be in the right
In health and purse, begin your day to date
From daybreak, and when coffin'd at fourscore,
fourscore - cuatro; ochenta
Engrave upon the plate, you rose at four.
Engrave - grabar
And Haidee met the morning face to face;
Her own was freshest, though a feverish flush
feverish - fiebre; febril
flush - lanzar; rubor
Had dyed it with the headlong blood, whose race
dyed - tenido; tenir
headlong - de cabeza
From heart to cheek is curb'd into a blush,
Like to a torrent which a mountain's base,
torrent - torrente
That overpowers some Alpine river's rush,
overpowers - poderoso; dominar, vencer, panish: t-needed
Alpine - panish: t-needed
Checks to a lake, whose waves in circles spread;
Or the Red Sea"but the sea is not red.
And down the cliff the island virgin came,
And near the cave her quick light footsteps drew,
While the sun smiled on her with his first flame,
flame - flama, llama
And young Aurora kiss'd her lips with dew,
aurora - aurora
Taking her for a sister; just the same
Mistake you would have made on seeing the two,
Although the mortal, quite as fresh and fair,
Had all the advantage, too, of not being air.
And when into the cavern Haidee stepp'd
All timidly, yet rapidly, she saw
timidly - tímidamente
rapidly - rápidamente
That like an infant Juan sweetly slept;
infant - nino; nene, infante
sweetly - dulcemente, abemoladamente
And then she stopp'd, and stood as if in awe
stopp - Parar
awe - pavor, temor, medrosía, asombro, asombrar, abrumar
(For sleep is awful), and on tiptoe crept
on tiptoe - de puntillas
And wrapt him closer, lest the air, too raw,
wrapt - envuelto; enrollar
raw - cruda; crudo, en carne viva, bruto
Should reach his blood, then o'er him still as death
Bent with hush'd lips, that drank his scarce-drawn breath.
And thus like to an angel o'er the dying
angel - ángel
Who die in righteousness, she lean'd; and there
righteousness - justicia; rectitud, moralidad, buena obra; rectitud, gracia
All tranquilly the shipwreck'd boy was lying,
tranquilly - Tranquilamente
As o'er him the calm and stirless air:
stirless - Sin revolver
But Zoe the meantime some eggs was frying,
Since, after all, no doubt the youthful pair
Must breakfast"and betimes, lest they should ask it,
She drew out her provision from the basket.
basket - cesta, cesto, canasta
She knew that the best feelings must have victual,
And that a shipwreck'd youth would hungry be;
Besides, being less in love, she yawn'd a little,
And felt her veins chill'd by the neighbouring sea;
And so, she cook'd their breakfast to a tittle;
tittle - título
I can't say that she gave them any tea,
But there were eggs, fruit, coffee, bread, fish, honey,
With Scio wine,"and all for love, not money.
And Zoe, when the eggs were ready, and
The coffee made, would fain have waken'd Juan;
waken - Despertar
But Haidee stopp'd her with her quick small hand,
And without word, a sign her finger drew on
Her lip, which Zoe needs must understand;
And, the first breakfast spoilt, prepared a new one,
spoilt - estropeado, podrido, mimado, regalón
Because her mistress would not let her break
That sleep which seem'd as it would ne'er awake.
For still he lay, and on his thin worn cheek
A purple hectic play'd like dying day
hectic - agitado; ajetreado, febril, agobiante, frenético
On the snow-tops of distant hills; the streak
streak - raya, trazo, sarta, racha, ristra
Of sufferance yet upon his forehead lay,
sufferance - Sufrimiento
Where the blue veins look'd shadowy, shrunk, and weak;
shadowy - sombra; sombroso, sombreado, sombrío, umbroso
And his black curls were dewy with the spray,
Which weigh'd upon them yet, all damp and salt,
Mix'd with the stony vapours of the vault.
vapours - vapores; vapor
vault - bóveda; sótano; bodega
And she bent o'er him, and he lay beneath,
Hush'd as the babe upon its mother's breast,
Droop'd as the willow when no winds can breathe,
willow - sauce, mimbrera, sauz
Lull'd like the depth of ocean when at rest,
depth - profundidad
Fair as the crowning rose of the whole wreath,
crowning - Coronación; (crown) Coronación
wreath - guirnalda, corona, burelete, rodear
Soft as the callow cygnet in its nest;
callow - inmaduro, inmadura, verde
cygnet - pollo (de cisne)
In short, he was a very pretty fellow,
Although his woes had turn'd him rather yellow.
He woke and gazed, and would have slept again,
But the fair face which met his eyes forbade
forbade - prohibido; prohibir, vedar, vetar, negar
Those eyes to close, though weariness and pain
Had further sleep a further pleasure made;
For woman's face was never form'd in vain
For Juan, so that even when he pray'd
He turn'd from grisly saints, and martyrs hairy,
grisly - horripilante, espeluznante
martyrs - mártires; mártir, martirizar
hairy - peludo, velludo, lanudo
To the sweet portraits of the Virgin Mary.
And thus upon his elbow he arose,
elbow - codo, codazo, panish: t-needed
And look'd upon the lady, in whose cheek
The pale contended with the purple rose,
contended - ontendió; contender, sostener
As with an effort she began to speak;
Her eyes were eloquent, her words would pose,
eloquent - elocuente
Although she told him, in good modern Greek,
With an Ionian accent, low and sweet,
Ionian - jónico
accent - acento, pronunciación
That he was faint, and must not talk, but eat.
Now Juan could not understand a word,
Being no Grecian; but he had an ear,
Grecian - Griego
And her voice was the warble of a bird,
warble - trinar, gorjear
So soft, so sweet, so delicately clear,
delicately - con delicadeza; delicadamente
That finer, simpler music ne'er was heard;
The sort of sound we echo with a tear,
Echo - eco, repercutir, repetir, hacer eco
Without knowing why"an overpowering tone,
overpowering - sobrecogedor; dominar, vencer, panish: t-needed
tone - tono
Whence Melody descends as from a throne.
whence - de dónde; de donde, desde donde, de ahí
melody - melodía
Descends - desciende; descender, bajar
throne - trono
And Juan gazed as one who is awoke
By a distant organ, doubting if he be
organ - órgano, publicación oficial
Not yet a dreamer, till the spell is broke
dreamer - sonador; sonador, sonadora, visionario, visionaria
By the watchman, or some such reality,
watchman - vigilante; guardián, celador, guarda, vigía
Or by one's early valet's cursed knock;
At least it is a heavy sound to me,
Who like a morning slumber"for the night
Shows stars and women in a better light.
And Juan, too, was help'd out from his dream,
Or sleep, or whatso'er it was, by feeling
whatso - Qué
A most prodigious appetite: the steam
steam - Vapor; vaporear; de vapor; al vapor
Of Zoe's cookery no doubt was stealing
cookery - Cocina
Upon his senses, and the kindling beam
kindling - lena; astillas; (kindle) lena; astillas
Of the new fire, which Zoe kept up, kneeling
kneeling - De rodillas; (kneel); arrodillarse
To stir her viands, made him quite awake
stir - remover, revolver
And long for food, but chiefly a beef-steak.
But beef is rare within these oxless isles;
oxless - sin bueyes
Goat's flesh there is, no doubt, and kid, and mutton;
goat - cabra, chivo, libidinoso, libidinosa
And, when a holiday upon them smiles,
A joint upon their barbarous spits they put on:
joint - en común, comunitario, en conjunto, articulación, coyuntura
spits - Escupir
But this occurs but seldom, between whiles,
For some of these are rocks with scarce a hut on;
hut - cabana
Others are fair and fertile, among which
fertile - fértil, feraz
This, though not large, was one of the most rich.
I say that beef is rare, and can't help thinking
That the old fable of the Minotaur"
Minotaur - minotauro
From which our modern morals rightly shrinking
shrinking - ncogiendo; contraerse, encogerse, achicarse, mermar
Condemn the royal lady's taste who wore
A cow's shape for a mask"was only (sinking
The allegory) a mere type, no more,
allegory - una alegoría; alegoría
That Pasiphae promoted breeding cattle,
Pasiphae - Pasífae
breeding cattle - Ganado de cría
To make the Cretans bloodier in battle.
Cretans - cretenses; cretense
bloodier - Sangriento
For we all know that English people are
Fed upon beef"I won't say much of beer,
Because 'tis liquor only, and being far
From this my subject, has no business here;
We know, too, they very fond of war,
A pleasure"like all pleasures"rather dear;
So were the Cretans"from which I infer
infer - inferir, argüir, checkinferir
That beef and battles both were owing to her.
owing - deber, adeudar, estar en deuda
But to resume. The languid Juan raised
resume - resumen; reanudar
His head upon his elbow, and he saw
A sight on which he had not lately gazed,
As all his latter meals had been quite raw,
Three or four things, for which the Lord he praised,
And, feeling still the famish'd vulture gnaw,
He fell upon whate'er was offer'd, like
A priest, a shark, an alderman, or pike.
alderman - concejal, regidor
Pike - lucio
He ate, and he was well supplied: and she,
Who watch'd him like a mother, would have fed
Him past all bounds, because she smiled to see
bounds - atado
Such appetite in one she had deem'd dead;
But Zoe, being older than Haidee,
Knew (by tradition, for she ne'er had read)
That famish'd people must be slowly nurst,
And fed by spoonfuls, else they always burst.
And so she took the liberty to state,
Rather by deeds than words, because the case
deeds - hechos; hecho, acto, acción, obra, hazana
Was urgent, that the gentleman, whose fate
urgent - urgente, acuciante, apremiante
Had made her mistress quit her bed to trace
The sea-shore at this hour, must leave his plate,
sea-shore - (sea-shore) orilla del mar
Unless he wish'd to die upon the place"
She snatch'd it, and refused another morsel,
snatch - robar; agarrar, arrebatar, arrancada, arranque
Saying, he had gorged enough to make a horse ill.
gorged - atiborrado; desfiladero; barranco
Next they"he being naked, save a tatter'd
tatter - Jirones
Pair of scarce decent trowsers"went to work,
And in the fire his recent rags they scatter'd,
And dress'd him, for the present, like a Turk,
Or Greek"that is, although it not much matter'd,
Omitting turban, slippers, pistols, dirk,"
omitting - omitir, dejar de lado, dejarse en el tintero
turban - turbante
They furnish'd him, entire, except some stitches,
entire - entero
stitches - puntos; puntada
With a clean shirt, and very spacious breeches.
breeches - calzones; culata
And then fair Haidee tried her tongue at speaking,
But not a word could Juan comprehend,
comprehend - comprender
Although he listen'd so that the young Greek in
Her earnestness would ne'er have made an end;
earnestness - seriedad
And, as he interrupted not, went eking
interrupted - interrumpido; interrumpir, interrupción
eking - golpeando; hacer alcanzar, racionar
Her speech out to her protege and friend,
protege - protegido
Till pausing at the last her breath to take,
pausing - Pausa; (pause); receso, checkdescanso, pausar, interrumpir
She saw he did not understand Romaic.
And then she had recourse to nods, and signs,
nods - asiente; asentir, cabecear, cabezada
And smiles, and sparkles of the speaking eye,
sparkles - chispas; centelleo, destello
And read (the only book she could) the lines
Of his fair face, and found, by sympathy,
The answer eloquent, where soul shines
And darts in one quick glance a long reply;
darts - dardos; dardo, flechilla
And thus in every look she saw exprest
A world of words, and things at which she guess'd.
And now, by dint of fingers and of eyes,
And words repeated after her, he took
A lesson in her tongue; but by surmise,
No doubt, less of her language than her look:
As he who studies fervently the skies
fervently - con fervor; fervientemente, fervorosamente
Turns oftener to the stars than to his book,
Thus Juan learn'd his alpha beta better
Alpha - alfa
beta - beta
From Haidee's glance than any graven letter.
graven - grabado; tumba
'Tis pleasing to be school'd in a strange tongue
By female lips and eyes"that is, I mean,
When both the teacher and the taught are young,
As was the case, at least, where I have been;
They smile so when one 's right, and when one 's wrong
They smile still more, and then there intervene
intervene - intervenir, involucrarse, interceder, meterse
Pressure of hands, perhaps even a chaste kiss;"
I learn'd the little that I know by this:
That is, some words of Spanish, Turk, and Greek,
Italian not at all, having no teachers;
Much English I cannot pretend to speak,
Learning that language chiefly from its preachers,
preachers - predicadores; predicador
Barrow, South, Tillotson, whom every week
barrow - túmulo; carretilla
I study, also Blair, the highest reachers
reachers - Alcanzador
Of eloquence in piety and prose"
piety - piedad
I hate your poets, so read none of those.
As for the ladies, I have nought to say,
A wanderer from the British world of fashion,
wanderer - vagabundo, nómada
Where I, like other 'dogs, have had my day,'
Like other men, too, may have had my passion"
But that, like other things, has pass'd away,
And all her fools whom I could lay the lash on:
Foes, friends, men, women, now are nought to me
But dreams of what has been, no more to be.
Return we to Don Juan. He begun
To hear new words, and to repeat them; but
Some feelings, universal as the sun,
Were such as could not in his breast be shut
More than within the bosom of a nun:
nun - monja, religiosa
He was in love,"as you would be, no doubt,
With a young benefactress,"so was she,
Just in the way we very often see.
And every day by daybreak"rather early
For Juan, who was somewhat fond of rest"
She came into the cave, but it was merely
To see her bird reposing in his nest;
reposing - reposando; reposo
And she would softly stir his locks so curly,
Without disturbing her yet slumbering guest,
disturbing - inquietante; perturbar, molestar
Breathing all gently o'er his cheek and mouth,
As o'er a bed of roses the sweet south.
roses - rosas; Rosa
And every morn his colour freshlier came,
And every day help'd on his convalescence;
'Twas well, because health in the human frame
Is pleasant, besides being true love's essence,
essence - esencia, extracto
For health and idleness to passion's flame
idleness - ociosidad; inactividad, holganza, indolencia
Are oil and gunpowder; and some good lessons
gunpowder - Pólvora
Are also learnt from Ceres and from Bacchus,
learnt from - Aprender de alguien
Ceres - Ceres; (cere); Ceres
Bacchus - Baco
Without whom Venus will not long attack us.
While Venus fills the heart (without heart really
Love, though good always, is not quite so good),
Ceres presents a plate of vermicelli,"
vermicelli - vermicelli
For love must be sustain'd like flesh and blood,"
sustain - sostener, sustentar
While Bacchus pours out wine, or hands a jelly:
pours out - se derrama
jelly - jalea; gelatina
Eggs, oysters, too, are amatory food;
Oysters - ostras; ostra, ostra, tumba
amatory - amatorio
But who is their purveyor from above
purveyor - Proveedor
Heaven knows,"it may be Neptune, Pan, or Jove.
Neptune - Neptuno
When Juan woke he found some good things ready,
A bath, a breakfast, and the finest eyes
That ever made a youthful heart less steady,
Besides her maid's as pretty for their size;
But I have spoken of all this already"
And repetition 's tiresome and unwise,"
repetition - repetición
Well"Juan, after bathing in the sea,
Came always back to coffee and Haidee.
Both were so young, and one so innocent,
That bathing pass'd for nothing; Juan seem'd
To her, as 'twere, the kind of being sent,
Of whom these two years she had nightly dream'd,
nightly - Cada noche
A something to be loved, a creature meant
To be her happiness, and whom she deem'd
To render happy; all who joy would win
Must share it,"Happiness was born a twin.
It was such pleasure to behold him, such
behold - contemplar, mirar, observar, he aquí, mirad
Enlargement of existence to partake
enlargement - agrandamiento, ampliación
partake - participar
Nature with him, to thrill beneath his touch,
thrill - emoción; excitar; emocionar, conmover
To watch him slumbering, and to see him wake:
To live with him forever were too much;
But then the thought of parting made her quake;
He was her own, her ocean-treasure, cast
Like a rich wreck"her first love, and her last.
And thus a moon roll'd on, and fair Haidee
Paid daily visits to her boy, and took
Such plentiful precautions, that still he
plentiful - abundante
precautions - precauciones; precaución
Remain'd unknown within his craggy nook;
craggy - escarpado
nook - rincón, recoveco
At last her father's prows put out to sea
prows - prows; proa
For certain merchantmen upon the look,
merchantmen - comerciante
Not as of yore to carry off an Io,
carry off - conseguir
Io - Ío
But three Ragusan vessels, bound for Scio.
vessels - vasos; embarcación, barco, casco, recipiente, receptáculo
Then came her freedom, for she had no mother,
So that, her father being at sea, she was
Free as a married woman, or such other
Female, as where she likes may freely pass,
freely - libremente
Without even the incumbrance of a brother,
incumbrance - incumbencia
The freest she that ever gazed on glass;
I speak of Christian lands in this comparison,
Where wives, at least, are seldom kept in garrison.
Now she prolong'd her visits and her talk
prolong - prolongar
(For they must talk), and he had learnt to say
So much as to propose to take a walk,"
propose - proponer, pedir la mano, pedir matrimonio, proponer matrimonio
For little had he wander'd since the day
On which, like a young flower snapp'd from the stalk,
snapp - Golpear
stalk - acechar; tallo
Drooping and dewy on the beach he lay,"
And thus they walk'd out in the afternoon,
And saw the sun set opposite the moon.
It was a wild and breaker-beaten coast,
With cliffs above, and a broad sandy shore,
cliffs - cantilados; acantilado
Sandy - arenoso
Guarded by shoals and rocks as by an host,
With here and there a creek, whose aspect wore
Creek - caleta, arroyo, riachuelo
A better welcome to the tempest-tost;
And rarely ceased the haughty billow's roar,
haughty - soberbio, altanero
Save on the dead long summer days, which make
The outstretch'd ocean glitter like a lake.
outstretch - Extender
glitter - brillo, purpurina, escarcha, brillar, resplandecer, centellear
And the small ripple spilt upon the beach
ripple - ondulación
Scarcely o'erpass'd the cream of your champagne,
When o'er the brim the sparkling bumpers reach,
brim - borde
bumpers - parachoques, bómper
That spring-dew of the spirit! the heart's rain!
Few things surpass old wine; and they may preach
Who please,"the more because they preach in vain,"
Let us have wine and women, mirth and laughter,
Sermons and soda-water the day after.
soda-water - (soda-water) agua con gas
Man, being reasonable, must get drunk;
reasonable - razonable, módico
The best of life is but intoxication:
Glory, the grape, love, gold, in these are sunk
grape - uva
The hopes of all men, and of every nation;
Without their sap, how branchless were the trunk
Sap - savia
branchless - sin ramas
trunk - tronco, baúl, trompa
Of life's strange tree, so fruitful on occasion:
fruitful - fértil, prolífico, productivo, fructífero
But to return,"Get very drunk; and when
You wake with headache, you shall see what then.
Ring for your valet"bid him quickly bring
Some hock and soda-water, then you'll know
hock - corvejón
soda - sosa, soda, gaseosa, bebida
A pleasure worthy Xerxes the great king;
For not the bless'd sherbet, sublimed with snow,
bless - bendecir
sherbet - sorbete, polvo acidulado
sublimed - sublimado; sublime
Nor the first sparkle of the desert-spring,
sparkle - brillo; centelleo, destello
Nor Burgundy in all its sunset glow,
Burgundy - burdeos, vino tinto
After long travel, ennui, love, or slaughter,
ennui - entusiasmo; tedio, hastío, apatía, melancolía
Vie with that draught of hock and soda-water.
vie - rivalizar, rivalejar
The coast"I think it was the coast that
Was just describing"Yes, it was the coast"
Lay at this period quiet as the sky,
The sands untumbled, the blue waves untost,
untumbled - Sin revolver
And all was stillness, save the sea-bird's cry,
And dolphin's leap, and little billow crost
dolphin - delfín
By some low rock or shelve, that made it fret
shelve - archivar; dar carpetazo, cajonear, engavetar
fret - traste; preocuparse
Against the boundary it scarcely wet.
boundary - frontera, límite, linde, lindero
And forth they wander'd, her sire being gone,
As I have said, upon an expedition;
And mother, brother, guardian, she had none,
Save Zoe, who, although with due precision
She waited on her lady with the sun,
Thought daily service was her only mission,
mission - misión
Bringing warm water, wreathing her long tresses,
wreathing - guirnalda, corona, burelete, rodear
tresses - mechones; trenzada, trenza
And asking now and then for cast-off dresses.
It was the cooling hour, just when the rounded
Red sun sinks down behind the azure hill,
Azure - azur, blao, azul celeste
Which then seems as if the whole earth it bounded,
bounded - atado
Circling all nature, hush'd, and dim, and still,
With the far mountain-crescent half surrounded
Crescent - medialuna, creciente
surrounded - rodeado; circundar, envolver, cercar, rodear
On one side, and the deep sea calm and chill
deep sea - aguas profundas
Upon the other, and the rosy sky,
With one star sparkling through it like an eye.
And thus they wander'd forth, and hand in hand,
Over the shining pebbles and the shells,
pebbles - guijarros; guijarro, canto pelado, canto rodado, china, empedrar
Glided along the smooth and harden'd sand,
glided - se deslizó; deslizar, planear
harden - Se endurece
And in the worn and wild receptacles
receptacles - recipientes; recipiente, receptáculo
Work'd by the storms, yet work'd as it were plann'd,
In hollow halls, with sparry roofs and cells,
hollow - hueco
sparry - Espumoso
cells - células; celda
They turn'd to rest; and, each clasp'd by an arm,
Yielded to the deep twilight's purple charm.
They look'd up to the sky, whose floating glow
Spread like a rosy ocean, vast and bright;
They gazed upon the glittering sea below,
Whence the broad moon rose circling into sight;
They heard the wave's splash, and the wind so low,
And saw each other's dark eyes darting light
darting - dardo, flechilla
Into each other"and, beholding this,
beholding - mirando; contemplar, mirar, observar, he aquí, mirad
Their lips drew near, and clung into a kiss;
A long, long kiss, a kiss of youth, and love,
And beauty, all concentrating like rays
rays - rayos; rayo
Into one focus, kindled from above;
kindled - encendido; encender
Such kisses as belong to early days,
Where heart, and soul, and sense, in concert move,
And the blood 's lava, and the pulse a blaze,
lava - lava
Each kiss a heart-quake,"for a kiss's strength,
I think, it must be reckon'd by its length.
By length I mean duration; theirs endured
duration - duración
Heaven knows how long"no doubt they never reckon'd;
And if they had, they could not have secured
secured - seguro, resguardado, confiable, aplomado
The sum of their sensations to a second:
sensations - sensaciones; sensación
They had not spoken; but they felt allured,
allured - atraído; Attactivo, Encanto
As if their souls and lips each other beckon'd,
beckon - hacer senas; llamar con senas, atraer
Which, being join'd, like swarming bees they clung"
swarming - Enjambre; (swarm); enjambre, nube, multitud, muchedumbre, masa
Their hearts the flowers from whence the honey sprung.
They were alone, but not alone as they
Who shut in chambers think it loneliness;
chambers - cámaras; cámara, recámara, compartimento
loneliness - soledad
The silent ocean, and the starlight bay,
The twilight glow which momently grew less,
momently - Momentáneamente
The voiceless sands and dropping caves, that lay
voiceless - sin voz; mudo, sordo
caves - cuevas; cueva, caverna
Around them, made them to each other press,
As if there were no life beneath the sky
Save theirs, and that their life could never die.
They fear'd no eyes nor ears on that lone beach,
They felt no terrors from the night, they were
terrors - terrores; terror
All in all to each other: though their speech
Was broken words, they thought a language there,"
And all the burning tongues the passions teach
Found in one sigh the best interpreter
interpreter - intérprete, trujamán, truchimán
Of nature's oracle"first love,"that all
Oracle - oráculo
Which Eve has left her daughters since her fall.
Haidde spoke not of scruples, ask'd no vows,
scruples - escrúpulos; escrúpulo, vacilar, escrupulizar
Nor offer'd any; she had never heard
Of plight and promises to be a spouse,
Or perils by a loving maid incurr'd;
incurr - Incurrir
She was all which pure ignorance allows,
ignorance - ignorancia
And flew to her young mate like a young bird;
And, never having dreamt of falsehood, she
falsehood - falsedad
Had not one word to say of constancy.
constancy - constancia, constancia
She loved, and was beloved"she adored,
adored - dorado; adorar, querer
And she was worshipp'd; after nature's fashion,
worshipp - Venerar
Their intense souls, into each other pour'd,
intense - intenso
If souls could die, had perish'd in that passion,"
But by degrees their senses were restored,
Again to be o'ercome, again to dash on;
ercome - Vienes
And, beating 'gainst his bosom, Haidee's heart
Felt as if never more to beat apart.
Alas! they were so young, so beautiful,
So lonely, loving, helpless, and the hour
Was that in which the heart is always full,
And, having o'er itself no further power,
Prompts deeds eternity can not annul,
prompts - instrucciones; rápido, pronto, puntual, pie, entrada, senal
eternity - la eternidad; eternidad
But pays off moments in an endless shower
Of hell-fire"all prepared for people giving
Pleasure or pain to one another living.
Alas! for Juan and Haidee! they were
So loving and so lovely"till then never,
till then - hasta entonces
Excepting our first parents, such a pair
Had run the risk of being damn'd for ever;
And Haidee, being devout as well as fair,
devout - devoto
Had, doubtless, heard about the Stygian river,
And hell and purgatory"but forgot
Just in the very crisis she should not.
crisis - crisis
They look upon each other, and their eyes
Gleam in the moonlight; and her white arm clasps
gleam - resplandor; relucir, brillar, destellar
moonlight - la luz de la luna; luz de la luna, lunada, pluriemplearse
clasps - cierres; broche, manija, corchete, hebilla, agarrar
Round Juan's head, and his around her lies
Half buried in the tresses which it grasps;
tresses - mechones; tres cubano, tres
grasps - agarrar, asir, comprender, asimiento, comprensión, alcance
She sits upon his knee, and drinks his sighs,
He hers, until they end in broken gasps;
And thus they form a group that 's quite antique,
antique - antigüedades; antiguo, antigüedad
half naked, loving, natural, and Greek.
half naked - medio desnudo
And when those deep and burning moments pass'd,
And Juan sunk to sleep within her arms,
She slept not, but all tenderly, though fast,
tenderly - con ternura; tiernamente
Sustain'd his head upon her bosom's charms;
And now and then her eye to heaven is cast,
And then on the pale cheek her breast now warms,
Pillow'd on her o'erflowing heart, which pants
erflowing - fluyendo
With all it granted, and with all it grants.
grants - subvenciones; otorgar, conceder, subvención, beca, patrocinio
An infant when it gazes on a light,
gazes - miradas; observar, mirar fijamente
A child the moment when it drains the breast,
drains - esagües; desagüe, drenaje, aliviadero, tubo abierto, sangría
A devotee when soars the Host in sight,
devotee - devoto
An Arab with a stranger for a guest,
A sailor when the prize has struck in fight,
A miser filling his most hoarded chest,
hoarded - acaparado; provisión
Feel rapture; but not such true joy are reaping
rapture - arrebatamiento
reaping - segar, cosechar, recoger, mies
As they who watch o'er what they love while sleeping.
For there it lies so tranquil, so beloved,
tranquil - tranquilo, apacible
All that it hath of life with us is living;
So gentle, stirless, helpless, and unmoved,
unmoved - insensible, impasible
And all unconscious of the joy 'tis giving;
unconscious - inconsciente, subconsciente, subconsciencia
All it hath felt, inflicted, pass'd, and proved,
inflicted - nfligido; infligir
Hush'd into depths beyond the watcher's diving:
depths - profundidades; profundidad
watcher - observador; vigilante
diving - buceando; buceo, submarinismo; (div) buceando; buceo
There lies the thing we love with all its errors
And all its charms, like death without its terrors.
The lady watch'd her lover"and that hour
Of Love's, and Night's, and Ocean's solitude,
O'erflow'd her soul with their united power;
Amidst the barren sand and rocks so rude
She and her wave-worn love had made their bower,
Where nought upon their passion could intrude,
intrude - intrusos; meterse
And all the stars that crowded the blue space
Saw nothing happier than her glowing face.
Alas! the love of women! it is known
To be a lovely and a fearful thing;
For all of theirs upon that die is thrown,
And if 'tis lost, life hath no more to bring
To them but mockeries of the past alone,
mockeries - burlas; mote, mofa, pitorreo, ludibrio
And their revenge is as the tiger's spring,
Deadly, and quick, and crushing; yet, as real
crushing - aplastando; aplastamiento, enamoramiento, aplastar, destripar
Torture is theirs, what they inflict they feel.
torture - tortura, suplicio, torturar
inflict - infligir
They are right; for man, to man so oft unjust,
unjust - injusto
Is always so to women; one sole bond
bond - bono; vínculo
Awaits them, treachery is all their trust;
Taught to conceal, their bursting hearts despond
Over their idol, till some wealthier lust
wealthier - más ricos; adinerado, rico, próspero, acomodado
lust - lujuria, deseo, ganas, lujuria, alegría
Buys them in marriage"and what rests beyond?
A thankless husband, next a faithless lover,
thankless - ingrato, despreciado
faithless - Infiel
Then dressing, nursing, praying, and all 's over.
Some take a lover, some take drams or prayers,
Some mind their household, others dissipation,
dissipation - disipación
Some run away, and but exchange their cares,
Losing the advantage of a virtuous station;
Few changes e'er can better their affairs,
Theirs being an unnatural situation,
unnatural - no es natural; antinatural, contranatural, contra natura
From the dull palace to the dirty hovel:
hovel - cuchitril, casucha
Some play the devil, and then write a novel.
Haidee was Nature's bride, and knew not this;
Haidee was Passion's child, born where the sun
Showers triple light, and scorches even the kiss
triple - triple, triple, triplicar
scorches - quemaduras; chamuscar
Of his gazelle-eyed daughters; she was one
Made but to love, to feel that she was his
Who was her chosen: what was said or done
Elsewhere was nothing. She had naught to fear,
elsewhere - En otro sitio
Hope, care, nor love, beyond, her heart beat here.
And oh! that quickening of the heart, that beat!
quickening - Rápido; (quicken) Rápido
How much it costs us! yet each rising throb
Is in its cause as its effect so sweet,
That Wisdom, ever on the watch to rob
rob - robar
Joy of its alchymy, and to repeat
alchymy - alquimia
Fine truths; even Conscience, too, has a tough job
To make us understand each good old maxim,
maxim - máxima
So good"I wonder Castlereagh don't tax 'em.
And now 'twas done"on the lone shore were plighted
plighted - prometido; drama, situación grave
Their hearts; the stars, their nuptial torches, shed
nuptial - nupcial
Beauty upon the beautiful they lighted:
Ocean their witness, and the cave their bed,
witness - testimonio, testigo, prueba, testificar, probar, presenciar
By their own feelings hallow'd and united,
Their priest was Solitude, and they were wed:
And they were happy, for to their young eyes
Each was an angel, and earth paradise.
O, Love! of whom great Caesar was the suitor,
Caesar - César
Titus the master, Antony the slave,
Horace, Catullus, scholars, Ovid tutor,
scholars - estudiosos; erudito, especialista, estudioso, docto
Sappho the sage blue-stocking, in whose grave
All those may leap who rather would be neuter
(Leucadia's rock still overlooks the wave)"
overlooks - miradores; mirador, pasar por alto, otear
O, Love! thou art the very god of evil,
For, after all, we cannot call thee devil.
Thou mak'st the chaste connubial state precarious,
connubial - conyugal
precarious - precaria; precario
And jestest with the brows of mightiest men:
jestest - bromea
mightiest - el más poderoso; poderoso
Caesar and Pompey, Mahomet, Belisarius,
Pompey - Pompeyo
Have much employ'd the muse of history's pen;
Their lives and fortunes were extremely various,
fortunes - ortunas; fortuna
Such worthies Time will never see again;
Worthies - Digno
Yet to these four in three things the same luck holds,
They all were heroes, conquerors, and cuckolds.
conquerors - conquistadores; conquistador
cuckolds - cornudos; cornudo, poner los cuernos, poner los cachos
Thou mak'st philosophers; there's Epicurus
philosophers - filósofos; filósofo, filósofa
Epicurus - Epicuro
And Aristippus, a material crew!
Who to immoral courses would allure us
allure - atractivo; Attactivo, Encanto
By theories quite practicable too;
practicable - es factible; realizable, alcanzable, factible, asequible
If only from the devil they would insure us,
insure - asegurar
How pleasant were the maxim (not quite new),
'Eat, drink, and love, what can the rest avail us?'
So said the royal sage Sardanapalus.
But Juan! had he quite forgotten Julia?
And should he have forgotten her so soon?
I can't but say it seems to me most truly
Perplexing question; but, no doubt, the moon
Does these things for us, and whenever newly
newly - recién; nuevamente
Strong palpitation rises, 'tis her boon,
palpitation - palpitaciones; palpitación
boon - una bendición; bendición
Else how the devil is it that fresh features
Have such a charm for us poor human creatures?
I hate inconstancy"I loathe, detest,
inconstancy - inconstancia
detest - detestar
Abhor, condemn, abjure the mortal made
abhor - aborrecer, detestar, abominar
abjure - abjurar
Of such quicksilver clay that in his breast
quicksilver - mercurio, azogue
No permanent foundation can be laid;
permanent - permanente
foundation - fundación, cimiento, base
Love, constant love, has been my constant guest,
constant - constante, perseverante, firme, constante
And yet last night, being at a masquerade,
masquerade - mascarada
I saw the prettiest creature, fresh from Milan,
Milan - Milán
Which gave me some sensations like a villain.
villain - villano
But soon Philosophy came to my aid,
And whisper'd, 'Think of every sacred tie!'
'I will, my dear Philosophy!'I said,
'But then her teeth, and then, oh, Heaven! her eye!
I'll just inquire if she be wife or maid,
inquire - preguntar; investigar, informarse
Or neither"out of curiosity.'
'Stop!'cried Philosophy, with air so Grecian
(Though she was masqued then as a fair Venetian);
masqued - Mascarada
'Stop!'so I stopp'd."But to return: that which
Men call inconstancy is nothing more
Than admiration due where nature's rich
admiration - admiración
Profusion with young beauty covers o'er
Some favour'd object; and as in the niche
niche - hornacina, nicho
A lovely statue we almost adore,
This sort of adoration of the real
adoration - adoración
Is but a heightening of the 'beau ideal.'
heightening - aumento; elevar, realzar
'Tis the perception of the beautiful,
perception - percepción
A fine extension of the faculties,
extension - extensión
faculties - facultades; cuerpo docente, facultad
Platonic, universal, wonderful,
Drawn from the stars, and filter'd through the skies,
filter - filtro, filtrar, filtrarse
Without which life would be extremely dull;
In short, it is the use of our own eyes,
With one or two small senses added, just
To hint that flesh is form'd of fiery dust.
Yet 'tis a painful feeling, and unwilling,
unwilling - No quiere
For surely if we always could perceive
In the same object graces quite as killing
graces - gracias; (grace); gracias, benedícite, gracia, donaire, merced
As when she rose upon us like an Eve,
'Twould save us many a heartache, many a shilling
heartache - dolor de corazón; angustia, pena
shilling - chelines; chelín; (shill); testaferro, hombre de paja
(For we must get them any how or grieve),
Whereas if one sole lady pleased for ever,
How pleasant for the heart as well as liver!
The heart is like the sky, a part of heaven,
But changes night and day, too, like the sky;
Now o'er it clouds and thunder must be driven,
And darkness and destruction as on high:
destruction - destrucción, destrucción
But when it hath been scorch'd, and pierced, and riven,
pierced - perforado; atravesar, traspasar
riven - ive
Its storms expire in water-drops; the eye
expire - vencer, caducar
Pours forth at last the heart's blood turn'd to tears,
Which make the English climate of our years.
The liver is the lazaret of bile,
lazaret - lazareto
bile - bilis, hiel
But very rarely executes its function,
executes - ejecutar, ajusticiar, arrancar
For the first passion stays there such a while,
That all the rest creep in and form a junction,
creep in - Entrar a hurtadillas
junction - unión, juntura
Life knots of vipers on a dunghill's soil,"
knots - nudos; nudo
vipers - víboras; víbora
dunghill - estercolero
Rage, fear, hate, jealousy, revenge, compunction,"
compunction - compunción, remordimiento
So that all mischiefs spring up from this entrail,
mischiefs - ravesuras; travesura, diablura, gamberrada
spring up - brotar; aparecer; alzarse
entrail - Trail
Like earthquakes from the hidden fire call'd 'central,'
In the mean time, without proceeding more
In this anatomy, I've finish'd now
anatomy - anatomía
Two hundred and odd stanzas as before,
stanzas - estrofas; estrofa
That being about the number I'll allow
Each canto of the twelve, or twenty-four;
And, laying down my pen, I make my bow,
Leaving Don Juan and Haidee to plead
plead - suplicar; rogar
For them and theirs with all who deign to read.
deign - dignarse
hail, Muse! et cetera."We left Juan sleeping,
hail - Granizo, granizar; llamar, saludar
et - y; ET
Pillow'd upon a fair and happy breast,
And watch'd by eyes that never yet knew weeping,
And loved by a young heart, too deeply blest
blest - bendito; (bless) bendito
To feel the poison through her spirit creeping,
creeping - reptando; reptar, hormigueo, fatiga
Or know who rested there, a foe to rest,
Had soil'd the current of her sinless years,
And turn'd her pure heart's purest blood to tears!
purest - el más puro; puro
O, Love! what is it in this world of ours
Which makes it fatal to be loved? Ah, why
fatal - fatal
With cypress branches hast thou Wreathed thy bowers,
cypress - ciprés
wreathed - coronado; cubrir, envolver, adornar, coronar
And made thy best interpreter a sigh?
As those who dote on odours pluck the flowers,
odours - olores; olor
And place them on their breast"but place to die"
Thus the frail beings we would fondly cherish
fondly - con carino
Are laid within our bosoms but to perish.
In her first passion woman loves her lover,
In all the others all she loves is love,
Which grows a habit she can ne'er get over,
And fits her loosely"like an easy glove,
loosely - a la ligera; vagamente
As you may find, whene'er you like to prove her:
One man alone at first her heart can move;
She then prefers him in the plural number,
plural - plural, plural
Not finding that the additions much encumber.
I know not if the fault be men's or theirs;
But one thing 's pretty sure; a woman planted
(Unless at once she plunge for life in prayers)
After a decent time must be gallanted;
gallanted - gallanted; gallardo, intrépido
Although, no doubt, her first of love affairs
Is that to which her heart is wholly granted;
Yet there are some, they say, who have had none,
But those who have ne'er end with only one.
'Tis melancholy, and a fearful sign
melancholy - melancolía
Of human frailty, folly, also crime,
frailty - debilidad; fragilidad
That love and marriage rarely can combine,
Although they both are born in the same clime;
clime - clima
Marriage from love, like vinegar from wine"
vinegar - vinagre
A sad, sour, sober beverage"by time
sour - agrio, ácido, acedo, acidez
beverage - bebida, trago
Is sharpen'd from its high celestial flavour
sharpen - afilar
flavour - sabor
Down to a very homely household savour.
homely - ogareno; hogareno
savour - saborear
There's something of antipathy, as 'twere,
antipathy - antipatía, aversión
Between their present and their future state;
A kind of flattery that 's hardly fair
flattery - halagos; adulación, peloteo, piropo, camelo, lisonja
Is used until the truth arrives too late"
Yet what can people do, except despair?
The same things change their names at such a rate;
For instance"passion in a lover 's glorious,
But in a husband is pronounced uxorious.
uxorious - gurrumino
Men grow ashamed of being so very fond;
They sometimes also get a little tired
(But that, of course, is rare), and then despond:
The same things cannot always be admired,
Yet 'tis 'so nominated in the bond,'
nominated - nominado; postular
That both are tied till one shall have expired.
Sad thought! to lose the spouse that was adorning
adorning - adorno; adornar, engalanar
Our days, and put one's servants into mourning.
There's doubtless something in domestic doings
Which forms, in fact, true love's antithesis;
Romances paint at full length people's wooings,
wooings - Cortejando
But only give a bust of marriages;
For no one cares for matrimonial cooings,
matrimonial - matrimonial
cooings - A arrullar
There's nothing wrong in a connubial kiss:
Think you, if Laura had been Petrarch's wife,
Laura - Laura
Petrarch - Petrarca
He would have written sonnets all his life?
sonnets - sonetos; soneto
All tragedies are finish'd by a death,
tragedies - ragedias; tragedia
All comedies are ended by a marriage;
The future states of both are left to faith,
For authors fear description might disparage
disparage - despreciar; denigrar, menospreciar
The worlds to come of both, or fall beneath,
And then both worlds would punish their miscarriage;
miscarriage - aborto espontáneo, aborto natural
So leaving each their priest and prayer-book ready,
They say no more of Death or of the Lady.
The only two that in my recollection
Have sung of heaven and hell, or marriage, are
Dante and Milton, and of both the affection
Was hapless in their nuptials, for some bar
nuptials - nupcias; nupcial
Of fault or temper ruin'd the connection
(Such things, in fact, it Don't ask much to mar):
Don't ask - No preguntes
mar - estropear, echar a perder
But Dante's Beatrice and Milton's Eve
Beatrice - Beatriz
Were not drawn from their spouses, you conceive.
conceive - concebir
Some persons say that Dante meant theology
By Beatrice, and not a mistress"I,
Although my opinion may require apology,
Deem this a commentator's fantasy,
commentator - comentador, comentadora, comentarista
fantasy - fantasía; fantasia
Unless indeed it was from his own knowledge he
Decided thus, and show'd good reason why;
I think that Dante's more abstruse ecstatics
ecstatics - extáticos; extasiado
Meant to personify the mathematics.
personify - personificar
Haidee and Juan were not married, but
The fault was theirs, not mine; it is not fair,
Chaste reader, then, in any way to put
The blame on me, unless you wish they were;
Then if you'd have them wedded, please to shut
The book which treats of this erroneous pair,
erroneous - errónea; erróneo, falso, errado, inexacto
Before the consequences grow too awful;
'Tis dangerous to read of loves unlawful.
unlawful - ilegal
Yet they were happy,"happy in the illicit
illicit - ilícito
Indulgence of their innocent desires;
indulgence - complacencia; indulgencia
desires - deseos; desear, deseo, gana
But more imprudent grown with every visit,
more imprudent - más imprudente
Haidee forgot the island was her sire's;
When we have what we like, 'tis hard to miss it,
At least in the beginning, ere one tires;
tires - neumático
Thus she came often, not a moment losing,
Whilst her piratical papa was cruising.
whilst - Mientras
piratical - piratería
papa - papá
Let not his mode of raising cash seem strange,
Although he fleeced the flags of every nation,
fleeced - desplumado; vellón, vellocino, lana, toisón, piel
For into a prime minister but change
prime - primer, primero
minister - ministro
His title, and 'tis nothing but taxation;
taxation - impuestos; tasación, régimen fiscal
But he, more modest, took an humbler range
humbler - Más humilde; (humble) Más humilde
Of life, and in an honester vocation
vocation - vocación, profesión
Pursued o'er the high seas his watery journey,
And merely practised as a sea-attorney.
The good old gentleman had been detain'd
By winds and waves, and some important captures;
captures - capturas; captura, capturar
And, in the hope of more, at sea remain'd,
Although a squall or two had damp'd his raptures,
raptures - los raptos; arrebatamiento
By swamping one of the prizes; he had chain'd
swamping - inundación; embalsadero, pantano, ciénaga, embalse
His prisoners, dividing them like chapters
In number'd lots; they all had cuffs and collars,
cuffs - esposas; puno
collars - collares; cuello, collar, yugo
And averaged each from ten to a hundred dollars.
Some he disposed of off Cape Matapan,
Among his friends the Mainots; some he sold
To his Tunis correspondents, save one man
Tunis - Túnez
correspondents - corresponsales; corresponsal
Toss'd overboard unsaleable (being old);
The rest"save here and there some richer one,
Reserved for future ransom"in the hold
reserved - reservado; reserva, reservar
ransom - rescate, rescatar
Were link'd alike, as for the common people he
Had a large order from the Dey of Tripoli.
Tripoli - Trípoli
The merchandise was served in the same way,
merchandise - mercancía, mercadería
Pieced out for different marts in the Levant;
Levant - Levante
Except some certain portions of the prey,
portions - porciones; porción
Light classic articles of female want,
French stuffs, lace, tweezers, toothpicks, teapot, tray,
tweezers - Pinza
toothpicks - palillos; palillo, escarbadientes, mondadientes
teapot - tetera
tray - bandeja
Guitars and castanets from Alicant,
castanets - castanuelas; castanuela
All which selected from the spoil he gathers,
Robb'd for his daughter by the best of fathers.
A monkey, a Dutch mastiff, a mackaw,
Dutch - neerlandés, holandés, neerlandés, holandés
mastiff - mastín, alano, dogo
Two parrots, with a Persian cat and kittens,
parrots - loros; papagayo, loro, cotorra
Persian - Persa
kittens - gatitos; gatito, minino, gatita
He chose from several animals he saw"
A terrier, too, which once had been a Briton's,
Briton - británico, británica
Who dying on the coast of Ithaca,
The peasants gave the poor dumb thing a pittance;
peasants - campesinos; campesino, montanero, checkpeón
pittance - una miseria; miseria
These to secure in this strong blowing weather,
He caged in one huge hamper altogether.
caged - enjaulado; jaula, cabina, enjaular
hamper - cesta; estorbar, impedir, obstaculizar
Then having settled his marine affairs,
marine - marítimo, marino, infante de marina
Despatching single cruisers here and there,
despatching - despachar
cruisers - cruceros; crucero, patrulla
His vessel having need of some repairs,
He shaped his course to where his daughter fair
Continued still her hospitable cares;
hospitable - hospitalario
But that part of the coast being shoal and bare,
shoal - banco, cardumen
And rough with reefs which ran out many a mile,
reefs - rrecifes; arrecife
His port lay on the other side o'the isle.
And there he went ashore without delay,
ashore - en tierra
delay - retraso; aplazar, retrasar
Having no custom-house nor quarantine
custom-house - (custom-house) aduana
quarantine - cuarentena, cuarentena, cuarentenar
To ask him awkward questions on the way
About the time and place where he had been:
He left his ship to be hove down next day,
With orders to the people to careen;
careen - carrera; carenar
So that all hands were busy beyond measure,
In getting out goods, ballast, guns, and treasure.
ballast - lastre, balastro, balasto, balastra, lastrar
Arriving at the summit of a hill
Which overlook'd the white walls of his home,
overlook - mirador, pasar por alto, otear
He stopp'd."What singular emotions fill
singular - singular, único, singular
Their bosoms who have been induced to roam!
induced - inducido; inducir
With fluttering doubts if all be well or ill"
fluttering - agitación; ondear, aletear
With love for many, and with fears for some;
All feelings which o'erleap the years long lost,
And bring our hearts back to their starting-post.
The approach of home to husbands and to sires,
approach - enfoque; acercarse, aproximarse
After long travelling by land or water,
Most naturally some small doubt inspires"
inspires - inspirar, infundir
A female family 's a serious matter
(None trusts the sex more, or so much admires"
trusts - fideicomisos; confianza, crédito, fiar, consorcio, trust
But they hate flattery, so I never flatter);
Wives in their husbands'absences grow subtler,
absences - ausencias; ausencia, falta, ausencia de hierro
subtler - más sutil; sutil
And daughters sometimes run off with the butler.
butler - sumiller, sommelier, mayordomo
An honest gentleman at his return
May not have the good fortune of Ulysses;
Ulysses - Ulises
Not all lone matrons for their husbands mourn,
mourn - lamentar, estar de luto
Or show the same dislike to suitors'kisses;
The odds are that he finds a handsome urn
urn - una urna; urna
To his memory"and two or three young misses
Born to some friend, who holds his wife and riches,"
And that his Argus"bites him by the breeches.
If single, probably his plighted fair
Has in his absence wedded some rich miser;
But all the better, for the happy pair
May quarrel, and the lady growing wiser,
He may resume his amatory care
As cavalier servente, or despise her;
And that his sorrow may not be a dumb one,
Write odes on the Inconstancy of Woman.
odes - das; oda
And oh! ye gentlemen who have already
Some chaste liaison of the kind"I mean
liaison - enlace, aventura
An honest friendship with a married lady"
The only thing of this sort ever seen
To last"of all connections the most steady,
And the true Hymen (the first 's but a screen)"
hymen - himen
Yet for all that keep not too long away,
I've known the absent wrong'd four times a day.
absent - ausente
Lambro, our sea-solicitor, who had
solicitor - abogado, checknotario
Much less experience of dry land than ocean,
On seeing his own chimney-smoke, felt glad;
But not knowing metaphysics, had no notion
Of the true reason of his not being sad,
Or that of any other strong emotion;
He loved his child, and would have wept the loss of her,
But knew the cause no more than a philosopher.
He saw his white walls shining in the sun,
His garden trees all shadowy and green;
He heard his rivulet's light bubbling run,
rivulet - riachuelo
The distant dog-bark; and perceived between
The umbrage of the wood so cool and dun
umbrage - furia; enojo, ira, sombra
The moving figures, and the sparkling sheen
sheen - brillo, lustre
Of arms (in the East all arm)"and various dyes
dyes - tintes; tenir
Of colour'd garbs, as bright as butterflies.
garbs - Atuendo
butterflies - mariposas; mariposa
And as the spot where they appear he nears,
Surprised at these unwonted signs of idling,
unwonted - inaceptable
idling - al ralentí; (idle) al ralentí
He hears"alas! no music of the spheres,
spheres - esferas; esfera, bola
But an unhallow'd, earthly sound of fiddling!
unhallow - Deshacerse
A melody which made him doubt his ears,
The cause being past his guessing or unriddling;
unriddling - Descifrar
A pipe, too, and a drum, and shortly after,
A most unoriental roar of laughter.
And still more nearly to the place advancing,
advancing - avanzando; avanzar, progresar, avance, progreso, adelanto
Descending rather quickly the declivity,
descending - descendente; descender, bajar
declivity - declive; bajada
Through the waved branches o'er the greensward glancing,
'Midst other indications of festivity,
midst - en medio; centro
festivity - festividad
Seeing a troop of his domestics dancing
domestics - domésticos; doméstico, nacional, empleada doméstica, empleada
Like dervises, who turn as on a pivot, he
pivot - pivotar, pivote, giro
Perceived it was the Pyrrhic dance so martial,
To which the Levantines are very partial.
And further on a group of Grecian girls,
further on - más adelante
The first and tallest her white kerchief waving,
Were strung together like a row of pearls,
Row - hilera, fila
pearls - perlas; perla, parisienne
Link'd hand in hand, and dancing; each too having
Down her white neck long floating auburn curls
(The least of which would set ten poets raving);
Their leader sang"and bounded to her song,
With choral step and voice, the virgin throng.
choral - coral
throng - una multitud; muchedumbre, gentío, caterva, multitud, montón
And here, assembled cross-legg'd round their trays,
assembled - montado; ensamblar, construir, montar, reunir, juntar
trays - andejas; bandeja
Small social parties just begun to dine;
Pilaus and meats of all sorts met the gaze,
And flasks of Samian and of Chian wine,
Chian - Chián
And sherbet cooling in the porous vase;
porous - poroso
vase - un jarrón; jarrón, florero, vasija
Above them their dessert grew on its vine,
dessert - dulce, postre
vine - vid, trepadora, enredadera
The orange and pomegranate nodding o'er
pomegranate - granada, granado
nodding - Asintiendo; (nod); asentir, cabecear, cabezada
Dropp'd in their laps, scarce pluck'd, their mellow store.
A band of children, round a snow-white ram,
ram - RAM, memoria RAM
There wreathe his venerable horns with flowers;
wreathe - cubrir, envolver, adornar, coronar
venerable - venerable
horns - cuernos; cuerno
While peaceful as if still an unwean'd lamb,
lamb - cordero, carne de cordero, borrego, borrega
The patriarch of the flock all gently cowers
patriarch - patriarca
flock - rebano, bandada
cowers - se acobarda; encogerse, empequenecerse, apocarse
His sober head, majestically tame,
majestically - majestuosamente
tame - dócil; domesticado; doméstico
Or eats from out the palm, or playful lowers
palm - palma
playful - juguetón, divertido
lowers - bajos; oscurecerse, encapotarse
His brow, as if in act to butt, and then
Yielding to their small hands, draws back again.
yielding - Ceder; (yield) Ceder
Their classical profiles, and glittering dresses,
Their large black eyes, and soft seraphic cheeks,
cheeks - mejilla, cacha, cachete, nalga, glúteo, descoco
Crimson as cleft pomegranates, their long tresses,
crimson - carmín, carmesí
cleft - hendido; hendidura, grieta
pomegranates - granadas; granada, granado
The gesture which enchants, the eye that speaks,
gesture - gesto, ademán, detalle, atención
enchants - encantos; encantar
The innocence which happy childhood blesses,
blesses - bendiciones; bendecir
Made quite a picture of these little Greeks;
Greeks - griegos; griego, griego, griega
So that the philosophical beholder
philosophical - filosófica; filosófico
beholder - observador
Sigh'd for their sakes"that they should e'er grow older.
sakes - para qué; por, por motivo de; por el bien de
Afar, a dwarf buffoon stood telling tales
afar - lejos; afar
dwarf - enano, enano
buffoon - bufón, panish: t-needed
tales - cuentos; historia, relato
To a sedate grey circle of old smokers,
sedate - sedado; sedar, tranquilizar
smokers - fumadores; fumador, fumadora
Of secret treasures found in hidden vales,
treasures - tesoros; tesoro, atesorar
vales - valores; valle
Of wonderful replies from Arab jokers,
jokers - bromistas; bromista, guasón, chistoso, humorista, comodín
Of charms to make good gold and cure bad ails,
cure - curar, remediar
ails - ils; sufrir una dolencia
Of rocks bewitch'd that open to the knockers,
bewitch - hechizar, embrujar
knockers - Golpeador
Of magic ladies who, by one sole act,
Transform'd their lords to beasts (but that 's a fact).
transform - trasformar, transformar
beasts - bestias; bestia, animal, salvaje
Here was no lack of innocent diversion
diversion - distracción, diversión, desviación
For the imagination or the senses,
imagination - imaginación, magín
Song, dance, wine, music, stories from the Persian,
All pretty pastimes in which No offence is;
pastimes - pasatiempos; pasatiempo
No offence - sin ofender; no te lo tomes mal
But Lambro saw all these things with aversion,
Perceiving in his absence such expenses,
Dreading that climax of all human ills,
dreading - temiendo; temer, pavor, temor
climax - clímax, colofón, orgasmo
The inflammation of his weekly bills.
inflammation - inflamación
weekly - semanalmente, cada semana, todas las semanas, semanario
Ah! what is man? what perils still environ
The happiest mortals even after dinner"
A day of gold from out an age of iron
Is all that life allows the luckiest sinner;
sinner - pecador, pecadora
Pleasure (whene'er she sings, at least) 's a siren,
siren - sirena
That lures, to flay alive, the young beginner;
lures - enuelos; tentación, aliciente
flay - Desollar
beginner - principiante, novato, novillo, bisono
Lambro's reception at his people's banquet
banquet - un banquete; comida festiva, banquete, convite
Was such as fire accords to a wet blanket.
accords - acuerdos; acuerdo, convenio, acordar, conceder, conferir
blanket - manta, capa, general
He"being a man who seldom used a word
Too much, and wishing gladly to surprise
gladly - con gusto; de buena gana
(In general he surprised men with the sword)
His daughter"had not sent before to advise
Of his arrival, so that no one stirr'd;
And long he paused to re-assure his eyes
In fact much more astonish'd than delighted,
astonish - asombrar, sorprender, pasmar
To find so much good company invited.
He did not know (alas! how men will lie)
That a report (especially the Greeks)
Avouch'd his death (such people never die),
And put his house in mourning several weeks,"
But now their eyes and also lips were dry;
The bloom, too, had return'd to Haidee's cheeks,
bloom - florecer; flor
Her tears, too, being return'd into their fount,
fount - Fuente
She now kept house upon her own account.
kept house - mantener la casa
Hence all this rice, meat, dancing, wine, and fiddling,
Which turn'd the isle into a place of pleasure;
The servants all were getting drunk or idling,
getting drunk - emborracharse
A life which made them happy beyond measure.
Her father's hospitality seem'd middling,
hospitality - hospitalidad, hostelería
Compared with what Haidee did with his treasure;
'Twas wonderful how things went on improving,
While she had not one hour to spare from loving.
Perhaps you think in stumbling on this feast
stumbling - tropezando; tropezón, traspié, desliz, torpeza, tropiezo
feast - fiesta; banquete, festín
He flew into a passion, and in fact
There was no mighty reason to be pleased;
Perhaps you prophesy some sudden act,
prophesy - profecía; profetizar
The whip, the rack, or dungeon at the least,
whip - fusta, látigo, flagelo, panish: t-needed
dungeon - mazmorra, calabozo
To teach his people to be more exact,
more exact - más exacto
And that, proceeding at a very high rate,
He show'd the royal penchants of a pirate.
penchants - pensamientos; inclinación, gusto
pirate - pirata, bucanero, barco pirata, piratear
You're wrong."He was the mildest manner'd man
That ever scuttled ship or cut a throat:
scuttled - undido; echar a correr
With such true breeding of a gentleman,
You never could divine his real thought;
No courtier could, and scarcely woman can
courtier - cortesano
Gird more deceit within a petticoat;
gird - Cinturón
deceit - engano; bellaquería, fraude, engano, embeleco
Pity he loved adventurous life's variety,
adventurous life - una vida aventurera
He was so great a loss to good society.
Advancing to the nearest dinner tray,
Tapping the shoulder of the nighest guest,
tapping - Golpeando; (tap) Golpeando
nighest - más; cerca, cabe, cercano
With a peculiar smile, which, by the way,
peculiar - particular; peculiar, raro, específico
Boded no good, whatever it express'd,
boded - Cuerpo
He ask'd the meaning of this holiday;
The vinous Greek to whom he had address'd
vinous - vinoso
His question, much too merry to divine
The questioner, fill'd up a glass of wine,
questioner - Pregunta
And without turning his facetious head,
facetious - curioso; fisgón, socarrón, faceto
Over his shoulder, with a Bacchant air,
Bacchant - Bacante
Presented the o'erflowing cup, and said,
'Talking 's dry work, I have no time to spare.'
A second hiccup'd, 'Our old master 's dead,
hiccup - hipo, singulto, hipar
You'd better ask our mistress who 's his heir.'
heir - heredero, sucesor, checkheredera
'Our mistress!'quoth a third: 'Our mistress!"pooh!-
Pooh - Pooh
You mean our master"not the old, but new.'
These rascals, being new comers, knew not whom
They thus address'd"and Lambro's visage fell"
And o'er his eye a momentary gloom
momentary - momentánea; momentáneo
gloom - pesimismo; penumbra, melancolía
Pass'd, but he strove quite courteously to quell
courteously - cortésmente
The expression, and endeavouring to resume
endeavouring - se esfuerza; esforzarse
His smile, requested one of them to tell
The name and quality of his new patron,
patron - patrón, mecenas, patrocinador, auspiciador, cliente, parroquiano
Who seem'd to have turn'd Haidee into a matron.
'I know not,'quoth the fellow, 'who or what
He is, nor whence he came"and little care;
But this I know, that this roast capon 's fat,
capon - capón
And that good wine ne'er wash'd down better fare;
fare - tarifa, precio del billete
And if you are not satisfied with that,
Direct your questions to my neighbour there;
He'll answer all for better or for worse,
For none likes more to hear himself converse.'
converse - conversar, charlar
I said that Lambro was a man of patience,
And certainly he show'd the best of breeding,
Which scarce even France, the paragon of nations,
E'er saw her most polite of sons exceeding;
most polite - el más educado
He bore these sneers against his near relations,
His own anxiety, his heart, too, bleeding,
anxiety - zozobra, ansiedad, inquietud
The insults, too, of every servile glutton,
insults - insultos; insultar, insulto, ofensa, improperio
servile - servil
glutton - glotón, hambrón, comilón, tragón
Who all the time was eating up his mutton.
eating up - comiendo
Now in a person used to much command"
To bid men come, and go, and come again"
To see his orders done, too, out of hand"
Whether the word was death, or but the chain"
It may seem strange to find his manners bland;
Yet such things are, which I can not explain,
Though doubtless he who can command himself
Is good to govern"almost as a Guelf.
Not that he was not sometimes rash or so,
rash - sarpullido; imprudente
But never in his real and serious mood;
Then calm, concentrated, and still, and slow,
He lay coil'd like the boa in the wood;
boa - boa
With him it never was a word and blow,
His angry word once o'er, he shed no blood,
But in his silence there was much to rue,
rue - ue
And his one blow left little work for two.
He ask'd no further questions, and proceeded
proceeded - procedió; continuar, proceder
On to the house, but by a private way,
So that the few who met him hardly heeded,
heeded - oído; importar, prestar atención, poner atención
So little they expected him that day;
If love paternal in his bosom pleaded
paternal - paterno, paternal
pleaded - suplicado; rogar
For Haidee's sake, is more than I can say,
But certainly to one deem'd dead, returning,
This revel seem'd a curious mode of mourning.
If all the dead could now return to life
(Which God forbid!) or some, or a great many,
For instance, if a husband or his wife
(Nuptial examples are as good as any),
No doubt whate'er might be their former strife,
The present weather would be much more rainy"
rainy - lloviendo; lluvioso, pluvioso
Tears shed into the grave of the connection
Would share most probably its resurrection.
He enter'd in the house no more his home,
A thing to human feelings the most trying,
And harder for the heart to overcome,
Perhaps, than even the mental pangs of dying;
pangs - angustias; punzada, dolor agudo
To find our hearthstone turn'd into a tomb,
hearthstone - Harthstone
And round its once warm precincts palely lying
precincts - ecintos; recinto, distrito policial
palely - pálidamente
The ashes of our hopes, is a deep grief,
ashes - cenizas; ceniza
Beyond a single gentleman's belief.
He enter'd in the house"his home no more,
For without hearts there is no home; and felt
The solitude of passing his own door
Without a welcome; there he long had dwelt,
dwelt - habitó; habitar, morar
There his few peaceful days Time had swept o'er,
swept - barrido; barrer, peinar
There his worn bosom and keen eye would melt
Over the innocence of that sweet child,
His only shrine of feelings undefiled.
undefiled - infiltrado
He was a man of a strange temperament,
temperament - temperamento
Of mild demeanour though of savage mood,
demeanour - conducta, comportamiento
Moderate in all his habits, and content
content - contenido; satisfecho
With temperance in pleasure, as in food,
temperance - templanza, temperancia
Quick to perceive, and strong to bear, and meant
For something better, if not wholly good;
His country's wrongs and his despair to save her
Had stung him from a slave to an enslaver.
stung - picado; aguijón
enslaver - Esclavista
The love of power, and rapid gain of gold,
rapid - rápido, rápido, rabión
The hardness by long habitude produced,
hardness - dureza
habitude - habituación
The dangerous life in which he had grown old,
grown old - envejecido
The mercy he had granted oft abused,
The sights he was accustom'd to behold,
accustom - acostumbrarse, habituar
The wild seas, and wild men with whom he cruised,
cruised - hacer un crucero
Had cost his enemies a long repentance,
repentance - arrepentimiento
And made him a good friend, but bad acquaintance.
But something of the spirit of old Greece
Greece - Grecia
Flash'd o'er his soul a few heroic rays,
Such as lit onward to the Golden Fleece
onward - en adelante; hacia adelante, para adelante
fleece - vellón, vellocino, lana, toisón, piel
His predecessors in the Colchian days;
predecessors - redecesores; predecesor, antecesor
T is true he had no ardent love for peace"
ardent - ardiente, ferviente
Alas! his country show'd no path to praise:
Hate to the world and war with every nation
He waged, in vengeance of her degradation.
waged - pagado; menear, panish: t-needed
vengeance - venganza
Still o'er his mind the influence of the clime
Shed its Ionian elegance, which show'd
elegance - elegancia, checkchic
Its power unconsciously full many a time,"
A taste seen in the choice of his abode,
A love of music and of scenes sublime,
A pleasure in the gentle stream that flow'd
Past him in crystal, and a joy in flowers,
crystal - cristal
Bedew'd his spirit in his calmer hours.
But whatsoe'er he had of love reposed
On that beloved daughter; she had been
The only thing which kept his heart unclosed
Amidst the savage deeds he had done and seen;
A lonely pure affection unopposed:
unopposed - Sin oposición
There wanted but the loss of this to wean
His feelings from all milk of human kindness,
human kindness - la bondad humana
And turn him like the Cyclops mad with blindness.
cyclops - cíclope
blindness - ceguera
The cubless tigress in her jungle raging
cubless - Sin cúpula
tigress - tigresa
jungle - la jungla; selva, jungla
raging - enfurecido; trapo
Is dreadful to the shepherd and the flock;
shepherd - pastor, ovejero, pastorear
The ocean when its yeasty war is waging
yeasty - levadura; levaduroso
waging - luchando; menear, panish: t-needed
Is awful to the vessel near the rock;
But violent things will sooner bear assuaging,
assuaging - apaciguador; calmar, ain, apaciguar, sosegar
Their fury being spent by its own shock,
fury - furia
Than the stern, single, deep, and wordless ire
Of a strong human heart, and in a sire.
It is a hard although a common case
To find our children running restive"they
restive - inquietos; impaciente, terco, recalcitrante
In whom our brightest days we would retrace,
Our little selves re-form'd in finer clay,
selves - yo; uno mismo
Just as old age is creeping on apace,
And clouds come o'er the sunset of our day,
They kindly leave us, though not quite alone,
But in good company"the gout or stone.
gout - gota
Yet a fine family is a fine thing
(Provided they don't come in after dinner);
'Tis beautiful to see a matron bring
Her children up (if nursing them don't thin her);
Like cherubs round an altar-piece they cling
Cherubs - querubines; querubín
altar - altar
cling - aferrarse; engancharse, adherirse
To the fire-side (a sight to touch a sinner).
A lady with her daughters or her nieces
Shines like a guinea and seven-shilling pieces.
guinea - Guinea
Old Lambro pass'd unseen a private gate,
unseen - No se ve
And stood within his hall at eventide;
Meantime the lady and her lover sate
At wassail in their beauty and their pride:
An ivory inlaid table spread with state
ivory - marfil, ebúrneo
inlaid - incrustado; incrustación
Before them, and fair slaves on every side;
Gems, gold, and silver, form'd the service mostly,
Mother of pearl and coral the less costly.
pearl - perla, parisienne
costly - costoso, caro
The dinner made about a hundred dishes;
Lamb and pistachio nuts"in short, all meats,
pistachio - pistachero, alfóncigo, pistacho, alfónsigo
And saffron soups, and sweetbreads; and the fishes
saffron - azafrán, azafranar
sweetbreads - mollejas; molleja, lechecilla
Were of the finest that e'er flounced in nets,
Drest to a Sybarite's most pamper'd wishes;
Sybarite - sibarita
pamper - mimar, consentir, malacostumbrar
The beverage was various sherbets
sherbets - orbetes; sorbete, polvo acidulado
Of raisin, orange, and pomegranate juice,
raisin - pasas; pasa
squeezed through the rind, which makes it best for use.
squeezed through - colarse por, meterse
rind - costra, piel, corteza
These were ranged round, each in its crystal ewer,
ewer - aguamanil, pichel, jofaina
And fruits, and date-bread loaves closed the repast,
loaves - panes; pan, barra
repast - un banquete
And Mocha's berry, from Arabia pure,
Mocha - moca
berry - baya
Arabia - Arabia
In small fine China cups, came in at last;
Gold cups of filigree made to secure
filigree - filigrana, afiligranar
The hand from burning underneath them placed,
underneath - abajo, por debajo, bajos
Cloves, cinnamon, and saffron too were boil'd
cloves - dientes; clavo
cinnamon - canelo, canela, color canela
Up with the coffee, which (I think) they spoil'd.
The hangings of the room were tapestry, made
hangings - Colgando
tapestry - tapiz
Of velvet panels, each of different hue,
velvet - terciopelo
panels - paneles; panel, vineta, entrepano
And thick with damask flowers of silk inlaid;
damask - damasco, adamascar
And round them ran a yellow border too;
The upper border, richly wrought, display'd,
display - mostrar; espectáculo, exposición, monitor, expositor
Embroider'd delicately o'er with blue,
embroider - bordar
Soft Persian sentences, in lilac letters,
lilac - lila
From poets, or the moralists their betters.
Moralists - moralistas; moralista
These Oriental writings on the wall,
writings - escritos; (writing) escritos
Quite common in those countries, are a kind
Of monitors adapted to recall,
Monitors - monitores; monitor, controlar, monitorear, monitorizar
Like skulls at Memphian banquets, to the mind
skulls - cráneos; calavera
Memphian - Memphis
banquets - banquetes; comida festiva, banquete, convite
The words which shook Belshazzar in his hall,
Belshazzar - Belsasar
And took his kingdom from him: You will find,
Though sages may pour out their wisdom's treasure,
pour out - desbordar, inundar, hablar sin parar sobre algo
There is no sterner moralist than Pleasure.
sterner - más fuerte; severo, austero, serio
moralist - moralista
A beauty at the season's close grown hectic,
A genius who has drunk himself to death,
A rake turn'd methodistic, or Eclectic
methodistic - Metodista
Eclectic - ecléctico, heterogéneo, heteróclito, disparatado
(For that 's the name they like to pray beneath)"
But most, an alderman struck apoplectic,
apoplectic - apopléjico, apoplético
Are things that really take away the breath,"
And show that late hours, wine, and love are able
To do not much less damage than the table.
Haidee and Juan carpeted their feet
On crimson satin, border'd with pale blue;
satin - raso, satén
Their sofa occupied three parts complete
occupied - ocupado; ocupar
Of the apartment"and appear'd quite new;
The velvet cushions (for a throne more meet)
cushions - cojines; cojín, almohadón, colchón, amortiguante, banda
Were scarlet, from whose glowing centre grew
scarlet - escarlata, escarlatina
A sun emboss'd in gold, whose rays of tissue,
emboss - en relieve
tissue - tejido, panuelo, panuelo de papel, clínex
Meridian-like, were seen all light to issue.
meridian - meridiano
Crystal and marble, plate and porcelain,
marble - mármol, canica, balita
porcelain - porcelana, loza
Had done their work of splendour; Indian mats
splendour - esplendor
Indian - indio, hindú, indígena, indio, india
mats - esteras; estera, felpudo
And Persian carpets, which the heart bled to stain,
Over the floors were spread; gazelles and cats,
Gazelles - gacelas; gacela
And dwarfs and blacks, and such like things, that gain
dwarfs - enanos; enano, enano
Their bread as ministers and favourites (that 's
ministers - ministros; ministro
To say, by degradation) mingled there
mingled - mezclados; mezclar
As plentiful as in a court, or fair.
There was no want of lofty mirrors, and
lofty - altivo; majestuoso
The tables, most of ebony inlaid
ebony - ébano, de ébano
With mother of pearl or ivory, stood at hand,
Or were of tortoise-shell or rare woods made,
tortoise-shell - (tortoise-shell) caparazón de tortuga
Fretted with gold or silver:"by command,
fretted - inquieto; preocuparse
The greater part of these were ready spread
With viands and sherbets in ice"and wine"
Kept for all comers at all hours to dine.
Of all the dresses I select Haidee's:
select - selecto, seleccionar
She wore two jelicks"one was of pale yellow;
pale yellow - amarillo pálido
Of azure, pink, and white was her chemise"
'Neath which her breast heaved like a little billow;
With buttons form'd of pearls as large as peas,
peas - Guisantes; (pea) Guisantes
All gold and crimson shone her jelick's fellow,
And the striped white gauze baracan that bound her,
striped - a rayas; franja, raya, línea, lista, galón
gauze - gasa, tela metálico etálica
baracan - Baracán
Like fleecy clouds about the moon, flow'd round her.
One large gold bracelet clasp'd each lovely arm,
bracelet - brazalete, pulsera
Lockless"so pliable from the pure gold
Lockless - Sin cerradura
pliable - plegable, flexible, moldeable, maleable
That the hand stretch'd and shut it without harm,
The limb which it adorn'd its only mould;
So beautiful"its very shape would charm;
And, clinging as if loath to lose its hold,
clinging - aferrándose; engancharse, adherirse
loath - Odiar
The purest ore enclosed the whitest skin
ore - mena, mineral
That e'er by precious metal was held in.
precious metal - metal precioso
Around, as princess of her father's land,
A like gold bar above her instep roll'd
gold bar - lingote de oro
instep - el empeine; empeine
Announced her rank; twelve rings were on her hand;
rank - rango, graduación
rings - anillos; anillo
Her hair was starr'd with gems; her veil's fine fold
Below her breast was fasten'd with a band
Of lavish pearls, whose worth could scarce be told;
lavish - lujoso; generoso, pródigo, dadivoso, derrochador
Her orange silk full Turkish trousers furl'd
Turkish trousers - Pantalones turcos
Furl - aferrar, recoger
About the prettiest ankle in the world.
Her hair's long auburn waves down to her heel
Flow'd like an Alpine torrent which the sun
Dyes with his morning light,"and would conceal
Her person if allow'd at large to run,
And still they seem resentfully to feel
resentfully - con resentimiento
The silken fillet's curb, and sought to shun
silken - panish: de seda, sedoso
fillet - filete
shun - rechazar; evitar
Their bonds whene'er some Zephyr caught began
zephyr - céfiro
To offer his young pinion as her fan.
pinion - pinón
Round her she made an atmosphere of life,
The very air seem'd lighter from her eyes,
They were so soft and beautiful, and rife
rife - rifas; extendido, abundante, abundantemente, copiosamente
With all we can imagine of the skies,
And pure as Psyche ere she grew a wife"
Psyche - Psique
Too pure even for the purest human ties;
Her overpowering presence made you feel
presence - presencia
It would not be idolatry to kneel.
idolatry - idolatría
kneel - arrodillarse
Her eyelashes, though dark as night, were tinged
eyelashes - pestanas; pestana, abénula
tinged - ing
(It is the country's custom), but in vain;
For those large black eyes were so blackly fringed,
blackly - Ennegrecidamente
fringed - con flecos; orla, extremista, radical, periferia, marginal
The glossy rebels mock'd the jetty stain,
rebels - rebeldes; rebelde
Mock - imitación, burla, simulacro, imitar, remedar, burlar
jetty - embarcadero
And in their native beauty stood avenged:
avenged - vengado; vengar
Her nails were touch'd with henna; but again
henna - panish: t-needed
The power of art was turn'd to nothing, for
They could not look more rosy than before.
The henna should be deeply dyed to make
The skin relieved appear more fairly fair;
relieved - aliviado; aliviar, relevar
She had no need of this, day ne'er will break
On mountain tops more heavenly white than her:
more heavenly - más celestial
The eye might doubt if it were well awake,
She was so like a vision; I might err,
But Shakspeare also says, 'tis very silly
'To gild refined gold, or paint the lily'
gild - dorar
refined - refinado; refinar, perfeccionar
Juan had on a shawl of black and gold,
shawl - un chal; chal, panolón
But a white baracan, and so transparent
The sparkling gems beneath you might behold,
Like small stars through the milky way apparent;
Milky - lechoso
apparent - visible, claro, evidente, manifiesto, aparente, ostensible
His turban, furl'd in many a graceful fold,
An emerald aigrette with Haidee's hair in 't
emerald - esmeralda
Surmounted as its clasp"a glowing crescent,
Whose rays shone ever trembling, but incessant.
incessant - incesante
And now they were diverted by their suite,
diverted - desviado; desviar, entretener, distraer
Dwarfs, dancing girls, black eunuchs, and a poet,
eunuchs - eunucos; eunuco
Which made their new establishment complete;
establishment - establecimiento, establishment
The last was of great fame, and liked to show it:
His verses rarely wanted their due feet;
And for his theme"he seldom sung below it,
He being paid to satirize or flatter,
satirize - ridiculizar, satirizar
As the psalm says, 'inditing a good matter.'
psalm - salmo
He praised the present, and abused the past,
Reversing the good custom of old days,
An Eastern anti-jacobin at last
He turn'd, preferring pudding to no praise"
pudding - pudin, pudín
For some few years his lot had been o'ercast
ercast - emitir
By his seeming independent in his lays,
But now he sung the Sultan and the Pacha
With truth like Southey, and with verse like Crashaw.
He was a man who had seen many changes,
And always changed as true as any needle;
His polar star being one which rather ranges,
polar star - una estrella polar
And not the fix'd"he knew the way to wheedle:
wheedle - ganar; engatusar, camelar, panish: t-needed
So vile he 'scaped the doom which oft avenges;
scaped - Escape
doom - condenar, danar
avenges - vengar
And being fluent (save indeed when fee'd ill),
fluent - con fluidez; fluido
He lied with such a fervour of intention"
lied - Mentiste
fervour - fervor
There was no doubt he earn'd his laureate pension.
pension - pensión, pensionar
But he had genius,"when a turncoat has it,
Turncoat - tránsfuga, rajeta, veleta, renegado
The 'Vates irritabilis'takes care
That without notice few full moons shall pass it;
Even good men like to make the public stare:"
But to my subject"let me see"what was it?-
O!"the third canto"and the pretty pair"
Their loves, and feasts, and house, and dress, and mode
feasts - iestas; banquete, festín
Of living in their insular abode.
insular - insular
Their poet, a sad trimmer, but no less
In company a very pleasant fellow,
Had been the favourite of full many a mess
Of men, and made them speeches when half mellow;
And though his meaning they could rarely guess,
Yet still they deign'd to hiccup or to bellow
bellow - abajo; bramido, berrido, bramar, berrear
The glorious meed of popular applause,
applause - aplausos; aplauso
Of which the first ne'er knows the second cause.
But now being lifted into high society,
And having pick'd up several odds and ends
Of free thoughts in his travels for variety,
He deem'd, being in a lone isle, among friends,
That, without any danger of a riot, he
Might for long lying make himself amends;
amends - corregir, mejorar, enmendar
And, singing as he sung in his warm youth,
Agree to a short armistice with truth.
Armistice - armisticio
He had travell'd 'mongst the Arabs, Turks, and Franks,
Turks - turcos; turco, turca
Franks - franks; franco
And knew the self-loves of the different nations;
And having lived with people of all ranks,
ranks - rangos; rango, graduación
Had something ready upon most occasions"
Which got him a few presents and some thanks.
He varied with some skill his adulations;
varied - variada; variar
To 'do at Rome as Romans do,'a piece
Rome - Roma
Romans - romanos; romano, romano, romana, Román
Of conduct was which he observed in Greece.
observed - observado; observar, seguir, tomar en cuenta
Thus, usually, when he was ask'd to sing,
He gave the different nations something national;
'Twas all the same to him"'God save the king,'
Or 'Ca ira,'according to the fashion all:
His muse made increment of any thing,
From the high lyric down to the low rational:
rational - racional
If Pindar sang horse-races, what should hinder
Pindar - Píndaro
hinder - retrasar; impedir; dificultar
Himself from being as pliable as Pindar?
In France, for instance, he would write a chanson;
In England a six canto quarto tale;
In Spain, he'd make a ballad or romance on
ballad - balada
romance - romance
The last war"much the same in Portugal;
In Germany, the Pegasus he'd prance on
prance - encabritarse
Would be old Goethe's (see what says De Stael);
Goethe - Goethe
In Italy he'd ape the 'Trecentisti;'
ape - simio; mono
In Greece, he sing some sort of hymn like this t'ye:
The isles of Greece, the Isles of Greece!
Where burning Sappho loved and sung,
Where grew the arts of war and peace,
Where Delos rose, and Phoebus sprung!
Eternal summer gilds them yet,
gilds - gildos; dorar
But all, except their sun, is set.
The Scian and the Teian muse,
The hero's harp, the lover's lute,
harp - arpa, harpa
lute - Laúd
Have found the fame your shores refuse;
shores - ostas; costa, playa
Their place of birth alone is mute
mute - silencio; mudo
To sounds which echo further west
Than your sires''Islands of the Blest.'
The mountains look on Marathon"
marathon - maratón
And Marathon looks on the sea;
And musing there an hour alone,
musing - reflexiones; pensativo, contemplativo
I dream'd that Greece might still be free;
For standing on the Persians'grave,
Persians - Persa
I could not deem myself a slave.
A king sate on the rocky brow
Which looks o'er sea-born Salamis;
Salamis - salamis; salami
And ships, by thousands, lay below,
And men in nations;"all were his!
He counted them at break of day"
And when the sun set where were they?
And where are they? and where art thou,
My country? On thy voiceless shore
The heroic lay is tuneless now"
tuneless - Sin melodía
The heroic bosom beats no more!
And must thy lyre, so long divine,
Degenerate into hands like mine?
degenerate - degenerado, depravado, degenerar, degenerarse
'Tis something, in the dearth of fame,
dearth - hambruna, escasez, cortedad
Though link'd among a fetter'd race,
fetter - grillos, pihuelas, or animals, grillos, pihuela
To feel at least a patriot's shame,
patriot - patriota
Even as I sing, suffuse my face;
suffuse - sufusión; repartir
For what is left the poet here?
For Greeks a blush"for Greece a tear.
Must we but weep o'er days more blest?
Must we but blush?"Our fathers bled.
Earth! render back from out thy breast
A remnant of our Spartan dead!
remnant - remanente; resto, restante, reliquia, despojo
Of the three hundred grant but three,
To make a new Thermopylae!
Thermopylae - termopilas; Termópilas
What, silent still? and silent all?
Ah! no;"the voices of the dead
Sound like a distant torrent's fall,
And answer, 'Let one living head,
But one arise,"we come, we come!'
'Tis but the living who are dumb.
In vain"in vain: strike other chords;
chords - acordes; acorde, cuerda
Fill high the cup with Samian wine!
Leave battles to the Turkish hordes,
hordes - hordas; horda
And shed the blood of Scio's vine!
Hark! rising to the ignoble call"
Hark - Oyes
ignoble - innoble
How answers each bold Bacchanal!
You have the Pyrrhic dance as yet,
Where is the Pyrrhic phalanx gone?
phalanx - falange
Of two such lessons, why forget
The nobler and the manlier one?
nobler - más noble; noble
manlier - más hombre; varonil, viril
You have the letters Cadmus gave"
Think ye he meant them for a slave?
Fill high the bowl with Samian wine!
We will not think of themes like these!
It made Anacreon's song divine:
He served"but served Polycrates"
A tyrant; but our masters then
Were still, at least, our countrymen.
countrymen - ompatriotas; paisano, paisana, compatriota, campesino, campesina
The tyrant of the Chersonese
Was freedom's best and bravest friend;
That tyrant was Miltiades!
O! that the present hour would lend
Another despot of the kind!
despot - déspota
Such chains as his were sure to bind.
Fill high the bowl with Samian wine!
On Suli's rock, and Parga's shore,
Exists the remnant of a line
Such as the Doric mothers bore;
Doric - dórico
And there, perhaps, some seed is sown,
sown - sembrado; sembrar
The Heracleidan blood might own.
Trust not for freedom to the Franks"
They have a king who buys and sells;
In native swords, and native ranks,
The only hope of courage dwells;
But Turkish force, and Latin fraud,
fraud - fraude, defraudador
Would break your shield, however broad.
shield - escudo
Fill high the bowl with Samian wine!
Our virgins dance beneath the shade"
shade - sombra, persiana, umbral, tono, matiz, sombrear, matizar
I see their glorious black eyes shine;
But gazing on each glowing maid,
My own the burning tear-drop laves,
To think such breasts must suckle slaves
breasts - senos; pecho, seno, teta, corazón, pechuga
suckle - amamantar, mamar
Place me on Sunium's marbled steep,
marbled - marmoleado; mármol, canica, balita
steep - mpinada; empinado
Where nothing, save the waves and I,
May hear our mutual murmurs sweep;
murmurs - murmullos; soplo, murmurar
There, swan-like, let me sing and die:
swan - cisne
A land of slaves shall ne'er be mine"
Dash down yon cup of Samian wine!
Thus sung, or would, or could, or should have sung,
The modern Greek, in tolerable verse;
If not like Orpheus quite, when Greece was young,
Orpheus - Orfeo
Yet in these times he might have done much worse:
His strain display'd some feeling"right or wrong;
And feeling, in a poet, is the source
Of others'feeling; but they are such liars,
liars - mentirosos; mentiroso, mentirosa, embustero, embustera
And take all colours"like the hands of dyers.
dyers - tintoreros; tintorero, tintorera
But words are things, and a small drop of ink,
Falling like dew, upon a thought, produces
That which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think;
'Tis strange, the shortest letter which man uses
Instead of speech, may form a lasting link
Of ages; to what straits old Time reduces
straits - strechos; estrecho, paso, aprieto
Frail man, when paper"even a rag like this,
Survives himself, his tomb, and all that 's his.
And when his bones are dust, his grave a blank,
His station, generation, even his nation,
Become a thing, or nothing, save to rank
In chronological commemoration,
chronological - cronológico
commemoration - conmemoración
Some dull MS. oblivion long has sank,
oblivion - olvido, desmemoria, oscuridad, panish: t-needed
Or graven stone found in a barrack's station
barrack - Barracón
In digging the foundation of a closet,
May turn his name up, as a rare deposit.
And glory long has made the sages smile;
'Tis something, nothing, words, illusion, wind"
Depending more upon the historian's style
historian - historiador, historiadora
Than on the name a person leaves behind:
Troy owes to Homer what whist owes to Hoyle:
owes - deber, adeudar, estar en deuda
The present century was growing blind
To the great Marlborough's skill in giving knocks,
Until his late life by Archdeacon Coxe.
Archdeacon - arcediano, archidiácono
Milton 's the prince of poets"so we say;
A little heavy, but no less divine:
An independent being in his day"
Learn'd, pious, temperate in love and wine;
temperate - templado
But, his life falling into Johnson's way,
Johnson - Juánez
We're told this great high priest of all the Nine
Was whipt at college"a harsh sire"odd spouse,
For the first Mrs. Milton left his house.
All these are, certes, entertaining facts,
Like Shakspeare's stealing deer, Lord Bacon's bribes;
deer - ciervo, venado
bribes - sobornos; soborno, coima, sobornar, cohechar, coimear
Like Titus'youth, and Caesar's earliest acts;
Like Burns (whom Doctor Currie well describes);
Like Cromwell's pranks;"but although truth exacts
pranks - bromas; travesura, broma, inocentada, jugarreta
These amiable descriptions from the scribes,
amiable - amable, afable
scribes - escribanos; escriba, amanuense, escribano, escriba
As most essential to their hero's story,
most essential - lo más esencial
They do not much contribute to his glory.
contribute - contribuir
All are not moralists, like Southey, when
He prated to the world of 'Pantisocracy;'
prated - Idiota
Pantisocracy - Pantisocracia
Or Wordsworth unexcised, unhired, who then
unexcised - sin extirpar
unhired - Sin contratar
Season'd his pedlar poems with democracy;
pedlar - vendedor ambulante
democracy - democracia
Or Coleridge, long before his flighty pen
flighty - voluble; caprichoso, necio, volador
Let to the Morning Post its aristocracy;
aristocracy - aristocracia
When he and Southey, following the same path,
Espoused two partners (milliners of Bath).
Milliners - ombrerero
Such names at present cut a convict figure,
convict - convicto; condenar
The very Botany Bay in moral geography;
Botany - botánica
Their loyal treason, renegado rigour,
loyal - leal, fiel
Are good manure for their more bare biography.
manure - cultivar, estercolar, abonar, estiércol, abono
biography - biografía
Wordsworth's last quarto, by the way, is bigger
Than any since the birthday of typography;
typography - tipografía
A drowsy frowzy poem, call'd the 'Excursion.'
drowsy - somnoliento; adormecido, sonoliento, somnífero, soporífero
Writ in a manner which is my aversion.
He there builds up a formidable dyke
dyke - tortillera; dique
Between his own and others'intellect;
intellect - intelecto
But Wordsworth's poem, and his followers, like
Joanna Southcote's Shiloh, and her sect,
sect - secta, culto
Are things which in this century don't strike
The public mind,"so few are the elect;
elect - elegir, electo
And the new births of both their stale virginities
stale - duro, rancio, seco
virginities - virginidades; virginidad, doncellez
Have proved but dropsies, taken for divinities.
dropsies - gotas; hidropesía
divinities - divinidades; deidad, divinidad
But let me to my story: I must own,
If I have any fault, it is digression"
digression - intercambio; digresión, divagación
Leaving my people to proceed alone,
While I soliloquize beyond expression;
But these are my addresses from the throne,
Which put off business to the ensuing session:
ensuing - siguiente; seguirse, resultar
Session - sesión
Forgetting each omission is a loss to
The world, not quite so great as Ariosto.
I know that what our neighbours call 'longueurs'
longueurs - ongueur
(We've not so good a word, but have the thing
In that complete perfection which ensures
ensures - asegurar
An epic from Bob Southey every spring),
Form not the true temptation which allures
allures - atrae; Attactivo, Encanto
The reader; but 'twould not be hard to bring
Some fine examples of the epopee,
epopee - epopeya
To prove its grand ingredient is ennui.
We learn from Horace, 'Homer sometimes sleeps;'
We feel without him, Wordsworth sometimes wakes,"
To show with what complacency he creeps,
complacency - suficiencia, autocomplacencia
creeps - asquerosos; reptar, hormigueo, fatiga
With his dear 'Waggoners,'around his lakes.
He wishes for 'a boat'to sail the deeps"
Of ocean?"No, of air; and then he makes
Another outcry for 'a little boat,'
outcry - protesta
And drivels seas to set it well afloat.
drivels - Gilipolleces
If he must fain sweep o'er the ethereal plain,
And Pegasus runs restive in his 'Waggon,'
waggon - Vagón
Could he not beg the loan of Charles's Wain?
loan - préstamo
Charles - Carlos
Or pray Medea for a single dragon?
Dragon - dragón
Or if, too classic for his vulgar brain,
He fear'd his neck to venture such a nag on,
Venture - aventurarse; aventura, arriesgar
Nag - reganar, dar la lata a alguien
And he must needs mount nearer to the moon,
Could not the blockhead ask for a balloon?
blockhead - cabeza de bloque; idiota
balloon - globo, vejiga, bomba
'Pedlars,'and 'Boats,'and 'Waggons!'Oh! ye shades
pedlars - vendedor ambulante
waggons - Vagón
shades - sombras; alosa, sábalo
Of Pope and Dryden, are we come to this?
That trash of such sort not alone evades
evades - evasa; evadir, soslayar, dar esquinazo, burlar, checkeludir
Contempt, but from the bathos'vast abyss
contempt - desprecio, desdén, desgracia, deshonra, vergüenza, desacato
abyss - abismo, sima
Floats scumlike uppermost, and these Jack Cades
floats - flotadores; flotar, carroza
scumlike - Escoria
Jack - Juanito, Jacobo, Santiago
Of sense and song above your graves may hiss"
graves - umbas; tumba
hiss - siseo, sisear
The'little boatman'and his 'Peter Bell'
boatman - barquero, balsero
Can sneer at him who drew 'Achitophel'!
T'our tale."The feast was over, the slaves gone,
The dwarfs and dancing girls had all retired;
The Arab lore and poet's song were done,
lore - saber
And every sound of revelry expired;
The lady and her lover, left alone,
The rosy flood of twilight's sky admired;"
Ave Maria! o'er the earth and sea,
Maria - María; (Marion) María
That heavenliest hour of Heaven is worthiest thee!
heavenliest - más celestial; celestial, celeste
worthiest - Digno
Ave Maria! blessed be the hour!
blessed - bendecido; bendito; (bless) bendecido; bendito
The time, the clime, the spot, where I so oft
Have felt that moment in its fullest power
Sink o'er the earth so beautiful and soft,
While swung the deep bell in the distant tower,
swung - se balanceó; balancear, mecer, columpiar, oscilar, columpio
Or the faint dying day-hymn stole aloft,
And not a breath crept through the rosy air,
And yet the forest leaves seem'd stirr'd with prayer.
Ave Maria! 'tis the hour of prayer!
Ave Maria! 'tis the hour of love!
Ave Maria! may our spirits dare
Look up to thine and to thy Son's above!
Ave Maria! oh that face so fair!
Those downcast eyes beneath the Almighty dove"
Almighty - omnipotente, todopoderoso
What though 'tis but a pictured image?"strike"
That painting is no idol,"'tis too like.
Some kinder casuists are pleased to say,
casuists - casuista
In nameless print"that I have no devotion;
nameless - innominado, sin nombre
But set those persons down with me to pray,
And you shall see who has the properest notion
Of getting into heaven the shortest way;
My altars are the mountains and the ocean,
altars - ltares; altar
Earth, air, stars,"all that springs from the great Whole,
Who hath produced, and will receive the soul.
Sweet hour of twilight!"in the solitude
Of the pine forest, and the silent shore
pine - pino
Which bounds Ravenna's immemorial wood,
Ravenna - Rávena
immemorial - inmemorial
Rooted where once the Adrian wave flow'd o'er,
rooted - arraigado; raíz
To where the last Caesarean fortress stood,
Caesarean - Cesárea
Evergreen forest! which Boccaccio's lore
evergreen - perenne; perennifolio
And Dryden's lay made haunted ground to me,
How have I loved the twilight hour and thee!
The shrill cicadas, people of the pine,
shrill - chillón; estridente
cicadas - chicharras; chicharra
Making their summer lives one ceaseless song,
Were the sole echoes, save my steed's and mine,
Echoes - ecos; eco, repercutir, repetir, hacer eco
And vesper bell's that rose the boughs along;
The spectre huntsman of Onesti's line,
spectre - espectro, fantasma
huntsman - Cazador
His hell-dogs, and their chase, and the fair throng
chase - persecución; perseguir
Which learn'd from this example not to fly
From a true lover,"shadow'd my mind's eye.
O, Hesperus! thou bringest all good things"
bringest - ringest
Home to the weary, to the hungry cheer,
weary - cansado, cansino, cansar
To the young bird the parent's brooding wings,
brooding - inquietante; meditativo; (brood); cría, polluelo, prole
The welcome stall to the o'erlabour'd steer;
stall - parar; compartimento
erlabour - rlabour
steer - buey
Whate'er of peace about our hearthstone clings,
clings - se aferra; engancharse, adherirse
Whate'er our household gods protect of dear,
Are gather'd round us by thy look of rest;
Thou bring'st the child, too, to the mother's breast.
Soft hour! which wakes the wish and melts the heart
melts - se derrite; material fundido, derretirse, fundirse
Of those who sail the seas, on the first day
When they from their sweet friends are torn apart;
Or fills with love the pilgrim on his way
pilgrim - peregrino, colonista
As the far bell of vesper makes him start,
Seeming to weep the dying day's decay;
decay - decadencia; descomposición, deterioración, putrefacción
Is this a fancy which our reason scorns?
scorns - desprecios; despreciar, desdenar, menospreciar, rechazar
Ah! surely nothing dies but something mourns!
mourns - lamentar, estar de luto
When Nero perish'd by the justest doom
Which ever the destroyer yet destroy'd,
destroyer - destructor
Amidst the roar of liberated Rome,
liberated - liberado; liberar
Of nations freed, and the world overjoy'd,
overjoy - alegría
Some hands unseen strew'd flowers upon his tomb:
Perhaps the weakness of a heart not void
void - vacío; nulo
Of feeling for some kindness done, when power
kindness - amabilidad, bondad
Had left the wretch an uncorrupted hour.
uncorrupted - incorrupto
But I'm digressing; what on earth has Nero,
digressing - interviniendo; desviarse
Or any such like sovereign buffoons,
sovereign - soberano
buffoons - bufones; bufón, panish: t-needed
To do with the transactions of my hero,
transactions - transacciones; transacción
More than such madmen's fellow man"the moon's?
madmen - locos; loco
Sure my invention must be down at zero,
And I grown one of many 'wooden spoons'
Of verse (the name with which we Cantabs please
Cantabs - Cántabro
To dub the last of honours in degrees).
Dub - doblar
honours - onores; honradez
I feel this tediousness will never do"
tediousness - tedio; prolijidad
'Tis being too epic, and I must cut down
(In copying) this long canto into two;
They'll never find it out, unless I own
The fact, excepting some experienced few;
And then as an improvement 'twill be shown:
I'll prove that such the opinion of the critic is
critic - crítico
From Aristotle passim."See poietikes.
Nothing so difficult as a beginning
In poesy, unless perhaps the end;
For oftentimes when Pegasus seems winning
oftentimes - a menudo; frecuentemente, reiteradamente, repetidamente
The race, he sprains a wing, and down we tend,
sprains - esguinces; torcer, esguinzar, hacerse una esguince, torcedura
Like Lucifer when hurl'd from heaven for sinning;
Lucifer - Lucifer, lucero, lucífero
Our sin the same, and hard as his to mend,
Being pride, which leads the mind to soar too far,
Till our own weakness shows us what we are.
But Time, which brings all beings to their level,
And sharp Adversity, will teach at last
adversity - adversidad
Man,"and, as we would hope,"perhaps the devil,
That neither of their intellects are vast:
intellects - inteligencias; intelecto
While youth's hot wishes in our red veins revel,
We know not this"the blood flows on too fast;
But as the torrent widens towards the ocean,
We ponder deeply on each past emotion.
As boy, I thought myself a clever fellow,
And wish'd that others held the same opinion;
They took it up when my days grew more mellow,
And other minds acknowledged my dominion:
acknowledged - reconocido; reconocer, acusar recibo
dominion - dominio
Now my sere fancy 'falls into the yellow
Leaf,'and Imagination droops her pinion,
And the sad truth which hovers o'er my desk
hovers - se cierne; cerner, dudar, hesitar, vacilar
Turns what was once romantic to burlesque.
And if I laugh at any mortal thing,
'Tis that I may not weep; and if I weep,
'Tis that our nature cannot always bring
Itself to apathy, for we must steep
apathy - apatía
Our hearts first in the depths of Lethe's spring,
Lethe - Lete, Leteo
Ere what we least wish to behold will sleep:
Thetis baptized her mortal son in Styx;
Thetis - Tetis
Styx - Estigia, Estix, Estige
A mortal mother would on Lethe fix.
Some have accused me of a strange design
accused - acusado; acusar, denunciar
Against the creed and morals of the land,
And trace it in this poem every line:
I don't pretend that I quite understand
My own meaning when I would be very fine;
But the fact is that I have nothing plann'd,
Unless it were to be a moment merry,
A novel word in my vocabulary.
vocabulary - vocabulario, léxico
To the kind reader of our sober clime
This way of writing will appear exotic;
exotic - exótico, panish: t-needed
Pulci was sire of the half-serious rhyme,
Who sang when chivalry was more Quixotic,
And revell'd in the fancies of the time,
True knights, chaste dames, huge giants, kings despotic:
Knights - caballeros; caballero
despotic - déspota; despótico
But all these, save the last, being obsolete,
obsolete - obsoleto
I chose a modern subject as more meet.
How I have treated it, I do not know;
Perhaps no better than they have treated me
Who have imputed such designs as show
imputed - imputado; imputar
Not what they saw, but what they wish'd to see:
But if it gives them pleasure, be it so;
This is a liberal age, and thoughts are free:
liberal - liberal, liberal, libertario, libertaria
Meantime Apollo plucks me by the ear,
Apollo - apolo
plucks - herir, desplumar, perseverancia
And tells me to resume my story here.
Young Juan and his lady-love were left
To their own hearts'most sweet society;
Even Time the pitiless in sorrow cleft
With his rude scythe such gentle bosoms; he
scythe - guadana; guadana, guadanar
Sigh'd to behold them of their hours bereft,
Though foe to love; and yet they could not be
Meant to grow old, but die in happy spring,
Before one charm or hope had taken wing.
Their faces were not made for wrinkles, their
wrinkles - arrugas; arruga
Pure blood to stagnate, their great hearts to fail;
stagnate - se estanca; estancar
The blank grey was not made to blast their hair,
But like the climes that know nor snow nor hail
hail - granizo
They were all summer: lightning might assail
And shiver them to ashes, but to trail
trail - seguir, arrastrar, rastro, pista, sendero
A long and snake-like life of dull decay
Was not for them"they had too little day.
They were alone once more; for them to be
Thus was another Eden; they were never
Weary, unless when separate: the tree
Cut from its forest root of years"the river
Damm'd from its fountain"the child from the knee
fountain - fuente, chafariz, fontana
And breast maternal wean'd at once for ever,"
maternal - maternal, materno
Would wither less than these two torn apart;
Alas! there is no instinct like the heart"
instinct - instinto
The heart"which may be broken: happy they!
Thrice fortunate! who of that fragile mould,
thrice - tres veces; tres vez
fortunate - afortunado, propicio, favorable, afortunada
fragile - frágil
The precious porcelain of human clay,
precious - preciosos; precioso
Break with the first fall: they can ne'er behold
The long year link'd with heavy day on day,
And all which must be borne, and never told;
While life's strange principle will often lie
principle - principio
Deepest in those who long the most to die.
'Whom the gods love die young,'was said of yore,
And many deaths do they escape by this:
The death of friends, and that which slays even more"
slays - matar
The death of friendship, love, youth, all that is,
Except mere breath; and since the silent shore
Awaits at last even those who longest miss
The old archer's shafts, perhaps the early grave
Archer - arquero; (arch) arquero
shafts - ejes; asta, astil, haz, rayo, vara, barra
Which men weep over may be meant to save.
Haidee and Juan thought not of the dead"
The heavens, and earth, and air, seem'd made for them:
heavens - cielos; cielo, firmamento, paraíso
They found no fault with Time, save that he fled;
They saw not in themselves aught to condemn:
aught - Algo
Each was the other's mirror, and but read
Joy sparkling in their dark eyes like a gem,
gem - joya, alhaja, piedra preciosa, gema
And knew such brightness was but the reflection
brightness - brillo
Of their exchanging glances of affection.
The gentle pressure, and the thrilling touch,
The least glance better understood than words,
Which still said all, and ne'er could say too much;
A language, too, but like to that of birds,
Known but to them, at least appearing such
As but to lovers a true sense affords;
Sweet playful phrases, which would seem absurd
absurd - absurdo, absurdo
To those who have ceased to hear such, or ne'er heard,"
All these were theirs, for they were children still,
And children still they should have ever been;
They were not made in the real world to fill
A busy character in the dull scene,
But like two beings born from out a rill,
A nymph and her beloved, all unseen
nymph - ninfa
To pass their lives in fountains and on flowers,
fountains - fuentes; fuente, chafariz, fontana
And never know the weight of human hours.
Moons changing had roll'd on, and changeless found
Changeless - Sin cambios
Those their bright rise had lighted to such joys
As rarely they beheld throughout their round;
And these were not of the vain kind which cloys,
cloys - Dulce
For theirs were buoyant spirits, never bound
buoyant - boyante
By the mere senses; and that which destroys
Most love, possession, unto them appear'd
A thing which each endearment more endear'd.
endearment - arino; encarinamiento, carino, ternura, afecto
O beautiful! and rare as beautiful
But theirs was love in which the mind delights
delights - elicias; deleite, regocijo, delicia, placer
To lose itself when the old world grows dull,
And we are sick of its hack sounds and sights,
hack - cortar, tajar
Intrigues, adventures of the common school,
intrigues - intrigas; intriga, argumento, intrigar
Its petty passions, marriages, and flights,
Where Hymen's torch but brands one strumpet more,
torch - antorcha, incendiar
strumpet - zorra; puta, golfa, ramera
Whose husband only knows her not a wh"re.
Hard words; harsh truth; a truth which many know.
Enough."The faithful and the fairy pair,
Who never found a single hour too slow,
What was it made them thus exempt from care?
exempt - exento
Young innate feelings all have felt below,
innate - natural; innato
Which perish in the rest, but in them were
Inherent"what we mortals call romantic,
And always envy, though we deem it frantic.
frantic - frenético
This is in others a factitious state,
An opium dream of too much youth and reading,
opium - opio, anfión
But was in them their nature or their fate:
No novels e'er had set their young hearts bleeding,
For Haidee's knowledge was by no means great,
And Juan was a boy of saintly breeding;
saintly - Santo
So that there was no reason for their loves
More than for those of nightingales or doves.
nightingales - los ruisenores; ruisenor
doves - palomas; paloma
They gazed upon the sunset; 'tis an hour
Dear unto all, but dearest to their eyes,
For it had made them what they were: the power
Of love had first o'erwhelm'd them from such skies,
When happiness had been their only dower,
And twilight saw them link'd in passion's ties;
Charm'd with each other, all things charm'd that brought
The past still welcome as the present thought.
I know not why, but in that hour to-night,
Even as they gazed, a sudden tremor came,
tremor - temblor, terremoto
And swept, as 'twere, across their hearts'delight,
delight - disfrutar; deleite, regocijo, delicia, placer
Like the wind o'er a harp-string, or a flame,
When one is shook in sound, and one in sight;
And thus some boding flash'd through either frame,
boding - Presagio; (bod) Presagio
And call'd from Juan's breast a faint low sigh,
While one new tear arose in Haidee's eye.
That large black prophet eye seem'd to dilate
prophet - profeta, profetisa
dilate - dilatar, dilatarse
And follow far the disappearing sun,
As if their last day! of a happy date
With his broad, bright, and dropping orb were gone;
orb - Orbita
Juan gazed on her as to ask his fate"
He felt a grief, but knowing cause for none,
His glance inquired of hers for some excuse
For feelings causeless, or at least abstruse.
She turn'd to him, and smiled, but in that sort
Which makes not others smile; then turn'd aside:
Whatever feeling shook her, it seem'd short,
And master'd by her wisdom or her pride;
When Juan spoke, too"it might be in sport"
Of this their mutual feeling, she replied"
'If it should be so,"but"it cannot be"
Or I at least shall not survive to see.'
Juan would question further, but she press'd
His lip to hers, and silenced him with this,
silenced - silenciado; silencio, silenciar, hacer callar
And then dismiss'd the omen from her breast,
dismiss - descartar; despedir; denegar; dejar salir
Defying augury with that fond kiss;
defying - desafiando; desafiar, desobedecer, renunciar
augury - augurio, presagio, agüero
And no doubt of all methods 'tis the best:
Some people prefer wine"'tis not amiss;
I have tried both; so those who would a part take
May choose between the headache and the heartache.
One of the two, according to your choice,
Woman or wine, you'll have to undergo;
undergo - bajo; experimentar, sufrir, soportar, padecer
Both maladies are taxes on our joys:
But which to choose, I really hardly know;
And if I had to give a casting voice,
For both sides I could many reasons show,
And then decide, without great wrong to either,
It were much better to have both than neither.
Juan and Haidee gazed upon each other
With swimming looks of speechless tenderness,
Which mix'd all feelings, friend, child, lover, brother,
All that the best can mingle and express
mingle - mezclarse; mezclar
When two pure hearts are pour'd in one another,
And love too much, and yet can not love less;
But almost sanctify the sweet excess
sanctify - santificar
excess - exceso, deducible, franquicia, excesivo
By the immortal wish and power to bless.
Mix'd in each other's arms, and heart in heart,
Why did they not then die?"they had lived too long
Should an hour come to bid them breathe apart;
Years could but bring them cruel things or wrong;
The world was not for them, nor the world's art
For beings passionate as Sappho's song;
Love was born with them, in them, so intense,
It was their very spirit"not a sense.
They should have lived together deep in woods,
Unseen as sings the nightingale; they were
nightingale - un ruisenor; ruisenor
Unfit to mix in these thick solitudes
unfit - incapaz; impropio
solitudes - soledades; soledad, solitud
Call'd social, haunts of Hate, and Vice, and Care:
haunts - recuerdos; frecuentar, espantar, desasosegar, inquietar
How lonely every freeborn creature broods!
freeborn - nacido libre
broods - cría, polluelo, prole, empollar, proteger
The sweetest song-birds nestle in a pair;
nestle - acomodarse, acurrucarse
The eagle soars alone; the gull and crow
eagle - águila
gull - gaviota
Flock o'er their carrion, just like men below.
carrion - carrona; carrona
Now pillow'd cheek to cheek, in loving sleep,
Haidee and Juan their siesta took,
siesta - siesta
A gentle slumber, but it was not deep,
For ever and anon a something shook
Juan, and shuddering o'er his frame would creep;
shuddering - Temblores; (shudder); escalofrío
And Haidee's sweet lips murmur'd like a brook
A wordless music, and her face so fair
Stirr'd with her dream, as rose-leaves with the air.
Or as the stirring of a deep dear stream
stirring of - remover, mezclar
Within an Alpine hollow, when the wind
Walks o'er it, was she shaken by the dream,
The mystical usurper of the mind"
usurper - usurpador
O'erpowering us to be whate'er may seem
Good to the soul which we no more can bind;
Strange state of being! (for 'tis still to be)
Senseless to feel, and with seal'd eyes to see.
She dream'd of being alone on the sea-shore,
Chain'd to a rock; she knew not how, but stir
She could not from the spot, and the loud roar
Grew, and each wave rose roughly, threatening her;
roughly - a grandes rasgos; aproximadamente
threatening - amenazante; amenazador; (threaten); amenazar
And o'er her upper lip they seem'd to pour,
Until she sobb'd for breath, and soon they were
Foaming o'er her lone head, so fierce and high"
foaming - Espumante; (foam); espuma, espumar
fierce - fiero, feroz, enconado
Each broke to drown her, yet she could not die.
Anon"she was released, and then she stray'd
stray - perderte; extraviarse, perderse
O'er the sharp shingles with her bleeding feet,
shingles - tejas; guijarro
And stumbled almost every step she made;
And something roll'd before her in a sheet,
Which she must still pursue howe'er afraid:
'Twas white and indistinct, nor stopp'd to meet
indistinct - indistinto
Her glance nor grasp, for still she gazed, and grasp'd,
And ran, but it escaped her as she clasp'd.
The dream changed:"in a cave she stood, its walls
Were hung with marble icicles, the work
icicles - carámbanos; carámbano
Of ages on its water-fretted halls,
Where waves might wash, and seals might breed and lurk;
Seals - sellos; sello
lurk - acechar, agazaparse, ocultarse, esconderse, merodear, vigilar
Her hair was dripping, and the very balls
Of her black eyes seem'd turn'd to tears, and mirk
The sharp rocks look'd below each drop they caught,
Which froze to marble as it fell,"she thought.
And wet, and cold, and lifeless at her feet,
lifeless - exánime, sin vida, inánime
Pale as the foam that froth'd on his dead brow,
froth - espuma, espumar
Which she essay'd in vain to clear (how sweet
Were once her cares, how idle seem'd they now!),
Lay Juan, nor could aught renew the beat
Of his quench'd heart; and the sea dirges low
quench - saciar, apagar, templar
dirges - dirges; canto fúnebre
Rang in her sad ears like a mermaid's song,
mermaid - sirena
And that brief dream appear'd a life too long.
brief - breve, corto, conciso, sucinto, escueto, resumen, poner al tanto
And gazing on the dead, she thought his face
Faded, or alter'd into something new"
faded - desvanecido; apagarse, debilitarse; destenir
alter - cambiar, modificar, alterar
Like to her father's features, till each trace"
More like and like to Lambro's aspect grew"
With all his keen worn look and Grecian grace;
And starting, she awoke, and what to view?
O! Powers of Heaven! what dark eye meets she there?
'Tis"'tis her father's"fix'd upon the pair!
Then shrieking, she arose, and shrieking fell,
shrieking - Gritos; (shriek); alarido, chillido, chillar
With joy and sorrow, hope and fear, to see
Him whom she deem'd a habitant where dwell
habitant - habitante
The ocean-buried, risen from death, to be
Perchance the death of one she loved too well:
perchance - por casualidad; por ventura
Dear as her father had been to Haidee,
It was a moment of that awful kind"
I have seen such"but must not call to mind.
Up Juan sprung to Haidee's bitter shriek,
Bitter - amargo
And caught her falling, and from off the wall
Snatch'd down his sabre, in hot haste to wreak
sabre - sable
wreak - Destrozar
Vengeance on him who was the cause of all:
Then Lambro, who till now forbore to speak,
forbore - soportar
Smiled scornfully, and said, 'Within my call,
A thousand scimitars await the word;
scimitars - cimitarras; cimitarra
await - esperar, aguantar
Put up, young man, put up your silly sword.'
And Haidee clung around him; 'Juan, 'tis"
'Tis Lambro"'tis my father! Kneel with me"
He will forgive us"yes"it must be"yes.
O! dearest father, in this agony
Of pleasure and of pain"even while I kiss
Thy garment's hem with transport, can it be
hem - dobladillo
That doubt should mingle with my filial joy?
filial - filial
Deal with me as thou wilt, but spare this boy.'
wilt - te marchitas; marchitarse
High and inscrutable the old man stood,
inscrutable - incrutable; inescrutable, impenetrable, incomprensible
Calm in his voice, and calm within his eye"
Not always signs with him of calmest mood:
He look'd upon her, but gave no reply;
Then turn'd to Juan, in whose cheek the blood
Oft came and went, as there resolved to die;
In arms, at least, he stood, in act to spring
On the first foe whom Lambro's call might bring.
'Young man, your sword;'so Lambro once more said:
Juan replied, 'Not while this arm is free.'
The old man's cheek grew pale, but not with dread,
And drawing from his belt a pistol, he
pistol - pistola
Replied, 'Your blood be then on your own head.'
Then look'd dose at the flint, as if to see
Flint - pedernal, sílex, piedra
'Twas fresh"for he had lately used the lock"
And next proceeded quietly to cock.
It has a strange quick jar upon the ear,
jar - jarra; tarro, bote
That cocking of a pistol, when you know
cocking - golpeando; gallo, macho
A moment more will bring the sight to bear
Upon your person, twelve yards off, or so;
A gentlemanly distance, not too near,
If you have got a former friend for foe;
But after being fired at once or twice,
The ear becomes more Irish, and less nice.
Lambro presented, and one instant more
Had stopp'd this Canto, and Don Juan's breath,
When Haidee threw herself her boy before;
Stern as her sire: 'On me,'she cried, 'let death
Descend"the fault is mine; this fatal shore
descend - descender, bajar
He found"but sought not. I have pledged my faith;
pledged - prometido; prometer, comprometerse, hipotecar, empenar
I love him"I will die with him: I knew
Your nature's firmness"know your daughter's too.'
A minute past, and she had been all tears,
And tenderness, and infancy; but now
She stood as one who champion'd human fears"
Pale, statue-like, and stern, she woo'd the blow;
woo - cortejar
And tall beyond her sex, and their compeers,
compeers - competidor
She drew up to her height, as if to show
A fairer mark; and with a fix'd eye scann'd
scann - Escanear
Her father's face"but never stopp'd his hand.
He gazed on her, and she on him; 'twas strange
How like they look'd! the expression was the same;
Serenely savage, with a little change
In the large dark eye's mutual-darted flame;
darted - dardo, flechilla
For she, too, was as one who could avenge,
avenge - vengar
If cause should be"a lioness, though tame.
lioness - leona
Her father's blood before her father's face
Boil'd up, and proved her truly of his race.
I said they were alike, their features and
Their stature, differing but in sex and years;
differing - diferente; ser distinto
Even to the delicacy of their hand
There was resemblance, such as true blood wears;
resemblance - semejanza, similitud, similaridad, parecido
And now to see them, thus divided, stand
In fix'd ferocity, when joyous tears
And sweet sensations should have welcomed both,
Show what the passions are in their full growth.
The father paused a moment, then withdrew
His weapon, and replaced it; but stood still,
And looking on her, as to look her through,
'Not I,'he said, 'have sought this stranger's ill;
Not I have made this desolation: few
Would bear such outrage, and forbear to kill;
outrage - atrocidad, ultraje, desafuero, atropello, indignación, rabia
forbear - soportar
But I must do my duty"how thou hast
Done thine, the present vouches for the past.
'Let him disarm; or, by my father's head,
disarm - desarmar
His own shall roll before you like a ball!'
He raised his whistle, as the word he said,
whistle - silbar; silbato, pito, chifle, pitido
And blew; another answer'd to the call,
And rushing in disorderly, though led,
disorderly - desordenada; desordenado
And arm'd from boot to turban, one and all,
Some twenty of his train came, rank on rank;
He gave the word,"'Arrest or slay the Frank.'
slay - matar
frank - franco
Then, with a sudden movement, he withdrew
His daughter; while compress'd within his clasp,
compress - comprimir
'Twixt her and Juan interposed the crew;
twixt - Entre
interposed - interpuesto; interponer, intercalar, mediar, interrumpir
In vain she struggled in her father's grasp"
His arms were like a serpent's coil: then flew
serpent - serpiente
Upon their prey, as darts an angry asp,
The file of pirates; save the foremost, who
pirates - piratas; pirata, bucanero, barco pirata, piratear
Had fallen, with his right shoulder half cut through.
The second had his cheek laid open; but
laid open - se ha abierto
The third, a wary, cool old sworder, took
wary - eceloso; cauteloso
sworder - orden
The blows upon his cutlass, and then put
cutlass - un alfanje; sable
His own well in; so well, ere you could look,
His man was floor'd, and helpless at his foot,
With the blood running like a little brook
From two smart sabre gashes, deep and red"
gashes - golpes; raja, hendidura, corte
One on the arm, the other on the head.
And then they bound him where he fell, and bore
Juan from the apartment: with a sign
Old Lambro bade them take him to the shore,
Where lay some ships which were to sail at nine.
They laid him in a boat, and plied the oar
plied - aplicado; ejercer
Until they reach'd some galliots, placed in line;
galliots - galliots; galeota
On board of one of these, and under hatches,
hatches - scotillas; ventanilla
They stow'd him, with strict orders to the watches.
The world is full of strange vicissitudes,
vicissitudes - vicisitudes; vicisitud
And here was one exceedingly unpleasant:
A gentleman so rich in the world's goods,
Handsome and young, enjoying all the present,
Just at the very time when he least broods
On such a thing is suddenly to sea sent,
Wounded and chain'd, so that he cannot move,
And all because a lady fell in love.
Here I must leave him, for I grow pathetic,
Moved by the Chinese nymph of tears, green tea!
Than whom Cassandra was not more prophetic;
Cassandra - Casandra
prophetic - profético
For if my pure libations exceed three,
libations - libaciones; libación
exceed - sobrepasar, pasarse, exceder
I feel my heart become so sympathetic,
sympathetic - simpático; compasivo, comprensivo, amable
That I must have recourse to black Bohea:
'Tis pity wine should be so deleterious,
deleterious - perjudicial; deletéreo
For tea and coffee leave us much more serious,
Unless when qualified with thee, Cogniac!
Sweet Naiad of the Phlegethontic rill!
naiad - náyade
Ah! why the liver wilt thou thus attack,
And make, like other nymphs, thy lovers ill?
I would take refuge in weak punch, but rack
refuge - refugio, refugiarse
Punch - un punetazo; ponche
(In each sense of the word), whene'er I fill
My mild and midnight beakers to the brim,
beakers - vasos; vaso de precipitación, vaso de precipitados
Wakes me next morning with its synonym.
synonym - sinónimo
I leave Don Juan for the present, safe"
Not sound, poor fellow, but severely wounded;
severely - gravemente; severamente
Yet could his corporal pangs amount to half
corporal - cabo
Of those with which his Haidee's bosom bounded?
She was not one to weep, and rave, and chafe,
rave - delirar
chafe - rozaduras; calor friccional, escocimiento, irritación, cocedura
And then give way, subdued because surrounded;
subdued - sumiso; someter, doblegar, domenar, debelar
Her mother was a Moorish maid, from Fez,
Where all is Eden, or a wilderness.
There the large olive rains its amber store
amber - ámbar, ambarino, de color ámbar
In marble fonts; there grain, and flower, and fruit,
fonts - fuentes; fuente
Gush from the earth until the land runs o'er;
But there, too, many a poison-tree has root,
And midnight listens to the lion's roar,
And long, long deserts scorch the camel's foot,
Or heaving whelm the helpless caravan;
heaving - Agitado; (heave); ondular
caravan - caravana, cáfila
And as the soil is, so the heart of man.
Afric is all the sun's, and as her earth
Her human day is kindled; full of power
For good or evil, burning from its birth,
The Moorish blood partakes the planet's hour,
partakes - participar
And like the soil beneath it will bring forth:
Beauty and love were Haidee's mother's dower;
But her large dark eye show'd deep Passion's force,
Though sleeping like a lion near a source.
Her daughter, temper'd with a milder ray,
Like summer clouds all silvery, smooth, and fair,
silvery - plateado, argénteo, argentino
Till slowly charged with thunder they display
Terror to earth, and tempest to the air,
terror - terror
Had held till now her soft and milky way;
But overwrought with passion and despair,
overwrought - sobreexcitado; trabajo excesivo
The fire burst forth from her Numidian veins,
Even as the Simoom sweeps the blasted plains.
simoom - simún
sweeps - barridos; barrer, peinar
blasted - explotado; ráfaga
plains - lanuras; sencillo; liso; sin ornamentos; llano (persona)
The last sight which she saw was Juan's gore,
And he himself o'ermaster'd and cut down;
His blood was running on the very floor
Where late he trod, her beautiful, her own;
Thus much she view'd an instant and no more,"
Her struggles ceased with one convulsive groan;
struggles - luchas; lucha, forcejeo, brega, luchar, esforzarse con denuedo
On her sire's arm, which until now scarce held
Her writhing, fell she like a cedar fell'd.
cedar - cedro
A vein had burst, and her sweet lips'pure dyes
Were dabbled with the deep blood which ran o'er;
dabbled - se atrevió; chapotear, aventurarse en, chapoteo, escarceo
And her head droop'd as when the lily lies
O'ercharged with rain: her summon'd handmaids bore
ercharged - cargado
handmaids - sirvientas; azafata
Their lady to her couch with gushing eyes;
Of herbs and cordials they produced their store,
herbs - hierbas; hierba culinaria, planta medicinal, hierba
cordials - cordiales; cordial
But she defied all means they could employ,
defied - desafiado; desafiar, desobedecer, renunciar
Like one life could not hold, nor death destroy.
Days lay she in that state unchanged, though chill"
unchanged - Sin cambios
With nothing livid, still her lips were red;
livid - lívido
She had no pulse, but death seem'd absent still;
No hideous sign proclaim'd her surely dead;
hideous - horrible, odioso, chocante, atemorizante
proclaim - proclamar
Corruption came not in each mind to kill
corruption - corrupción, corruptela, dano de datos
All hope; to look upon her sweet face bred
New thoughts of life, for it seem'd full of soul"
She had so much, earth could not claim the whole.
The ruling passion, such as marble shows
When exquisitely chisell'd, still lay there,
But fix'd as marble's unchanged aspect throws
O'er the fair Venus, but for ever fair;
O'er the Laocoon's all eternal throes,
Laocoon - Laocoonte
throes - Gote
And ever-dying Gladiator's air,
Gladiator - gladiador, bestiario
Their energy like life forms all their fame,
Yet looks not life, for they are still the same.
She woke at length, but not as sleepers wake,
sleepers - Dormir
Rather the dead, for life seem'd something new,
A strange sensation which she must partake
Perforce, since whatsoever met her view
perforce - por fuerza, forzadamente, de juro
whatsoever - qué; en absoluto
Struck not on memory, though a heavy ache
ache - dolor
Lay at her heart, whose earliest beat still true
Brought back the sense of pain without the cause,
For, for a while, the furies made a pause.
furies - las furias; (fury); furia
pause - receso, checkdescanso, pausar, interrumpir, suspender
She look'd on many a face with vacant eye,
vacant - vacío; vacante
On many a token without knowing what;
She saw them watch her without asking why,
And reck'd not who around her pillow sat;
Not speechless, though she spoke not; not a sigh
Relieved her thoughts; dull silence and quick chat
Were tried in vain by those who served; she gave
No sign, save breath, of having left the grave.
Her handmaids tended, but she heeded not;
Her father watch'd, she turn'd her eyes away;
She recognized no being, and no spot,
However dear or cherish'd in their day;
They changed from room to room"but all forgot"
Gentle, but without memory she lay;
At length those eyes, which they would fain be weaning
weaning - destete; destetar
Back to old thoughts, wax'd full of fearful meaning.
And then a slave bethought her of a harp;
bethought - Pensar
The harper came, and tuned his instrument;
tuned - sintonizado; melodía, tonada, afinar, sintonizar
At the first notes, irregular and sharp,
On him her flashing eyes a moment bent,
Then to the wall she turn'd as if to warp
warp - urdimbre; deformar; (madera) alabear, combar
Her thoughts from sorrow through her heart re-sent;
And he begun a long low island song
Of ancient days, ere tyranny grew strong.
Anon her thin wan fingers beat the wall
In time to his old tune; he changed the theme,
And sung of love; the fierce name struck through all
Her recollection; on her flash'd the dream
Of what she was, and is, if ye could call
To be so being; in a gushing stream
The tears rush'd forth from her o'erclouded brain,
Like mountain mists at length dissolved in rain.
mists - nieblas; neblina
Dissolved - disuelto; disolver
Short solace, vain relief!"thought came too quick,
solace - consuelo, solaz, solazar, consolar
relief - alivio
And whirl'd her brain to madness; she arose
As one who ne'er had dwelt among the sick,
And flew at all she met, as on her foes;
But no one ever heard her speak or shriek,
Although her paroxysm drew towards its dose;"
paroxysm - paroxismo
Hers was a phrensy which disdain'd to rave,
phrensy - Frensy
Even when they smote her, in the hope to save.
smote - golpeado; golpear, cascar
Yet she betray'd at times a gleam of sense;
betray - traicionar, entregar, vender, delatar, demostrar
Nothing could make her meet her father's face,
Though on all other things with looks intense
She gazed, but none she ever could retrace;
Food she refused, and raiment; no pretence
Avail'd for either; neither change of place,
change of place - cambio de lugar
Nor time, nor skill, nor remedy, could give her
Senses to sleep"the power seem'd gone for ever.
Twelve days and nights she wither'd thus; at last,
Without a groan, or sigh, or glance, to show
A parting pang, the spirit from her past:
pang - punzada, dolor agudo
And they who watch'd her nearest could not know
The very instant, till the change that cast
Her sweet face into shadow, dull and slow,
Glazed o'er her eyes"the beautiful, the black"
O! to possess such lustre"and then lack!
She died, but not alone; she held within
A second principle of life, which might
Have dawn'd a fair and sinless child of sin;
dawn - amanecer, alba, amanecer, aurora, madrugada
But closed its little being without light,
And went down to the grave unborn, wherein
Blossom and bough lie wither'd with one blight;
blossom - flor, floración, florecer
bough - rama
blight - mildiu, tizón, mal, plaga
In vain the dews of Heaven descend above
dews - rocío
The bleeding flower and blasted fruit of love.
Thus lived"thus died she; never more on her
Shall sorrow light, or shame. She was not made
Through years or moons the inner weight to bear,
Which colder hearts endure till they are laid
endure - soportar; aguantar, perdurar, tolerar, consentir, condescender
By age in earth: her days and pleasures were
Brief, but delightful"such as had not staid
delightful - delicioso
Long with her destiny; but she sleeps well
destiny - destino, sino
By the sea-shore, whereon she loved to dwell.
That isle is now all desolate and bare,
Its dwellings down, its tenants pass'd away;
dwellings - vivienda
tenants - arrendatarios; inquilino, arrendatario
None but her own and father's grave is there,
And nothing outward tells of human clay;
Ye could not know where lies a thing so fair,
No stone is there to show, no tongue to say
What was; no dirge, except the hollow sea's,
dirge - canto fúnebre
Mourns o'er the beauty of the Cyclades.
But many a Greek maid in a loving song
Sighs o'er her name; and many an islander
Islander - isleno; isleno, islena
With her sire's story makes the night less long;
Valour was his, and beauty dwelt with her:
valour - valor
If she loved rashly, her life paid for wrong"
A heavy price must all pay who thus err,
In some shape; let none think to fly the danger,
For soon or late Love is his own avenger.
But let me change this theme which grows too sad,
And lay this sheet of sorrows on the shelf;
sorrows - enas; tristeza, aflicción, infelicidad, pesar
I don't much like describing people mad,
For fear of seeming rather touch'd myself"
Besides, I've no more on this head to add;
And as my Muse is a capricious elf,
elf - elfo, duende
We'll put about, and try another tack
tack - tachuela
With Juan, left half-kill'd some stanzas back.
Wounded and fetter'd, 'cabin'd, cribb'd, confined,'
cabin - barraca, cabana, cabina, camarote
Some days and nights elapsed before that he
elapsed - ha transcurrido; transcurrir
Could altogether call the past to mind;
And when he did, he found himself at sea,
Sailing six knots an hour before the wind;
The shores of Ilion lay beneath their lee"
Another time he might have liked to see 'em,
But now was not much pleased with Cape Sigaeum.
There, on the green and village-cotted hill, is
cotted - en cuna; cuna
(Flank'd by the Hellespont and by the sea)
flank - costado, flanco
Entomb'd the bravest of the brave, Achilles;
Entomb - enterrar
They say so (Bryant says the contrary):
contrary - contrario
And further downward, tall and towering still, is
The tumulus"of whom? Heaven knows! 't may be
tumulus - túmulo
Patroclus, Ajax, or Protesilaus"
All heroes, who if living still would slay us.
High barrows, without marble or a name,
barrows - túmulos; carretilla
A vast, untill'd, and mountain-skirted plain,
untill - Hasta cuándo
And Ida in the distance, still the same,
And old Scamander (if 'tis he) remain;
The situation seems still form'd for fame"
A hundred thousand men might fight again
With case; but where I sought for Ilion's walls,
The quiet sheep feeds, and the tortoise crawls;
Tortoise - tortuga, tortuga terrestre, morrocoy
crawls - se arrastra; avanzar lentamente
Troops of untended horses; here and there
untended - esatendida
Some little hamlets, with new names uncouth;
hamlets - aldeas; aldehuela, caserío, aldea, villar
uncouth - bruto, torpe, grosero, basto, chocarrero
Some shepherds (unlike Paris) led to stare
shepherds - pastores; pastor, ovejero, pastorear
A moment at the European youth
Whom to the spot their school-boy feelings bear;
A turk, with beads in hand and pipe in mouth,
beads - perlas; cuenta, gota
Extremely taken with his own religion,
Are what I found there"but the devil a Phrygian.
Phrygian - frygian; frigio, frigio
Don Juan, here permitted to emerge
emerge - emerger, aparecer, surgir, aparecer, aflorar
From his dull cabin, found himself a slave;
Forlorn, and gazing on the deep blue surge,
forlorn - abandonado, desamparado, desesperado
surge - aluvión, oleada, sobretensión, sobrecarga, dispararse
O'ershadow'd there by many a hero's grave;
Weak still with loss of blood, he scarce could urge
urge - te urge; impulso, impulsar, urgir, aguijonear, apresurar
A few brief questions; and the answers gave
No very satisfactory information
satisfactory - satisfactorio
About his past or present situation.
He saw some fellow captives, who appear'd
captives - cautivos; cautivo, prisionero, preso
To be Italians, as they were in fact;
From them, at least, their destiny he heard,
Which was an odd one; a troop going to act
In Sicily (all singers, duly rear'd
Sicily - Sicilia
rear - atrás; parte trasera
In their vocation) had not been attack'd
In sailing from Livorno by the pirate,
But sold by the impresario at no high rate.
By one of these, the buffo of the party,
Juan was told about their curious case;
For although destined to the Turkish mart, he
Still kept his spirits up"at least his face;
The little fellow really look'd quite hearty,
hearty - corazonoso; carinoso, de corazón, cordial, corpulento, nutritivo
And bore him with some gaiety and grace,
gaiety - felicidad, alegría
Showing a much more reconciled demeanour,
reconciled - reconciliado; reconciliar, avenir
Than did the prima donna and the tenor.
Prima - primera bailarina
In a few words he told their hapless story,
Saying, 'Our Machiavellian impresario,
Machiavellian - maquiavélico
Making a signal off some promontory,
Hail'd a strange brig"Corpo di Caio Mario!
brig - Bergantín
We were transferr'd on board her in a hurry,
Without a Single scudo of salario;
But if the Sultan has a taste for song,
We will revive our fortunes before long.
revive - revivir
'The prima donna, though a little old,
And haggard with a dissipated life,
haggard - macilento, ojeroso, demacrado
And subject, when the house is thin, to cold,
Has some good notes; and then the tenor's wife,
With no great voice, is pleasing to behold;
Last carnival she made a deal of strife
carnival - carnestolendas, carnaval
By carrying off Count Cesare Cicogna
carrying off - conseguir
From an old Roman princess at Bologna.
bologna - Bolonia
'And then there are the dancers; there's the Nini,
With more than one profession, gains by all;
Then there's that laughing slut the Pelegrini,
slut - zorra, zorrón, puta
She, too, was fortunate last carnival,
And made at least five hundred good zecchini,
But spends so fast, she has not now a paul;
And then there's the Grotesca"such a dancer!
Where men have souls or bodies she must answer.
'As for the figuranti, they are like
The rest of all that tribe; with here and there
tribe - tribu
A pretty person, which perhaps may strike,
The rest are hardly fitted for a fair;
There's one, though tall and stiffer than a pike,
stiffer - más rígido; rígido, duro, tieso, inflexible
Yet has a sentimental kind of air
sentimental - sentimental, sentimentaloide, sensiblero, cursi
Which might go far, but she don't dance with vigour;
The more 's the pity, with her face and figure.
'As for the men, they are a middling set;
The musico is but a crack'd old basin,
basin - cuenca; pileta, lavabo, lavamanos, jofaina
But being qualified in one way yet,
May the seraglio do to set his face in,
seraglio - serrallo
And as a servant some preferment get;
preferment - Preferencia
His singing I no further trust can place in:
From all the Pope makes yearly 'twould perplex
yearly - anuales; anual, anualmente, cada ano
To find three perfect pipes of the third sex.
'The tenor's voice is spoilt by affectation,
affectation - afectación
And for the bass, the beast can only bellow;
bass - bajo
beast - bestia, animal, salvaje
In fact, he had no singing education,
An ignorant, noteless, timeless, tuneless fellow;
ignorant - ignorante, ignaro, inculto
noteless - no
But being the prima donna's near relation,
Who swore his voice was very rich and mellow,
They hired him, though to hear him you'd believe
An ass was practising recitative.
recitative - recitativo
''Twould not become myself to dwell upon
My own merits, and though young"I see, Sir"you
Have got a travell'd air, which speaks you one
To whom the opera is by no means new:
opera - ópera; (opus) ópera
You've heard of Raucocanti?"I'm the man;
The time may come when you may hear me too;
You was not last year at the fair of Lugo,
But next, when I'm engaged to sing there"do go.
'Our baritone I almost had forgot,
baritone - barítono
A pretty lad, but bursting with conceit;
conceit - engreimiento, vanidad, presunción, ego
With graceful action, science not a jot,
jot - punto; jota; pizca
A voice of no great compass, and not sweet,
not sweet - No dulce
He always is complaining of his lot,
Forsooth, scarce fit for ballads in the street;
forsooth - de verdad; veramente, en verdad, de vero
ballads - baladas; balada
In lovers'parts his passion more to breathe,
Having no heart to show, he shows his teeth.'
Here Raucocanti's eloquent recital
recital - recitación, recital, considerando
Was interrupted by the pirate crew,
Who came at stated moments to invite all
The captives back to their sad berths; each threw
berths - iteras; catre, amarradero, plaza, atracar
A rueful glance upon the waves (which bright all
From the blue skies derived a double blue,
derived - derivado; derivar
Dancing all free and happy in the sun),
And then went down the hatchway one by one.
They heard next day"that in the Dardanelles,
Dardanelles - Dardanelos
Waiting for his Sublimity's firman,
The most imperative of sovereign spells,
imperative - imperativo, imperativo
Which every body does without who can,
does without - lo hace sin
More to secure them in their naval cells,
Lady to lady, well as man to man,
Were to be chain'd and lotted out per couple,
For the slave market of Constantinople.
Constantinople - Constantinopla
It seems when this allotment was made out,
allotment - asignación, reparto
There chanced to be an odd male, and odd female,
Who (after some discussion and some doubt,
If the soprano might be deem'd to be male,
soprano - soprano, soprano
They placed him o'er the women as a scout)
scout - explorador
Were link'd together, and it happen'd the male
Was Juan,"who, an awkward thing at his age,
Pair'd off with a Bacchante blooming visage.
blooming - floreciendo; flor
With Raucocanti lucklessly was chain'd
lucklessly - Sin suerte
The tenor; these two hated with a hate
Found only on the stage, and each more pain'd
With this his tuneful neighbour than his fate;
Sad strife arose, for they were so cross-grain'd,
Instead of bearing up without debate,
debate - debate, debatir
That each pull'd different ways with many an oath,
oath - juramento, jurar
'Arcades ambo,'id est"blackguards both.
arcades - rcadas; arcada, galería, galería comercial, sala de juegos
Juan's companion was a Romagnole,
But bred within the March of old Ancona,
With eyes that look'd into the very soul
(And other chief points of a 'bella donna'),
chief - jefe, principal
Bright"and as black and burning as a coal;
And through her dear brunette complexion shone
brunette - castana clara, castana oscura, morena, morocha, morocho
complexion - tez
Great wish to please"a most attractive dower,
most attractive - el más atractivo
Especially when added to the power.
But all that power was wasted upon him,
For sorrow o'er each sense held stern command;
Her eye might flash on his, but found it dim;
And though thus chain'd, as natural her hand
Touch'd his, nor that"nor any handsome limb
(And she had some not easy to withstand)
withstand - resistir; aguantar
Could stir his pulse, or make his faith feel brittle;
Perhaps his recent wounds might help a little.
No matter; we should ne'er too much enquire,
enquire - Preguntar
But facts are facts: no knight could be more true,
Knight - caballero
And firmer faith no ladye"love desire;
firmer - Más firme; (firm) Más firme
ladye - Dama
We will omit the proofs, save one or two:
omit - omitir, dejar de lado, dejarse en el tintero
'Tis said no one in hand 'can hold a fire
By thought of frosty Caucasus;'but few,
Caucasus - Cáucaso
I really think; yet Juan's then ordeal
ordeal - un calvario; calvario, suplicio, prueba del fuego, ordalía
Was more triumphant, and not much less real.
more triumphant - más triunfante
Here I might enter on a chaste description,
Having withstood temptation in my youth,
withstood - esistido; aguantar
But hear that several people take exception
At the first two books having too much truth;
Therefore I'll make Don Juan leave the ship soon,
Because the publisher declares, in sooth,
publisher - editor, editorial
Through needles'eyes it easier for the camel is
To pass, than those two cantos into families.
'Tis all the same to me; I'm fond of yielding,
And therefore leave them to the purer page
purer - más puro; puro
Of Smollett, Prior, Ariosto, Fielding,
Prior - previo, anterior
Who say strange things for so correct an age;
I once had great alacrity in wielding
alacrity - esmero, alacridad, presteza, prontitud
wielding - esgrimiendo; manejar, manipular, blandir, empunar, ejercer
My pen, and liked poetic war to wage,
wage - salario; hacer (la guerra), librar, dar
And recollect the time when all this cant
Would have provoked remarks which now it shan't.
provoked - provocado; provocar
remarks - observaciones; observación, comentario
As boys love rows, my boyhood liked a squabble;
rows - filas; hilera, fila
boyhood - ninez; ninez
squabble - disputilla, repiquetear, discutir
But at this hour I wish to part in peace,
Leaving such to the literary rabble:
literary - literaria; literario
rabble - gentuza; gentío, muchedumbre
Whether my verse's fame be doom'd to cease
cease - cesar, parar, terminar
While the right hand which wrote it still is able,
Or of some centuries to take a lease,
lease - contrato de arrendamiento
The grass upon my grave will grow as long,
And sigh to midnight winds, but not to song.
Of poets who come down to us through distance
Of time and tongues, the foster-babes of Fame,
foster - acoger, criar
Life seems the smallest portion of existence;
Where twenty ages gather o'er a name,
'Tis as a snowball which derives assistance
snowball - bola de nieve
derives - derivar
assistance - asistencia
From every flake, and yet rolls on the same,
flake - escama; copo
Even till an iceberg it may chance to grow;
iceberg - banquisa, iceberg, témpano de hielo, témpano
But, after all, 'tis nothing but cold snow.
And so great names are nothing more than nominal,
nominal - nominal
And love of glory 's but an airy lust,
Too often in its fury overcoming all
Overcoming - superación; vencer, superar
Who would as 'twere identify their dust
From out the wide destruction, which, entombing all,
entombing - enterrar
Leaves nothing till 'the coming of the just'-
Save change: I've stood upon Achilles'tomb,
And heard Troy doubted; time will doubt of Rome.
The very generations of the dead
Are swept away, and tomb inherits tomb,
inherits - heredar
Until the memory of an age is fled,
And, buried, sinks beneath its offspring's doom:
offspring - escendencia; vástago, descendiente, sucesor
Where are the epitaphs our fathers read?
epitaphs - epitafios; epitafio
Save a few glean'd from the sepulchral gloom
glean - espigar; recoger, recopilar
sepulchral - sepulcral
Which once-named myriads nameless lie beneath,
myriads - miríadas; miríada
And lose their own in universal death.
I canter by the spot each afternoon
canter - medio galope; (cant) medio galope
Where perish'd in his fame the hero-boy,
Who lived too long for men, but died too soon
For human vanity, the young De Foix!
A broken pillar, not uncouthly hewn,
pillar - pilar
uncouthly - Groseramente
hewn - Tallado; (hew) Tallado
But which neglect is hastening to destroy,
hastening to - apresurarse a hacer algo
Records Ravenna's carnage on its face,
While weeds and ordure rankle round the base.
weeds - Maleza; (weed) Maleza
ordure - ordenanza; esterco
I pass each day where Dante's bones are laid:
A little cupola, more neat than solemn,
cupola - cúpula
solemn - solemne
Protects his dust, but reverence here is paid
reverence - reverencia, veneración
To the bard's tomb, and not the warrior's column.
warrior - guerrero, guerrera
The time must come, when both alike decay'd,
The chieftain's trophy, and the poet's volume,
chieftain - cacique, caudillo, jefe, jeque
trophy - trofeo
volume - volumen
Will sink where lie the songs and wars of earth,
Before Pelides'death, or Homer's birth.
With human blood that column was cemented,
cemented - cementado; cemento, pegamento, cementar
With human filth that column is defiled,
filth - suciedad; mugre, porquería, inmundicia, bascosidad
defiled - rofanar
As if the peasant's coarse contempt were vented
peasant - campesino, montanero, checkpeón
coarse - grosero; tosco, rústico, rudo, bruto
vented - ventilado; respiradero; rejilla de ventilación
To show his loathing of the spot he soil'd:
loathing - odio, asco, repugnancia, repelo; (loathe); detestar, repugnar
Thus is the trophy used, and thus lamented
Should ever be those blood-hounds, from whose wild
hounds - sabuesos; perro de caza
Instinct of gore and glory earth has known
Those sufferings Dante saw in hell alone.
sufferings - ufrimientos; sufrido, sufriente, sufrimiento
Yet there will still be bards: though fame is smoke,
Its fumes are frankincense to human thought;
fumes - humos; humo, humear, echar humo
frankincense - olíbano, franquincienso, francoincienso
And the unquiet feelings, which first woke
Song in the world, will seek what then they sought;
seek - buscar
As on the beach the waves at last are broke,
Thus to their extreme verge the passions brought
verge - margen, borde; arcén
Dash into poetry, which is but passion,
Or at least was so ere it grew a fashion.
If in the course of such a life as was
At once adventurous and contemplative,
adventurous - intrépido, aventurero, aventurado, arriesgado
contemplative - contemplativo
Men, who partake all passions as they pass,
Acquire the deep and bitter power to give
acquire - obtener, adquirir
Their images again as in a glass,
And in such colours that they seem to live;
You may do right forbidding them to show 'em,
But spoil (I think) a very pretty poem.
O! ye, who make the fortunes of all books!
Benign Ceruleans of the second sex!
benign - benigno
Ceruleans - cerúleos; cerúleo
Who advertise new poems by your looks,
Your 'imprimatur'will ye not annex?
imprimatur - imprimátur
annex - anexo; anexar
What! must I go to the oblivious cooks,
oblivious - ignorante; inconsciente, desprevenido, olvidadizo
Those Cornish plunderers of Parnassian wrecks?
Cornish - córnico
Parnassian - Parnasiano
Ah! must I then the only minstrel be,
minstrel - ministril, juglar
Proscribed from tasting your Castalian tea!
proscribed - prohibido; proscribir
What! can I prove 'a lion'then no more?
A ball-room bard, a foolscap, hot-press darling?
foolscap - oolscap; papel de tamano folio
darling - carino; querido, querida, amado, amada
To bear the compliments of many a bore,
compliments - cumplidos; cumplido, felicitar, cumplimentar
And sigh, 'I can't get out,'like Yorick's starling;
starling - estornino
Why then I'll swear, as poet Wordy swore
(Because the world won't read him, always snarling),
That taste is gone, that fame is but a lottery,
lottery - lotería
Drawn by the blue-coat misses of a coterie.
O! 'darkly, deeply, beautifully blue,'
darkly - oscuramente
beautifully - bonito; bellamente
As some one somewhere sings about the sky,
And I, ye learned ladies, say of you;
They say your stockings are so (Heaven knows why,
I have examined few pair of that hue);
Blue as the garters which serenely lie
garters - ligas; liga, jarretera
Round the Patrician left-legs, which adorn
patrician - patricio
The festal midnight, and the levee morn.
Yet some of you are most seraphic creatures"
But times are alter'd since, a rhyming lover,
rhyming - rima, rima, rimar
You read my stanzas, and I read your features:
And"but no matter, all those things are over;
Still I have no dislike to learned natures,
For sometimes such a world of virtues cover;
I knew one woman of that purple school,
The loveliest, chastest, best, but"quite a fool.
chastest - castest; casto
Humboldt, 'the first of travellers,'but not
travellers - viajeros; viajero
The last, if late accounts be accurate,
accurate - preciso, exacto, justo, correcto
Invented, by some name I have forgot,
As well as the sublime discovery's date,
An airy instrument, with which he sought
To ascertain the atmospheric state,
ascertain - averiguar, determinar, establecer, definir
atmospheric - atmosférico
By measuring 'the intensity of blue:'
intensity - intensidad
O, Lady Daphne! let me measure you!
Daphne - Dafne
But to the narrative:"The vessel bound
With slaves to sell off in the capital,
sell off - vender
After the usual process, might be found
At anchor under the seraglio wall;
anchor - ancla
Her cargo, from the plague being safe and sound,
Were landed in the market, one and all,
And there with Georgians, Russians, and Circassians,
Georgians - Georgiano
bought up for different purposes and passions.
bought up - comprado
Some went off dearly; fifteen hundred dollars
For one Circassian, a sweet girl, were given,
sweet girl - dulce chica
Warranted virgin; beauty's brightest colours
warranted - está justificado; garantía, cédula, orden, garantizar
Had deck'd her out in all the hues of heaven:
Her sale sent home some disappointed bawlers,
bawlers - Wawler
Who bade on till the hundreds reach'd eleven;
But when the offer went beyond, they knew
'Twas for the Sultan, and at once withdrew.
Twelve negresses from Nubia brought a price
negresses - negras; negra
Which the West Indian market scarce would bring;
Though Wilberforce, at last, has made it twice
What 'twas ere Abolition; and the thing
abolition - abolición
Need not seem very wonderful, for vice
Is always much more splendid than a king:
more splendid - más espléndido
The virtues, even the most exalted, Charity,
exalted - exaltado; exaltar
Are saving"vice spares nothing for a rarity.
spares - repuestos; prescindir, pasar sin
But for the destiny of this young troop,
How some were bought by pachas, some by Jews,
How some to burdens were obliged to stoop,
burdens - argas; carga
And others rose to the command of crews
As renegadoes; while in hapless group,
Hoping no very old vizier might choose,
vizier - visir
The females stood, as one by one they pick'd 'em,
To make a mistress, or fourth wife, or victim:
All this must be reserved for further song;
be reserved - ser/estar reservado
Also our hero's lot, howe'er unpleasant
(Because this Canto has become too long),
Must be postponed discreetly for the present;
postponed - aplazado; aplazar, postergar, atrasar, perecear
discreetly - discretamente; disimuladamente
I'm sensible redundancy is wrong,
redundancy - redundancia, superabundancia
But could not for the muse of me put less in 't:
And now delay the progress of Don Juan,
Till what is call'd in Ossian the fifth Juan.
When amatory poets sing their loves
In liquid lines mellifluously bland,
mellifluously - Melifluamente
And pair their rhymes as Venus yokes her doves,
yokes - yugos; yugo
They little think what mischief is in hand;
The greater their success the worse it proves,
As Ovid's verse may give to understand;
Even Petrarch's self, if judged with due severity,
severity - severidad, seriedad, gravedad
Is the Platonic pimp of all posterity.
Pimp - Chulo
I therefore do denounce all amorous writing,
denounce - denunciar
amorous - amoroso, carinoso, enamorado
Except in such a way as not to attract;
Plain"simple"short, and by no means inviting,
But with a moral to each error tack'd,
Form'd rather for instructing than delighting,
instructing - instruyendo; instruir
delighting - disfrutando; deleite, regocijo, delicia, placer
And with all passions in their turn attack'd;
Now, if my Pegasus should not be shod ill,
This poem will become a moral model.
The European with the Asian shore
Sprinkled with palaces; the ocean stream
sprinkled - rociado; salpicar, rociar, asperjar, espolvorear
Here and there studded with a seventy-four;
studded - con clavos; caballeriza
Sophia's cupola with golden gleam;
The cypress groves; Olympus high and hoar;
groves - arboledas; arboleda
Olympus - Olimpo
The twelve isles, and the more than I could dream,
Far less describe, present the very view
Which charm'd the charming Mary Montagu.
I have a passion for the name of 'Mary,'
For once it was a magic sound to me;
And still it half calls up the realms of fairy,
realms - reinos; esfera, reino
Where I beheld what never was to be;
All feelings changed, but this was last to vary,
vary - variar
A spell from which even yet I am not quite free:
But I grow sad"and let a tale grow cold,
Which must not be pathetically told.
The wind swept down the Euxine, and the wave
Broke foaming o'er the blue Symplegades;
'Tis a grand sight from off 'the Giant's Grave
To watch the progress of those rolling seas
Between the Bosphorus, as they lash and lave
Europe and Asia, you being quite at ease;
Asia - Asia
There's not a sea the passenger e'er pukes in,
pukes - Vomitar
Turns up more dangerous breakers than the Euxine.
'Twas a raw day of Autumn's bleak beginning,
bleak - lúgubre; inhóspito, desolado
When nights are equal, but not so the days;
The Parcae then cut short the further spinning
Of seamen's fates, and the loud tempests raise
tempests - tempestades; tempestad, temporal, tempestear
The waters, and repentance for past sinning
In all, who o'er the great deep take their ways:
They vow to amend their lives, and yet they don't;
amend - corregir, mejorar, enmendar
Because if drown'd, they can't"if spared, they won't.
spared - se salvó; palo, verga
A crowd of shivering slaves of every nation,
And age, and sex, were in the market ranged;
Each bevy with the merchant in his station:
bevy - bandada
merchant - comerciante, mercader
Poor creatures! their good looks were sadly changed.
All save the blacks seem'd jaded with vexation,
vexation - enfado; vejación, vejación
From friends, and home, and freedom far estranged;
estranged - distanciado; alienar, enajenar
The negroes more philosophy display'd,"
Negroes - negros; negro, negra
Used to it, no doubt, as eels are to be flay'd.
eels - anguilas; anguila
Juan was juvenile, and thus was full,
As most at his age are, of hope and health;
Yet I must own he looked a little dull,
And now and then a tear stole down by stealth;
Perhaps his recent loss of blood might pull
His spirit down; and then the loss of wealth,
wealth - prosperidad, riqueza
A mistress, and such comfortable quarters,
To be put up for auction amongst Tartars,
auction - subasta, remate, almoneda, subastar, rematar
Tartars - tártaros; Sarro Dental
Were things to shake a stoic; ne'ertheless,
Stoic - estoico, estoica
ertheless - in embargo.
Upon the whole his carriage was serene:
His figure, and the splendour of his dress,
Of which some gilded remnants still were seen,
gilded - dorado; dorar
remnants - restos; resto, restante, reliquia, despojo
Drew all eyes on him, giving them to guess
He was above the vulgar by his mien;
mien - apostura, gesto
And then, though pale, he was so very handsome;
And then"they calculated on his ransom.
calculated - calculado; calcular
Like a backgammon board the place was dotted
backgammon - backgammon
With whites and blacks, in groups on show for sale,
Though rather more irregularly spotted:
irregularly - irregularmente
Some bought the jet, while others chose the pale.
jet - azabache
It chanced amongst the other people lotted,
A man of thirty rather stout and hale,
With resolution in his dark grey eye,
Next Juan stood, till some might choose to buy.
He had an English look; that is, was square
In make, of a complexion white and ruddy,
ruddy - rubicundo
Good teeth, with curling rather dark brown hair,
And, it might be from thought or toil or study,
An open brow a little mark'd with care:
One arm had on a bandage rather bloody;
bandage - venda, vendaje, vendar
And there he stood with such sang-froid, that greater
Could scarce be shown even by a mere spectator.
spectator - espectador
But seeing at his elbow a mere lad,
Of a high spirit evidently, though
high spirit - espíritu elevado
At present weigh'd down by a doom which had
O'erthrown even men, he soon began to show
A kind of blunt compassion for the sad
blunt - desafilado, despuntado
Lot of so young a partner in the woe,
woe - pena, infortunio, ay
Which for himself he seem'd to deem no worse
Than any other scrape, a thing of course.
'My boy!'said he, 'amidst this motley crew
motley - heterogéneo, variopinto, variado, abigarrado, mezcolanza
Of Georgians, Russians, Nubians, and what not,
Nubians - Nubia
All ragamuffins differing but in hue,
ragamuffins - ragamuffins; arrapiezo
With whom it is our luck to cast our lot,
The only gentlemen seem I and you;
So let us be acquainted, as we ought:
acquainted - conocido; dar a conocer, familiarizar
If I could yield you any consolation,
consolation - consolación, consuelo, premio de consolación, premio de consuelo
'Twould give me pleasure."Pray, what is your nation?'
When Juan answer'd"'Spanish!'he replied,
'I thought, in fact, you could not be a Greek;
Those servile dogs are not so proudly eyed:
proudly - orgulloso; fieramente, orgullosamente
Fortune has play'd you here a pretty freak,
But that 's her way with all men, till they're tried;
But never mind,"she'll turn, perhaps, next week;
She has served me also much the same as you,
Except that I have found it nothing new.'
'Pray, sir,'said Juan, 'if I may presume,
What brought you here?'"'Oh! nothing very rare"
Six Tartars and a drag-chain.'"'To this doom
drag - arrastrar; llevar a rastras
But what conducted, if the question's fair,
conducted - conducido; conducción, conducta, guiar, dirigir, manejar
Is that which I would learn.'"'I served for some
Months with the Russian army here and there,
Russian - ruso, ruso, rusa
And taking lately, by Suwarrow's bidding,
bidding - Pujando; (bid) Pujando
A town, was ta'en myself instead of Widdin.'
'Have you no friends?'"'I had"but, by God's blessing,
Have not been troubled with them lately. Now
I have answer'd all your questions without pressing,
And you an equal courtesy should show.'
'Alas!'said Juan, ''twere a tale distressing,
distressing - angustiante; aflicción, angustia, desasosiego, ansiedad
And long besides.'"'Oh! if 'tis really so,
You're right on both accounts to hold your tongue;
You're right - Tienes razón
A sad tale saddens doubly, when 'tis long.
saddens - apenar, entristecer, contristar
'But droop not: Fortune at your time of life,
Although a female moderately fickle,
moderately - moderadamente
fickle - veleidoso; inconstante, voluble
Will hardly leave you (as she 's not your wife)
For any length of days in such a pickle.
pickle - pepinillo; encurtido
To strive, too, with our fate were such a strife
As if the corn-sheaf should oppose the sickle:
corn - cereales (maíz, trigo, avena)
sheaf - gavilla; haz, atado, atada, mies
sickle - la hoz; hoz, falciforme
Men are the sport of circumstances, when
circumstances - circunstancias; circunstancia
The circumstances seem the sport of men.'
''Tis not,'said Juan, 'for my present doom
I mourn, but for the past;"I loved a maid:'-
He paused, and his dark eye grew full of gloom;
A single tear upon his eyelash staid
eyelash - pestanas; pestana, abénula
A moment, and then dropp'd; 'but to resume,
'Tis not my present lot, as I have said,
Which I deplore so much; for I have borne
deplore - deplorar
Hardships which have the hardiest overworn,
hardiest - el más duro; robusto, resistente
overworn - Ropa interior
'On the rough deep. But this last blow-'and here
He stopp'd again, and turn'd away his face.
'Ay,'quoth his friend, 'I thought it would appear
Ay - Sí
That there had been a lady in the case;
And these are things which ask a tender tear,
Such as I, too, would shed if in your place:
I cried upon my first wife's dying day,
And also when my second ran away:
'My third-'"'Your third!'quoth Juan, turning round;
turning round - dar la vuelta
'You scarcely can be thirty: have you three?'
'No"only two at present above ground:
Surely 'tis nothing wonderful to see
One person thrice in holy wedlock bound!'
Wedlock - matrimonio
'Well, then, your third,'said Juan; 'what did she?
She did not run away, too,"did she, sir?'
'No, faith.'"'What then?'"'I ran away from her.'
'You take things coolly, sir,'said Juan. 'Why,'
coolly - con frialdad
Replied the other, 'what can a man do?
There still are many rainbows in your sky,
rainbows - arco iris, abanico, multicolor, policromático, irisado
But mine have vanish'd. All, when life is new,
Commence with feelings warm, and prospects high;
prospects - perspectivas; perspectiva, vista, panorama, expectativa
But time strips our illusions of their hue,
strips - tiras; quitar, desprender; arrancar; despojar
illusions - ilusiones; ilusión
And one by one in turn, some grand mistake
Casts off its bright skin yearly like the snake.
casts - lances; moldear, elenco, castear, sondar, sondear, lanzar
''Tis true, it gets another bright and fresh,
Or fresher, brighter; but the year gone through,
This skin must go the way, too, of all flesh,
Or sometimes only wear a week or two;"
Love 's the first net which spreads its deadly mesh;
mesh - malla, rejilla, engranaje
Ambition, Avarice, Vengeance, Glory, glue
glue - cola, goma, pegamento, encolar, pegar
The glittering lime-twigs of our latter days,
lime - cal
twigs - amitas; ramita
Where still we flutter on for pence or praise.'
'All this is very fine, and may be true,'
Said Juan; 'but I really don't see how
It betters present times with me or you.'
'No?'quoth the other; 'yet you will allow
By setting things in their right point of view,
Knowledge, at least, is gain'd; for instance, now,
We know what slavery is, and our disasters
slavery - Esclavitud
May teach us better to behave when masters.'
'Would we were masters now, if but to try
Their present lessons on our Pagan friends here,'
pagan - pagano, pagano, pagana
Said Juan,"swallowing a heart-burning sigh:
swallowing - tragando; tragar, engullir
'Heaven help the scholar whom his fortune sends here!'
scholar - erudito, especialista, estudioso, docto
'Perhaps we shall be one day, by and by,'
Rejoin'd the other, when our bad luck mends here;
rejoin - Reincorporarse
Meantime (yon old black eunuch seems to eye us)
'But after all, what is our present state?
'Tis bad, and may be better"all men's lot:
Most men are slaves, none more so than the great,
To their own whims and passions, and what not;
whims - aprichos; capricho
Society itself, which should create
Kindness, destroys what little we had got:
To feel for none is the true social art
Of the world's stoics"men without a heart.'
Stoics - estoicos; estoico, estoica
Just now a black old neutral personage
neutral - neutral, neutro, neutral, punto muerto, punto neutral
personage - personaje
Of the third sex stept up, and peering over
stept - paso
peering - espiando; par, noble
The captives, seem'd to mark their looks and age,
And capabilities, as to discover
capabilities - capacidades; capacidad
If they were fitted for the purposed cage:
cage - jaula, cabina, enjaular
No lady e'er is ogled by a lover,
Horse by a blackleg, broadcloth by a tailor,
tailor - sastre, modisto, modista, confeccionar, panish: t-needed
Fee by a counsel, felon by a jailor,
felon - delincuente; criminal
jailor - carcelero
As is a slave by his intended bidder.
bidder - postor, postora
'Tis pleasant purchasing our fellow-creatures;
purchasing - comprando; compra, adquisición, comprar
And all are to be sold, if you consider
Their passions, and are dext'rous; some by features
rous - ous
Are bought up, others by a warlike leader,
warlike - bélico; guerrero, beligerante, belicoso
Some by a place"as tend their years or natures;
The most by ready cash"but all have prices,
From crowns to kicks, according to their vices.
crowns - coronas; corona
vices - icios; torno de banco
The eunuch, having eyed them o'er with care,
Turn'd to the merchant, and begun to bid
First but for one, and after for the pair;
They haggled, wrangled, swore, too"so they did!
haggled - regateó; regatear, detener en pequeneces
wrangled - discutido; altercado, disputa, gresca, rina
As though they were in a mere Christian fair
Cheapening an ox, an ass, a lamb, or kid;
So that their bargain sounded like a battle
bargain - trato, ganga, bicoca, chollo, regatear
For this superior yoke of human cattle.
yoke - yugo
cattle - ganado, ganado bovino
At last they settled into simple grumbling,
And pulling out reluctant purses, and
purses - Pers
Turning each piece of silver o'er, and tumbling
tumbling - Dar volteretas; (tumble); caída, caer, revolverse
Some down, and weighing others in their hand,
And by mistake sequins with paras jumbling,
sequins - lentejuelas; cequí, sequí, lentejuela
jumbling - mezcla; desordenar
Until the sum was accurately scann'd,
And then the merchant giving change, and signing
Receipts in full, began to think of dining.
dining - cenar; jaleo
I wonder if his appetite was good?
Or, if it were, if also his digestion?
Methinks at meals some odd thoughts might intrude,
And conscience ask a curious sort of question,
About the right divine how far we should
Sell flesh and blood. When dinner has opprest one,
opprest - Oprest
I think it is perhaps the gloomiest hour
gloomiest - el más sombrío; lóbrego, sombrío
Which turns up out of the sad twenty-four.
Voltaire says 'No:'he tells you that Candide
Found life most tolerable after meals;
most tolerable - Más tolerable
He 's wrong"unless man were a pig, indeed,
Repletion rather adds to what he feels,
Unless he 's drunk, and then no doubt he 's freed
From his own brain's oppression while it reels.
oppression - opresión
reels - arretes; carrete, enrollar, titubear
Of food I think with Philip's son, or rather
Ammon's (ill pleased with one world and one father);
I think with Alexander, that the act
Alexander - Alejandro
Of eating, with another act or two,
Makes us feel our mortality in fact
mortality - mortalidad
Redoubled; when a roast and a ragout,
redoubled - redoblado; redoblar
ragout - guiso, puchero
And fish, and soup, by some side dishes back'd,
Can give us either pain or pleasure, who
Would pique himself on intellects, whose use
pique - resentimiento, despecho
Depends so much upon the gastric juice?
gastric - gástrico
The other evening ('twas on Friday last)"
This is a fact and no poetic fable"
Just as my great coat was about me cast,
My hat and gloves still lying on the table,
I heard a shot"'twas eight o'clock scarce past"
And, running out as fast as I was able,
I found the military commandant
commandant - comandante
Stretch'd in the street, and able scarce to pant.
Poor fellow! for some reason, surely bad,
They had slain him with five slugs; and left him there
slain - muerto; matar
slugs - babosas; babosa
To perish on the pavement: so I had
pavement - pavimento, asfalto
Him borne into the house and up the stair,
And stripp'd and look'd to"But why should I ad
More circumstances? vain was every care;
The man was gone: in some Italian quarrel
Kill'd by five bullets from an old gun-barrel.
bullets - balas; bala
barrel - barril, tonel, canón, cano, embarrilar
I gazed upon him, for I knew him well;
And though I have seen many corpses, never
Saw one, whom such an accident befell,
So calm; though pierced through stomach, heart, and liver,
He seem'd to sleep,"for you could scarcely tell
(As he bled inwardly, no hideous river
inwardly - nteriormente
Of gore divulged the cause) that he was dead:
divulged - ivulgado; propalar
So as I gazed on him, I thought or said"
'Can this be death? then what is life or death?
Speak!'but he spoke not: 'Wake!'but still he slept:"
'But yesterday and who had mightier breath?
mightier - más poderoso; poderoso
A thousand warriors by his word were kept
warriors - guerreros; guerrero, guerrera
In awe: he said, as the centurion saith,
centurion - centurión
śGo,ť and he goeth; ścome,ť and forth he stepp'd.
The trump and bugle till he spake were dumb"
trump - triunfo
bugle - corneta
And now nought left him but the muffled drum.'
muffled - silenciado; mufla
And they who waited once and worshipp'd"they
With their rough faces throng'd about the bed
To gaze once more on the commanding clay
commanding - mandando; orden, mandato, mando, comando, dominio
Which for the last, though not the first, time bled:
And such an end! that he who many a day
Had faced Napoleon's foes until they fled,"
Napoleon - Napoleón
The foremost in the charge or in the sally,
sally - salida
Should now be butcher'd in a civic alley.
alley - callejón; callejuela
The scars of his old wounds were near his new,
scars - cicatrices; cicatriz
Those honourable scars which brought him fame;
And horrid was the contrast to the view"
But let me quit the theme; as such things claim
Perhaps even more attention than is due
From me: I gazed (as oft I have gazed the same)
To try if I could wrench aught out of death
wrench - llave inglesa; arrancar
Which should confirm, or shake, or make a faith;
But it was all a mystery. Here we are,
And there we go:"but where? five bits of lead,
Or three, or two, or one, send very far!
And is this blood, then, form'd but to be shed?
Can every element our elements mar?
And air"earth"water"fire live"and we dead?
We whose minds comprehend all things? No more;
But let us to the story as before.
The purchaser of Juan and acquaintance
Bore off his bargains to a gilded boat,
bargains - gangas; trato, ganga, bicoca, chollo, regatear
Embark'd himself and them, and off they went thence
As fast as oars could pull and water float;
float - flotador; flotar, carroza
They look'd like persons being led to sentence,
Wondering what next, till the caique was brought
Up in a little creek below a wall
O'ertopp'd with cypresses, dark-green and tall.
cypresses - cipreses; ciprés
Here their conductor tapping at the wicket
conductor - director, revisor, guarda, inspector, conductor
wicket - ventanilla
Of a small iron door, 'twas open'd, and
He led them onward, first through a low thicket
thicket - matorral, bosquecillo
Flank'd by large groves, which tower'd on either hand:
They almost lost their way, and had to pick it"
For night was dosing ere they came to land.
Dosing - dosificación; dosis
The eunuch made a sign to those on board,
Who row'd off, leaving them without a word.
As they were plodding on their winding way
plodding - Pausado; (plod) Pausado
winding - Devanado; (wind) Devanado
Through orange bowers, and jasmine, and so forth
jasmine - jazmín, jazmín
(Of which I might have a good deal to say,
There being no such profusion in the North
Of oriental plants, 'et cetera,'
But that of late your scribblers think it worth
Their while to rear whole hotbeds in their works
hotbeds - calentadores; semillero, hervidero, caldo de cultivo
Because one poet travell'd 'mongst the Turks)"
As they were threading on their way, there came
threading - enhebrar; hilo, hebra, hilaza, tema, argumento, hilazón
Into Don Juan's head a thought, which he
Whisper'd to his companion:"'twas the same
Which might have then occurr'd to you or me.
'Methinks,'said he, 'it would be no great shame
If we should strike a stroke to set us free;
stroke - ictus; golpe
Let 's knock that old black fellow on the head,
And march away"'twere easier done than said.'
'Yes,'said the other, 'and when done, what then?
How get out? how the devil got we in?
And when we once were fairly out, and when
From Saint Bartholomew we have saved our skin,
To-morrow 'd see us in some other den,
morrow - manana; manana
And worse off than we hitherto have been;
hitherto - hasta ahora, hasta aquí, hasta este momento, en ese entonces
Besides, I'm hungry, and just now would take,
Like Esau, for my birthright a beef-steak.
Esau - Esaú
'We must be near some place of man's abode;"
For the old negro's confidence in creeping,
negro - negro, negra
confidence - confianza; certeza, certeza propia, certidumbre, confidencia
With his two captives, by so queer a road,
queer - raro, extrano, trucha, marica, maricón
Shows that he thinks his friends have not been sleeping;
A single cry would bring them all abroad:
'Tis therefore better looking before leaping"
leaping - saltando; saltar, brincar
And there, you see, this turn has brought us through,
By Jove, a noble palace!"lighted too.'
It was indeed a wide extensive building
extensive - extenso
Which open'd on their view, and o'er the front
There seem'd to be besprent a deal of gilding
And various hues, as is the Turkish wont,"
A gaudy taste; for they are little skill'd in
gaudy - vistoso, llamativo, chillón
The arts of which these lands were once the font:
font - fuente
Each villa on the Bosphorus looks a screen
villa - villa, quinta, casa de campo
New painted, or a pretty opera-scene.
And nearer as they came, a genial savour
genial - genial, amable, formidable, bueno, simpático
Of certain stews, and roast-meats, and pilaus,
stews - guisos; guisar
Things which in hungry mortals'eyes find favour,
Made Juan in his harsh intentions pause,
And put himself upon his good behaviour:
His friend, too, adding a new saving clause,
Said, 'In Heaven's name let's get some supper now,
And then I'm with you, if you're for a row.'
Some talk of an appeal unto some passion,
Some to men's feelings, others to their reason;
The last of these was never much the fashion,
For reason thinks all reasoning out of season.
Some speakers whine, and others lay the lash on,
whine - gimoteo, lloriqueo, gimotear, lloriquear, gemir
But more or less continue still to tease on,
With arguments according to their 'forte;'
But no one dreams of ever being short.-
But I digress: of all appeals,"although
digress - interrumpo; desviarse
I grant the power of pathos, and of gold,
Of beauty, flattery, threats, a shilling,"no
threats - amenazas; amenaza
Method 's more sure at moments to take hold
Of the best feelings of mankind, which grow
more tender, as we every day behold,
more tender - más tierno
Than that all-softening, overpowering knell,
softening - ablandamiento; (soften); ablandar, suavizar
The tocsin of the soul"the dinner-bell.
tocsin - rebato
Turkey contains no bells, and yet men dine;
And Juan and his friend, albeit they heard
albeit - aunque, no obstante, si bien
No Christian knoll to table, saw no line
Of lackeys usher to the feast prepared,
usher - acomodador, acomodadora, gloss rotestant churches, ujier
Yet smelt roast-meat, beheld a huge fire shine,
And cooks in motion with their clean arms bared,
And gazed around them to the left and right
With the prophetic eye of appetite.
And giving up all notions of resistance,
notions - nociones; noción, ganas, intención
resistance - resistencia
They follow'd close behind their sable guide,
sable - cebellina, marta cibelina, marta, sable
Who little thought that his own crack'd existence
Was on the point of being set aside:
He motion'd them to stop at some small distance,
And knocking at the gate, 'twas open'd wide,
knocking at - Golpear, tocar
And a magnificent large hall display'd
magnificent - magnífico, macanudo
The Asian pomp of Ottoman parade.
pomp - propaganda; boato, pompa
parade - desfile
I won't describe; description is my forte,
But every fool describes in these bright days
His wondrous journey to some foreign court,
And spawns his quarto, and demands your praise"
spawns - desova; huevas
Death to his publisher, to him 'tis sport;
While Nature, tortured twenty thousand ways,
tortured - torturado; tortura, suplicio, torturar
Resigns herself with exemplary patience
resigns - renuncia; dimitir
exemplary - ejemplarizante
To guide-books, rhymes, tours, sketches, illustrations.
sketches - esbozos; bosquejar, esbozar, pergenar, esbozo, bosquejo
illustrations - ilustraciones; ejemplo, ilustración, instrucción, estampa
Along this hall, and up and down, some, squatted
squatted - sentarse en cuclillas
Upon their hams, were occupied at chess;
hams - jamones; jamón
chess - ajedrez
Others in monosyllable talk chatted,
monosyllable - monosílabo
And some seem'd much in love with their own dress.
And divers smoked superb pipes decorated
superb - excelente; excepcional
With amber mouths of greater price or less;
And several strutted, others slept, and some
strutted - se pavoneó; pavonearse
Prepared for supper with a glass of rum.
As the black eunuch enter'd with his brace
brace - brazo; braza, abrazadera, tensor, tirante, pareja, tirantes
Of purchased Infidels, some raised their eyes
purchased - comprado; compra, adquisición, comprar
infidels - infieles; infiel, descreído, impío
A moment without slackening from their pace;
slackening - aflojando; (slacken); aflojar
pace - paso
But those who sate ne'er stirr'd in anywise:
anywise - e alguna manera
One or two stared the captives in the face,
Just as one views a horse to guess his price;
Some nodded to the negro from their station,
nodded - asintió; asentir, cabecear, cabezada
But no one troubled him with conversation.
He leads them through the hall, and, without stopping,
On through a farther range of goodly rooms,
goodly - Bueno
Splendid but silent, save in one, where, dropping,
splendid - espléndido
A marble fountain echoes through the glooms
glooms - lúgubres; penumbra, melancolía
Of night which robe the chamber, or where popping
robe - túnica; bata, hábito, toga
chamber - cámara, recámara, compartimento
Some female head most curiously presumes
curiously - con curiosidad; curiosamente
To thrust its black eyes through the door or lattice,
lattice - enrejado; celosía, trama, cuadrícula, retículo, checkrejilla
As wondering what the devil a noise that is.
Some faint lamps gleaming from the lofty walls
Gave light enough to hint their farther way,
But not enough to show the imperial halls,
Imperial - imperial
In all the flashing of their full array;
Perhaps there's nothing"I'll not say appals,
appals - disgustos; horrorizar
But saddens more by night as well as day,
Than an enormous room without a soul
To break the lifeless splendour of the whole.
Two or three seem so little, one seems nothing:
In deserts, forests, crowds, or by the shore,
There solitude, we know, has her full growth in
The spots which were her realms for evermore;
evermore - para siempre; siempre
But in a mighty hall or gallery, both in
More modern buildings and those built of yore,
buildings - Edificio
A kind of death comes o'er us all alone,
Seeing what 's meant for many with but one.
A neat, snug study on a winter's night,
snug - cómodo, confortable, ajustado, cenido
A book, friend, single lady, or a glass
Of claret, sandwich, and an appetite,
Are things which make an English evening pass;
Though certes by no means so grand a sight
As is a theatre lit up by gas.
I pass my evenings in long galleries solely,
solely - únicamente, solamente, exclusivamente
And that 's the reason I'm so melancholy.
Alas! man makes that great which makes him little:
I grant you in a church 'tis very well:
What speaks of Heaven should by no means be brittle,
But strong and lasting, till no tongue can tell
Their names who rear'd it; but huge houses fit ill"
And huge tombs worse"mankind, since Adam fell:
tombs - tumbas; tumba
Methinks the story of the tower of Babel
Might teach them this much better than I'm able.
Babel was Nimrod's hunting-box, and then
Nimrod - Nemrod
A town of gardens, walls, and wealth amazing,
Where Nabuchadonosor, king of men,
Reign'd, till one summer's day he took to grazing,
grazing - pastoreo; (graze); rasguno, aranazo, rasguno, pastear
And Daniel tamed the lions in their den,
Daniel - Daniel
The people's awe and admiration raising;
'Twas famous, too, for Thisbe and for Pyramus,
And the calumniated queen Semiramis.
calumniated - calumniado; calumniar
That injured Queen by chroniclers so coarse
chroniclers - ronistas; cronista
Has been accused (I doubt not by conspiracy)
Of an improper friendship for her horse
(Love, like religion, sometimes runs to heresy):
heresy - herejía
This monstrous tale had probably its source
monstrous - monstruoso
(For such exaggerations here and there I see)
exaggerations - exageraciones; exageración
In writing 'Courser'by mistake for 'Courier:'
I wish the case could come before a jury here.
But to resume,"should there be (what may not
Be in these days?) some infidels, who don't,
Because they can't find out the very spot
Of that same Babel, or because they won't
(Though Claudius Rich, Esquire, some bricks has got,
bricks - ladrillos; ladrillo
And written lately two memoirs upon't),
Memoirs - memorias; memoria
Believe the Jews, those unbelievers, who
unbelievers - incrédulo
Must be believed, though they believe not you,
Yet let them think that Horace has exprest
Shortly and sweetly the masonic folly
Of those, forgetting the great place of rest,
Who give themselves to architecture wholly;
We know where things and men must end at best:
A moral (like all morals) melancholy,
And 'Et sepulchri immemor struis domos'
immemor - Inmemor
Shows that we build when we should but entomb us.
At last they reach'd a quarter most retired,
most retired - el más retirado
Where echo woke as if from a long slumber;
Though full of all things which could be desired,
desired - deseado; desear, deseo, gana
One wonder'd what to do with such a number
Of articles which nobody required;
Here wealth had done its utmost to encumber
With furniture an exquisite apartment,
exquisite - exquisito, bonísimo
Which puzzled Nature much to know what Art meant.
It seem'd, however, but to open on
A range or suite of further chambers, which
Might lead to heaven knows where; but in this one
The movables were prodigally rich:
prodigally - con prodigalidad
Sofas 'twas half a sin to sit upon,
sofas - sofás; sofá, sillón
So costly were they; carpets every stitch
Of workmanship so rare, they made you wish
workmanship - trabajo; calidad de artesano, calidad de fabricación, hechura
You could glide o'er them like a golden fish.
The black, however, without hardly deigning
deigning - dignarse
A glance at that which wrapt the slaves in wonder,
Trampled what they scarce trod for fear of staining,
trampled - pisoteado; pisotear, hollar, maltratar, humillar, ofender
staining - manchado; (stain); mancha, lamparón, tacha, mancilla, colorante
As if the milky way their feet was under
With all its stars; and with a stretch attaining
attaining - lograr, conseguir
A certain press or cupboard niched in yonder"
niched - hornacina, nicho
yonder - de allá, aquel, aquella
In that remote recess which you may see"
recess - receso
Or if you don't the fault is not in me,"
I wish to be perspicuous; and the black,
perspicuous - perspicuo
I say, unlocking the recess, pull'd forth
unlocking - desbloqueo; abrir, abrir con llave, desatrancar, desbloquear
A quantity of clothes fit for the back
Of any Mussulman, whate'er his worth;
And of variety there was no lack"
And yet, though I have said there was no dearth,
He chose himself to point out what he thought
most proper for the Christians he had bought.
most proper - el más adecuado
The suit he thought most suitable to each
most suitable - el más adecuado
Was, for the elder and the stouter, first
stouter - más fuerte; sólido, fuerte
A Candiote cloak, which to the knee might reach,
cloak - capa, embozo, velo, capa, embozar
And trousers not so tight that they would burst,
But such as fit an Asiatic breech;
Asiatic - Asiático
breech - de nalgas; culata
A shawl, whose folds in Cashmire had been nurst,
Slippers of saffron, dagger rich and handy;
dagger - daga, punal
handy - a mano, cercano
In short, all things which form a Turkish Dandy.
dandy - dandy, dandi, gomoso, petimetre
While he was dressing, Baba, their black friend,
Hinted the vast advantages which they
hinted - insinuado; pista, indicio, indirecta, buscapié, toque
Might probably attain both in the end,
attain - lograr, conseguir
If they would but pursue the proper way
Which fortune plainly seem'd to recommend;
And then he added, that he needs must say,
''Twould greatly tend to better their condition,
If they would condescend to circumcision.
circumcision - circuncisión
'For his own part, he really should rejoice
rejoice - alegrarse, regocijarse
To see them true believers, but no less
believers - creyentes; creyente
Would leave his proposition to their choice.'
proposition - propuesta, proposición
The other, thanking him for this excess
Of goodness, in thus leaving them a voice
goodness - bondad
In such a trifle, scarcely could express
trifle - baratija; sopa inglesa, pizca, nadería, nimiedad, zarandaja
'Sufficiently'(he said) 'his approbation
Of all the customs of this polish'd nation.
polish - pulir; polaco, polonés, polaco
'For his own share"he saw but small objection
objection - objeción, protesta
To so respectable an ancient rite;
rite - verdad; rito
And, after swallowing down a slight refection,
For which he own'd a present appetite,
He doubted not a few hours of reflection
Would reconcile him to the business quite.'
reconcile - reconciliar, avenir
'Will it?'said Juan, sharply: 'Strike me dead,
sharply - Agudamente
But they as soon shall circumcise my head!
circumcise - circuncidar
'Cut off a thousand heads, before-'"'Now, pray,'
Replied the other, 'do not interrupt:
You put me out in what I had to say.
Sir!"as I said, as soon as I have supt,
I shall perpend if your proposal may
perpend - Perder
proposal - propuesta
Be such as I can properly accept;
Provided always your great goodness still
Remits the matter to our own free-will.'
remits - misiones; remitir, competencia, negociado
Baba eyed Juan, and said, 'Be so good
As dress yourself-'and pointed out a suit
In which a Princess with great pleasure would
Array her limbs; but Juan standing mute,
As not being in a masquerading mood,
masquerading - enmascarado; mascarada
Gave it a slight kick with his Christian foot;
And when the old negro told him to 'Get ready,'
Replied, 'Old gentleman, I'm not a lady.'
'What you may be, I neither know nor care,'
Said Baba; 'but pray do as I desire:
I have no more time nor many words to spare.'
'At least,'said Juan, 'sure I may enquire
The cause of this odd travesty?'"'Forbear,'
Said Baba, 'to be curious; 'twill transpire,
No doubt, in proper place, and time, and season:
I have no authority to tell the reason.'
'Then if I do,'said Juan, 'I'll be-'"'Hold!'
Rejoin'd the negro, 'pray be not provoking;
provoking - provocando; provocar
This spirit 's well, but it may wax too bold,
And you will find us not top fond of joking.'
'What, sir!'said Juan, 'shall it e'er be told
That I unsex'd my dress?'But Baba, stroking
unsex - Sin sexo
stroking - Acariciar; (stroke) Acariciar
The things down, said, 'Incense me, and I call
incense - incienso, sahumerio, sahumo
Those who will leave you of no sex at all.
'I offer you a handsome suit of clothes:
A woman's, true; but then there is a cause
Why you should wear them.'"'What, though my soul loathes
loathes - detestar, repugnar, odiar
The effeminate garb?'"thus, after a short pause,
effeminate - afeminado, amanerado, amujerado, ahembrado
Sigh'd Juan, muttering also some slight oaths,
'What the devil shall I do with all this gauze?'
Thus he profanely term'd the finest lace
profanely - profanamente
Which e'er set off a marriage-morning face.
And then he swore; and, sighing, on he slipp'd
sighing - suspiro; suspirar
A pair of trousers of flesh-colour'd silk;
Next with a virgin zone he was equipp'd,
equipp - Equipar
Which girt a slight chemise as white as milk;
But tugging on his petticoat, he tripp'd,
tugging - Tirones; (tug); tirar, halar
Which"as we say"or, as the Scotch say, whilk
Scotch - escocés; escoceses
whilk - Qué
(The rhyme obliges me to this; sometimes
obliges - obligar
Monarchs are less imperative than rhymes)"
Whilk, which (or what you please), was owing to
His garment's novelty, and his being awkward:
novelty - novedad
And yet at last he managed to get through
His toilet, though no doubt a little backward:
backward - hacia atrás; atrasado, rezagado, subdesarrollado
The negro Baba help'd a little too,
When some untoward part of raiment stuck hard;
untoward - indecoroso; desfavorable, adverso, desventajoso, problemático
And, wrestling both his arms into a gown,
He paused, and took a survey up and down.
One difficulty still remain'd"his hair
Was hardly long enough; but Baba found
So many false long tresses all to spare,
That soon his head was most completely crown'd,
crown - corona
After the manner then in fashion there;
And this addition with such gems was bound
As suited the ensemble of his toilet,
ensemble - conjunto
While Baba made him comb his head and oil it.
comb - peine
And now being femininely all array'd,
femininely - femeninamente
With some small aid from scissors, paint, and tweezers,
scissors - tijeras; tijera, hacer la tijereta, hacer la tijera
He look'd in almost all respects a maid,
And Baba smilingly exclaim'd, 'You see, sirs,
smilingly - Sonriendo
A perfect transformation here display'd;
transformation - transformación
And now, then, you must come along with me, sirs,
That is"the Lady:'clapping his hands twice,
Four blacks were at his elbow in a trice.
'You, sir,'said Baba, nodding to the one,
nodding to - asentir
'Will please to accompany those gentlemen
accompany - acompanar; acompanar
To supper; but you, worthy Christian nun,
Will follow me: no trifling, sir; for when
trifling - tan insignificante; trivial, de pitiminí
I say a thing, it must at once be done.
What fear you? think you this a lion's den?
Why, 'tis a palace; where the truly wise
Anticipate the Prophet's paradise.
'You fool! I tell you no one means you harm.'
'So much the better,'Juan said, 'for them;
Else they shall feel the weight of this my arm,
Which is not quite so light as you may deem.
I yield thus far; but soon will break the charm
If any take me for that which I seem:
So that I trust for everybody's sake,
That this disguise may lead to no mistake.'
'Blockhead! come on, and see,'quoth Baba; while
Don Juan, turning to his comrade, who
Though somewhat grieved, could scarce forbear a smile
Upon the metamorphosis in view,"
metamorphosis - metamorfosis
'Farewell!'they mutually exclaim'd: 'this soil
mutually - mutuamente
Seems fertile in adventures strange and new;
One 's turn'd half Mussulman, and one a maid,
By this old black enchanter's unsought aid.'
unsought - No se busca
'Farewell!'said Juan: 'should we meet no more,
I wish you a good appetite.'"'Farewell!'
Replied the other; 'though it grieves me sore;
grieves - se aflige; afligirse, acongojarse
When we next meet we'll have a tale to tell:
We needs must follow when Fate puts from shore.
Keep your good name; though Eve herself once fell.'
'Nay,'quoth the maid, 'the Sultan's self shan't carry me,
Unless his highness promises to marry me.
Highness - alteza
And thus they parted, each by separate doors;
Baba led Juan onward room by room
Through glittering galleries and o'er marble floors,
Till a gigantic portal through the gloom,
gigantic - gigante, gigantesco
portal - portal, portada, vena porta
Haughty and huge, along the distance lowers;
And wafted far arose a rich perfume:
wafted - oscilado; revolotear, levitar, flotar, vaharada
perfume - aroma, perfume, perfumar
It seem'd as though they came upon a shrine,
For all was vast, still, fragrant, and divine.
fragrant - oloroso; fragante, perfumado
The giant door was broad, and bright, and high,
Of gilded bronze, and carved in curious guise;
bronze - bronce, broncíneo, broncínea, éneo, bronceado, tostado, pavonar
carved - tallado; cortar, trinchar, tallar, esculpir
Warriors thereon were battling furiously;
thereon - al respecto
furiously - furiosamente
Here stalks the victor, there the vanquish'd lies;
stalks - tallos; tallo
Victor - Víctor
There captives led in triumph droop the eye,
triumph - triunfar; triunfo
And in perspective many a squadron flies:
squadron - escuadrón, escuadra, cuadrilla
It seems the work of times before the line
Of Rome transplanted fell with Constantine.
transplanted - trasplantado; trasplantar, trasplante
This massy portal stood at the wide close
Of a huge hall, and on its either side
Two little dwarfs, the least you could suppose,
Were sate, like ugly imps, as if allied
imps - imps; diablillo
allied - aliado; aliarse (con)
In mockery to the enormous gate which rose
mockery - burla; mote, mofa, pitorreo, ludibrio
O'er them in almost pyramidic pride:
pyramidic - piramidal
The gate so splendid was in all its features,
You never thought about those little creatures,
Until you nearly trod on them, and then
You started back in horror to survey
The wondrous hideousness of those small men,
Whose colour was not black, nor white, nor grey,
But an extraneous mixture, which no pen
extraneous - extranos; externo, ajeno, irrelevante, que no viene al caso
Can trace, although perhaps the pencil may;
They were mis-shapen pigmies, deaf and dumb"
shapen - Formen
pigmies - Cerdo
Monsters, who cost a no less monstrous sum.
monsters - monstruos; monstruo, fiera
Their duty was"for they were strong, and though
They look'd so little, did strong things at times"
To ope this door, which they could really do,
The hinges being as smooth as Rogers'rhymes;
hinges - bisagras; bisagra, gozne, charnela, quicio, abisagrar, depender
And now and then, with tough strings of the bow,
As is the custom of those Eastern climes,
To give some rebel Pacha a cravat;
cravat - corbata; mascada
For mutes are generally used for that.
mutes - sordinas; mudo
They spoke by signs"that is, not spoke at all;
And looking like two incubi, they glared
As Baba with his fingers made them fall
To heaving back the portal folds: it scared
Juan a moment, as this pair so small
With shrinking serpent optics on him stared;
It was as if their little looks could poison
Or fascinate whome'er they fix'd their eyes on.
fascinate - fascinar
whome - Quién
Before they enter'd, Baba paused to hint
To Juan some slight lessons as his guide:
'If you could just contrive,'he said, 'to stint
stint - Período
That somewhat manly majesty of stride,
manly - varonil, viril
stride - andar a zancadas
'Twould be as well, and (though there's not much in 't)
To swing a little less from side to side,
swing - balanceo; balancear, mecer, columpiar, oscilar, columpio
Which has at times an aspect of the oddest;"
And also could you look a little modest,
''Twould be convenient; for these mutes have eyes
Like needles, which may pierce those petticoats;
pierce - perforar; atravesar, traspasar
petticoats - enaguas
And if they should discover your disguise,
You know how near us the deep Bosphorus floats;
And you and I may chance, ere morning rise,
To find our way to Marmora without boats,
Marmora - Mármora
Stitch'd up in sacks"a mode of navigation
sacks - sacos; saco
navigation - navegación, náutica
A good deal practised here upon occasion.'
With this encouragement, he led the way
Into a room still nobler than the last;
A rich confusion form'd a disarray
disarray - desorganización; desorden
In such sort, that the eye along it cast
Could hardly carry anything away,
Object on object flash'd so bright and fast;
A dazzling mass of gems, and gold, and glitter,
Magnificently mingled in a litter.
magnificently - magníficamente
litter - litera, artolas, camada, cama, lecho, detritus, basura
Wealth had done wonders"taste not much; such things
Occur in Orient palaces, and even
Orient - Oriente
In the more chasten'd domes of Western kings
domes - cúpulas; cúpula, domo
(Of which I have also seen some six or seven),
Where I can't say or gold or diamond flings
flings - revoloteos; arrojar, lanzar
Great lustre, there is much to be forgiven;
forgiven - perdonado; perdonar, disculpar
Groups of bad statues, tables, chairs, and pictures,
On which I cannot pause to make my strictures.
strictures - estricciones; estenosis
In this imperial hall, at distance lay
Under a canopy, and there reclined
canopy - cubierta; dosel, palio, toldo, alero, copa, parabrisas, capota
reclined - reclinado; reclinarse
Quite in a confidential queenly way,
confidential - confidencial
queenly - Reina
A lady; Baba stopp'd, and kneeling sign'd
To Juan, who though not much used to pray,
Knelt down by instinct, wondering in his mind,
knelt - de rodillas; arrodillarse
What all this meant: while Baba bow'd and bended
bended - Doblado
His head, until the ceremony ended.
The lady rising up with such an air
As Venus rose with from the wave, on them
Bent like an antelope a Paphian pair
antelope - antílope
paphian - pafio
Of eyes, which put out each surrounding gem;
surrounding - alrededor; periferia, rededor, derredor
And raising up an arm as moonlight fair,
She sign'd to Baba, who first kiss'd the hem
Of her deep purple robe, and speaking low,
Pointed to Juan who remain'd below.
Her presence was as lofty as her state;
Her beauty of that overpowering kind,
Whose force description only would abate:
I'd rather leave it much to your own mind,
Than lessen it by what I could relate
lessen - menoscabar, disminuir, reducir, aminorar
Of forms and features; it would strike you blind
Could I do justice to the full detail;
So, luckily for both, my phrases fail.
Thus much however I may add,"her years
Were ripe, they might make six-and-twenty springs;
But there are forms which Time to touch forbears,
forbears - soportar
And turns aside his scythe to vulgar things,
Such as was Mary's Queen of Scots; true"tears
Scots - escoceses; escocés, escocesa
And love destroy; and sapping sorrow wrings
sapping - sapping; savia
wrings - rugidos; torcer, retorcer
Charms from the charmer, yet some never grow
charmer - encantador, encantadora
Ugly; for instance"Ninon de l'Enclos.
enclos - Encerrado
She spake some words to her attendants, who
attendants - asistentes; asistente, guarda, concomitante, inherente
Composed a choir of girls, ten or a dozen,
composed - compuesto; componer, constituir, conformar, constar
choir - coro
dozen - docena, decenas
And were all clad alike; like Juan, too,
Who wore their uniform, by Baba chosen;
They form'd a very nymph-like looking crew,
Which might have call'd Diana's chorus 'cousin,'
Diana - Diana
As far as outward show may correspond;
correspond - corresponder, equivaler, corresponderse, cartearse
I won't be bail for anything beyond.
be bail for - ser fianza por
They bow'd obeisance and withdrew, retiring,
But not by the same door through which came in
Baba and Juan, which last stood admiring,
At some small distance, all he saw within
This strange saloon, much fitted for inspiring
inspiring - inspirador; inspirar, infundir
Marvel and praise; for both or none things win;
And I must say, I ne'er could see the very
Great happiness of the 'Nil Admirari.'
nil - nulo; nada, cero
'Not to admire is all the art I know
(Plain truth, dear Murray, needs few flowers of speech)
To make men happy, or to keep them so'
(So take it in the very words of Creech)"
Thus Horace wrote we all know long ago;
And thus Pope quotes the precept to re-teach
From his translation; but had none admired,
Would Pope have sung, or Horace been inspired?
inspired - inspirado; inspirar, infundir
Baba, when all the damsels were withdrawn,
damsels - amiselas; doncella, muchacha
Motion'd to Juan to approach, and then
A second time desired him to kneel down,
And kiss the lady's foot; which maxim when
He heard repeated, Juan with a frown
Drew himself up to his full height again,
And said, 'It grieved him, but he could not stoop
To any shoe, unless it shod the Pope.'
Baba, indignant at this ill-timed pride,
indignant - indignada; indignado
Made fierce remonstrances, and then a threat
threat - amenaza
He mutter'd (but the last was given aside)
About a bow-string"quite in vain; not yet
Would Juan bend, though 'twere to Mahomet's bride:
There's nothing in the world like etiquette
etiquette - etiqueta
In kingly chambers or imperial halls,
kingly - rey
As also at the race and county balls.
county - condado
He stood like Atlas, with a world of words
About his ears, and nathless would not bend:
nathless - Inexperto
The blood of all his line 's Castilian lords
Castilian - castellano, castellana
Boil'd in his veins, and rather than descend
To stain his pedigree a thousand swords
A thousand times of him had made an end;
At length perceiving the 'foot'could not stand,
Baba proposed that he should kiss the hand.
proposed - propuesta; proponer, pedir la mano, pedir matrimonio
Here was an honourable compromise,
compromise - compromiso; acuerdo, arreglo
A half-way house of diplomatic rest,
diplomatic - diplomático
Where they might meet in much more peaceful guise;
more peaceful - más pacífico
And Juan now his willingness exprest
To use all fit and proper courtesies,
courtesies - cortesías; cortesía, de cortesía
Adding, that this was commonest and best,
For through the South the custom still commands
The gentleman to kiss the lady's hands.
And he advanced, though with but a bad grace,
Though on more thorough-bred or fairer fingers
thorough - completo; minucioso, exhaustivo
No lips e'er left their transitory trace;
transitory - transitorio, pasajero
On such as these the lip too fondly lingers,
lingers - permanecer, demorar, persistir, perdurar, pervivir
And for one kiss would fain imprint a brace,
imprint - huella, marca, impresión
As you will see, if she you love shall bring hers
In contact; and sometimes even a fair stranger's
An almost twelvemonth's constancy endangers.
twelvemonth - doce meses
The lady eyed him o'er and o'er, and bade
Baba retire, which he obey'd in style,
As if well used to the retreating trade;
retreating - retirarse, batirse en retirada
And taking hints in good part all the while,
He whisper'd Juan not to be afraid,
And looking on him with a sort of smile,
Took leave, with such a face of satisfaction
satisfaction - satisfacción, satisfacción
As good men wear who have done a virtuous action.
When he was gone, there was a sudden change:
I know not what might be the lady's thought,
But o'er her bright brow flash'd a tumult strange,
tumult - clamor, bullicio, alboroto, tumulto
And into her dear cheek the blood was brought,
Blood-red as sunset summer clouds which range
The verge of Heaven; and in her large eyes wrought,
A mixture of sensations might be scann'd,
Of half voluptuousness and half command.
Her form had all the softness of her sex,
Her features all the sweetness of the devil,
When he put on the cherub to perplex
cherub - querubín
Eve, and paved (God knows how) the road to evil;
The sun himself was scarce more free from specks
specks - motas; manchita
Than she from aught at which the eye could cavil;
Yet, somehow, there was something somewhere wanting,
As if she rather order'd than was granting.
granting - otorgar, conceder, subvención, beca, patrocinio
Something imperial, or imperious, threw
imperious - imperioso
A chain o'er all she did; that is, a chain
Was thrown as 'twere about the neck of you,"
And rapture's self will seem almost a pain
self will - obstinación
With aught which looks like despotism in view:
despotism - despotismo
Our souls at least are free, and 'tis in vain
We would against them make the flesh obey"
The spirit in the end will have its way.
Her very smile was haughty, though so sweet;
Her very nod was not an inclination;
nod - asentir, cabecear, cabezada
inclination - inclinación
There was a self-will even in her small feet,
As though they were quite conscious of her station"
They trod as upon necks; and to complete
Her state (it is the custom of her nation),
A poniard deck'd her girdle, as the sign
poniard - punal
She was a sultan's bride (thank Heaven, not mine!).
'To hear and to obey'had been from birth
The law of all around her; to fulfill
fulfill - cumplir, realizar, satisfacer
All phantasies which yielded joy or mirth,
phantasies - fantasía
Had been her slaves'chief pleasure, as her will;
Her blood was high, her beauty scarce of earth:
Judge, then, if her caprices e'er stood still;
caprices - aprichos; capricho
Had she but been a Christian, I've a notion
We should have found out the 'perpetual motion.'
Whate'er she saw and coveted was brought;
coveted - odiciado; desear, codiciar, checkenvidiar
Whate'er she did not see, if she supposed
It might be seen, with diligence was sought,
diligence - diligencia, esmero
And when 'twas found straightway the bargain closed;
straightway - De inmediato
There was no end unto the things she bought,
Nor to the trouble which her fancies caused;
Yet even her tyranny had such a grace,
The women pardon'd all except her face.
Juan, the latest of her whims, had caught
Her eye in passing on his way to sale;
She order'd him directly to be bought,
And Baba, who had ne'er been known to fail
In any kind of mischief to be wrought,
At all such auctions knew how to prevail:
auctions - ubastas; subasta, remate, almoneda, subastar, rematar
prevail - prevalecer, vencer
She had no prudence, but he had; and this
prudence - prudencia
Explains the garb which Juan took amiss.
His youth and features favour'd the disguise,
And, should you ask how she, a sultan's bride,
Could risk or compass such strange phantasies,
This I must leave sultanas to decide:
sultanas - sultanas; sultanina, sultana
Emperors are only husbands in wives'eyes,
emperors - emperadores; emperador
And kings and consorts oft are mystified,
consorts - onsortes; consorte, consorcio
As we may ascertain with due precision,
Some by experience, others by tradition.
by experience - por experiencia
But to the main point, where we have been tending:"
She now conceived all difficulties past,
conceived - concebido; concebir
And deem'd herself extremely condescending
condescending - condescendiente; condescender
When, being made her property at last,
Without more preface, in her blue eyes blending
preface - prefacio, introducir
Passion and power, a glance on him she cast,
And merely saying, 'Christian, canst thou love?'
Conceived that phrase was quite enough to move
And so it was, in proper time and place;
But Juan, who had still his mind o'erflowing
With Haidee's isle and soft Ionian face,
Felt the warm blood, which in his face was glowing,
Rush back upon his heart, which fill'd apace,
And left his cheeks as pale as snowdrops blowing;
snowdrops - campanillas de las nieves; campanilla de febrero
These words went through his soul like Arab-spears,
spears - lanzas; lanza, jabalina
So that he spoke not, but burst into tears.
She was a good deal shock'd; not shock'd at tears,
For women shed and use them at their liking;
But there is something when man's eye appears
Wet, still more disagreeable and striking;
disagreeable - desagradable
striking - sorprendente; llamativo, imponente
A woman's tear-drop melts, a man's half sears,
sears - Dorar
Like molten lead, as if you thrust a pike in
His heart to force it out, for (to be shorter)
To them 'tis a relief, to us a torture.
And she would have consoled, but knew not how:
consoled - consolado; consolar
Having no equals, nothing which had e'er
Infected her with sympathy till now,
infected - infectado; infectar, contagiar, alborotar
And never having dreamt what 'twas to bear
Aught of a serious, sorrowing kind, although
sorrowing - Anorando; (sorrow); tristeza, aflicción, infelicidad, pesar
There might arise some pouting petty care
pouting - Haciendo pucheros; (pout) Haciendo pucheros
To cross her brow, she wonder'd how so near
Her eyes another's eye could shed a tear.
But nature teaches more than power can spoil,
And, when a strong although a strange sensation
Moves"female hearts are such a genial soil
For kinder feelings, whatsoe'er their nation,
They naturally pour the 'wine and oil,'
Samaritans in every situation;
Samaritans - samaritanos; samaritano, samaritana
And thus Gulbeyaz, though she knew not why,
Felt an odd glistening moisture in her eye.
But tears must stop like all things else; and soon
Juan, who for an instant had been moved
To such a sorrow by the intrusive tone
intrusive - intrusivo; intruso
Of one who dared to ask if 'he had loved,'
Call'd back the stoic to his eyes, which shone
Bright with the very weakness he reproved;
reproved - reprobado; reprobar, reprender
And although sensitive to beauty, he
sensitive - sensible, sensitivo, susceptible
Felt most indignant still at not being free.
most indignant - el más indignado
Gulbeyaz, for the first time in her days,
Was much embarrass'd, never having met
In all her life with aught save prayers and praise;
And as she also risk'd her life to get
Him whom she meant to tutor in love's ways
Into a comfortable tete-a-tete,
tete-a-tete - (tete-a-tete) conversación íntima, cara a cara, vis a vis
To lose the hour would make her quite a martyr,
And they had wasted now almost a quarter.
I also would suggest the fitting time
To gentlemen in any such like case,
That is to say in a meridian clime"
With us there is more law given to the chase,
But here a small delay forms a great crime:
So recollect that the extremest grace
Is just two minutes for your declaration"
declaration - declaración
A moment more would hurt your reputation.
reputation - reputación
Juan's was good; and might have been still better,
But he had got Haidee into his head:
However strange, he could not yet forget her,
Which made him seem exceedingly ill-bred.
Gulbeyaz, who look'd on him as her debtor
debtor - deudor, deudora
For having had him to her palace led,
Began to blush up to the eyes, and then
Grow deadly pale, and then blush back again.
At length, in an imperial way, she laid
Her hand on his, and bending on him eyes
Which needed not an empire to persuade,
Look'd into his for love, where none replies:
Her brow grew black, but she would not upbraid,
That being the last thing a proud woman tries;
She rose, and pausing one chaste moment, threw
Herself upon his breast, and there she grew.
This was an awkward test, as Juan found,
But he was steel'd by sorrow, wrath, and pride:
steel - acero
With gentle force her white arms he unwound,
unwound - desenrollado; desenrollar, relajarse
And seated her all drooping by his side,
Then rising haughtily he glanced around,
haughtily - con altanería; altivamente, altaneramente
glanced - mirada; ojear, echar un vistazo, mirar, pispear, vistazo
And looking coldly in her face, he cried,
coldly - fríamente
'The prison'd eagle will not pair, nor
Serve a Sultana's sensual phantasy.
Sultana - sultanina, sultana
sensual - sensual
phantasy - fantasía
'Thou ask'st if I can love? be this the proof
How much I have loved"that I love not thee!
In this vile garb, the distaff, web, and woof,
distaff - mujer; rueca
Woof - guau; ladrar
Were fitter for me: Love is for the free!
I am not dazzled by this splendid roof,
dazzled - deslumbrado; deslumbrar, obnubilar, encandilar, empaparotar
Whate'er thy power, and great it seems to be;
Heads bow, knees bend, eyes watch around a throne,
And hands obey"our hearts are still our own.'
This was a truth to us extremely trite;
Not so to her, who ne'er had heard such things:
She deem'd her least command must yield delight,
Earth being only made for queens and kings.
If hearts lay on the left side or the right
She hardly knew, to such perfection brings
Legitimacy its born votaries, when
legitimacy - legitimidad
votaries - Votario
Aware of their due royal rights o'er men.
Besides, as has been said, she was so fair
As even in a much humbler lot had made
A kingdom or confusion anywhere,
And also, as may be presumed, she laid
Some stress on charms, which seldom are, if e'er,
By their possessors thrown into the shade:
possessors - poseedores; posesor
She thought hers gave a double 'right divine;'
And half of that opinion 's also mine.
Remember, or (if you can not) imagine,
Ye, who have kept your chastity when young,
chastity - castidad
While some more desperate dowager has been waging
Dowager - viuda, dama
waging - luchando; hacer (la guerra), librar, dar
Love with you, and been in the dog-days stung
By your refusal, recollect her raging!
refusal - negativa, rechazo
Or recollect all that was said or sung
On such a subject; then suppose the face
Of a young downright beauty in this case.
Suppose,"but you already have supposed,
The spouse of Potiphar, the Lady Booby,
booby - bobo
Phaedra, and all which story has disclosed
disclosed - divulgado; revelar, divulgar
Of good examples; pity that so few by
Poets and private tutors are exposed,
exposed - Exposiciones
To educate"ye youth of Europe"you by!
But when you have supposed the few we know,
You can't suppose Gulbeyaz'angry brow.
A tigress robb'd of young, a lioness,
Or any interesting beast of prey,
Are similes at hand for the distress
similes - símiles; símil
Of ladies who can not have their own way;
But though my turn will not be served with less,
These don't express one half what I should say:
For what is stealing young ones, few or many,
To cutting short their hopes of having any?
The love of offspring 's nature's general law,
From tigresses and cubs to ducks and ducklings;
tigresses - tigresas; tigresa
cubs - cachorros; cachorro
ducks - patos; hundir, sumergir
ducklings - Patos
There's nothing whets the beak, or arms the claw
whets - whets; afilar, estimular
beak - pico
Like an invasion of their babes and sucklings;
invasion - invasión
sucklings - Nodrizas
And all who have seen a human nursery, saw
nursery - guardería; criadero, casa cuna, semillero, vivero
How mothers love their children's squalls and chucklings;
squalls - chubascos; tormenta, borrasca
chucklings - Risas
This strong extreme effect (to tire no longer
tire - neumático
Your patience) shows the cause must still be stronger.
If I said fire flash'd from Gulbeyaz'eyes,
'Twere nothing"for her eyes flash'd always fire;
Or said her cheeks assumed the deepest dyes,
assumed - asumido; suponer, dar por sentado, asumir
I should but bring disgrace upon the dyer,
dyer - tintorero, tintorera
So supernatural was her passion's rise;
For ne'er till now she knew a check'd desire:
Even ye who know what a check'd woman is
(Enough, God knows!) would much fall short of this.
Her rage was but a minute's, and 'twas well"
A moment's more had slain her; but the while
It lasted 'twas like a short glimpse of hell:
Nought 's more sublime than energetic bile,
energetic - enérgico, energético
Though horrible to see yet grand to tell,
Like ocean warring 'gainst a rocky isle;
And the deep passions flashing through her form
Made her a beautiful embodied storm.
embodied - encarnado; personificar, encarnar, incorporar
A vulgar tempest 'twere to a typhoon
typhoon - tifón
To match a common fury with her rage,
And yet she did not want to reach the moon,
Like moderate Hotspur on the immortal page;
Her anger pitch'd into a lower tune,
Perhaps the fault of her soft sex and age"
Her wish was but to 'kill, kill, kill,'like Lear's,
And then her thirst of blood was quench'd in tears.
A storm it raged, and like the storm it pass'd,
raged - enfurecido; rabia, furor
Pass'd without words"in fact she could not speak;
And then her sex's shame broke in at last,
A sentiment till then in her but weak,
sentiment - sentimiento
But now it flow'd in natural and fast,
As water through an unexpected leak;
For she felt humbled"and humiliation
humbled - humillado; humilde
humiliation - humillación, humillación
Is sometimes good for people in her station
It teaches them that they are flesh and blood,
It also gently hints to them that others,
Although of clay, are yet not quite of mud;
That urns and pipkins are but fragile brothers,
urns - urnas; urna
And works of the same pottery, bad or good,
pottery - cerámica, loza, alfarería
Though not all born of the same sires and mothers:
It teaches"Heaven knows only what it teaches,
But sometimes it may mend, and often reaches.
Her first thought was to cut off Juan's head;
Her second, to cut only his"acquaintance;
Her third, to ask him where he had been bred;
Her fourth, to rally him into repentance;
rally - reunión; reagrupar
Her fifth, to call her maids and go to bed;
Her sixth, to stab herself; her seventh, to sentence
stab - apunalar
The lash to Baba:"but her grand resource
Was to sit down again, and cry of course.
She thought to stab herself, but then she had
The dagger close at hand, which made it awkward;
For Eastern stays are little made to pad,
pad - almohadilla
So that a poniard pierces if 'tis stuck hard:
pierces - perfora; atravesar, traspasar
She thought of killing Juan"but, poor lad!
Though he deserved it well for being so backward,
The cutting off his head was not the art
Most likely to attain her aim"his heart.
Juan was moved; he had made up his mind
To be impaled, or quarter'd as a dish
impaled - empalado; empalar
For dogs, or to be slain with pangs refined,
Or thrown to lions, or made baits for fish,
baits - ebos; cebo, carnada, carnaza
And thus heroically stood resign'd,
Rather than sin"except to his own wish:
But all his great preparatives for dying
preparatives - Preparatoria
Dissolved like snow before a woman crying.
As through his palms Bob Acres'valour oozed,
palms - palmeras; palma
acres - acres; acre
oozed - rezumaba; manar, rezumar
So Juan's virtue ebb'd, I know not how;
And first he wonder'd why he had refused;
And then, if matters could be made up now;
And next his savage virtue he accused,
Just as a friar may accuse his vow,
accuse - acusar, denunciar
Or as a dame repents her of her oath,
repents - se arrepiente; arrepentirse
Which mostly ends in some small breach of both.
breach - brecha, violación, batería, boquete, disolución, quebrada
So he began to stammer some excuses;
But words are not enough in such a matter,
Although you borrow'd all that e'er the muses
Have sung, or even a Dandy's dandiest chatter,
dandiest - el más dandi; dandy, dandi, gomoso, petimetre
Or all the figures Castlereagh abuses;
abuses - abusos; Abuso
Just as a languid smile began to flatter
His peace was making, but before he ventured
ventured - se aventuró; aventura, arriesgar
Further, old Baba rather briskly enter'd.
briskly - enérgicamente; con brío, brioso; rápido, enérgico, briosamente
'Bride of the Sun! and Sister of the Moon!'
('Twas thus he spake) 'and Empress of the Earth!
Empress - Emperatriz
Whose frown would put the spheres all out of tune,
Whose smile makes all the planets dance with mirth,
Your slave brings tidings"he hopes not too soon"
tidings - noticias; noticia
Which your sublime attention may be worth:
The Sun himself has sent me like a ray,
To hint that he is coming up this way.'
'Is it,'exclaim'd Gulbeyaz, 'as you say?
I wish to heaven he would not shine till morning!
But bid my women form the milky way.
Hence, my old comet! give the stars due warning"
comet - cometa
And, Christian! mingle with them as you may,
And as you'd have me pardon your past scorning-'
scorning - desprecio; (scorn); despreciar, desdenar, menospreciar
Here they were interrupted by a humming
humming - Tarareando; (hum); tararear, canturrear
Sound, and then by a cry, 'The Sultan 's coming!'
First came her damsels, a decorous file,
decorous - decoroso
And then his Highness'eunuchs, black and white;
The train might reach a quarter of a mile:
His majesty was always so polite
As to announce his visits a long while
Before he came, especially at night;
For being the last wife of the Emperour,
She was of course the favorite of the four.
His Highness was a man of solemn port,
Shawl'd to the nose, and bearded to the eyes,
bearded - con barba; barba, jotera, pantalla, barbar, provocar, mortificar
Snatch'd from a prison to preside at court,
preside - presidir
His lately bowstrung brother caused his rise;
bowstrung - bowstrung; cuerda
He was as good a sovereign of the sort
As any mention'd in the histories
Of Cantemir, or Knolles, where few shine
Save Solyman, the glory of their line.
He went to mosque in state, and said his prayers
mosque - mezquita
With more than 'Oriental scrupulosity;'
scrupulosity - Escrupulosidad
He left to his vizier all state affairs,
state affairs - asunto del Estado
And show'd but little royal curiosity:
I know not if he had domestic cares"
No process proved connubial animosity;
animosity - animidad; animosidad, animadversión
Four wives and twice five hundred maids, unseen,
Were ruled as calmly as a Christian queen.
If now and then there happen'd a slight slip,
Little was heard of criminal or crime;
The story scarcely pass'd a single lip"
The sack and sea had settled all in time,
sack - saco
From which the secret nobody could rip:
The Public knew no more than does this rhyme;
No scandals made the daily press a curse"
daily press - la prensa diaria
Morals were better, and the fish no worse.
He saw with his own eyes the moon was round,
Was also certain that the earth was square,
Because he had journey'd fifty miles, and found
No sign that it was circular anywhere;
circular - circular
His empire also was without a bound:
'Tis true, a little troubled here and there,
By rebel pachas, and encroaching giaours,
encroaching - invasión; inmiscuirse
But then they never came to 'the Seven Towers;'
Except in shape of envoys, who were sent
envoys - enviados; enviado
To lodge there when a war broke out, according
Lodge - cabana, barraca, caseta, logia, madriguera, panish: t-needed
To the true law of nations, which ne'er meant
Those scoundrels, who have never had a sword in
scoundrels - sinvergüenzas; bribón, canalla, bellaco, villano
Their dirty diplomatic hands, to vent
vent - ventilar; respiradero; rejilla de ventilación
Their spleen in making strife, and safely wording
Their lies, yclep'd despatches, without risk or
despatches - despachar
The singeing of a single inky whisker.
singeing - chamuscado; chamuscar
whisker - vibrisa, bigote
He had fifty daughters and four dozen sons,
Of whom all such as came of age were stow'd,
The former in a palace, where like nuns
Nuns - monjas; monja, religiosa
They lived till some Bashaw was sent abroad,
When she, whose turn it was, was wed at once,
Sometimes at six years old"though it seems odd,
'Tis true; the reason is, that the Bashaw
Must make a present to his sire in law.
make a present - hacer un regalo
His sons were kept in prison, till they grew
Of years to fill a bowstring or the throne,
bowstring - cuerda del arco; cuerda
One or the other, but which of the two
Could yet be known unto the fates alone;
Meantime the education they went through
Was princely, as the proofs have always shown:
princely - príncipe; principesco, regio
So that the heir apparent still was found
heir apparent - heredero aparente
No less deserving to be hang'd than crown'd.
deserving - merecedor; (deserve); merecer, meritar
His majesty saluted his fourth spouse
saluted - saludado; saludo, venia
With all the ceremonies of his rank,
Who clear'd her sparkling eyes and smooth'd her brows,
As suits a matron who has play'd a prank;
prank - travesura, broma, inocentada, jugarreta
These must seem doubly mindful of their vows,
mindful - conciencia; consciente
To save the credit of their breaking bank:
To no men are such cordial greetings given
As those whose wives have made them fit for heaven.
His Highness cast around his great black eyes,
And looking, as he always look'd, perceived
Juan amongst the damsels in disguise,
At which he seem'd no whit surprised nor grieved,
whit - Qué
But just remark'd with air sedate and wise,
While still a fluttering sigh Gulbeyaz heaved,
'I see you've bought another girl; 'tis pity
That a mere Christian should be half so pretty.'
This compliment, which drew all eyes upon
compliment - cumplido, felicitar, cumplimentar
The new-bought virgin, made her blush and shake.
Her comrades, also, thought themselves undone:
comrades - camaradas; companero, colega, camarada, correligionario
O! Mahomet! that his majesty should take
Such notice of a giaour, while scarce to one
Of them his lips imperial ever spake!
There was a general whisper, toss, and wriggle,
wriggle - retorcer
But etiquette forbade them all to giggle.
giggle - risa; reír
The Turks do well to shut"at least, sometimes"
The women up, because, in sad reality,
Their chastity in these unhappy climes
Is not a thing of that astringent quality
astringent - astringente
Which in the North prevents precocious crimes,
And makes our snow less pure than our morality;
The sun, which yearly melts the polar ice,
polar - polar
Has quite the contrary effect on vice.
Thus in the East they are extremely strict,
And Wedlock and a Padlock mean the same;
padlock - candado, candar, asegurar
Excepting only when the former 's pick'd
It ne'er can be replaced in proper frame;
Spoilt, as a pipe of claret is when prick'd:
But then their own Polygamy 's to blame;
polygamy - poligamia
Why don't they knead two virtuous souls for life
knead - amasar
Into that moral centaur, man and wife?
centaur - centauro
Thus far our chronicle; and now we pause,
Though not for want of matter; but 'tis time
According to the ancient epic laws,
To slacken sail, and anchor with our rhyme.
slacken - aflojar
Let this fifth canto meet with due applause,
The sixth shall have a touch of the sublime;
Meanwhile, as Homer sometimes sleeps, perhaps
You'll pardon to my muse a few short naps.
naps - siestas; siesta
'There is a tide in the affairs of men
Which,"taken at the flood,'"you know the rest,
And most of us have found it now and then;
At least we think so, though but few have guess'd
The moment, till too late to come again.
But no doubt every thing is for the best"
Of which the surest sign is in the end:
When things are at the worst they sometimes mend.
There is a tide in the affairs of women
Which, taken at the flood, leads"God knows where:
Those navigators must be able seamen
navigators - navegantes; navegante
Whose charts lay down its current to a hair;
Not all the reveries of Jacob Behmen
Jacob - Jacob, Jacobo, Yago, Santiago, Diego
With its strange whirls and eddies can compare:
eddies - torbellinos; remolino
Men with their heads reflect on this and that"
But women with their hearts on heaven knows what!
And yet a headlong, headstrong, downright she,
headstrong - testarudo; díscolo, desconsiderado
Young, beautiful, and daring"who would risk
daring - atrevido, audaz, osado; (dare); atrevido, audaz, osado
A throne, the world, the universe, to be
Beloved in her own way, and rather whisk
whisk - batidor; llevar rápidamente
The stars from out the sky, than not be free
As are the billows when the breeze is brisk"
brisk - brioso, enérgico, vital, vigorizante, brusco
Though such a she 's a devil (if that there be one),
Yet she would make full many a Manichean.
Manichean - Maniqueo
Thrones, worlds, et cetera, are so oft upset
thrones - tronos; trono
By commonest ambition, that when passion
O'erthrows the same, we readily forget,
readily - listo; fácilmente, en seguida, pronto
Or at the least forgive, the loving rash one.
If Antony be well remember'd yet,
'Tis not his conquests keep his name in fashion,
conquests - conquistas; conquista
But Actium, lost for Cleopatra's eyes,
Cleopatra - Cleopatra
Outbalances all Caesar's victories.
Outbalances - Equilibrio
victories - Victoria
He died at fifty for a queen of forty;
I wish their years had been fifteen and twenty,
For then wealth, kingdoms, worlds are but a sport"I
kingdoms - reinos; reino
Remember when, though I had no great plenty
Of worlds to lose, yet still, to pay my court, I
Gave what I had"a heart: as the world went, I
Gave what was worth a world; for worlds could never
Restore me those pure feelings, gone forever.
restore - restablecer, restaurar
'Twas the boy's 'mite,'and, like the 'widow's,'may
mite - ácaro
Perhaps be weigh'd hereafter, if not now;
But whether such things do or do not weigh,
All who have loved, or love, will still allow
Life has nought like it. God is love, they say,
And Love 's a god, or was before the brow
Of earth was wrinkled by the sins and tears
wrinkled - arrugado; arruga
Of"but Chronology best knows the years.
We left our hero and third heroine in
A kind of state more awkward than uncommon,
more awkward - más incómodo
For gentlemen must sometimes risk their skin
For that sad tempter, a forbidden woman:
forbidden - prohibido; prohibir, vedar, vetar, negar
Sultans too much abhor this sort of sin,
sultans - sultanes; sultán
And don't agree at all with the wise Roman,
Heroic, stoic Cato, the sententious,
sententious - conciso, lacónico, sucinto, sentencioso
Who lent his lady to his friend Hortensius.
I know Gulbeyaz was extremely wrong;
I own it, I deplore it, I condemn it;
But I detest all fiction even in song,
And so must tell the truth, howe'er you blame it.
Her reason being weak, her passions strong,
She thought that her lord's heart (even could she claim it)
Was scarce enough; for he had fifty-nine
Years, and a fifteen-hundredth concubine.
hundredth - entésima; centésimo, centésimo
concubine - concubina
I am not, like Cassio, 'an arithmetician,'
But by 'the bookish theoric'it appears,
bookish - libris; estudioso, exico, literario, pedante, formalista
theoric - teórico
If 'tis summ'd up with feminine precision,
summ - Sum
That, adding to the account his Highness'years,
The fair Sultana err'd from inanition;
For, were the Sultan just to all his dears,
She could but claim the fifteen-hundredth part
Of what should be monopoly"the heart.
monopoly - monopolio, monopolista
It is observed that ladies are litigious
Upon all legal objects of possession,
And not the least so when they are religious,
Which doubles what they think of the transgression:
With suits and prosecutions they besiege us,
prosecutions - enjuiciamientos; procesamiento, acusación, fiscalía
besiege - asediar, sitiar, poner sitio, asaeteado
As the tribunals show through many a session,
Tribunals - tribunales; tribunal
show through - ser visible a través de, mostrar
When they suspect that any one goes shares
In that to which the law makes them sole heirs.
sole heirs - únicos herederos
Now, if this holds good in a Christian land,
The heathen also, though with lesser latitude,
heathen - pagano, bárbaro, pagano, pagana
Latitude - latitud, holgura
Are apt to carry things with a high hand,
apt - apto; susceptible de, propenso a
And take what kings call 'an imposing attitude,'
imposing - imponente; imponer
And for their rights connubial make a stand,
When their liege husbands treat them with ingratitude:
ingratitude - ingratitud
And as four wives must have quadruple claims,
quadruple - cuádruple, cuadruplicar
The Tigris hath its jealousies like Thames.
Tigris - Tigris
jealousies - celo, celos, envidia
Thames - Támesis
Gulbeyaz was the fourth, and (as I said)
The favourite; but what 's favour amongst four?
Polygamy may well be held in dread,
Not only as a sin, but as a bore:
Most wise men, with one moderate woman wed,
Will scarcely find philosophy for more;
And all (except Mahometans) forbear
Mahometans - Mahometano
To make the nuptial couch a 'Bed of Ware.'
His Highness, the sublimest of mankind,"
sublimest - lo más sublime; sublime
So styled according to the usual forms
Of every monarch, till they are consign'd
monarch - monarca
consign - consignar
To those sad hungry jacobins the worms,
worms - lombrices; gusano, lombriz, alimana, rata
Who on the very loftiest kings have dined,"
loftiest - el más alto; majestuoso
dined - cenamos; jaleo
His Highness gazed upon Gulbeyaz'charms,
Expecting all the welcome of a lover
(A 'Highland welcome'all the wide world over).
Highland - tierras altas
Now here we should distinguish; for howe'er
distinguish - distinguir
Kisses, sweet words, embraces, and all that,
embraces - abrazos; abrazar, abrazo
May look like what is"neither here nor there,
They are put on as easily as a hat,
Or rather bonnet, which the fair sex wear,
bonnet - capucha, gorra, cofia, capota, capó
Trimm'd either heads or hearts to decorate,
Which form an ornament, but no more part
ornament - ornamento, ornamento musical
Of heads, than their caresses of the heart.
caresses - caricias; caricia, carantona, acariciar
A slight blush, a soft tremor, a calm kind
Of gentle feminine delight, and shown
More in the eyelids than the eyes, resign'd
Rather to hide what pleases most unknown,
most unknown - el más desconocido
Are the best tokens (to a modest mind)
tokens - fichas; sena, recuerdo, ficha, prenda, símbolo, simbólico
Of love, when seated on his loveliest throne,
A sincere woman's breast,"for over-warm
sincere - sincero
Or over-cold annihilates the charm.
annihilates - aniquilar, anihilar
For over-warmth, if false, is worse than truth;
If true, 'tis no great lease of its own fire;
For no one, save in very early youth,
Would like (I think) to trust all to desire,
Which is but a precarious bond, in sooth,
And apt to be transferr'd to the first buyer
buyer - cliente, clienta, comprador, compradora
At a sad discount: while your over chilly
chilly - frío
Women, on t'other hand, seem somewhat silly.
That is, we cannot pardon their bad taste,
For so it seems to lovers swift or slow,
swift - rápido, veloz, célere, pronto
Who fain would have a mutual flame confess'd,
And see a sentimental passion glow,
Even were St. Francis'paramour their guest,
Francis - Francisco, Paco
paramour - amante, amor prohibido
In his monastic concubine of snow;"
monastic - monástico, monacal, monjil, frailuno
In short, the maxim for the amorous tribe is
Horatian, 'Medio tu tutissimus ibis.'
ibis - ibis
The 'tu''s too much,"but let it stand,"the verse
Requires it, that 's to say, the English rhyme,
And not the pink of old hexameters;
hexameters - hexámetros; hexámetro
But, after all, there's neither tune nor time
In the last line, which cannot well be worse,
And was thrust in to close the octave's chime:
chime - timbre; carrillón
I own no prosody can ever rate it
As a rule, but truth may, if you translate it.
If fair Gulbeyaz overdid her part,
overdid - exageró; pasarse, cocer demasiado
I know not"it succeeded, and success
Is much in most things, not less in the heart
Than other articles of female dress.
Self-love in man, too, beats all female art;
They lie, we lie, all lie, but love no less;
And no one virtue yet, except starvation,
starvation - inanición
Could stop that worst of vices"propagation.
propagation - propagación
We leave this royal couple to repose:
A bed is not a throne, and they may sleep,
Whate'er their dreams be, if of joys or woes:
Yet disappointed joys are woes as deep
As any man's day mixture undergoes.
Undergoes - se somete; experimentar, sufrir, soportar, padecer
Our least of sorrows are such as we weep;
'Tis the vile daily drop on drop which wears
The soul out (like the stone) with petty cares.
A scolding wife, a sullen son, a bill
scolding - reganar; regano, sermón, bronca, rapapolvo; (scold); reganar
sullen - hosco, hurano, sombrío, lento
To pay, unpaid, protested, or discounted
unpaid - Sin pagar
At a per-centage; a child cross, dog ill,
centage - centaje
A favourite horse fallen lame just as he 's mounted,
lame - cojo
A bad old woman making a worse will,
Which leaves you minus of the cash you counted
minus - menos, negativo
As certain;"these are paltry things, and yet
paltry - pobre; insignificante, ridículo, irrisorio, miserable
I've rarely seen the man they did not fret.
I'm a philosopher; confound them all!
Confound - confundir, empeorar
Bills, beasts, and men, and"no! not womankind!
With one good hearty curse I vent my gall,
And then my stoicism leaves nought behind
stoicism - estoicismo
Which it can either pain or evil call,
And I can give my whole soul up to mind;
Though what is soul or mind, their birth or growth,
Is more than I know"the deuce take them both!
As after reading Athanasius'curse,
Which doth your true believer so much please:
believer - creyente
I doubt if any now could make it worse
O'er his worst enemy when at his knees,
'Tis so sententious, positive, and terse,
Terse - tersa; conciso, lacónico, brusco
And decorates the book of Common Prayer,
As doth a rainbow the just clearing air.
Gulbeyaz and her lord were sleeping, or
At least one of them!"Oh, the heavy night,
When wicked wives, who love some bachelor,
bachelor - soltero; solterón, bachiller, título de grado, licenciatura
Lie down in dudgeon to sigh for the light
Of the gray morning, and look vainly for
Gray - Gris
Its twinkle through the lattice dusky quite"
Twinkle - titilar, fulgurar, refulgir
dusky - Oscuro
To toss, to tumble, doze, revive, and quake
doze - dormir; dormitar
Lest their too lawful bed-fellow should wake!
lawful - legal; panish: t-needed
These are beneath the canopy of heaven,
Also beneath the canopy of beds
Four-posted and silk curtain'd, which are given
For rich men and their brides to lay their heads
Upon, in sheets white as what bards call 'driven
Snow.'Well! 'tis all hap-hazard when one weds.
hazard - riesgo, peligro, arriesgar, peligrar, aventurar
weds - se casa; casar
Gulbeyaz was an empress, but had been
Perhaps as wretched if a peasant's quean.
Don Juan in his feminine disguise,
With all the damsels in their long array,
Had bow'd themselves before th'imperial eyes,
And at the usual signal ta'en their way
Back to their chambers, those long galleries
In the seraglio, where the ladies lay
Their delicate limbs; a thousand bosoms there
Beating for love, as the caged bird's for air.
I love the sex, and sometimes would reverse
reverse - invertir; dar marcha atrás
The tyrant's wish, 'that mankind only had
One neck, which he with one fell stroke might pierce:'
My wish is quite as wide, but not so bad,
And much more tender on the whole than fierce;
It being (not now, but only while a lad)
That womankind had but one rosy mouth,
To kiss them all at once from North to South.
O, enviable Briareus! with thy hands
enviable - envidiable
And heads, if thou hadst all things multiplied
multiplied - multiplicado; multiplicar
In such proportion!"But my Muse withstands
proportion - proporción
withstands - esiste; aguantar
The giant thought of being a Titan's bride,
Or travelling in Patagonian lands;
Patagonian - patagónica; patagónico
So let us back to Lilliput, and guide
Our hero through the labyrinth of love
In which we left him several lines above.
He went forth with the lovely Odalisques,
odalisques - odaliscas; odalisca
At the given signal join'd to their array;
And though he certainly ran many risks,
Yet he could not at times keep, by the way
(Although the consequences of such frisks
frisks - friscos; vivaracho, juguetear, cachear
Are worse than the worst damages men pay
In moral England, where the thing 's a tax),
From ogling all their charms from breasts to backs.
ogling - Observando; (ogle) Observando
Still he forgot not his disguise:"along
The galleries from room to room they walk'd,
A virgin-like and edifying throng,
By eunuchs flank'd; while at their head there stalk'd
A dame who kept up discipline among
discipline - disciplina, castigo, ramo, disciplinar
The female ranks, so that none stirr'd or talk'd
Without her sanction on their she-parades:
sanction - autorización, aprobación, decreto, sanción, ratificar
parades - desfiles; desfile
Her title was 'the Mother of the Maids.'
Whether she was a 'mother,'I know not,
Or whether they were 'maids'who call'd her mother;
But this is her seraglio title, got
I know not how, but good as any other;
So Cantemir can tell you, or De Tott:
Her office was to keep aloof or smother
All bad propensities in fifteen hundred
propensities - ropensiones; propensión, inclinación
Young women, and correct them when they blunder'd.
A goodly sinecure, no doubt! but made
sinecure - canonjía, sinecura
More easy by the absence of all men"
Except his majesty, who, with her aid,
And guards, and bolts, and walls, and now and then
bolts - pernos; pestillo
A slight example, just to cast a shade
Along the rest, contrived to keep this den
Of beauties cool as an Italian convent,
Where all the passions have, alas! but one vent.
And what is that? Devotion, doubtless"how
Could you ask such a question?"but we will
Continue. As I said, this goodly row
Of ladies of all countries at the will
Of one good man, with stately march and slow,
Like water-lilies floating down a rill"
lilies - lirios; azucena, lirio
Or rather lake, for rills do not run slowly"
rills - arroyito
Paced on most maiden-like and melancholy.
paced - a ritmo; paso
maiden - doncella
But when they reach'd their own apartments, there,
Like birds, or boys, or bedlamites broke loose,
bedlamites - \"bedlamita\"
Waves at spring-tide, or women anywhere
spring-tide - (spring-tide) Marea de primavera
When freed from bonds (which are of no great use
After all), or like Irish at a fair,
Their guards being gone, and as it were a truce
truce - tregua
Establish'd between them and bondage, they
establish - establecer, instaurar, nombrar
bondage - servidumbre; esclavitud, sujeción, bondage
Began to sing, dance, chatter, smile, and play.
Their talk, of course, ran most on the new comer;
Her shape, her hair, her air, her everything:
Some thought her dress did not so much become her,
Or wonder'd at her ears without a ring;
Some said her years were getting nigh their summer,
Others contended they were but in spring;
Some thought her rather masculine in height,
While others wish'd that she had been so quite.
But no one doubted on the whole, that she
Was what her dress bespoke, a damsel fair,
And fresh, and 'beautiful exceedingly,'
Who with the brightest Georgians might compare:
They wonder'd how Gulbeyaz, too, could be
So silly as to buy slaves who might share
(If that his Highness wearied of his bride)
wearied - cansado, cansino, cansar
Her throne and power, and every thing beside.
But what was strangest in this virgin crew,
Although her beauty was enough to vex,
After the first investigating view,
They all found out as few, or fewer, specks
In the fair form of their companion new,
Than is the custom of the gentle sex,
When they survey, with Christian eyes or Heathen,
In a new face 'the ugliest creature breathing.'
And yet they had their little jealousies,
Like all the rest; but upon this occasion,
Whether there are such things as sympathies
sympathies - simpatías; compasión, empatía, compasión
Without our knowledge or our approbation,
Although they could not see through his disguise,
All felt a soft kind of concatenation,
concatenation - oncatenación; concomitancia
Like magnetism, or devilism, or what
magnetism - magnetismo
devilism - Diablismo
You please"we will not quarrel about that:
But certain 'tis they all felt for their new
Companion something newer still, as 'twere
A sentimental friendship through and through,
Extremely pure, which made them all concur
concur - está de acuerdo; estar de acuerdo, acordar, concurrir
In wishing her their sister, save a few
Who wish'd they had a brother just like her,
Whom, if they were at home in sweet Circassia,
They would prefer to Padisha or Pacha.
Of those who had most genius for this sort
Of sentimental friendship, there were three,
Lolah, Katinka, and Dudu; in short
(To save description), fair as fair can be
Were they, according to the best report,
Though differing in stature and degree,
And clime and time, and country and complexion;
They all alike admired their new connection.
Lolah was dusk as India and as warm;
dusk - oscurecer; anochecer, ocaso, crepúsculo
India - India
Katinka was a Georgian, white and red,
Georgian - Georgiano
With great blue eyes, a lovely hand and arm,
And feet so small they scarce seem'd made to tread,
tread - pisada; pisar, pisotear, hollar
But rather skim the earth; while Dudu's form
skim - desnatada; sobrevolar rozando, rebotar, hojear, leer por encima
Look'd more adapted to be put to bed,
more adapted - más adaptado
Being somewhat large, and languishing, and lazy,
languishing - Languideciendo; (languish); atrofiar, marchitar, decaer
Yet of a beauty that would drive you crazy.
A kind of sleepy Venus seem'd Dudu,
sleepy - tienes sueno; sueno, cansado, adormecido, sonoliento
Yet very fit to 'murder sleep'in those
Who gazed upon her cheek's transcendent hue,
transcendent - trascendente
Her Attic forehead, and her Phidian nose:
Few angles were there in her form, 'tis true,
angles - ángulos; anglo
Thinner she might have been, and yet scarce lose;
Yet, after all, 'twould puzzle to say where
It would not spoil some separate charm to pare.
Pare - pelar, mondar
She was not violently lively, but
violently - violentamente
lively - animado
Stole on your spirit like a May-day breaking;
May-Day - (May-Day) Día de los Trabajadores
Her eyes were not too sparkling, yet, half-shut,
They put beholders in a tender taking;
beholders - contempladores; observador
She look'd (this simile 's quite new) just cut
From marble, like Pygmalion's statue waking,
Pygmalion - Pigmalión
The mortal and the marble still at strife,
And timidly expanding into life.
Lolah demanded the new damsel's name"
'Juanna.'"Well, a pretty name enough.
Katinka ask'd her also whence she came"
'From Spain.'"'But where is Spain?'"'Don't ask such stuff,
Nor show your Georgian ignorance"for shame!'
Said Lolah, with an accent rather rough,
To poor Katinka: 'Spain 's an island near
Morocco, betwixt Egypt and Tangier.'
morocco - Marruecos
betwixt - entre medias; entre
Tangier - Tánger; (tangi); Tánger
Dudu said nothing, but sat down beside
Juanna, playing with her veil or hair;
And looking at her steadfastly, she sigh'd,
steadfastly - con firmeza
As if she pitied her for being there,
pitied - compasión, piedad, lástima, pena, tener lástima
A pretty stranger without friend or guide,
And all abash'd, too, at the general stare
Which welcomes hapless strangers in all places,
strangers - Extrano
With kind remarks upon their mien and faces.
But here the Mother of the Maids drew near,
With, 'Ladies, it is time to go to rest.
I'm puzzled what to do with you, my dear,'
She added to Juanna, their new guest:
'Your coming has been unexpected here,
And every couch is occupied; you had best
Partake of mine; but by to-morrow early
We will have all things settled for you fairly.'
Here Lolah interposed"'Mamma, you know
You don't sleep soundly, and I cannot bear
That anybody should disturb you so;
I'll take Juanna; we're a slenderer pair
slenderer - más delgado; esbelto
Than you would make the half of;"don't say no;
And I of your young charge will take due care.'
But here Katinka interfered, and said,
'She also had compassion and a bed.
'Besides, I hate to sleep alone,'quoth she.
The matron frown'd: 'Why so?'"'For fear of ghosts,'
Replied Katinka; 'I am sure I see
A phantom upon each of the four posts;
phantom - fantasma
And then I have the worst dreams that can be,
Of Guebres, Giaours, and Ginns, and Gouls in hosts.'
The dame replied, 'Between your dreams and you,
I fear Juanna's dreams would be but few.
'You, Lolah, must continue still to lie
Alone, for reasons which don't matter; you
The same, Katinka, until by and by;
And I shall place Juanna with Dudu,
Who 's quiet, inoffensive, silent, shy,
inoffensive - inofensivo
And will not toss and chatter the night through.
What say you, child?'"Dudu said nothing, as
Her talents were of the more silent class;
more silent - más silencioso
But she rose up, and kiss'd the matron's brow
Between the eyes, and Lolah on both cheeks,
Katinka, too; and with a gentle bow
(Curt'sies are neither used by Turks nor Greeks)
curt - cortés; corto
sies - ies
She took Juanna by the hand to show
Their place of rest, and left to both their piques,
piques - piques; resentimiento, despecho
The others pouting at the matron's preference
Of Dudu, though they held their tongues from deference.
deference - deferencia
It was a spacious chamber (Oda is
The Turkish title), and ranged round the wall
Were couches, toilets"and much more than this
couches - camas; sofá, canapé
I might describe, as I have seen it all,
But it suffices"little was amiss;
suffices - bastar, alcanzar
'Twas on the whole a nobly furnish'd hall,
With all things ladies want, save one or two,
And even those were nearer than they knew.
Dudu, as has been said, was a sweet creature,
Not very dashing, but extremely winning,
With the most regulated charms of feature,
regulated - regulado; regular
Which painters cannot catch like faces sinning
Against proportion"the wild strokes of nature
strokes - golpes; golpe
Which they hit off at once in the beginning,
Full of expression, right or wrong, that strike,
And pleasing or unpleasing, still are like.
unpleasing - Desagradable
But she was a soft landscape of mild earth,
landscape - paisaje, apaisado, horizontal
Where all was harmony, and calm, and quiet,
harmony - armonía, armonía
Luxuriant, budding; cheerful without mirth,
Which, if not happiness, is much more nigh it
Than are your mighty passions and so forth,
Which some call 'the sublime:'I wish they'd try it:
I've seen your stormy seas and stormy women,
stormy - borrascoso, tempestuoso, tormentoso
And pity lovers rather more than seamen.
But she was pensive more than melancholy,
And serious more than pensive, and serene,
It may be, more than either"not unholy
unholy - impío, horroroso
Her thoughts, at least till now, appear to have been.
The strangest thing was, beauteous, she was wholly
beauteous - hermoso
Unconscious, albeit turn'd of quick seventeen,
That she was fair, or dark, or short, or tall;
She never thought about herself at all.
And therefore was she kind and gentle as
The Age of Gold (when gold was yet unknown,
By which its nomenclature came to pass;
Thus most appropriately has been shown
'Lucus a non lucendo,'not what was,
But what was not; a sort of style that 's grown
Extremely common in this age, whose metal
The devil may decompose, but never settle:
decompose - se descomponen; descomponer, descomponerse
settle - nos conformamos; instalar, colocar
I think it may be of 'Corinthian Brass,'
Corinthian - corintia; corintio
brass - latón
Which was a mixture of all metals, but
The brazen uppermost). Kind reader! pass
This long parenthesis: I could not shut
parenthesis - paréntesis
It sooner for the soul of me, and class
My faults even with your own! which meaneth, Put
meaneth - Qué significa
A kind construction upon them and me:
But that you won't"then don't"I am not less free.
'Tis time we should return to plain narration,
And thus my narrative proceeds:"Dudu,
proceeds - continuar, proceder
With every kindness short of ostentation,
Show'd Juan, or Juanna, through and through
This labyrinth of females, and each station
Described"what 's strange"in words extremely few:
I have but one simile, and that 's a blunder,
For wordless woman, which is silent thunder.
And next she gave her (I say her, because
The gender still was epicene, at least
gender - género
epicene - epiceno, persona afeminada
In outward show, which is a saving clause)
An outline of the customs of the East,
outline - contorno, esbozo, resumen, delinear, resumir
With all their chaste integrity of laws,
integrity - integridad
By which the more a haram is increased,
The stricter doubtless grow the vestal duties
stricter - más estricto; estricto
Of any supernumerary beauties.
supernumerary - supernumerario
And then she gave Juanna a chaste kiss:
Dudu was fond of kissing"which I'm sure
That nobody can ever take amiss,
Because 'tis pleasant, so that it be pure,
And between females means no more than this"
That they have nothing better near, or newer.
'Kiss'rhymes to 'bliss'in fact as well as verse"
I wish it never led to something worse.
In perfect innocence she then unmade
unmade - Deshacer
Her toilet, which cost little, for she was
A child of Nature, carelessly array'd:
If fond of a chance ogle at her glass,
'Twas like the fawn, which, in the lake display'd,
Fawn - cervato
Beholds her own shy, shadowy image pass,
When first she starts, and then returns to peep,
peep - espiar
Admiring this new native of the deep.
And one by one her articles of dress
Were laid aside; but not before she offer'd
Her aid to fair Juanna, whose excess
Of modesty declined the assistance proffer'd:
declined - rechazado; declive, retroceso, decadencia
proffer - oferta; ofrecer
Which pass'd well off"as she could do no less;
Though by this politesse she rather suffer'd,
Pricking her fingers with those cursed pins,
pricking - Pinchando; (prick) Pinchando
Which surely were invented for our sins,"
Making a woman like a porcupine,
porcupine - puercoespín
Not to be rashly touch'd. But still more dread,
O ye! whose fate it is, as once 'twas mine,
In early youth, to turn a lady's maid;"
I did my very boyish best to shine
In tricking her out for a masquerade;
The pins were placed sufficiently, but not
Stuck all exactly in the proper spot.
But these are foolish things to all the wise,
And I love wisdom more than she loves me;
My tendency is to philosophise
tendency - tendencia
philosophise - filosofar
On most things, from a tyrant to a tree;
But still the spouseless virgin Knowledge flies.
spouseless - Sin cónyuge
What are we? and whence came we? what shall be
Our ultimate existence? what 's our present?
ultimate - el último; último, final, máximo, extremo, mayor
Are questions answerless, and yet incessant.
answerless - Sin respuesta
There was deep silence in the chamber: dim
And distant from each other burn'd the lights,
And slumber hover'd o'er each lovely limb
hover - sobrevolar; cerner, dudar, hesitar, vacilar
Of the fair occupants: if there be sprites,
occupants - ocupantes; ocupante
sprites - sprites; duendecillo
They should have walk'd there in their sprightliest trim,
sprightliest - veloz
trim - recortar, orlar, ribetear
By way of change from their sepulchral sites,
And shown themselves as ghosts of better taste
Than haunting some old ruin or wild waste.
Many and beautiful lay those around,
Like flowers of different hue, and dime, and root,
dime - moneda de diez centavos
In some exotic garden sometimes found,
With cost, and care, and warmth induced to shoot.
One with her auburn tresses lightly bound,
lightly - a la ligera; ligeramente
And fair brows gently drooping, as the fruit
Nods from the tree, was slumbering with soft breath,
And lips apart, which show'd the pearls beneath.
One with her flush'd cheek laid on her white arm,
And raven ringlets gather'd in dark crowd
ringlets - irabuzón
Above her brow, lay dreaming soft and warm;
And smiling through her dream, as through a cloud
The moon breaks, half unveil'd each further charm,
unveil - develar, desvelar, checkdescubrir
As, slightly stirring in her snowy shroud,
shroud - mortaja
Her beauties seized the unconscious hour of night
All bashfully to struggle into light.
bashfully - tímidamente
This is no bull, although it sounds so; for
'Twas night, but there were lamps, as hath been said.
A third's all pallid aspect offer'd more
The traits of sleeping sorrow, and betray'd
traits - rasgos; rasgo, característica
Through the heaved breast the dream of some far shore
Beloved and deplored; while slowly stray'd
deplored - eplorado; deplorar
(As night-dew, on a cypress glittering, tinges
tinges - tonos; toque, tinte, matiz, retocar, matizar
The black bough) tear-drops through her eyes'dark fringes.
fringes - franjas; orla, extremista, radical, periferia, marginal, orlar
A fourth as marble, statue-like and still,
Lay in a breathless, hush'd, and stony sleep;
White, cold, and pure, as looks a frozen rill,
Or the snow minaret on an Alpine steep,
minaret - alminar, minarete
Or Lot's wife done in salt,"or what you will;"
My similes are gather'd in a heap,
So pick and choose"perhaps you'll be content
With a carved lady on a monument.
And lo! a fifth appears;"and what is she?
A lady of a 'certain age,'which means
Certainly aged"what her years might be
I know not, never counting past their teens;
But there she slept, not quite so fair to see,
As ere that awful period intervenes
intervenes - interviene; intervenir, involucrarse, interceder, meterse
Which lays both men and women on the shelf,
To meditate upon their sins and self.
meditate - meditar
But all this time how slept, or dream'd, Dudu?
With strict inquiry I could ne'er discover,
inquiry - investigación; inquisición, indagatoria, pesquisa
And scorn to add a syllable untrue;
scorn - despreciar, desdenar, menospreciar, rechazar, escarnecer
syllable - sílaba
untrue - no es cierto; falso, incorrecto, inexacto
But ere the middle watch was hardly over,
Just when the fading lamps waned dim and blue,
fading - Desvaneciéndose; (fad); moda, moda pasajera
waned - desapareció; menguar
And phantoms hover'd, or might seem to hover,
phantoms - fantasmas; fantasma
To those who like their company, about
The apartment, on a sudden she scream'd out:
And that so loudly, that upstarted all
upstarted - empezó; advenedizo, advenediza, gloss
The Oda, in a general commotion:
commotion - conmoción
Matron and maids, and those whom you may call
Neither, came crowding like the waves of ocean,
One on the other, throughout the whole hall,
All trembling, wondering, without the least notion
More than I have myself of what could make
The calm Dudu so turbulently wake.
turbulently - con turbulencias
But wide awake she was, and round her bed,
With floating draperies and with flying hair,
draperies - cortinas; cortina
With eager eyes, and light but hurried tread,
And bosoms, arms, and ankles glancing bare,
And bright as any meteor ever bred
meteor - meteoro
By the North Pole,"they sought her cause of care,
For she seem'd agitated, flush'd, and frighten'd,
agitated - agitado; agitar, perturbar
Her eye dilated and her colour heighten'd.
dilated - dilatado; dilatar, dilatarse
heighten - aumentar; elevar, realzar
But what was strange"and a strong proof how great
A blessing is sound sleep"Juanna lay
As fast as ever husband by his mate
In holy matrimony snores away.
matrimony - matrimonio; boda
snores - ronquidos; roncar, ronquido
Not all the clamour broke her happy state
Of slumber, ere they shook her,"so they say
At least,"and then she, too, unclosed her eyes,
And yawn'd a good deal with discreet surprise.
discreet - discreto
And now commenced a strict investigation,
commenced - comenzado; comenzar, empezar, iniciar, principiar
investigation - investigación
Which, as all spoke at once and more than once,
Conjecturing, wondering, asking a narration,
conjecturing - conjeturas; conjetura, suposición, especulación, teoría
Alike might puzzle either wit or dunce
dunce - tonto de capirote
To answer in a very clear oration.
Dudu had never pass'd for wanting sense,
But, being 'no orator as Brutus is,'
Brutus - Bruto
Could not at first expound what was amiss.
expound - explicar; exponer, explayar, disertar
At length she said, that in a slumber sound
She dream'd a dream, of walking in a wood"
A 'wood obscure,'like that where Dante found
Himself in at the age when all grow good;
Life's half-way house, where dames with virtue crown'd
Run much less risk of lovers turning rude;
And that this wood was full of pleasant fruits,
And trees of goodly growth and spreading roots;
roots - raíces; raíz
And in the midst a golden apple grew,"
A most prodigious pippin,"but it hung
Rather too high and distant; that she threw
Her glances on it, and then, longing, flung
Stones and whatever she could pick up, to
Bring down the fruit, which still perversely clung
To its own bough, and dangled yet in sight,
dangled - colgado; pender
But always at a most provoking height;"
That on a sudden, when she least had hope,
It fell down of its own accord before
Her feet; that her first movement was to stoop
And pick it up, and bite it to the core;
That just as her young lip began to ope
Upon the golden fruit the vision bore,
A bee flew out and stung her to the heart,
And so"she awoke with a great scream and start.
All this she told with some confusion and
Dismay, the usual consequence of dreams
dismay - espanto, estupefacción, consternación
Of the unpleasant kind, with none at hand
To expound their vain and visionary gleams.
visionary - visionario, ilusorio, idealista, visionario, visionaria
gleams - brillos; relucir, brillar, destellar
I've known some odd ones which seem'd really plann'd
Prophetically, or that which one deems
deems - cree; considerar, concluir, estimar
A 'strange coincidence,'to use a phrase
coincidence - coincidencia, casualidad
By which such things are settled now-a-days.
The damsels, who had thoughts of some great harm,
Began, as is the consequence of fear,
To scold a little at the false alarm
That broke for nothing on their sleeping car.
sleeping car - coche cama
The matron, too, was wroth to leave her warm
wroth - molesto; airado, colérico, torvo
Bed for the dream she had been obliged to hear,
And chafed at poor Dudu, who only sigh'd,
chafed - raspado; calor friccional, escocimiento, irritación, cocedura
And said that she was sorry she had cried.
'I've heard of stories of a cock and bull;
But visions of an apple and a bee,
To take us from our natural rest, and pull
The whole Oda from their beds at half-past three,
Would make us think the moon is at its full.
You surely are unwell, child! we must see,
unwell - malestar; indispuesto
To-morrow, what his Highness's physician
physician - médico, médica, facultativo
Will say to this hysteric of a vision.
'And poor Juanna, too"the child's first night
Within these walls to be broke in upon
With such a clamour! I had thought it right
That the young stranger should not lie alone,
And, as the quietest of all, she might
With you, Dudu, a good night's rest have known;
But now I must transfer her to the charge
transfer - transferir, trasladar, calcar, imprimir, transferencia, calco
Of Lolah"though her couch is not so large.'
Lolah's eyes sparkled at the proposition;
But poor Dudu, with large drops in her own,
drops in - pasar
Resulting from the scolding or the vision,
Implored that present pardon might be shown
implored - imploró; implorar
For this first fault, and that on no condition
on no condition - bajo ningún concepto
(She added in a soft and piteous tone)
piteous - lamentable
Juanna should be taken from her, and
Her future dreams should all be kept in hand.
She promised never more to have a dream,
At least to dream so loudly as just now;
She wonder'd at herself how she could scream"
'Twas foolish, nervous, as she must allow,
A fond hallucination, and a theme
hallucination - alucinación, ilusión
For laughter"but she felt her spirits low,
And begg'd they would excuse her; she'd get over
This weakness in a few hours, and recover.
recover - recuperarse
And here Juanna kindly interposed,
And said she felt herself extremely well
Where she then was, as her sound sleep disclosed
When all around rang like a tocsin bell:
She did not find herself the least disposed
To quit her gentle partner, and to dwell
Apart from one who had no sin to show,
Save that of dreaming once 'mal-a-propos.'
propos - Propuesta
As thus Juanna spoke, Dudu turn'd round
And hid her face within Juanna's breast:
Her neck alone was seen, but that was found
The colour of a budding rose's crest.
crest - cornisa, cresta, cimera
I can't tell why she blush'd, nor can expound
The mystery of this rupture of their rest;
rupture - ruptura; rotura, romper
All that I know is, that the facts I state
Are true as truth has ever been of late.
And so good night to them,"or, if you will,
Good morrow"for the cock had crown, and light
Began to clothe each Asiatic hill,
And the mosque crescent struggled into sight
Of the long caravan, which in the chill
Of dewy dawn wound slowly round each height
That stretches to the stony belt, which girds
stretches - estiramientos; estirar, estirarse, dar, extenderse, estirón
girds - Cinturón
Asia, where Kaff looks down upon the Kurds.
Kurds - kurdos; kurdo, kurda
With the first ray, or rather grey of morn,
Gulbeyaz rose from restlessness; and pale
As passion rises, with its bosom worn,
Array'd herself with mantle, gem, and veil.
The nightingale that sings with the deep thorn,
thorn - espina, thorn
Which fable places in her breast of wail,
wail - aullido; llorar, gimotear; ulular; planir
Is lighter far of heart and voice than those
Whose headlong passions form their proper woes.
And that 's the moral of this composition,
composition - composición, panish: t-needed
If people would but see its real drift;"
drift - deriva, derrape, ir a la deriva, vagar, derivar, errar
But that they will not do without suspicion,
Because all gentle readers have the gift
Of closing 'gainst the light their orbs of vision;
orbs - Orbita
While gentle writers also love to lift
Their voices 'gainst each other, which is natural,
The numbers are too great for them to flatter all.
Rose the sultana from a bed of splendour,
Softer than the soft Sybarite's, who cried
Aloud because his feelings were too tender
To brook a ruffled rose-leaf by his side,"
ruffled - revuelto; volante, retorcer
So beautiful that art could little mend her,
Though pale with conflicts between love and pride;"
conflicts - conflictos; conflicto, discrepancia, discrepar, estar renido
So agitated was she with her error,
She did not even look into the mirror.
Also arose about the self-same time,
Perhaps a little later, her great lord,
Master of thirty kingdoms so sublime,
And of a wife by whom he was abhorr'd;
A thing of much less import in that clime"
At least to those of incomes which afford
incomes - ingresos, renta
The filling up their whole connubial cargo"
Than where two wives are under an embargo.
embargo - embargo, panish: t-needed
He did not think much on the matter, nor
Indeed on any other: as a man
He liked to have a handsome paramour
At hand, as one may like to have a fan,
And therefore of Circassians had good store,
As an amusement after the Divan;
divan - diván
Though an unusual fit of love, or duty,
Had made him lately bask in his bride's beauty.
And now he rose; and after due ablutions
ablutions - abluciones; ablución
Exacted by the customs of the East,
And prayers and other pious evolutions,
evolutions - evoluciones; evolución
He drank six cups of coffee at the least,
And then withdrew to hear about the Russians,
Whose victories had recently increased
In Catherine's reign, whom glory still adores,
Catherine - Catalina
adores - adorar, querer
But oh, thou grand legitimate Alexander!
legitimate - legítimo, genuino
Her son's son, let not this last phrase offend
offend - ofender
Thine ear, if it should reach"and now rhymes wander
Almost as far as Petersburgh and lend
A dreadful impulse to each loud meander
impulse - impulso, capricho
meander - meandro
Of murmuring Liberty's wide waves, which blend
murmuring - murmullos; (murmur); soplo, murmurar
blend - mezcla, mezclar, combinar
Their roar even with the Baltic's"so you be
Baltic - báltico, Báltico, países bálticos
Your father's son, 'tis quite enough for me.
To call men love-begotten or proclaim
begotten - engendrado; engendrar, concebir
Their mothers as the antipodes of Timon,
Antipodes - antípodas; antípoda
That hater of mankind, would be a shame,
A libel, or whate'er you please to rhyme on:
libel - libelo, calumnia, difamación
But people's ancestors are history's game;
ancestors - ancestros; ancestro, antepasado
And if one lady's slip could leave a crime on
All generations, I should like to know
What pedigree the best would have to show?
Had Catherine and the sultan understood
Their own true interests, which kings rarely know
Until 'tis taught by lessons rather rude,
There was a way to end their strife, although
Perhaps precarious, had they but thought good,
Without the aid of prince or plenipo:
She to dismiss her guards and he his haram,
dismiss - despedir, echar, disipar, rechazar, expulsar
And for their other matters, meet and share 'em.
But as it was, his Highness had to hold
His daily council upon ways and means
Council - consejo; concejo
How to encounter with this martial scold,
encounter - encuentro
This modern Amazon and queen of queans;
Amazon - amazona
And the perplexity could not be told
perplexity - perplejidad
Of all the pillars of the state, which leans
pillars - pilares; pilar
leans - se inclina; inclinarse
Sometimes a little heavy on the backs
Of those who cannot lay on a new tax.
Meantime Gulbeyaz, when her king was gone,
Retired into her boudoir, a sweet place
For love or breakfast; private, pleasing, lone,
And rich with all contrivances which grace
contrivances - rtificios; aparato, artificio, artimana, estratagema, artefacto
Those gay recesses:"many a precious stone
recesses - recesos; receso
Sparkled along its roof, and many a vase
Of porcelain held in the fetter'd flowers,
Those captive soothers of a captive's hours.
soothers - chupete
Mother of pearl, and porphyry, and marble,
porphyry - Pórfido
Vied with each other on this costly spot;
vied - ied; rivalizar, rivalejar
And singing birds without were heard to warble;
singing birds - pájaros cantores
And the stain'd glass which lighted this fair grot
Varied each ray;"but all descriptions garble
The true effect, and so we had better not
Be too minute; an outline is the best,"
A lively reader's fancy does the rest.
And here she summon'd Baba, and required
Don Juan at his hands, and information
Of what had pass'd since all the slaves retired,
And whether he had occupied their station;
If matters had been managed as desired,
And his disguise with due consideration
consideration - consideración
Kept up; and above all, the where and how
He had pass'd the night, was what she wish'd to know.
Baba, with some embarrassment, replied
To this long catechism of questions, ask'd
More easily than answer'd,"that he had tried
His best to obey in what he had been task'd;
But there seem'd something that he wish'd to hide,
Which hesitation more betray'd than mask'd;
hesitation - hesitación, vacilación, dudas, titubeo
He scratch'd his ear, the infallible resource
scratch - rascar, raspar, aranar, rasgunar, rayar, aranazo, rayadura
infallible - infalible
To which embarrass'd people have recourse.
Gulbeyaz was no model of true patience,
Nor much disposed to wait in word or deed;
deed - hecho, acto, acción, obra, hazana; (dee); hecho, acto, acción
She liked quick answers in all conversations;
And when she saw him stumbling like a steed
In his replies, she puzzled him for fresh ones;
And as his speech grew still more broken-kneed,
Her cheek began to flush, her eyes to sparkle,
And her proud brow's blue veins to swell and darkle.
darkle - Oscuridad
When Baba saw these symptoms, which he knew
To bode him no great good, he deprecated
bode - presagiar, prometer, prever; (bide) presagiar, prometer, prever
deprecated - obsoleto; descontinuar
Her anger, and beseech'd she'd hear him through"
beseech - rogar, implorar, suplicar
He could not help the thing which he related:
Then out it came at length, that to Dudu
Juan was given in charge, as hath been stated;
But not by Baba's fault, he said, and swore on
The holy camel's hump, besides the Koran.
hump - joroba, corcova, giba, cochar, montarse, cochar; montarse
Koran - Corán
The chief dame of the Oda, upon whom
The discipline of the whole haram bore,
As soon as they re-enter'd their own room,
For Baba's function stopt short at the door,
stopt - Parar
Had settled all; nor could he then presume
(The aforesaid Baba) just then to do more,
Without exciting such suspicion as
Might make the matter still worse than it was.
He hoped, indeed he thought, he could be sure
Juan had not betray'd himself; in fact
'Twas certain that his conduct had been pure,
Because a foolish or imprudent act
Would not alone have made him insecure,
insecure - inseguro
But ended in his being found out and sack'd,
And thrown into the sea."Thus Baba spoke
Of all save Dudu's dream, which was no joke.
This he discreetly kept in the background,
And talk'd away"and might have talk'd till now,
For any further answer that he found,
So deep an anguish wrung Gulbeyaz'brow:
anguish - angustia
Her cheek turn'd ashes, ears rung, brain whirl'd round,
rung - picado; escalón; (ring) picado; escalón
As if she had received a sudden blow,
And the heart's dew of pain sprang fast and chilly
O'er her fair front, like Morning's on a lily.
Although she was not of the fainting sort,
Fainting - desmayos; desmayo; (faint) desmayos; desmayo
Baba thought she would faint, but there he err'd"
It was but a convulsion, which though short
convulsion - convulsión
Can never be described; we all have heard,
And some of us have felt thus 'all amort,'
When things beyond the common have occurr'd;"
Gulbeyaz proved in that brief agony
What she could ne'er express"then how should I?
She stood a moment as a Pythones
Stands on her tripod, agonised, and full
tripod - trípode
agonised - agonizar
Of inspiration gather'd from distress,
inspiration - inspiración
When all the heart-strings like wild horses pull
The heart asunder;"then, as more or lees
asunder - despedazar; en dos, en pedazos
lees - lías; abrigo, sotavento, socaire
Their speed abated or their strength grew dull,
abated - aminorado; disminuir, amainar
She sunk down on her seat by slow degrees,
And bow'd her throbbing head o'er trembling knees.
Her face declined and was unseen; her hair
Fell in long tresses like the weeping willow,
Sweeping the marble underneath her chair,
Or rather sofa (for it was all pillow,
A low soft ottoman), and black despair
black despair - desesperación negra
Stirr'd up and down her bosom like a billow,
Which rushes to some shore whose shingles check
Its farther course, but must receive its wreck.
Her head hung down, and her long hair in stooping
stooping - inclinarse, agacharse
Conceal'd her features better than a veil;
And one hand o'er the ottoman lay drooping,
White, waxen, and as alabaster pale:
waxen - Encerado; (wax) Encerado
alabaster - alabastro
Would that I were a painter! to be grouping
All that a poet drags into detail
drags - rrastra; llevar a rastras
O that my words were colours! but their tints
tints - tintes; tinte, matiz
May serve perhaps as outlines or slight hints.
outlines - contornos; contorno, esbozo, resumen, delinear, resumir
Baba, who knew by experience when to talk
And when to hold his tongue, now held it till
This passion might blow o'er, nor dared to balk
balk - Impedirlo
Gulbeyaz'taciturn or speaking will.
taciturn - taciturno
At length she rose up, and began to walk
Slowly along the room, but silent still,
And her brow clear'd, but not her troubled eye;
The wind was down, but still the sea ran high.
She stopp'd, and raised her head to speak"but paused,
And then moved on again with rapid pace;
Then slacken'd it, which is the march most caused
By deep emotion:"you may sometimes trace
A feeling in each footstep, as disclosed
footstep - pisada; huella, paso
By Sallust in his Catiline, who, chased
chased - perseguido; perseguir
By all the demons of all passions, show'd
demons - demonios; demonio
Their work even by the way in which he trode.
trode - rode
Gulbeyaz stopp'd and beckon'd Baba:"'Slave!
Bring the two slaves!'she said in a low tone,
But one which Baba did not like to brave,
And yet he shudder'd, and seem'd rather prone
shudder - temblor; escalofrío
prone - postrado, de bruces, decúbito prono, propenso
To prove reluctant, and begg'd leave to crave
crave - anhelar, ansiar, implorar
(Though he well knew the meaning) to be shown
What slaves her highness wish'd to indicate,
For fear of any error, like the late.
'The Georgian and her paramour,'replied
The imperial bride"and added, 'Let the boat
Be ready by the secret portal's side:
You know the rest.'The words stuck in her throat,
Despite her injured love and fiery pride;
And of this Baba willingly took note,
willingly - de buena gana
And begg'd by every hair of Mahomet's beard,
beard - barba, jotera, pantalla, barbar, provocar, mortificar
She would revoke the order he had heard.
revoke - revocar
'To hear is to obey,'he said; 'but still,
Sultana, think upon the consequence:
It is not that I shall not all fulfil
Your orders, even in their severest sense;
severest - el más severo; severo, grave, austero
But such precipitation may end ill,
precipitation - precipitación
Even at your own imperative expense:
I do not mean destruction and exposure,
In case of any premature disclosure;
premature - prematuro
disclosure - divulgación; revelación, destape, panish: t-needed
'But your own feelings. Even should all the rest
Be hidden by the rolling waves, which hide
Already many a once love-beaten breast
Deep in the caverns of the deadly tide"
caverns - cavernas; caverna
You love this boyish, new, seraglio guest,
And if this violent remedy be tried"
Excuse my freedom, when I here assure you,
That killing him is not the way to cure you.'
'What dost thou know of love or feeling?"Wretch!
Begone!'she cried, with kindling eyes"'and do
begone - Desaparecer
My bidding!'Baba vanish'd, for to stretch
His own remonstrance further he well knew
Might end in acting as his own 'Jack Ketch;'
And though he wish'd extremely to get through
This awkward business without harm to others,
He still preferr'd his own neck to another's.
Away he went then upon his commission,
commission - misión, cometido, destino, cargo, comisión, encargo, encargar
Growling and grumbling in good Turkish phrase
growling - Grunendo; (growl); rugido, grunir
Against all women of whate'er condition,
Especially sultanas and their ways;
Their obstinacy, pride, and indecision,
obstinacy - testarudez, porfía, terquedad, obstinación
indecision - indecisión, irresolución
Their never knowing their own mind two days,
The trouble that they gave, their immorality,
immorality - inmoralidad
Which made him daily bless his own neutrality.
neutrality - neutralidad
And then he call'd his brethren to his aid,
And sent one on a summons to the pair,
summons - Citaciones; (summon) Citaciones
That they must instantly be well array'd,
And above all be comb'd even to a hair,
And brought before the empress, who had made
Inquiries after them with kindest care:
inquiries - consultas; inquisición, indagatoria, pesquisa
At which Dudu look'd strange, and Juan silly;
But go they must at once, and will I"nill I.
nill - No
And here I leave them at their preparation
preparation - preparación
For the imperial presence, wherein whether
Gulbeyaz show'd them both commiseration,
commiseration - conmiseración
Or got rid of the parties altogether,
rid - cabalgar; librar
Like other angry ladies of her nation,"
Are things the turning of a hair or feather
May settle; but far be 't from me to anticipate
In what way feminine caprice may dissipate.
I leave them for the present with good wishes,
good wishes - buenos deseos
Though doubts of their well doing, to arrange
Another part of history; for the dishes
Of this our banquet we must sometimes change;
And trusting Juan may escape the fishes,
Although his situation now seems strange
And scarce secure, as such digressions are fair,
digressions - digresiones; digresión, divagación
The Muse will take a little touch at warfare.
warfare - guerra
O Love! O Glory! what are ye who fly
Around us ever, rarely to alight?
alight - se enciende; apearse de
There's not a meteor in the polar sky
Of such transcendent and more fleeting flight.
fleeting - fugaz; flota
Chill, and chain'd to cold earth, we lift on high
Our eyes in search of either lovely light;
A thousand and a thousand colours they
Assume, then leave us on our freezing way.
assume - suponer, dar por sentado, asumir
And such as they are, such my present tale is,
A non-descript and ever-varying rhyme,
descript - Describir
varying - variando; variar
A versified Aurora Borealis,
Which flashes o'er a waste and icy clime.
icy - helado, hielo
When we know what all are, we must bewail us,
bewail - lamentar
But ne'ertheless I hope it is no crime
To laugh at all things"for I wish to know
What, after all, are all things"but a show?
They accuse me"Me"the present writer of
The present poem"of"I know not what"
A tendency to under-rate and scoff
scoff - se burla; mofarse, burlarse
At human power and virtue, and all that;
And this they say in language rather rough.
Good God! I wonder what they would be at!
I say no more than hath been said in Dante's
Verse, and by Solomon and by Cervantes;
Solomon - Salomón
By Swift, by Machiavel, by Rochefoucault,
By Fenelon, by Luther, and by Plato;
By Tillotson, and Wesley, and Rousseau,
Rousseau - Rousseau
Who knew this life was not worth a potato.
'Tis not their fault, nor mine, if this be so"
For my part, I pretend not to be Cato,
Nor even Diogenes."We live and die,
But which is best, you know no more than I.
Socrates said, our only knowledge was
Socrates - Sócrates
'To know that nothing could be known;'a pleasant
Science enough, which levels to an ass
Each man of wisdom, future, past, or present.
Newton (that proverb of the mind), alas!
Newton - newton
Declared, with all his grand discoveries recent,
declared - declarado; explicar, aclarar, declarar
That he himself felt only'like a youth
Picking up shells by the great ocean"Truth.'
Ecclesiastes said, 'that all is vanity'-
most modern preachers say the same, or show it
most modern - Más moderno
By their examples of true Christianity:
Christianity - cristianismo
In short, all know, or very soon may know it;
And in this scene of all-confess'd inanity,
inanity - inanidad
By saint, by sage, by preacher, and by poet,
preacher - predicador
Must I restrain me, through the fear of strife,
restrain - retener; refrenar(se), contenerse
From holding up the nothingness of life?
nothingness - la nada; nada
Dogs, or men!"for I flatter you in saying
That ye are dogs"your betters far"ye may
Read, or read not, what I am now essaying
To show ye what ye are in every way.
As little as the moon stops for the baying
baying - aullando; bahía
Of wolves, will the bright muse withdraw one ray
wolves - lobos; lobo, mujeriego, devorar, engullir
From out her skies"then howl your idle wrath!
howl - aullido, aullar, ganir
While she still silvers o'er your gloomy path.
gloomy - lúgubre; lóbrego, sombrío
'Fierce loves and faithless wars'"I am not sure
If this be the right reading"'tis no matter;
The fact 's about the same, I am secure;
I sing them both, and am about to batter
batter - bateador; banar
A town which did a famous siege endure,
siege - sitio, asedio
And was beleaguer'd both by land and water
beleaguer - sitiar, asediar, cercar, hostigar
By Souvaroff, or Anglice Suwarrow,
Who loved blood as an alderman loves marrow.
The fortress is call'd Ismail, and is placed
Upon the Danube's left branch and left bank,
Danube - Danubio
With buildings in the Oriental taste,
But still a fortress of the foremost rank,
Or was at least, unless 'tis since defaced,
defaced - desfigurado; pintarrajear
Which with your conquerors is a common prank:
It stands some eighty versts from the high sea,
And measures round of toises thousands three.
Within the extent of this fortification
extent - en qué medida; extensión
fortification - fortificación
A borough is comprised along the height
borough - istrito; municipio, concejo
comprised - comprendido; comprender
Upon the left, which from its loftier station
loftier - más alto; majestuoso
Commands the city, and upon its site
A Greek had raised around this elevation
elevation - elevación, alzado, altitud, checkascenso, checkelevación
A quantity of palisades upright,
palisades - palizadas; palizada
upright - derecho; vertical, recto, erguido, honrado, verticalmente
So placed as to impede the fire of those
impede - impedir
Who held the place, and to assist the foe's.
This circumstance may serve to give a notion
circumstance - circunstancia
Of the high talents of this new Vauban:
But the town ditch below was deep as ocean,
ditch - zanja, foso, cuneta
The rampart higher than you'd wish to hang:
rampart - baluarte, muralla, terraplén, defensa, muro
But then there was a great want of precaution
precaution - precaución
(Prithee, excuse this engineering slang),
slang - argot, jerga
Nor work advanced, nor cover'd way was there,
To hint at least 'Here is no thoroughfare.'
thoroughfare - pasaje, vía pública, vía de comunicación, canal
But a stone bastion, with a narrow gorge,
bastion - baluarte; bastión
And walls as thick as most skulls born as yet;
Two batteries, cap-a-pie, as our St. George,
pie - tarta, empanada, pastel
Case-mated one, and t'other 'a barbette,'
mated - se apareó; aparear, acoplar
Of Danube's bank took formidable charge;
While two and twenty cannon duly set
cannon - canón; canón
Rose over the town's right side, in bristling tier,
bristling - erizado; cerda, erizar, ponerse a la defensiva
tier - nivel; fila
Forty feet high, upon a cavalier.
But from the river the town 's open quite,
Because the Turks could never be persuaded
A Russian vessel e'er would heave in sight;
And such their creed was, till they were invaded,
invaded - invadido; invadir
When it grew rather late to set things right.
But as the Danube could not well be waded,
waded - vadear; caminar por el agua
They look'd upon the Muscovite flotilla,
Muscovite - moscovita
flotilla - flotilla
And only shouted, 'Allah!'and 'Bis Millah!'
Allah - Alá
The Russians now were ready to attack:
But oh, ye goddesses of war and glory!
How shall I spell the name of each Cossacque
Who were immortal, could one tell their story?
Alas! what to their memory can lack?
Achilles'self was not more grim and gory
grim - asqueroso; horrible, horroroso, macabro, nefasto
gory - ensangrentado, sanguinolento, sangriento, cruento
Than thousands of this new and polish'd nation,
Whose names want nothing but"pronunciation.
pronunciation - pronunciación
Still I'll record a few, if but to increase
Our euphony: there was Strongenoff, and Strokonoff,
euphony - eufonía
Meknop, Serge Lwow, Arsniew of modern Greece,
serge - sarga
And Tschitsshakoff, and Roguenoff, and Chokenoff,
And others of twelve consonants apiece;
consonants - consonantes; consonante
And more might be found out, if I could poke enough
poke - golpear; meter
Into gazettes; but Fame (capricious strumpet),
It seems, has got an ear as well as trumpet,
trumpet - trompeta, barrito, berrido, trompetear, tocar a la trompeta
And cannot tune those discords of narration,
discords - discordias; discordia
Which may be names at Moscow, into rhyme;
Moscow - Moscú
Yet there were several worth commemoration,
As e'er was virgin of a nuptial chime;
Soft words, too, fitted for the peroration
Of Londonderry drawling against time,
Drawling - Dibujando; (drawl) Dibujando
Ending in 'ischskin,''ousckin,''iffskchy,''ouski:
Of whom we can insert but Rousamouski,
insert - insertar, meter
Scherematoff and Chrematoff, Koklophti,
Koclobski, Kourakin, and Mouskin Pouskin,
All proper men of weapons, as e'er scoff'd high
Against a foe, or ran a sabre through skin:
Little cared they for Mahomet or Mufti,
Unless to make their kettle-drums a new skin
kettle - pava; hervidor, tetera
Out of their hides, if parchment had grown dear,
parchment - pergamino
And no more handy substitute been near.
substitute - sustituir, substituir, sustituto, substituto, suplente
Then there were foreigners of much renown,
foreigners - extranjeros; extranjero, extranjera, forastero, fuereno
renown - renombre, distinción, fama, nombradía
Of various nations, and all volunteers;
Not fighting for their country or its crown,
But wishing to be one day brigadiers;
brigadiers - brigadieres; brigadier
Also to have the sacking of a town,"
sacking - Despido; (sac) Despido
A pleasant thing to young men at their years.
'Mongst them were several Englishmen of pith,
pith - pitón; piel blanca
Sixteen call'd Thomson, and nineteen named Smith.
Smith - Herrera, Herrero
Jack Thomson and Bill Thomson; all the rest
Had been call'd 'Jemmy,'after the great bard;
I don't know whether they had arms or crest,
But such a godfather 's as good a card.
godfather - padrino
Three of the Smiths were Peters; but the best
smiths - herreros; Herrera, Herrero
Peters - peters; Pedro, Pedro
Amongst them all, hard blows to inflict or ward,
ward - pabellón; sala
Was he, since so renown'd 'in country quarters
At Halifax;'but now he served the Tartars.
Halifax - Halifax
The rest were jacks and Gills and Wills and Bills;
jacks - jacks; Juanito, Jacobo, Santiago
gills - agallas; branquia, agalla
But when I've added that the elder jack Smith
Was born in Cumberland among the hills,
And that his father was an honest blacksmith,
blacksmith - herrero, herrera, herrador, herradora
I've said all I know of a name that fills
Three lines of the despatch in taking 'Schmacksmith,'
despatch - despachar
A village of Moldavia's waste, wherein
He fell, immortal in a bulletin.
bulletin - boletín, boletín informativo, boletín de noticias
I wonder (although Mars no doubt 's a god
Mars - Marte; (Mar) Marte
Praise) if a man's name in a bulletin
May make up for a bullet in his body?
bullet - bala
I hope this little question is no sin,
Because, though I am but a simple noddy,
I think one Shakspeare puts the same thought in
The mouth of some one in his plays so doting,
Which many people pass for wits by quoting.
wits - agudeza, ingenio, chispa, gracia
Then there were Frenchmen, gallant, young, and gay:
gallant - galante; gallardo, intrépido
But I'm too great a patriot to record
Their Gallic names upon a glorious day;
Gallic - galo
I'd rather tell ten lies than say a word
Of truth;"such truths are treason; they betray
Their country; and as traitors are abhorr'd
traitors - traidores; traidor, traidora
Who name the French in English, save to show
How Peace should make John Bull the Frenchman's foe.
The Russians, having built two batteries on
An isle near Ismail, had two ends in view;
The first was to bombard it, and knock down
bombard - bombardear
knock down - Derribar
The public buildings and the private too,
public buildings - edificios públicos
No matter what poor souls might be undone.
The city's shape suggested this, 'tis true;
Form'd like an amphitheatre, each dwelling
amphitheatre - anfiteatro
dwelling - vivienda; (dwell); habitar, morar
Presented a fine mark to throw a shell in.
The second object was to profit by
The moment of the general consternation,
consternation - consternación, abatimiento, postración
To attack the Turk's flotilla, which lay nigh
Extremely tranquil, anchor'd at its station:
But a third motive was as probably
To frighten them into capitulation;
capitulation - capitulación
A phantasy which sometimes seizes warriors,
seizes - se apodera; agarrar, apoderarse de, apresar, aferrar, tomar
Unless they are game as bull-dogs and fox-terriers.
fox - zorro, zorra, raposo, traposa
terriers - terriers; terrier
A habit rather blamable, which is
blamable - culpable
That of despising those we combat with,
despising - despreciando; desdenar
combat - batalla, acción, combate, combatir
Common in many cases, was in this
The cause of killing Tchitchitzkoff and Smith;
One of the valorous 'Smiths'whom we shall miss
Out of those nineteen who late rhymed to 'pith;'
rhymed - rimado; rima, rima, rimar
But 'tis a name so spread o'er 'Sir'and 'Madam,'
That one would think the first who bore it 'Adam.'
The Russian batteries were incomplete,
incomplete - incompleto
Because they were constructed in a hurry;
constructed - construido; construcción, constructo, construir
Thus the same cause which makes a verse want feet,
And throws a cloud o'er Longman and John Murray,
When the sale of new books is not so fleet
Fleet - flota
As they who print them think is necessary,
May likewise put off for a time what story
likewise - similarmente, igualmente
Sometimes calls 'murder,'and at others 'glory.'
Whether it was their engineer's stupidity,
stupidity - estupidez, burricie, tontería, idiotez
Their haste, or waste, I neither know nor care,
Or some contractor's personal cupidity,
contractor - constructor, contratista
cupidity - cupidez; codicia
Saving his soul by cheating in the ware
Of homicide, but there was no solidity
homicide - homicidio, homicida, victimario
solidity - solidez
In the new batteries erected there;
They either miss'd, or they were never miss'd,
And added greatly to the missing list.
A sad miscalculation about distance
Made all their naval matters incorrect;
incorrect - incorrecto
Three fireships lost their amiable existence
fireships - Buque de bomberos
Before they reach'd a spot to take effect:
The match was lit too soon, and no assistance
Could remedy this lubberly defect;
defect - falla, tacha, defecto, desperfecto, desertar
They blew up in the middle of the river,
While, though 'twas dawn, the Turks slept fast as ever.
At seven they rose, however, and survey'd
The Russ flotilla getting under way;
'Twas nine, when still advancing undismay'd,
undismay - desmayo
Within a cable's length their vessels lay
cable - cable, cuerda, televisión por cable, cablegrama, telegrama
Off Ismail, and commenced a cannonade,
cannonade - un canoneo; canoneo
Which was return'd with interest, I may say,
And by a fire of musketry and grape,
musketry - fusilería
And shells and shot of every size and shape.
For six hours bore they without intermission
intermission - intermisión, intermedio
The Turkish fire, and aided by their own
aided - ayudado; ayuda, auxilio
Land batteries, work'd their guns with great precision:
At length they found mere cannonade alone
By no means would produce the town's submission,
submission - Presentación
And made a signal to retreat at one.
retreat - retirarse, batirse en retirada
One bark blew up, a second near the works
running aground, was taken by the Turks.
running aground - encallar
The Moslem, too, had lost both ships and men;
moslem - Musulmán
But when they saw the enemy retire,
Their Delhis mann'd some boats, and sail'd again,
And gall'd the Russians with a heavy fire,
And tried to make a landing on the main;
But here the effect fell short of their desire:
Count Damas drove them back into the water
Pell-mell, and with a whole gazette of slaughter.
Gazette - gaceta
'If'(says the historian here) 'I could report
All that the Russians did upon this day,
I think that several volumes would fall short,
volumes - volúmenes; volumen
And I should still have many things to say;'
And so he says no more"but pays his court
To some distinguish'd strangers in that fray;
fray - deshilacharse, raerse
The Prince de Ligne, and Langeron, and Damas,
ligne - igne
Names great as any that the roll of Fame has.
This being the case, may show us what Fame is:
For out of these three 'preux Chevaliers,'how
Many of common readers give a guess
That such existed? (and they may live now
For aught we know.) Renown 's all hit or miss;
There's fortune even in fame, we must allow.
'Tis true the Memoirs of the Prince de Ligne
Have half withdrawn from him oblivion's screen.
But here are men who fought in gallant actions
As gallantly as ever heroes fought,
gallantly - con gallardía
But buried in the heap of such transactions
Their names are rarely found, nor often sought.
Thus even good fame may suffer sad contractions,
contractions - contracciones; contracción, contracción
And is extinguish'd sooner than she ought:
extinguish - extinguir, apagar
Of all our modern battles, I will bet
You can't repeat nine names from each Gazette.
In short, this last attack, though rich in glory,
Show'd that somewhere, somehow, there was a fault,
And Admiral Ribas (known in Russian story)
admiral - almirante, panish: t-needed
Most strongly recommended an assault;
assault - asalto, acometimiento, agresión, ataque, asaltar
In which he was opposed by young and hoary,
opposed - oponerse; oponer
Which made a long debate; but I must halt,
halt - parar, detener
For if I wrote down every warrior's speech,
I doubt few readers e'er would mount the breach.
There was a man, if that he was a man,
Not that his manhood could be call'd in question,
manhood - humanidad, virilidad, masculinidad, hombría
For had he not been Hercules, his span
Hercules - Hércules
Had been as short in youth as indigestion
indigestion - indigestión
Made his last illness, when, all worn and wan,
He died beneath a tree, as much unblest on
Unblest - Sin bendiciones
The soil of the green province he had wasted,
province - provincia
As e'er was locust on the land it blasted.
locust - langosta
This was Potemkin"a great thing in days
When homicide and harlotry made great;
If stars and titles could entail long praise,
entail - mplican; acarrear, traer consigo
His glory might half equal his estate.
This fellow, being six foot high, could raise
A kind of phantasy proportionate
In the then sovereign of the Russian people,
Who measured men as you would do a steeple.
While things were in abeyance, Ribas sent
in abeyance - en suspenso
A courier to the prince, and he succeeded
In ordering matters after his own bent;
I cannot tell the way in which he pleaded,
But shortly he had cause to be content.
In the mean time, the batteries proceeded,
And fourscore cannon on the Danube's border
Were briskly fired and answer'd in due order.
But on the thirteenth, when already part
thirteenth - la decimotercera; decimotercero, treceavo
Of the troops were embark'd, the siege to raise,
A courier on the spur inspired new heart
Into all panters for newspaper praise,
As well as dilettanti in war's art,
By his despatches couch'd in pithy phrase;
pithy - conciso, sentencioso, lacónico, lapidario
Announcing the appointment of that lover of
Battles to the command, Field-Marshal Souvaroff.
field-marshal - (field-marshal) mariscal de campo
The letter of the prince to the same marshal
Marshal - mariscal, formar, recopilar, empaquetar
Was worthy of a Spartan, had the cause
Been one to which a good heart could be partial"
Defence of freedom, country, or of laws;
defence - defensa
But as it was mere lust of power to o'er-arch all
With its proud brow, it merits slight applause,
Save for its style, which said, all in a trice,
'You will take Ismail at whatever price.'
'Let there be light! said God, and there was light!'
'Let there be blood!'says man, and there's a seal
The fiat of this spoil'd child of the Night
(For Day ne'er saw his merits) could decree
decree - decreto, ordenanza, decretar
More evil in an hour, than thirty bright
Summers could renovate, though they should be
renovate - renovar, remozar
Lovely as those which ripen'd Eden's fruit;
ripen - madurar, colorear
For war cuts up not only branch, but root.
Our friends the Turks, who with loud 'Allahs'now
Allahs - Alá
Began to signalise the Russ retreat,
signalise - Senalizar
Were damnably mistaken; few are slow
damnably - Malditamente
In thinking that their enemy is beat
(Or beaten, if you insist on grammar, though
insist - insistir
Grammar - gramática
I never think about it in a heat),
But here I say the Turks were much mistaken,
Who hating hogs, yet wish'd to save their bacon.
hogs - cerdos; cerdo, puerco, marrano
For, on the sixteenth, at full gallop, drew
Sixteenth - dieciséis; decimosexto, dieciseisavo
gallop - galope, galopar
In sight two horsemen, who were deem'd Cossacques
horsemen - jinetes; caballero, jinete
For some time, till they came in nearer view.
They had but little baggage at their backs,
baggage - equipaje
For there were but three shirts between the two;
But on they rode upon two Ukraine hacks,
Ukraine - Ucrania
hacks - acks; cortar, tajar
Till, in approaching, were at length descried
approaching - se acerca; acercarse, aproximarse
In this plain pair, Suwarrow and his guide.
'Great joy to London now!'says some great fool,
When London had a grand illumination,
illumination - iluminación, ilustración
Which to that bottle-conjurer, John Bull,
Is of all dreams the first hallucination;
So that the streets of colour'd lamps are full,
That Sage (said john) surrenders at discretion
surrenders - se rinde; entregar, rendir, abandonar, rendirse, capitular
at discretion - a discreción
His purse, his soul, his sense, and even his nonsense,
To gratify, like a huge moth, this one sense.
moth - polilla; mariposa nocturna
'Tis strange that he should farther 'damn his eyes,'
For they are damn'd; that once all-famous oath
Is to the devil now no farther prize,
Since John has lately lost the use of both.
Debt he calls wealth, and taxes Paradise;
debt - deuda, pufo
And Famine, with her gaunt and bony growth,
bony - huesudo
Which stare him in the face, he won't examine,
Or swears that Ceres hath begotten Famine.
But to the tale:"great joy unto the camp!
To Russian, Tartar, English, French, Cossacque,
O'er whom Suwarrow shone like a gas lamp,
Presaging a most luminous attack;
presaging - presagio, presentimiento, intuición, presagiar, predecir
luminous - luminoso
Or like a wisp along the marsh so damp,
wisp - brizna, mechón, voluta, jirón
Marsh - ciénaga, marisma, pantano, ciénega
Which leads beholders on a boggy walk,
He flitted to and fro a dancing light,
flitted - evoloteó; revolotear
Which all who saw it follow'd, wrong or right.
But certes matters took a different face;
There was enthusiasm and much applause,
enthusiasm - entusiasmo
The fleet and camp saluted with great grace,
And all presaged good fortune to their cause.
presaged - presagiado; presagio, presentimiento, intuición, presagiar
Within a cannon-shot length of the place
They drew, constructed ladders, repair'd flaws
ladders - escaleras; escalera, escalafón, carrera
flaws - defectos; defecto
In former works, made new, prepared fascines,
fascines - fascines; fajina
And all kinds of benevolent machines.
benevolent - benevolente, benévolo
'Tis thus the spirit of a single mind
Makes that of multitudes take one direction,
multitudes - multitudes; multitud
As roll the waters to the breathing wind,
Or roams the herd beneath the bull's protection;
roams - vagar
herd - rebano, manada, piara
Or as a little dog will lead the blind,
Or a bell-wether form the flock's connection
By tinkling sounds, when they go forth to victual;
tinkling - Tintineo; (tinkle) Tintineo
Such is the sway of your great men o'er little.
The whole camp rung with joy; you would have thought
That they were going to a marriage feast
(This metaphor, I think, holds good as aught,
Since there is discord after both at least):
discord - discordia
There was not now a luggage boy but sought
luggage - equipaje
Danger and spoil with ardour much increased;
ardour - ardor
And why? because a little"odd"old man,
Stript to his shirt, was come to lead the van.
stript - despojado; quitar, desprender; arrancar; despojar
But so it was; and every preparation
Was made with all alacrity: the first
Detachment of three columns took its station,
detachment - desapego; desprendimiento, destacamento
And waited but the signal's voice to burst
Upon the foe: the second's ordination
ordination - ordenación
Was also in three columns, with a thirst
For glory gaping o'er a sea of slaughter:
The third, in columns two, attack'd by water.
New batteries were erected, and was held
A general council, in which unanimity,
unanimity - unanimidad
That stranger to most councils, here prevail'd,
councils - consejos; concejo
As sometimes happens in a great extremity;
And every difficulty being dispell'd,
dispell - Disipar
Glory began to dawn with due sublimity,
While Souvaroff, determined to obtain it,
obtain - obtener, coger
Was teaching his recruits to use the bayonet
recruits - reclutas; reemplazo, recluta, contratado, reclutar, reemplazar
bayonet - bayoneta
It is an actual fact, that he, commander
actual - real, existente, verdadero, efectivo, actual
commander - comandante
In chief, in proper person deign'd to drill
drill - taladro; taladrar, perforar
The awkward squad, and could afford to squander
squad - escuadrón; pelotón
His time, a corporal's duty to fulfil:
Just as you'd break a sucking salamander
salamander - salamandra
To swallow flame, and never take it ill:
swallow - tragar, engullir
He show'd them how to mount a ladder (which
ladder - escalera, escalafón, carrera
Was not like Jacob's) or to cross a ditch.
Also he dress'd up, for the nonce, fascines
Like men with turbans, scimitars, and dirks,
turbans - turbantes; turbante
And made them charge with bayonet these machines,
charge with - acusar; cargar con
By way of lesson against actual Turks:
And when well practised in these mimic scenes,
He judged them proper to assail the works;
At which your wise men sneer'd in phrases witty:
witty - panish: t-needed
He made no answer; but he took the city.
Most things were in this posture on the eve
posture - postura
Of the assault, and all the camp was in
A stern repose; which you would scarce conceive;
Yet men resolved to dash through thick and thin
Are very silent when they once believe
That all is settled:"there was little din,
din - jaleo
For some were thinking of their home and friends,
And others of themselves and latter ends.
Suwarrow chiefly was on the alert,
alert - alerta; despierto, vivo
Surveying, drilling, ordering, jesting, pondering;
drilling - Perforación; (drill) Perforación
jesting - Bromeando; (jest) Bromeando
pondering - reflexionando; considerar, meditar, cavilar, discurrir, ponderar
For the man was, we safely may assert,
A thing to wonder at beyond most wondering;
Hero, buffoon, half-demon, and half-dirt,
demon - demonio
Praying, instructing, desolating, plundering;
desolating - desolador; desierto, desolado, devastado
plundering - saquear, saqueo, botín
Now Mars, now Momus; and when bent to storm
A fortress, Harlequin in uniform.
harlequin - arlequín
The day before the assault, while upon drill"
For this great conqueror play'd the corporal"
Conqueror - conquistador
Some Cossacques, hovering like hawks round a hill,
hovering - revoloteando; cerner, dudar, hesitar, vacilar
hawks - gavilanes; halcón
Had met a party towards the twilight's fall,
One of whom spoke their tongue"or well or ill,
'Twas much that he was understood at all;
But whether from his voice, or speech, or manner,
They found that he had fought beneath their banner.
Whereon immediately at his request
They brought him and his comrades to head-quarters;
Their dress was Moslem, but you might have guess'd
That these were merely masquerading Tartars,
And that beneath each Turkish-fashion'd vest
Lurk'd Christianity; which sometimes barters
barters - rueques; trueque, trocar
Her inward grace for outward show, and makes
It difficult to shun some strange mistakes.
Suwarrow, who was standing in his shirt
Before a company of Calmucks, drilling,
Exclaiming, fooling, swearing at the inert,
exclaiming - exclamando; exclamar
inert - inerte
And lecturing on the noble art of killing,"
For deeming human clay but common dirt,
This great philosopher was thus instilling
instilling - Inculcando; (instil) Inculcando
His maxims, which to martial comprehension
maxims - máximas; máxima
comprehension - comprensión, entendimiento
Proved death in battle equal to a pension;"
Suwarrow, when he saw this company
Of Cossacques and their prey, turn'd round and cast
Upon them his slow brow and piercing eye:"
piercing - pirsin, perforación, punzante; (pierce); pirsin, perforación
'Whence come ye?'"'From Constantinople last,
Captives just now escaped,'was the reply.
'What are ye?'"'What you see us.'Briefly pass'd
briefly - revemente; concisamente
This dialogue; for he who answer'd knew
To whom he spoke, and made his words but few.
'Your names?'"'Mine 's Johnson, and my comrade 's Juan;
The other two are women, and the third
Is neither man nor woman.'The chief threw on
The party a slight glance, then said, 'I have heard
Your name before, the second is a new one:
To bring the other three here was absurd:
But let that pass:"I think I have heard your name
In the Nikolaiew regiment?'"'The same.'
regiment - regimiento
'You served at Widdin?'"'Yes.'"'You led the attack?'
'I did.'"'What next?'"'I really hardly know.'
What next? - ?Y ahora qué?
'You were the first i'the breach?'"'I was not slack
Slack - flojo
At least to follow those who might be so.'
'What follow'd?'"'A shot laid me on my back,
And I became a prisoner to the foe.'
'You shall have vengeance, for the town surrounded
Is twice as strong as that where you were wounded.
'Where will you serve?'"'Where'er you please.'"'I know
You like to be the hope of the forlorn,
And doubtless would be foremost on the foe
After the hardships you've already borne.
And this young fellow"say what can he do?
He with the beardless chin and garments torn?'
beardless - imberbe, barbilampino, sin barba, inmaduro
chin - barbilla, mentón
garments - prendas de vestir; prenda, prenda de vestir
'Why, general, if he hath no greater fault
In war than love, he had better lead the assault.'
'He shall if that he dare.'Here Juan bow'd
Low as the compliment deserved. Suwarrow
Continued: 'Your old regiment's allow'd,
By special providence, to lead to-morrow,
Providence - providencia; Providence
Or it may be to-night, the assault: I have vow'd
To several saints, that shortly plough or harrow
plough - arado, Carro Mayor, arar, labrar, barbechar
Shall pass o'er what was Ismail, and its tusk
tusk - colmillo
Be unimpeded by the proudest mosque.
'So now, my lads, for glory!'"Here he turn'd
lads - chicos; nino, chico, mozo, mozalbete
And drill'd away in the most classic Russian,
Until each high, heroic bosom burn'd
For cash and conquest, as if from a cushion
conquest - conquista
cushion - cojín, almohadón, colchón, amortiguante, banda, amortiguar
A preacher had held forth (who nobly spurn'd
All earthly goods save tithes) and bade them push on
tithes - diezmos; diezmo
To slay the Pagans who resisted, battering
pagans - paganos; pagano, pagano, pagana
resisted - esistido; resistir, panish: t-needed
battering - golpeando; banar
The armies of the Christian Empress Catherine.
Johnson, who knew by this long colloquy
colloquy - coloquio, conversación, coloquio
Himself a favourite, ventured to address
Suwarrow, though engaged with accents high
accents - acentos; acento, pronunciación
In his resumed amusement. 'I confess
resumed - se reanuda; reanudar
My debt in being thus allow'd to die
Among the foremost; but if you'd express
Explicitly our several posts, my friend
explicitly - explícitamente, rotundamente
And self would know what duty to attend.'
'Right! I was busy, and forgot. Why, you
Will join your former regiment, which should be
Now under arms. Ho! Katskoff, take him to
Ho - Qué
(Here he call'd up a Polish orderly)
orderly - ordenada; ordenado, metódico, pacífico, camillero
His post, I mean the regiment Nikolaiew:
The stranger stripling may remain with me;
He 's a fine boy. The women may be sent
To the other baggage, or to the sick tent.'
But here a sort of scene began to ensue:
ensue - sucede algo; seguirse, resultar
The ladies,"who by no means had been bred
To be disposed of in a way so new,
Although their haram education led
Doubtless to that of doctrines the most true,
doctrines - octrinas; doctrina
Passive obedience,"now raised up the head,
passive - pasivo
obedience - obediencia
With flashing eyes and starting tears, and flung
Their arms, as hens their wings about their young,
hens - gallinas; gallina
O'er the promoted couple of brave men
Who were thus honour'd by the greatest chief
That ever peopled hell with heroes slain,
Or plunged a province or a realm in grief.
realm - esfera, reino
O, foolish mortals! Always taught in vain!
O, glorious laurel! since for one sole leaf
Of thine imaginary deathless tree,
deathless - Inmortal
Of blood and tears must flow the unebbing sea.
unebbing - desebbing
Suwarrow, who had small regard for tears,
And not much sympathy for blood, survey'd
The women with their hair about their ears
And natural agonies, with a slight shade
Of feeling: for however habit sears
Men's hearts against whole millions, when their trade
Is butchery, sometimes a single sorrow
butchery - carnicería
Will touch even heroes"and such was Suwarrow.
He said,"and in the kindest Calmuck tone,"
'Why, Johnson, what the devil do you mean
By bringing women here? They shall be shown
All the attention possible, and seen
In safety to the waggons, where alone
In fact they can be safe. You should have been
Aware this kind of baggage never thrives:
thrives - prosperar, crecer, medrar
Save wed a year, I hate recruits with wives.'
'May it please Your Excellency,'thus replied
Your Excellency - Su Excelencia
Our British friend, 'these are the wives of others,
And not our own. I am too qualified
By service with my military brothers
To break the rules by bringing one's own bride
Into a camp: I know that nought so bothers
bothers - te molesta; molestar, agobiar, cansón, joroba, rayos, caramba
The hearts of the heroic on a charge,
As leaving a small family at large.
'But these are but two Turkish ladies, who
With their attendant aided our escape,
aided - ayudado; Assistente
And afterwards accompanied us through
A thousand perils in this dubious shape.
dubious - dudoso, aleatorio, ambiguo, turbio
To me this kind of life is not so new;
To them, poor things, it is an awkward scrape.
I therefore, if you wish me to fight freely,
Request that they may both be used genteelly.'
genteelly - Gente
Meantime these two poor girls, with swimming eyes,
Look'd on as if in doubt if they could trust
Their own protectors; nor was their surprise
protectors - protectores; protector, protectora, valedor
Less than their grief (and truly not less just)
To see an old man, rather wild than wise
In aspect, plainly clad, besmear'd with dust,
Stript to his waistcoat, and that not too clean,
waistcoat - chaleco, chalequillo
More fear'd than all the sultans ever seen.
For every thing seem'd resting on his nod,
As they could read in all eyes. Now to them,
Who were accustom'd, as a sort of god,
To see the sultan, rich in many a gem,
Like an imperial peacock stalk abroad
peacock - pavo real, pavorreal
(That royal bird, whose tail 's a diadem),
diadem - diadema
With all the pomp of power, it was a doubt
How power could condescend to do without.
John Johnson, seeing their extreme dismay,
Though little versed in feelings oriental,
versed - ersado; estrofa
Suggested some slight comfort in his way:
comfort - comodidad, consuelo, confortar
Don Juan, who was much more sentimental,
Swore they should see him by the dawn of day,
Or that the Russian army should repent all:
repent - arrepentirse
And, strange to say, they found some consolation
In this"for females like exaggeration.
exaggeration - exageración
And then with tears, and sighs, and some slight kisses,
They parted for the present"these to await,
According to the artillery's hits or misses,
Artillery - artillería
What sages call Chance, Providence, or Fate
(Uncertainty is one of many blisses,
uncertainty - incertidumbre, incerteza
blisses - dichas; euforia, dicha, beatitud
A mortgage on Humanity's estate)"
mortgage - hipoteca, hipotecar
humanity - la humanidad; humanidad
While their beloved friends began to arm,
To burn a town which never did them harm.
Suwarrow,"who but saw things in the gross,
Gross - asqueroso; repulsivo, gruesa, bruto
Being much too gross to see them in detail,
Who calculated life as so much dross,
And as the wind a widow'd nation's wail,
And cared as little for his army's loss
(So that their efforts should at length prevail)
As wife and friends did for the boils of job,"
What was 't to him to hear two women sob?
sob - sollozar; hdp
Nothing."The work of glory still went on
In preparations for a cannonade
preparations - preparativos; preparación
As terrible as that of Ilion,
If Homer had found mortars ready made;
mortars - morteros; mortero, argamasa, almirez, pilón
But now, instead of slaying Priam's son,
slaying - Cazando; (slay) Cazando
Priam - Príamo
We only can but talk of escalade,
Bombs, drums, guns, bastions, batteries, bayonets, bullets,"
bastions - baluartes; bastión
bayonets - bayonetas; bayoneta
Hard words, which stick in the soft Muses'gullets.
gullets - gargantas; esófago, gaznate, tragaderas
O, thou eternal Homer! who couldst charm
couldst - podrías
All cars, though long; all ages, though so short,
By merely wielding with poetic arm
Arms to which men will never more resort,
resort - esort; recurrir (a)
Unless gunpowder should be found to harm
Much less than is the hope of every court,
Which now is leagued young Freedom to annoy;
leagued - eagued; liga
But they will not find Liberty a Troy:"
O, thou eternal Homer! I have now
To paint a siege, wherein more men were slain,
With deadlier engines and a speedier blow,
deadlier - más mortal; mortal, letal, mortífero
speedier - más rápido; rápido, pronto
Than in thy Greek gazette of that campaign;
And yet, like all men else, I must allow,
To vie with thee would be about as vain
As for a brook to cope with ocean's flood;
But still we moderns equal you in blood;
If not in poetry, at least in fact;
And fact is truth, the grand desideratum!
desideratum - desiderátum
Of which, howe'er the Muse describes each act,
There should be ne'ertheless a slight substratum.
But now the town is going to be attack'd;
Great deeds are doing"how shall I relate 'em?
Souls of immortal generals! Phoebus watches
To colour up his rays from your despatches.
O, ye great bulletins of Bonaparte!
bulletins - boletines; boletín, boletín informativo, boletín de noticias
O, ye less grand long lists of kill'd and wounded!
Shade of Leonidas, who fought so hearty,
When my poor Greece was once, as now, surrounded!
O, Caesar's Commentaries! now impart, ye
commentaries - comentario, comentarios
impart - impartir
Shadows of glory! (lest I be confounded)
shadows - sombras; sombra
A portion of your fading twilight hues,
So beautiful, so fleeting, to the Muse.
When I call 'fading'martial immortality,
immortality - inmortalidad
I mean, that every age and every year,
And almost every day, in sad reality,
Some sucking hero is compell'd to rear,
compell - Obligar
Who, when we come to sum up the totality
totality - la totalidad; totalidad
Of deeds to human happiness most dear,
Turns out to be a butcher in great business,
Afflicting young folks with a sort of dizziness.
afflicting - Afligiendo; (afflict); afligir
Medals, rank, ribands, lace, embroidery, scarlet,
medals - medallas; medalla
ribands - Cinta
embroidery - bordado
Are things immortal to immortal man,
As purple to the Babylonian harlot:
Babylonian - babilonio, babilónico
harlot - prostituta; puta, golfa, ramera, zorra
An uniform to boys is like a fan
To women; there is scarce a crimson varlet
But deems himself the first in Glory's van.
But Glory's glory; and if you would find
What that is"ask the pig who sees the wind!
At least he feels it, and some say he sees,
Because he runs before it like a pig;
Or, if that simple sentence should displease,
Say, that he scuds before it like a brig,
A schooner, or"but it is time to ease
schooner - goleta, escuna
This Canto, ere my Muse perceives fatigue.
perceives - ercibe; percibir, entender
fatigue - fatiga, fatigar, acosar
The next shall ring a peal to shake all people,
peal - repique, toque de campanas
Like a bob-major from a village steeple.
Hark! through the silence of the cold, dull night,
The hum of armies gathering rank on rank!
Lo! dusky masses steal in dubious sight
masses - masas; montón, masa
Along the leaguer'd wall and bristling bank
Of the arm'd river, while with straggling light
straggling - rezagado; (straggle) rezagado
The stars peep through the vapours dim and dank,
peep through - espiar por
Which curl in curious wreaths:"how soon the smoke
Of Hell shall pall them in a deeper cloak!
Pall - pano mortuorio; cortina, manto
Here pause we for the present"as even then
That awful pause, dividing life from death,
Struck for an instant on the hearts of men,
Thousands of whom were drawing their last breath!
A moment"and all will be life again!
The march! the charge! the shouts of either faith!
Hurra! and Allah! and"one moment more,
The death-cry drowning in the battle's roar.
drowning - ahogándose; ahogamiento; (drown); ahogarse
O blood and thunder! and oh blood and wounds!
These are but vulgar oaths, as you may deem,
Too gentle reader! and most shocking sounds:
most shocking - lo más impactante
And so they are; yet thus is Glory's dream
Unriddled, and as my true Muse expounds
unriddled - Descifrar
expounds - exponer, explayar, disertar
At present such things, since they are her theme,
So be they her inspirers! Call them Mars,
inspirers - inspiradores; inspirador, inspiradora
Bellona, what you will"they mean but wars.
All was prepared"the fire, the sword, the men
To wield them in their terrible array.
wield - sgrimir; manejar, manipular, blandir, empunar, ejercer, regir
The army, like a lion from his den,
March'd forth with nerve and sinews bent to slay,"
A human Hydra, issuing from its fen
hydra - hidra; hydra
fen - pantano
To breathe destruction on its winding way,
Whose heads were heroes, which cut off in vain
Immediately in others grew again.
History can only take things in the gross;
But could we know them in detail, perchance
In balancing the profit and the loss,
War's merit it by no means might enhance,
enhance - mejorar; aumentar, realzar
To waste so much gold for a little dross,
As hath been done, mere conquest to advance.
advance - avanzar, progresar, avance, progreso, adelanto, avance
The drying up a single tear has more
drying up - secarse, resecarse
Of honest fame, than shedding seas of gore.
shedding - desprendimiento; (shed) desprendimiento
And why?"because it brings self-approbation;
Whereas the other, after all its glare,
glare - resplandor; mirada fulminante
Shouts, bridges, arches, pensions from a nation,
arches - arcos; bóveda
pensions - pensiones; pensión, pensionar
Which (it may be) has not much left to spare,
A higher title, or a loftier station,
Though they may make Corruption gape or stare,
gape - grabape; boquear, abrirse
Yet, in the end, except in Freedom's battles,
Are nothing but a child of Murder's rattles.
rattles - sonajeros; hacer sonar, hacer vibrar
And such they are"and such they will be found:
Not so Leonidas and Washington,
Washington - Washington
Whose every battle-field is holy ground,
battle-field - (battle-field) Campo de batalla
Which breathes of nations saved, not worlds undone.
How sweetly on the ear such echoes sound!
While the mere victor's may appal or stun
appal - apalear; horrorizar
stun - anonadar, aturdir, pasmar, atontar
The servile and the vain, such names will be
A watchword till the future shall be free.
watchword - palabra clave; lema, consigna, contrasena, santo y sena
The night was dark, and the thick mist allow'd
Nought to be seen save the artillery's flame,
Which arch'd the horizon like a fiery cloud,
horizon - horizonte
And in the Danube's waters shone the same"
A mirror'd hell! the volleying roar, and loud
volleying - voleando; salva, volea, voleo
Long booming of each peal on peal, o'ercame
booming - en auge; (boom) en auge
ercame - rcame
The ear far more than thunder; for Heaven's flashes
Spare, or smite rarely"man's make millions ashes!
smite - golpear, cascar
The column order'd on the assault scarce pass'd
Beyond the Russian batteries a few toises,
When up the bristling Moslem rose at last,
Answering the Christian thunders with like voices:
thunders - truenos; trueno, estruendo, fragor, tronar
Then one vast fire, air, earth, and stream embraced,
Which rock'd as 'twere beneath the mighty noises;
While the whole rampart blazed like Etna, when
blazed - arde; llamarada, incendio; resplandor
The restless Titan hiccups in his den.
hiccups - hipo, singulto, hipar
And one enormous shout of 'Allah!'rose
In the same moment, loud as even the roar
Of war's most mortal engines, to their foes
Hurling defiance: city, stream, and shore
hurling - Lanzamiento; (hurl); arrojar, lanzar, tirar, proyectar, volver
defiance - desafío
Resounded 'Allah!'and the clouds which close
resounded - resonó; resonar
With thick'ning canopy the conflict o'er,
conflict - conflicto, discrepancia, discrepar, estar renido, coincidir
Vibrate to the Eternal name. Hark! through
vibrate - vibrar
All sounds it pierceth 'Allah! Allah! Hu!'
The columns were in movement one and all,
But of the portion which attack'd by water,
Thicker than leaves the lives began to fall,
Though led by Arseniew, that great son of slaughter,
As brave as ever faced both bomb and ball.
'Carnage'(so Wordsworth tells you) 'is God's daughter:'
If he speak truth, she is Christ's sister, and
Christ - Cristo, Jesucristo, Cristo
Just now behaved as in the Holy Land.
The Prince de Ligne was wounded in the knee;
Count Chapeau-Bras, too, had a ball between
Bras - Sostenes; (bra) Sostenes
His cap and head, which proves the head to be
Aristocratic as was ever seen,
aristocratic - aristocrático
Because it then received no injury
More than the cap; in fact, the ball could mean
No harm unto a right legitimate head:
'Ashes to ashes'"why not lead to lead?
Also the General Markow, Brigadier,
brigadier - brigadier
Insisting on removal of the prince
insisting - insiste; insistir
removal - remoción, eliminación, mudanza
Amidst some groaning thousands dying near,"
groaning - gimiendo; gemidor, gemebundo; (groan); gemido, grunido, gemir
All common fellows, who might writhe and wince,
writhe - retorcerse; contorsionar
And shriek for water into a deaf ear,"
The General Markow, who could thus evince
evince - manifestar, revelar, evidenciar
His sympathy for rank, by the same token,
To teach him greater, had his own leg broken.
Three hundred cannon threw up their emetic,
And thirty thousand muskets flung their pills
muskets - mosquetes; mosquete
pills - píldoras; píldora, pastilla
Like hail, to make a bloody diuretic.
diuretic - diurético
Mortality! thou hast thy monthly bills;
Thy plagues, thy famines, thy physicians, yet tick,
plagues - plagas; plaga, peste, plagar, molestar, atormentar
famines - hambres; hambruna, hambre
tick - garrapata; tictac
Like the death-watch, within our ears the ills
Past, present, and to come;"but all may yield
To the true portrait of one battle-field.
There the still varying pangs, which multiply
Until their very number makes men hard
By the infinities of agony,
infinities - infinitos; infinidad, infinito
Which meet the gaze whate'er it may regard"
The groan, the roll in dust, the all-white eye
Turn'd back within its socket,"these reward
socket - enchufe, toma corriente, toma, cuenca (eye socket), glena
Your rank and file by thousands, while the rest
May win perhaps a riband at the breast!
riband - Cinta
Yet I love glory;"glory 's a great thing:"
Think what it is to be in your old age
Maintain'd at the expense of your good king:
maintain - mantener, sostener
A moderate pension shakes full many a sage,
And heroes are but made for bards to sing,
Which is still better; thus in verse to wage
Your wars eternally, besides enjoying
eternally - eternamente
Half-pay for life, make mankind worth destroying.
The troops, already disembark'd, push'd on
disembark - desembarcar
To take a battery on the right; the others,
Who landed lower down, their landing done,
Had set to work as briskly as their brothers:
Being grenadiers, they mounted one by one,
Cheerful as children climb the breasts of mothers,
O'er the entrenchment and the palisade,
entrenchment - Atrincheramiento
palisade - palizada
Quite orderly, as if upon parade.
And this was admirable; for so hot
admirable - admirable, loable
The fire was, that were red Vesuvius loaded,
Vesuvius - el vesubio; Vesubio
loaded - cargado; carga
Besides its lava, with all sorts of shot
And shells or hells, it could not more have goaded.
hells - infiernos; infierno
goaded - incitado; picana, puya, aguijada
Of officers a third fell on the spot,
A thing which victory by no means boded
victory - Victoria
boded - boded; presagiar, prometer, prever
To gentlemen engaged in the assault:
Hounds, when the huntsman tumbles, are at fault.
tumbles - vueltas; caída, caer, revolverse
But here I leave the general concern,
To track our hero on his path of fame:
He must his laurels separately earn;
separately - por separado; separadamente
For fifty thousand heroes, name by name,
Though all deserving equally to turn
A couplet, or an elegy to claim,
Elegy - elegía
Would form a lengthy lexicon of glory,
lexicon - léxico
And what is worse still, a much longer story:
And therefore we must give the greater number
To the Gazette"which doubtless fairly dealt
By the deceased, who lie in famous slumber
deceased - fallecido; fallecimiento, deceso, óbito, defunción, fallecer
In ditches, fields, or wheresoe'er they felt
ditches - zanjas; zanja, foso, cuneta
wheresoe - dónde
Their clay for the last time their souls encumber;"
Thrice happy he whose name has been well spelt
In the despatch: I knew a man whose loss
Was printed Grove, although his name was Grose.
grove - arboleda
Juan and Johnson join'd a certain corps,
corps - cuerpo; (corp) cuerpo
And fought away with might and main, not knowing
The way which they had never trod before,
And still less guessing where they might be going;
But on they march'd, dead bodies trampling o'er,
Firing, and thrusting, slashing, sweating, glowing,
thrusting - Empujando; (thrust); estocada, empuje, envión, impulso, énfasis
slashing - Golpear; (slash) Golpear
But fighting thoughtlessly enough to win,
thoughtlessly - sin pensar; desconsideradamente, a las bravas
To their two selves, one whole bright bulletin.
Thus on they wallow'd in the bloody mire
wallow - revolcarse
mire - lodos
Of dead and dying thousands,"sometimes gaining
A yard or two of ground, which brought them nigher
nigher - más negro; cerca, cabe, cercano
To some odd angle for which all were straining;
angle - ángulo; anglo
straining - esforzándose; (strain) esforzándose
At other times, repulsed by the close fire,
repulsed - repulsado; repulsar
Which really pour'd as if all hell were raining
Instead of heaven, they stumbled backwards o'er
A wounded comrade, sprawling in his gore.
sprawling - en expansión; despatarrar, desparramo
Though 'twas Don Juan's first of fields, and though
The nightly muster and the silent march
In the chill dark, when courage does not glow
So much as under a triumphal arch,
triumphal - triunfal
Perhaps might make him shiver, yawn, or throw
A glance on the dull clouds (as thick as starch,
starch - almidón, almidonar
Which stiffen'd heaven) as if he wish'd for day;"
stiffen - atiesar, entiesar, endurecer, atiesarse, entiesarse
Yet for all this he did not run away.
Indeed he could not. But what if he had?
There have been and are heroes who begun
With something not much better, or as bad:
Frederic the Great from Molwitz deign'd to run,
For the first and last time; for, like a pad,
Or hawk, or bride, most mortals after one
Warm bout are broken into their new tricks,
bout - ataque (med), rato
And fight like fiends for pay or politics.
fiends - demonios; diablo, diablillo, demonio, malvado
He was what Erin calls, in her sublime
Old Erse or Irish, or it may be Punic
punic - púnico, cartaginés
(The antiquarians who can settle time,
antiquarians - anticuarios; antiguo, anticuario, anticuario, anticuaria
Which settles all things, Roman, Greek, or Runic,
settles - se asienta; instalar, colocar
Runic - rúnico
Swear that Pat's language sprung from the same clime
Pat - palmadita, caricia
sprung from - brotar de, salir
With Hannibal, and wears the Tyrian tunic
Hannibal - Aníbal
tunic - túnica
Of Dido's alphabet; and this is rational
As any other notion, and not national);"
But Juan was quite 'a broth of a boy,'
A thing of impulse and a child of song;
Now swimming in the sentiment of joy,
Or the sensation (if that phrase seem wrong),
And afterward, if he must needs destroy,
afterward - después
In such good company as always throng
To battles, sieges, and that kind of pleasure,
sieges - asedios; sitio, asedio
No less delighted to employ his leisure;
But always without malice: if he warr'd
warr - Guerra
Or loved, it was with what we call 'the best
Intentions,'which form all mankind's trump card,
To be produced when brought up to the test.
The statesman, hero, harlot, lawyer"ward
statesman - un estadista; estadista
Off each attack, when people are in quest
Of their designs, by saying they meant well;
'Tis pity 'that such meaning should pave hell.'
pave - pavimentar
I almost lately have begun to doubt
Whether hell's pavement"if it be so paved"
Must not have latterly been quite worn out,
latterly - últimamente
Not by the numbers good intent hath saved,
But by the mass who go below without
Those ancient good intentions, which once shaved
And smooth'd the brimstone of that street of hell
Which bears the greatest likeness to Pall Mall.
Juan, by some strange chance, which oft divides
Warrior from warrior in their grim career,
Like chastest wives from constant husbands'sides
Just at the close of the first bridal year,
By one of those odd turns of Fortune's tides,
tides - areas; marea
Was on a sudden rather puzzled here,
When, after a good deal of heavy firing,
He found himself alone, and friends retiring.
I don't know how the thing occurr'd"it might
Be that the greater part were kill'd or wounded,
And that the rest had faced unto the right
About; a circumstance which has confounded
Caesar himself, who, in the very sight
Of his whole army, which so much abounded
abounded - bundaban; abundar, ser abundante
In courage, was obliged to snatch a shield,
And rally back his Romans to the field.
Juan, who had no shield to snatch, and was
No Caesar, but a fine young lad, who fought
He knew not why, arriving at this pass,
Stopp'd for a minute, as perhaps he ought
For a much longer time; then, like an as
(Start not, kind reader; since great Homer thought
This simile enough for Ajax, Juan
Perhaps may find it better than a new one)"
Then, like an ass, he went upon his way,
And, what was stranger, never look'd behind;
But seeing, flashing forward, like the day
Over the hills, a fire enough to blind
Those who dislike to look upon a fray,
He stumbled on, to try if he could find
A path, to add his own slight arm and forces
To corps, the greater part of which were corses.
corses - ors
Perceiving then no more the commandant
Of his own corps, nor even the corps, which had
Quite disappear'd"the gods know howl (I can't
Account for every thing which may look bad
In history; but we at least may grant
It was not marvellous that a mere lad,
marvellous - maravilloso
In search of glory, should look on before,
Nor care a pinch of snuff about his corps):"
Perceiving nor commander nor commanded,
commanded - mandado; orden, mandato, mando, comando, dominio
And left at large, like a young heir, to make
His way to"where he knew not"single handed;
As travellers follow over bog and brake
bog - pantano, ciénaga
brake - freno; frenar
An 'ignis fatuus;'or as sailors stranded
stranded - encallado; varar
Unto the nearest hut themselves betake;
betake - Aceptar
So Juan, following honour and his nose,
Rush'd where the thickest fire announced most foes.
He knew not where he was, nor greatly cared,
For he was dizzy, busy, and his veins
Fill'd as with lightning"for his spirit shared
The hour, as is the case with lively brains;
And where the hottest fire was seen and heard,
And the loud cannon peal'd his hoarsest strains,
hoarsest - más ronco; ronco
He rush'd, while earth and air were sadly shaken
By thy humane discovery, Friar Bacon!
And as he rush'd along, it came to pass he
Fell in with what was late the second column,
Under the orders of the General Lascy,
But now reduced, as is a bulky volume
bulky - grande; voluminoso, abultado
Into an elegant extract (much less massy)
elegant - elegante, chic
Of heroism, and took his place with solemn
heroism - heroísmo
Air 'midst the rest, who kept their valiant faces
And levell'd weapons still against the glacis.
Just at this crisis up came Johnson too,
Who had 'retreated,'as the phrase is when
retreated - se retiró; retirarse, batirse en retirada
Men run away much rather than go through
Destruction's jaws into the devil's den;
But Johnson was a clever fellow, who
Knew when and how 'to cut and come again,'
And never ran away, except when running
Was nothing but a valorous kind of cunning.
And so, when all his corps were dead or dying,
Except Don Juan, a mere novice, whose
More virgin valour never dreamt of flying
From ignorance of danger, which indues
Its votaries, like innocence relying
relying - confiar; contar con, atenerse
On its own strength, with careless nerves and thews,"
nerves - nervio, coraje, descaro, frescura, nervios
thews - Qué
Johnson retired a little, just to rally
Those who catch cold in 'shadows of Death's valley.'
And there, a little shelter'd from the shot,
shelter - refugio, abrigo, amparo, asilo
Which rain'd from bastion, battery, parapet,
parapet - parapeto
Rampart, wall, casement, house,"for there was not
In this extensive city, sore beset
beset - acosado; cercar, sitiar, asediar
By Christian soldiery, a single spot
Which did not combat like the devil, as yet,
He found a number of Chasseurs, all scatter'd
By the resistance of the chase they batter'd.
And these he call'd on; and, what 's strange, they came
Unto his call, unlike 'the spirits from
The vasty deep,'to whom you may exclaim,
Says Hotspur, long ere they will leave their home.
Their reasons were uncertainty, or shame
At shrinking from a bullet or a bomb,
And that odd impulse, which in wars or creeds
creeds - credos; credo, creer
Makes men, like cattle, follow him who leads.
By Jove! he was a noble fellow, Johnson,
And though his name, than Ajax or Achilles,
Sounds less harmonious, underneath the sun soon
We shall not see his likeness: he could kill his
Man quite as quietly as blows the monsoon
monsoon - monzón
Her steady breath (which some months the same still is):
Seldom he varied feature, hue, or muscle,
And could be very busy without bustle;
And therefore, when he ran away, he did so
Upon reflection, knowing that behind
He would find others who would fain be rid so
Of idle apprehensions, which like wind
apprehensions - aprehensiones; arresto, aprensión
Trouble heroic stomachs. Though their lids so
lids - tapas; tapa
Oft are soon closed, all heroes are not blind,
But when they light upon immediate death,
Retire a little, merely to take breath.
But Johnson only ran off, to return
With many other warriors, as we said,
Unto that rather somewhat misty bourn,
misty - niebla; con neblina, neblinoso
Which Hamlet tells us is a pass of dread.
hamlet - aldehuela, caserío, aldea, villar
To Jack howe'er this gave but slight concern:
His soul (like galvanism upon the dead)
Acted upon the living as on wire,
wire - alambre, hilo, cable
And led them back into the heaviest fire.
Egad! they found the second time what they
The first time thought quite terrible enough
To fly from, malgre all which people say
Of glory, and all that immortal stuff
Which fills a regiment (besides their pay,
That daily shilling which makes warriors tough)"
They found on their return the self-same welcome,
Which made some think, and others know, a hell come.
They fell as thick as harvests beneath hail,
harvests - osechas; cosecha, cosechar
Grass before scythes, or corn below the sickle,
scythes - guadanas; guadana, guadanar
Proving that trite old truth, that life 's as frail
As any other boon for which men stickle.
The Turkish batteries thrash'd them like a flail,
thrash - vapulear
flail - maleta; mayal, mayal de armas, sacudirse, agitarse, debatirse
Or a good boxer, into a sad pickle
boxer - boxeador, boxeadora, bóxer
Putting the very bravest, who were knock'd
Upon the head, before their guns were cock'd.
The Turks, behind the traverses and flanks
traverses - traviesa; atravesar, recorrer
flanks - flancos; costado, flanco
Of the next bastion, fired away like devils,
devils - demonios; diablo
And swept, as gales sweep foam away, whole ranks:
gales - endavales; vendaval, galerna
However, Heaven knows how, the Fate who levels
Towns, nations, worlds, in her revolving pranks,
revolving - Giratorio; (revolve); girar, rotar
So order'd it, amidst these sulphury revels,
sulphury - Sulfuro
revels - juergas; deleitarse
That Johnson and some few who had not scamper'd,
scamper - escapar; zafarse, corretear
Reach'd the interior talus of the rampart.
interior - interior, interior
First one or two, then five, six, and a dozen,
Came mounting quickly up, for it was now
All neck or nothing, as, like pitch or rosin,
rosin - es colofonia; colofonia
Flame was shower'd forth above, as well 's below,
So that you scarce could say who best had chosen,
The gentlemen that were the first to show
Their martial faces on the parapet,
Or those who thought it brave to wait as yet.
But those who scaled, found out that their advance
scaled - a escala; escala
Was favour'd by an accident or blunder:
The Greek or Turkish Cohorn's ignorance
Had palisado'd in a way you'd wonder
To see in forts of Netherlands or France
forts - fortalezas; fuerte, fortaleza
Netherlands - Países Bajos
(Though these to our Gibraltar must knock under)"
Right in the middle of the parapet
Just named, these palisades were primly set:
primly - con primor; mojigatamente
So that on either side some nine or ten
Paces were left, whereon you could contrive
paces - pasos; paso
To march; a great convenience to our men,
convenience - conveniencia, comodidad
At least to all those who were left alive,
Who thus could form a line and fight again;
And that which farther aided them to strive
Was, that they could kick down the palisades,
Which scarcely rose much higher than grass blades.
blades - cuchillas; cuchilla, hoja, cuchillo (said of a dagger), espada
Among the first,"I will not say the first,
For such precedence upon such occasions
precedence - prioridad, precedencia
Will oftentimes make deadly quarrels burst
Out between friends as well as allied nations:
The Briton must be bold who really durst
durst - durst; atraverse, osar
Put to such trial John Bull's partial patience,
As say that Wellington at Waterloo
Was beaten"though the Prussians say so too;"
Prussians - prusos; prusiano, prusiano, prusiana
And that if Blucher, Bulow, Gneisenau,
Blucher - blucher
And God knows who besides in 'au'and 'ow,'
Had not come up in time to cast an awe
Into the hearts of those who fought till now
As tigers combat with an empty craw,
tigers - tigre; tigresa
The Duke of Wellington had ceased to show
His orders, also to receive his pensions,
Which are the heaviest that our history mentions.
But never mind;"'God save the king!'and kings!
For if he don't, I doubt if men will longer"
I think I hear a little bird, who sings
little bird - pajarito; pájaro pequeno
The people by and by will be the stronger:
by will - De voluntad
The veriest jade will wince whose harness wrings
harness - arnés, arrear, aparejar, aprovechar
So much into the raw as quite to wrong her
Beyond the rules of posting,"and the mob
At last fall sick of imitating Job.
fall sick - caer enfermo
imitating - imitando; imitar
At first it grumbles, then it swears, and then,
grumbles - grunidos; refunfunar, rezongar
Like David, flings smooth pebbles 'gainst a giant;
At last it takes to weapons such as men
Snatch when despair makes human hearts less pliant.
pliant - flexible, manejable
Then comes 'the tug of war;'"'twill come again,
tug - tirón; tirar, halar
I rather doubt; and I would fain say 'fie on 't,'
If I had not perceived that revolution
revolution - revolución, vuelta, giro
Alone can save the earth from hell's pollution.
But to continue:"I say not the first,
But of the first, our little friend Don Juan
Walk'd o'er the walls of Ismail, as if nursed
Amidst such scenes"though this was quite a new one
To him, and I should hope to most. The thirst
Of glory, which so pierces through and through one,
Pervaded him"although a generous creature,
pervaded - mpregnado; permear
As warm in heart as feminine in feature.
And here he was"who upon woman's breast,
Even from a child, felt like a child; howe'er
The man in all the rest might be confest,
confest - Confesar
To him it was Elysium to be there;
elysium - Elíseo
And he could even withstand that awkward test
Which Rousseau points out to the dubious fair,
'Observe your lover when he leaves your arms;'
observe - observar, seguir, tomar en cuenta
But Juan never left them, while they had charms,
Unless compell'd by fate, or wave, or wind,
Or near relations, who are much the same.
But here he was!"where each tie that can bind
Humanity must yield to steel and flame:
And he whose very body was all mind,
Flung here by fate or circumstance, which tame
The loftiest, hurried by the time and place,
Dash'd on like a spurr'd blood-horse in a race.
So was his blood stirr'd while he found resistance,
As is the hunter's at the five-bar gate,
Hunter - cazador, perro de caza, buscador, buscadora
Or double post and rail, where the existence
Of Britain's youth depends upon their weight,
The lightest being the safest: at a distance
He hated cruelty, as all men hate
cruelty - crueldad
Blood, until heated"and even then his own
At times would curdle o'er some heavy groan.
curdle - cuajar, coagular
The General Lascy, who had been hard press'd,
Seeing arrive an aid so opportune
As were some hundred youngsters all abreast,
youngsters - jóvenes; jovenzuelo
abreast - al día; de lado a lado, al corriente
Who came as if just dropp'd down from the moon,
To Juan, who was nearest him, address'd
His thanks, and hopes to take the city soon,
Not reckoning him to be a 'base Bezonian'
reckoning - recuperación; cálculo
(As Pistol calls it), but a young Livonian.
Livonian - livonio, livonio, livonia
Juan, to whom he spoke in German, knew
German - alemán, alemana, germano, germana
As much of German as of Sanscrit, and
In answer made an inclination to
The general who held him in command;
For seeing one with ribands, black and blue,
Stars, medals, and a bloody sword in hand,
Addressing him in tones which seem'd to thank,
tones - tonos; tono
He recognised an officer of rank.
recognised - Reconoces
Short speeches pass between two men who speak
No common language; and besides, in time
Of war and taking towns, when many a shriek
Rings o'er the dialogue, and many a crime
Is perpetrated ere a word can break
perpetrated - erpetrado; perpetrar
Upon the ear, and sounds of horror chime
In like church-bells, with sigh, howl, groan, yell, prayer,
There cannot be much conversation there.
And therefore all we have related in
Two long octaves, pass'd in a little minute;
octaves - octavas; octava
But in the same small minute, every sin
Contrived to get itself comprised within it.
The very cannon, deafen'd by the din,
deafen - ensordecer
Grew dumb, for you might almost hear a linnet,
linnet - pardillo común; pardillo
As soon as thunder, 'midst the general noise
Of human nature's agonising voice!
agonising - agonizar
The town was enter'd. Oh eternity!-
'God made the country and man made the town,'
So Cowper says"and I begin to be
Of his opinion, when I see cast down
Rome, Babylon, Tyre, Carthage, Nineveh,
Babylon - Babilonia
Carthage - Cartago
Nineveh - Nínive
All walls men know, and many never known;
And pondering on the present and the past,
To deem the woods shall be our home at last
Of all men, saving Sylla the man-slayer,
slayer - cazadora; asesino, asesina
Who passes for in life and death most lucky,
Of the great names which in our faces stare,
The General Boon, back-woodsman of Kentucky,
Woodsman - Lenador
Kentucky - Kentucky
Was happiest amongst mortals anywhere;
For killing nothing but a bear or buck, he
Buck - macho
Enjoy'd the lonely, vigorous, harmless days
vigorous - vigoroso
Of his old age in wilds of deepest maze.
maze - laberinto, desconcertar
Crime came not near him"she is not the child
Of solitude; Health shrank not from him"for
shrank - se encogió; contraerse, encogerse, achicarse, mermar
Her home is in the rarely trodden wild,
trodden - pisado; pisar, pisotear, hollar
Where if men seek her not, and death be more
Their choice than life, forgive them, as beguiled
beguiled - enganado; enganar, encanto enganador, encanto secretivo
By habit to what their own hearts abhor"
In cities caged. The present case in point I
Cite is, that Boon lived hunting up to ninety;
cite - Citar
And what 's still stranger, left behind a name
For which men vainly decimate the throng,
decimate - diezmar
Not only famous, but of that good fame,
Without which glory 's but a tavern song"
Simple, serene, the antipodes of shame,
Which hate nor envy e'er could tinge with wrong;
tinge - toque, tinte, matiz, retocar, matizar
An active hermit, even in age the child
Of Nature, or the man of Ross run wild.
run wild - desbocarse, desenfrenarse; crecer sin control
'Tis true he shrank from men even of his nation,
When they built up unto his darling trees,"
He moved some hundred miles off, for a station
Where there were fewer houses and more ease;
The inconvenience of civilisation
inconvenience - inconveniente; inconveniencia, desconveniencia, incomodar
Is, that you neither can be pleased nor please;
But where he met the individual man,
He show'd himself as kind as mortal can.
He was not all alone: around him grew
A sylvan tribe of children of the chase,
sylvan - selvático, nemoroso, silvano, silvestre
Whose young, unwaken'd world was ever new,
unwaken - despertar
Nor sword nor sorrow yet had left a trace
On her unwrinkled brow, nor could you view
unwrinkled - Desarrugar
A frown on Nature's or on human face;
The free-born forest found and kept them free,
And fresh as is a torrent or a tree.
And tall, and strong, and swift of foot were they,
Beyond the dwarfing city's pale abortions,
dwarfing - enanismo; enano, enano
abortions - abortos; aborto, aborto involuntario, aborto inducido, engendro
Because their thoughts had never been the prey
Of care or gain: the green woods were their portions;
No sinking spirits told them they grew grey,
No fashion made them apes of her distortions;
apes - simios; mono
distortions - istorsiones; distorsión
Simple they were, not savage; and their rifles,
rifles - rifles; fusil, rifle
Though very true, were not yet used for trifles.
trifles - baratijas; sopa inglesa, pizca, nadería, nimiedad, zarandaja
Motion was in their days, rest in their slumbers,
slumbers - dormir; adormecimiento, adormilamiento, adormecer, adormilar
And cheerfulness the handmaid of their toil;
cheerfulness - alegría
handmaid - sirvienta; azafata
Nor yet too many nor too few their numbers;
Corruption could not make their hearts her soil;
The lust which stings, the splendour which encumbers,
With the free foresters divide no spoil;
foresters - forestales; silvicultor, silvicultora
Serene, not sullen, were the solitudes
Of this unsighing people of the woods.
unsighing - Suspiro
So much for Nature:"by way of variety,
Now back to thy great joys, Civilisation!
And the sweet consequence of large society,
War, pestilence, the despot's desolation,
pestilence - peste; pestilencia
The kingly scourge, the lust of notoriety,
scourge - azote, flagelo, azotar, flagelar
notoriety - notoriedad, infamia, mala fama
The millions slain by soldiers for their ration,
ration - ración, racionar
The scenes like Catherine's boudoir at threescore,
With Ismail's storm to soften it the more.
soften - ablandar, suavizar
The town was enter'd: first one column made
Its sanguinary way good"then another;
sanguinary - sanguinario
The reeking bayonet and the flashing blade
reeking - apestando; hedor, peste, tufo
blade - cuchilla, hoja, cuchillo (said of a dagger), espada, pala, aspa
Clash'd 'gainst the scimitar, and babe and mother
scimitar - cimitarra
With distant shrieks were heard Heaven to upbraid:
shrieks - gritos; alarido, chillido, chillar
Still closer sulphury clouds began to smother
The breath of morn and man, where foot by foot
by foot - a pie
The madden'd Turks their city still dispute.
madden - enloquecer
dispute - disputa, contencioso
Koutousow, he who afterward beat back
(With some assistance from the frost and snow)
frost - escarcha, helada, escarchar, glasear, granizar
Napoleon on his bold and bloody track,
It happen'd was himself beat back just now;
He was a jolly fellow, and could crack
jolly - alegre, divertido, gracioso
His jest alike in face of friend or foe,
Though life, and death, and victory were at stake;
stake - estaca, participación, estacar, poner en juego
But here it seem'd his jokes had ceased to take:
For having thrown himself into a ditch,
Follow'd in haste by various grenadiers,
Whose blood the puddle greatly did enrich,
puddle - un charco; charco, poza
He climb'd to where the parapet appears;
But there his project reach'd its utmost pitch
('Mongst other deaths the General Ribaupierre's
Was much regretted), for the Moslem men
regretted - te arrepientes; lamentar, pena, pesar, arrepentimiento
Threw them all down into the ditch again.
And had it not been for some stray troops landing
They knew not where, being carried by the stream
To some spot, where they lost their understanding,
And wander'd up and down as in a dream,
Until they reach'd, as daybreak was expanding,
That which a portal to their eyes did seem,"
The great and gay Koutousow might have lain
Where three parts of his column yet remain.
And scrambling round the rampart, these same troops,
After the taking of the 'Cavalier,'
Just as Koutousow's most 'forlorn'of 'hopes'
Took like chameleons some slight tinge of fear,
chameleons - camaleones; camaleón
Open'd the gate call'd 'Kilia,'to the groups
Of baffled heroes, who stood shyly near,
shyly - tímidamente
Sliding knee-deep in lately frozen mud,
sliding - deslizándose; corredizo; (slid) deslizándose; corredizo
Now thaw'd into a marsh of human blood.
thaw - descongelar, derretir, deshelar, deshielo
The Kozacks, or, if so you please, Cossacques
(I don't much pique myself upon orthography,
orthography - ortografía
So that I do not grossly err in facts,
grossly - asquerosamente; groseramente
Statistics, tactics, politics, and geography)"
tactics - tácticas; táctica
Having been used to serve on horses'backs,
And no great dilettanti in topography
topography - topografía
Of fortresses, but fighting where it pleases
Fortresses - fortalezas; fortaleza
Their chiefs to order,"were all cut to pieces.
chiefs - jefes; jefe, principal
Their column, though the Turkish batteries thunder'd
Upon them, ne'ertheless had reach'd the rampart,
And naturally thought they could have plunder'd
The city, without being farther hamper'd;
But as it happens to brave men, they blunder'd"
The Turks at first pretended to have scamper'd,
Only to draw them 'twixt two bastion corners,
From whence they sallied on those Christian scorners.
sallied - salió; salida
scorners - despreciador
Then being taken by the tail"a taking
Fatal to bishops as to soldiers"these
Cossacques were all cut off as day was breaking,
And found their lives were let at a short lease"
But perish'd without shivering or shaking,
Leaving as ladders their heap'd carcasses,
O'er which Lieutenant-Colonel Yesouskoi
lieutenant - teniente, lugarteniente, checklugarteniente
Colonel - coronel
March'd with the brave battalion of Polouzki:"
battalion - batallón
This valiant man kill'd all the Turks he met,
But could not eat them, being in his turn
Slain by some Mussulmans, who would not yet,
Without resistance, see their city burn.
The walls were won, but 'twas an even bet
Which of the armies would have cause to mourn:
'Twas blow for blow, disputing inch by inch,
disputing - discutiendo; disputa, contencioso
inch - pulgada
For one would not retreat, nor t'other flinch.
flinch - inclinarse; encogerse, estremecerse
Another column also suffer'd much:"
And here we may remark with the historian,
You should but give few cartridges to such
cartridges - cartuchos; cartucho, cartuchera, cartucho de tinta
Troops as are meant to march with greatest glory on:
When matters must be carried by the touch
Of the bright bayonet, and they all should hurry on,
They sometimes, with a hankering for existence,
hankering - Ansias; (hanker); querer
Keep merely firing at a foolish distance.
firing at - disparar a
A junction of the General Meknop's men
(Without the General, who had fallen some time
Before, being badly seconded just then)
Was made at length with those who dared to climb
The death-disgorging rampart once again;
And though the Turk's resistance was sublime,
They took the bastion, which the Seraskier
Defended at a price extremely dear.
defended - defendido; defender
Juan and Johnson, and some volunteers,
Among the foremost, offer'd him good quarter,
A word which little suits with Seraskiers,
Or at least suited not this valiant Tartar.
He died, deserving well his country's tears,
A savage sort of military martyr.
An English naval officer, who wish'd
naval officer - oficial de la marina
To make him prisoner, was also dish'd:
For all the answer to his proposition
Was from a pistol-shot that laid him dead;
On which the rest, without more intermission,
Began to lay about with steel and lead"
The pious metals most in requisition
On such occasions: not a single head
Was spared;"three thousand Moslems perish'd here,
spared - se salvó; prescindir, pasar sin
Moslems - Musulmán
And sixteen bayonets pierced the Seraskier.
The city 's taken"only part by part"
And death is drunk with gore: there's not a street
Where fights not to the last some desperate heart
For those for whom it soon shall cease to beat.
Here War forgot his own destructive art
destructive - destructivo
In more destroying Nature; and the heat
Of carnage, like the Nile's sun-sodden slime,
Nile - Nilo
sodden - empapado; (seethe); hervir, cocer
slime - limo, cieno, lama, légamo, baba
Engender'd monstrous shapes of every crime.
engender - engendrar
A Russian officer, in martial tread
Over a heap of bodies, felt his heel
Seized fast, as if 'twere by the serpent's head
Whose fangs Eve taught her human seed to feel:
In vain he kick'd, and swore, and writhed, and bled,
writhed - se retorció; contorsionar
And howl'd for help as wolves do for a meal"
The teeth still kept their gratifying hold,
As do the subtle snakes described of old.
subtle - sutil
A dying Moslem, who had felt the foot
Of a foe o'er him, snatch'd at it, and bit
The very tendon which is most acute
tendon - tendón
most acute - el más agudo
(That which some ancient Muse or modern wit
Named after thee, Achilles), and quite through 't
He made the teeth meet, nor relinquish'd it
Even with his life"for (but they lie) 'tis said
To the live leg still clung the sever'd head.
sever - cortar, tallar
However this may be, 'tis pretty sure
The Russian officer for life was lamed,
lamed - cojo; (lam) cojo
For the Turk's teeth stuck faster than a skewer,
skewer - brocheta, pincho; (skew) brocheta, pincho
And left him 'midst the invalid and maim'd:
invalid - nulo, inválido, no válido
maim - mutilar
The regimental surgeon could not cure
His patient, and perhaps was to be blamed
blamed - culpado; culpar, responsabilizar, echar la culpa
More than the head of the inveterate foe,
inveterate - inveterada; empedernido, incorregible
Which was cut off, and scarce even then let go.
But then the fact 's a fact"and 'tis the part
Of a true poet to escape from fiction
Whene'er he can; for there is little art
In leaving verse more free from the restriction
restriction - restricción
Of truth than prose, unless to suit the mart
For what is sometimes called poetic diction,
diction - dicción
And that outrageous appetite for lies
Which Satan angles with for souls, like flies.
Satan - Satanás, Satán
The city 's taken, but not render'd!"No!
There's not a Moslem that hath yielded sword:
The blood may gush out, as the Danube's flow
Rolls by the city wall; but deed nor word
city wall - muro de la ciudad
Acknowledge aught of dread of death or foe:
acknowledge - reconocer, acusar recibo
In vain the yell of victory is roar'd
By the advancing Muscovite"the groan
Of the last foe is echoed by his own.
echoed - resonó; eco, repercutir, repetir, hacer eco
The bayonet pierces and the sabre cleaves,
cleaves - cortes; partir
And human lives are lavish'd everywhere,
As the year closing whirls the scarlet leaves
When the stripp'd forest bows to the bleak air,
bows - arcos; (bow) arcos
And groans; and thus the peopled city grieves,
groans - gimoteos; gemido, grunido, gemir, grunir
Shorn of its best and loveliest, and left bare;
Shorn - Esquilada; (shear); cizallar, cortar, esquilar, tonsurar, tundir
But still it falls in vast and awful splinters,
splinters - Esquirla
As oaks blown down with all their thousand winters.
oaks - robles; roble, encina, carrasca
blown down - derribar
It is an awful topic"but 'tis not
My cue for any time to be terrific:
cue - taco; pie
terrific - fantástico; estupendo
For checker'd as is seen our human lot
With good, and bad, and worse, alike prolific
prolific - prolífico
Of melancholy merriment, to quote
merriment - alegría, júbilo, regocijo, juguetoneo
Too much of one sort would be soporific;"
soporific - soporífero; somnífero, soporífico
Without, or with, offence to friends or foes,
offence - Ofensa
I sketch your world exactly as it goes.
sketch - boceto; bosquejar, esbozar, pergenar, esbozo, bosquejo
And one good action in the midst of crimes
Is 'quite refreshing,'in the affected phrase
refreshing - refrescante; refrescar
Of these ambrosial, Pharisaic times,
With all their pretty milk-and-water ways,
And may serve therefore to bedew these rhymes,
A little scorch'd at present with the blaze
Of conquest and its consequences, which
Make epic poesy so rare and rich.
Upon a taken bastion, where there lay
Thousands of slaughter'd men, a yet warm group
Of murder'd women, who had found their way
To this vain refuge, made the good heart droop
And shudder;"while, as beautiful as May,
A female child of ten years tried to stoop
And hide her little palpitating breast
palpitating - palpitaciones; palpitar
Amidst the bodies lull'd in bloody rest.
Two villainous Cossacques pursued the child
With flashing eyes and weapons: match'd with them,
The rudest brute that roams Siberia's wild
Siberia - Siberia
Has feelings pure and polish'd as a gem,"
The bear is civilised, the wolf is mild;
civilised - civilizado; civilizar, desasnar
wolf - lobo, mujeriego, devorar, engullir
And whom for this at last must we condemn?
Their natures? or their sovereigns, who employ
sovereigns - soberanos; soberano
All arts to teach their subjects to destroy?
Their sabres glitter'd o'er her little head,
sabres - sables; sable
Whence her fair hair rose twining with affright,
affright - Asusto
Her hidden face was plunged amidst the dead:
When Juan caught a glimpse of this sad sight,
I shall not say exactly what he said,
Because it might not solace 'ears polite;'
But what he did, was to lay on their backs,
The readiest way of reasoning with Cossacques.
One's hip he slash'd, and split the other's shoulder,
Hip - cadera
slash - rayar; dar un tajo, rajar
split - fisura, escisión, partir, dividir, escindir, repartir
And drove them with their brutal yells to seek
brutal - brutal
yells - grita; grito, alarido
If there might be chirurgeons who could solder
chirurgeons - Cirujano
solder - estano para soldar, estano
The wounds they richly merited, and shriek
merited - merecido; mérito, merecimiento, meritar
Their baffled rage and pain; while waxing colder
As he turn'd o'er each pale and gory cheek,
Don Juan raised his little captive from
The heap a moment more had made her tomb.
And she was chill as they, and on her face
A slender streak of blood announced how near
Her fate had been to that of all her race;
For the same blow which laid her mother here
Had scarr'd her brow, and left its crimson trace,
scarr - carr
As the last link with all she had held dear;
But else unhurt, she open'd her large eyes,
And gazed on Juan with a wild surprise.
Just at this instant, while their eyes were fix'd
Upon each other, with dilated glance,
In Juan's look, pain, pleasure, hope, fear, mix'd
With joy to save, and dread of some mischance
mischance - desgracia, mala suerte
Unto his protege; while hers, transfix'd
With infant terrors, glared as from a trance,
A pure, transparent, pale, yet radiant face,
radiant - radiante, punto radiante
Like to a lighted alabaster vase;"
Up came John Johnson (I will not say 'Jack,'
For that were vulgar, cold, and commonplace
commonplace - lugar común, tópico, cliché, clisé
On great occasions, such as an attack
On cities, as hath been the present case):
Up Johnson came, with hundreds at his back,
Exclaiming;"'Juan! Juan! On, boy! brace
Your arm, and I'll bet Moscow to a dollar
That you and I will win St. George's collar.
collar - cuello, collar, yugo
'The Seraskier is knock'd upon the head,
But the stone bastion still remains, wherein
The old Pacha sits among some hundreds dead,
Smoking his pipe quite calmly 'midst the din
Of our artillery and his own: 'tis said
Our kill'd, already piled up to the chin,
Lie round the battery; but still it batters,
batters - bateadores; banar
And grape in volleys, like a vineyard, scatters.
volleys - voleos; salva, volea, voleo
vineyard - vinedo; vinedo, vina
scatters - dispersión; dispersar, esparcir, desviar
'Then up with me!'"But Juan answer'd, 'Look
Upon this child"I saved her"must not leave
Her life to chance; but point me out some nook
Of safety, where she less may shrink and grieve,
shrink - contraerse, encogerse, achicarse, mermar
And I am with you.'"Whereon Johnson took
A glance around"and shrugg'd"and twitch'd his sleeve
shrugg - encogerse de hombros
twitch - crispar(se), mover(se) convulsivamente
sleeve - manga, funda, enfundar
And black silk neckcloth"and replied, 'You're right;
neckcloth - Cuello
Poor thing! what 's to be done? I'm puzzled quite.'
Said Juan: 'Whatsoever is to be
Done, I'll not quit her till she seems secure
Of present life a good deal more than we.'
Quoth Johnson: 'Neither will I quite ensure;
But at the least you may die gloriously.'
gloriously - Gloriosamente
Juan replied: 'At least I will endure
Whate'er is to be borne"but not resign
This child, who is parentless, and therefore mine.'
Johnson said: 'Juan, we've no time to lose;
The child 's a pretty child"a very pretty"
I never saw such eyes"but hark! now choose
Between your fame and feelings, pride and pity;"
Hark! how the roar increases!"no excuse
Will serve when there is plunder in a city;"
I should be loth to march without you, but,
By God! we'll be too late for the first cut.'
first cut - primer corte
But Juan was immovable; until
immovable - inmovible, inamovible
Johnson, who really loved him in his way,
Pick'd out amongst his followers with some skill
Such as he thought the least given up to prey;
And swearing if the infant came to ill
That they should all be shot on the next day;
But if she were deliver'd safe and sound,
They should at least have fifty rubles round,
rubles - rublos; rublo
And all allowances besides of plunder
allowances - subsidios; paga
In fair proportion with their comrades;"then
Juan consented to march on through thunder,
Which thinn'd at every step their ranks of men:
And yet the rest rush'd eagerly"no wonder,
eagerly - con ganas; ansiosamente
For they were heated by the hope of gain,
A thing which happens everywhere each day"
No hero trusteth wholly to half pay.
trusteth - Confías
And such is victory, and such is man!
At least nine tenths of what we call so;"God
tenths - décimas; décimo, décimo, décima
May have another name for half we scan
As human beings, or his ways are odd.
But to our subject: a brave Tartar khan"
Or 'sultan,'as the author (to whose nod
In prose I bend my humble verse) doth call
This chieftain"somehow would not yield at all:
But flank'd by five brave sons (such is polygamy,
That she spawns warriors by the score, where none
Are prosecuted for that false crime bigamy),
prosecuted - rocesado; procesar
Bigamy - bigamia
He never would believe the city won
While courage clung but to a single twig."Am I
twig - rama; ramita
Describing Priam's, Peleus', or Jove's son?
Peleus - Peleo
Neither"but a good, plain, old, temperate man,
Who fought with his five children in the van.
To take him was the point. The truly brave,
When they behold the brave oppress'd with odds,
oppress - oprimir
Are touch'd with a desire to shield and save;"
A mixture of wild beasts and demigods
demigods - demigodos; semidiós
Are they"now furious as the sweeping wave,
furious - furioso
Now moved with pity: even as sometimes nods
The rugged tree unto the summer wind,
rugged - robusto; escabroso, accidentado; (rug); tapete, alfombra
Compassion breathes along the savage mind.
But he would not be taken, and replied
To all the propositions of surrender
propositions - propuestas; propuesta, proposición
surrender - entregar, rendir, abandonar, rendirse, capitular
By mowing Christians down on every side,
mowing - Segando; (mow) Segando
As obstinate as Swedish Charles at Bender.
obstinate - obstinado, obcecado, porfiado
Swedish - sueco
Bender - doblador, dobladora, curvadora
His five brave boys no less the foe defied;
Whereon the Russian pathos grew less tender,
As being a virtue, like terrestrial patience,
terrestrial - terrestre
Apt to wear out on trifling provocations.
wear out - gastar(se), deteriorar, agotar
provocations - provocaciones; provocación
And spite of Johnson and of Juan, who
Expended all their Eastern phraseology
phraseology - fraseología
In begging him, for God's sake, just to show
begging - Mendigando; (beg) Mendigando
So much less fight as might form an apology
For them in saving such a desperate foe"
He hew'd away, like doctors of theology
hew - eh; cortar, tajar, talar
When they dispute with sceptics; and with curses
sceptics - escépticos; escéptico
curses - maldiciones; maldecir
Struck at his friends, as babies beat their nurses.
Nay, he had wounded, though but slightly, both
Juan and Johnson; whereupon they fell,
The first with sighs, the second with an oath,
Upon his angry sultanship, pell-mell,
sultanship - ultanía
And all around were grown exceeding wroth
At such a pertinacious infidel,
pertinacious - convicción, pertinaz
infidel - infiel, descreído, impío
And pour'd upon him and his sons like rain,
Which they resisted like a sandy plain
That drinks and still is dry. At last they perish'd"
His second son was levell'd by a shot;
His third was sabred; and the fourth, most cherish'd
sabred - saboteado; sable
Of all the five, on bayonets met his lot;
The fifth, who, by a Christian mother nourish'd,
nourish - nutrir
Had been neglected, ill-used, and what not,
neglected - desatendida; descuidar, negligir, desoír, hacer caso omiso
Because deform'd, yet died all game and bottom,
deform - deformar
To save a sire who blush'd that he begot him.
The eldest was a true and tameless Tartar,
tameless - Sin domar
As great a scorner of the Nazarene
scorner - despreciador
As ever Mahomet pick'd out for a martyr,
Who only saw the black-eyed girls in green,
Who make the beds of those who won't take quarter
On earth, in Paradise; and when once seen,
Those houris, like all other pretty creatures,
houris - houris; hurí
Do just whate'er they please, by dint of features.
And what they pleased to do with the young khan
In heaven I know not, nor pretend to guess;
But doubtless they prefer a fine young man
To tough old heroes, and can do no less;
And that 's the cause no doubt why, if we scan
A field of battle's ghastly wilderness,
For one rough, weather-beaten, veteran body,
veteran - veterano, aguerrido, retirado
You'll find ten thousand handsome coxcombs bloody.
coxcombs - coxcombs; cresta, lechuguino
Your houris also have a natural pleasure
In lopping off your lately married men,
lopping - cortar; (lop) cortar
Before the bridal hours have danced their measure
And the sad, second moon grows dim again,
Or dull repentance hath had dreary leisure
dreary - aburrido, triste
To wish him back a bachelor now and then.
And thus your houri (it may be) disputes
disputes - disputas; disputa, contencioso
Of these brief blossoms the immediate fruits.
blossoms - flores; flor, floración, florecer
Thus the young khan, with houris in his sight,
Thought not upon the charms of four young brides,
But bravely rush'd on his first heavenly night.
bravely - con valentía; valientemente
In short, howe'er our better faith derides,
derides - se burla; ridiculizar
These black-eyed virgins make the Moslems fight,
As though there were one heaven and none besides,"
Whereas, if all be true we hear of heaven
And hell, there must at least be six or seven.
So fully flash'd the phantom on his eyes,
That when the very lance was in his heart,
lance - lanza, lancero
He shouted 'Allah!'and saw Paradise
With all its veil of mystery drawn apart,
And bright eternity without disguise
On his soul, like a ceaseless sunrise, dart:"
sunrise - amanecer, salida del sol, alba, albor
dart - dardo, flechilla
With prophets, houris, angels, saints, descried
prophets - profetas; profeta, profetisa
In one voluptuous blaze,"and then he died,
voluptuous - voluptuosa; voluptuoso, sensual
But with a heavenly rapture on his face.
The good old khan, who long had ceased to see
Houris, or aught except his florid race
florid - Florido
Who grew like cedars round him gloriously"
cedars - edros; cedro
When he beheld his latest hero grace
The earth, which he became like a fell'd tree,
Paused for a moment, from the fight, and cast
A glance on that slain son, his first and last.
The soldiers, who beheld him drop his point,
Stopp'd as if once more willing to concede
concede - conceder, conferir, otorgar
Quarter, in case he bade them not 'aroynt!'
As he before had done. He did not heed
heed - importar, prestar atención, poner atención, tener en cuenta
Their pause nor signs: his heart was out of joint,
And shook (till now unshaken) like a reed,
unshaken - Sin temblar
reed - lengüeta; junco, cana
As he look'd down upon his children gone,
And felt"though done with life"he was alone
But 'twas a transient tremor;"with a spring
transient - pasajero; transitorio, trotamundo, transeúnte
Upon the Russian steel his breast he flung,
As carelessly as hurls the moth her wing
Against the light wherein she dies: he clung
Closer, that all the deadlier they might wring,
wring - escurrir; torcer, retorcer
Unto the bayonets which had pierced his young;
And throwing back a dim look on his sons,
throwing back - lanzar hacia atrás; frenar; apurar; devolver
In one wide wound pour'd forth his soul at once.
'Tis strange enough"the rough, tough soldiers, who
Spared neither sex nor age in their career
Of carnage, when this old man was pierced through,
And lay before them with his children near,
Touch'd by the heroism of him they slew,
slew - lew; torcer; (slay) lew; torcer
Were melted for a moment: though no tear
melted - material fundido, derretirse, fundirse
Flow'd from their bloodshot eyes, all red with strife,
bloodshot - enrojecida; sanguinolento, inyectados en sangre
They honour'd such determined scorn of life.
But the stone bastion still kept up its fire,
Where the chief pacha calmly held his post:
Some twenty times he made the Russ retire,
And baffled the assaults of all their host;
assaults - agresiones; asalto, acometimiento, agresión, ataque, asaltar
At length he condescended to inquire
condescended to - ser condescendiente con
If yet the city's rest were won or lost;
And being told the latter, sent a bey
Bey - bey
To answer Ribas'summons to give way.
In the mean time, cross-legg'd, with great sang-froid,
Among the scorching ruins he sat smoking
scorching - ardiendo; chamuscar
ruins - ruinas; ruina, desbaratar, arruinar, estropear, dar al traste
Tobacco on a little carpet;"Troy
tobacco - tabaco
Saw nothing like the scene around:"yet looking
With martial stoicism, nought seem'd to annoy
His stern philosophy; but gently stroking
His beard, he puff'd his pipe's ambrosial gales,
puff - soplar; soplo, racha, ráfaga; bocanada
As if he had three lives, as well as tails.
The town was taken"whether he might yield
Himself or bastion, little matter'd now:
His stubborn valour was no future shield.
stubborn - testarudo, obstinado, cabezota
Ismail 's no more! The crescent's silver bow
Sunk, and the crimson cross glared o'er the field,
But red with no redeeming gore: the glow
redeeming - redimir, rescatar, liberar, libertar, redimirse, canjear
Of burning streets, like moonlight on the water,
Was imaged back in blood, the sea of slaughter.
All that the mind would shrink from of excesses;
excesses - excesos; exceso, deducible, franquicia, excesivo
All that the body perpetrates of bad;
perpetrates - perpetrar
All that we read, hear, dream, of man's distresses;
distresses - ngustias; aflicción, angustia, desasosiego, ansiedad
All that the devil would do if run stark mad;
All that defies the worst which pen expresses;
defies - desafía; desafiar, desobedecer, renunciar
All by which hell is peopled, or as sad
As hell"mere mortals who their power abuse"
abuse - Abuso
Was here (as heretofore and since) let loose.
heretofore - anteriormente, previamente, hasta la fecha, hasta ahora
If here and there some transient trait of pity
trait - rasgo, característica
Was shown, and some more noble heart broke through
Its bloody bond, and saved perhaps some pretty
Child, or an aged, helpless man or two"
What 's this in one annihilated city,
annihilated - niquilado; aniquilar, anihilar
Where thousand loves, and ties, and duties grew?
Cockneys of London! Muscadins of Paris!
cockneys - cockneys; cockney, londinense (de clase popular)
Just ponder what a pious pastime war is.
pastime - pasatiempo
Think how the joys of reading a Gazette
Are purchased by all agonies and crimes:
Or if these do not move you, don't forget
Such doom may be your own in aftertimes.
aftertimes - Después
Meantime the Taxes, Castlereagh, and Debt,
Are hints as good as sermons, or as rhymes.
Read your own hearts and Ireland's present story,
Ireland - Irlanda
Then feed her famine fat with Wellesley's glory.
But still there is unto a patriot nation,
Which loves so well its country and its king,
A subject of sublimest exultation"
exultation - exultación
Bear it, ye Muses, on your brightest wing!
Howe'er the mighty locust, Desolation,
Strip your green fields, and to your harvests cling,
strip - tira; quitar, desprender; arrancar; despojar
Gaunt famine never shall approach the throne"
Though Ireland starve, great George weighs twenty stone.
starve - morirse de hambre; morir de hambre, hambrear
But let me put an end unto my theme:
There was an end of Ismail"hapless town!
Far flash'd her burning towers o'er Danube's stream,
And redly ran his blushing waters down.
redly - en rojo
blushing - Te ruborizas; (blush) Te ruborizas
The horrid war-whoop and the shriller scream
whoop - guau; grito/alarido (de alegría)
shriller - más encogido; estridente
Rose still; but fainter were the thunders grown:
fainter - Más débil; (faint) Más débil
Of forty thousand who had mann'd the wall,
Some hundreds breathed"the rest were silent all!
In one thing ne'ertheless 'tis fit to praise
The Russian army upon this occasion,
A virtue much in fashion now-a-days,
And therefore worthy of commemoration:
The topic 's tender, so shall be my phrase"
Perhaps the season's chill, and their long station
In winter's depth, or want of rest and victual,
Had made them chaste;"they ravish'd very little.
Much did they slay, more plunder, and no less
Might here and there occur some violation
violation - violación, vulneración
In the other line;"but not to such excess
As when the French, that dissipated nation,
Take towns by storm: no causes can I guess,
Except cold weather and commiseration;
But all the ladies, save some twenty score,
Were almost as much virgins as before.
Some odd mistakes, too, happen'd in the dark,
Which show'd a want of lanterns, or of taste"
lanterns - linternas; farol, linterna
Indeed the smoke was such they scarce could mark
Their friends from foes,"besides such things from haste
Occur, though rarely, when there is a spark
Of light to save the venerably chaste:
venerably - Venerablemente
But six old damsels, each of seventy years,
Were all deflower'd by different grenadiers.
deflower - desflorar, desvirgar, violar
But on the whole their continence was great;
continence - Continencia
So that some disappointment there ensued
disappointment - decepción, desilusión, chasco
ensued - siguió; seguirse, resultar
To those who had felt the inconvenient state
inconvenient - incómodo, inconveniente
Of 'single blessedness,'and thought it good
(Since it was not their fault, but only fate,
To bear these crosses) for each waning prude
waning - Disminuyendo; (wan) Disminuyendo
prude - una mojigata; mojigato, mojigata
To make a Roman sort of Sabine wedding,
Without the expense and the suspense of bedding.
suspense - suspenso; suspense
Some voices of the buxom middle-aged
buxom - pechugona, maciza, tetona
Were also heard to wonder in the din
(Widows of forty were these birds long caged)
'Wherefore the ravishing did not begin!'
But while the thirst for gore and plunder raged,
raged - enfurecido; trapo
There was small leisure for superfluous sin;
superfluous - superfluo
But whether they escaped or no, lies hid
In darkness"I can only hope they did.
Suwarrow now was conqueror"a match
For Timour or for Zinghis in his trade.
While mosques and streets, beneath his eyes, like thatch
Mosques - mezquitas; mezquita
thatch - paja
Blazed, and the cannon's roar was scarce allay'd,
allay - disipar; aquietar, calmar, aliviar, mitigar
With bloody hands he wrote his first despatch;
And here exactly follows what he said:"
'Glory to God and to the Empress!'(Powers
Eternal! such names mingled!) 'Ismail 's ours.'
Methinks these are the most tremendous words,
tremendous - tremendo
Since 'Mene, Mene, Tekel,'and 'Upharsin,'
Which hands or pens have ever traced of swords.
Heaven help me! I'm but little of a parson:
parson - párroco, cura párroco, pastor
What Daniel read was short-hand of the Lord's,
Severe, sublime; the prophet wrote no farce on
severe - severo, grave, austero
farce - farsa
The fate of nations;"but this Russ so witty
Could rhyme, like Nero, o'er a burning city.
He wrote this Polar melody, and set it,
Duly accompanied by shrieks and groans,
Which few will sing, I trust, but none forget it"
For I will teach, if possible, the stones
To rise against earth's tyrants. Never let it
tyrants - tiranos; tirano
Be said that we still truckle unto thrones;"
truckle - Camión
But ye"our children's children! think how we
Show'd what things were before the world was free!
That hour is not for us, but 'tis for you:
And as, in the great joy of your millennium,
millennium - milenio
You hardly will believe such things were true
As now occur, I thought that I would pen you 'em;
But may their very memory perish too!-
Yet if perchance remember'd, still disdain you 'em
More than you scorn the savages of yore,
savages - salvajes; salvaje
Who painted their bare limbs, but not with gore.
And when you hear historians talk of thrones,
historians - historiadores; historiador, historiadora
And those that sate upon them, let it be
As we now gaze upon the mammoth's bones,
Mammoth - mamut, panish: t-needed
'And wonder what old world such things could see,
Or hieroglyphics on Egyptian stones,
The pleasant riddles of futurity"
riddles - enigmas; adivinanza, acertijo
futurity - futuro
Guessing at what shall happily be hid,
As the real purpose of a pyramid.
Reader! I have kept my word,"at least so far
As the first Canto promised. You have now
Had sketches of love, tempest, travel, war"
All very accurate, you must allow,
And epic, if plain truth should prove no bar;
For I have drawn much less with a long bow
Than my forerunners. Carelessly I sing,
forerunners - precursores; precursor
But Phoebus lends me now and then a string,
With which I still can harp, and carp, and fiddle.
Carp - carpa
What farther hath befallen or may befall
The hero of this grand poetic riddle,
riddle - enigma; adivinanza, acertijo
I by and by may tell you, if at all:
But now I choose to break off in the middle,
break off - desprenderse; terminar
Worn out with battering Ismail's stubborn wall,
While Juan is sent off with the despatch,
For which all Petersburgh is on the watch.
This special honour was conferr'd, because
conferr - Conferir
He had behaved with courage and humanity"
Which last men like, when they have time to pause
From their ferocities produced by vanity.
His little captive gain'd him some applause
For saving her amidst the wild insanity
Of carnage,"and I think he was more glad in her
Safety, than his new order of St. Vladimir.
The Moslem orphan went with her protector,
orphan - huérfano, huérfana
protector - protector, protectora, valedor
For she was homeless, houseless, helpless; all
homeless - sin hogar, vagabundo, desalojado, sintecho
houseless - sin casa
Her friends, like the sad family of Hector,
Hector - héctor; intimidar, tiranizar
Had perish'd in the field or by the wall:
Her very place of birth was but a spectre
Of what it had been; there the Muezzin's cal
Muezzin - almuédano, almuecín
To prayer was heard no more!"and Juan wept,
And made a vow to shield her, which he kept.
O, Wellington! (or 'Villainton'"for Fame
Sounds the heroic syllables both ways;
syllables - sílabas; sílaba
France could not even conquer your great name,
conquer - conquistar, debelar
But punn'd it down to this facetious phrase"
Beating or beaten she will laugh the same),
You have obtain'd great pensions and much praise:
Glory like yours should any dare gainsay,
gainsay - ganar; impugnar, contradecir
Humanity would rise, and thunder 'Nay!'
I don't think that you used Kinnaird quite well
In Marinet's affair"in fact, 'twas shabby,
And like some other things won't do to tell
Upon your tomb in Westminster's old abbey.
Abbey - abadía
Upon the rest 'tis not worth while to dwell,
Such tales being for the tea-hours of some tabby;
tabby - gato atigrado, gato romano
But though your years as man tend fast to zero,
In fact your grace is still but a young hero.
Though Britain owes (and pays you too) so much,
Yet Europe doubtless owes you greatly more:
You have repair'd Legitimacy's crutch,
A prop not quite so certain as before:
prop - puntales; puntal
The Spanish, and the French, as well as Dutch,
Have seen, and felt, how strongly you restore;
And Waterloo has made the world your debtor
(I wish your bards would sing it rather better).
You are 'the best of cut-throats:'"do not start;
The phrase is Shakspeare's, and not misapplied:
misapplied - aplicar mal
War 's a brain-spattering, windpipe-slitting art,
spattering - salpicaduras; salpicar, rociar, salpicar
windpipe - la tráquea; tráquea
slitting - corte; ranura, abertura, rendija, fisura, raja
Unless her cause by right be sanctified.
sanctified - santificado; santificar
If you have acted once a generous part,
The world, not the world's masters, will decide,
And I shall be delighted to learn who,
Save you and yours, have gain'd by Waterloo?
I am no flatterer"you've supp'd full of flattery:
flatterer - lisonjeador, lisonjero, adulador
They say you like it too"'tis no great wonder.
He whose whole life has been assault and battery,
At last may get a little tired of thunder;
And swallowing eulogy much more than satire, he
eulogy - elogio, encomio
satire - sátira
May like being praised for every lucky blunder,
Call'd 'Saviour of the Nations'"not yet saved,
saviour - salvador
And 'Europe's Liberator'"still enslaved.
liberator - liberador; libertador, libertadora
enslaved - esclavizado; esclavizar
I've done. Now go and dine from off the plate
Presented by the Prince of the Brazils,
Brazils - Brasil
And send the sentinel before your gate
sentinel - guarda, centinela
A slice or two from your luxurious meals:
luxurious - lujoso
He fought, but has not fed so well of late.
Some hunger, too, they say the people feels:"
There is no doubt that you deserve your ration,
deserve - merecer, meritar
But pray give back a little to the nation.
I don't mean to reflect"a man so great as
You, my lord duke! is far above reflection:
The high Roman fashion, too, of Cincinnatus,
With modern history has but small connection:
Though as an Irishman you love potatoes,
Irishman - irlandés
You need not take them under your direction;
And half a million for your Sabine farm
Is rather dear!"I'm sure I mean no harm.
Great men have always scorn'd great recompenses:
recompenses - recompensas; recompensa
Epaminondas saved his Thebes, and died,
Thebes - Tebas; (thebe); Tebas
Not leaving even his funeral expenses:
funeral - funeral
George Washington had thanks and nought beside,
Except the all-cloudless glory which few men's is
To free his country: Pitt too had his pride,
And as a high-soul'd minister of state is
Renown'd for ruining Great Britain gratis.
ruining - Arruinar; (ruin); ruina, desbaratar, arruinar, estropear
Never had mortal man such opportunity,
Except Napoleon, or abused it more:
You might have freed fallen Europe from the unity
Of tyrants, and been blest from shore to shore:
And now"what is your fame? Shall the Muse tune it ye?
Now"that the rabble's first vain shouts are o'er?
Go! hear it in your famish'd country's cries!
Behold the world! and curse your victories!
As these new cantos touch on warlike feats,
feats - hazanas; hazana, proeza
To you the unflattering Muse deigns to inscribe
unflattering - Poco favorecedor
deigns - disenos; dignarse
inscribe - inscribir
Truths, that you will not read in the Gazettes,
But which 'tis time to teach the hireling tribe
hireling - Asalariado
Who fatten on their country's gore, and debts,
fatten - engordar
Must be recited, and"without a bribe.
recited - Recitar
bribe - soborno, coima, sobornar, cohechar, coimear
You did great things; but not being great in mind,
Have left undone the greatest"and mankind.
Death laughs"Go ponder o'er the skeleton
skeleton - esqueleto
With which men image out the unknown thing
That hides the past world, like to a set sun
Which still elsewhere may rouse a brighter spring"
Death laughs at all you weep for:"look upon
laughs at - se ríe de
This hourly dread of all! whose threaten'd sting
hourly - por hora
sting - picar; aguijón
Turns life to terror, even though in its sheath:
sheath - vaina, funda
Mark how its lipless mouth grins without breath!
lipless - sin labios
grins - sonrisas; sonreír abiertamente, sonreír de oreja a oreja
Mark how it laughs and scorns at all you are!
And yet was what you are: from ear to ear
It laughs not"there is now no fleshy bar
fleshy - carnoso, cachetudo, carnudo, carrilludo
So call'd; the Antic long hath ceased to hear,
But still he smiles; and whether near or far,
He strips from man that mantle (far more dear
Than even the tailor's), his incarnate skin,
incarnate - encarnar; encarnado
White, black, or copper"the dead bones will grin.
copper - cobre
grin - sonreír abiertamente, sonreír de oreja a oreja
And thus Death laughs,"it is sad merriment,
But still it is so; and with such example
Why should not Life be equally content
With his superior, in a smile to trample
trample - pisar; pisotear, hollar, maltratar, humillar, ofender
Upon the nothings which are daily spent
Like bubbles on an ocean much less ample
Than the eternal deluge, which devours
deluge - un diluvio; diluvio, avalancha
devours - devorar, jambar
Suns as rays"worlds like atoms"years like hours?
atoms - tomos; átomo
'To be, or not to be? that is the question,'
Says Shakspeare, who just now is much in fashion.
I am neither Alexander nor Hephaestion,
Nor ever had for abstract fame much passion;
abstract - resumen, extracto, abstracción, arte abstracto, extraído
But would much rather have a sound digestion
Than Buonaparte's cancer: could I dash on
Cancer - cáncer
Through fifty victories to shame or fame"
Without a stomach what were a good name?
'O dura ilia messorum!'"'Oh
ilia - ilia; ilion
Ye rigid guts of reapers!'I translate
guts - tripas, tripa, agallas, pelotas; (gut); tripa, panza, maría
reapers - segadoras; cosechador, cosechadora, segador
For the great benefit of those who know
What indigestion is"that inward fate
Which makes all Styx through one small liver flow.
A peasant's sweat is worth his lord's estate:
sweat - sudor
Let this one toil for bread"that rack for rent,
He who sleeps best may be the most content.
'To be, or not to be?'"Ere I decide,
I should be glad to know that which is being?
'Tis true we speculate both far and wide,
And deem, because we see, we are all-seeing:
For my part, I'll enlist on neither side,
enlist - alistarse; alistar, enlistar, conseguir
Until I see both sides for once agreeing.
For me, I sometimes think that life is death,
Rather than life a mere affair of breath.
'Que scais-je?'was the motto of Montaigne,
que - Qué
As also of the first academicians:
academicians - académicos; académico, académica, academista
That all is dubious which man may attain,
Was one of their most favourite positions.
There's no such thing as certainty, that 's plain
certainty - seguridad; certeza
As any of Mortality's conditions;
So little do we know what we're about in
This world, I doubt if doubt itself be doubting.
It is a pleasant voyage perhaps to float,
Like Pyrrho, on a sea of speculation;
speculation - especulación
But what if carrying sail capsize the boat?
capsize - zozobrar, volcar
Your wise men don't know much of navigation;
And swimming long in the abyss of thought
Is apt to tire: a calm and shallow station
shallow - poco profundo, superficial, desinteresante, poco profundo (1
Well nigh the shore, where one stoops down and gathers
stoops - inclinarse, agacharse
Some pretty shell, is best for moderate bathers.
bathers - banistas; banador, banadora, banista
'But heaven,'as Cassio says, 'is above all"
No more of this, then,"let us pray!'We have
Souls to save, since Eve's slip and Adam's fall,
Which tumbled all mankind into the grave,
Besides fish, beasts, and birds. 'The sparrow's fall
sparrow - pasérido, gorrión, pájaro
Is special providence,'though how it gave
Offence, we know not; probably it perch'd
Upon the tree which Eve so fondly search'd.
O, ye immortal gods! what is theogony?
theogony - teogonía
O, thou too, mortal man! what is philanthropy?
philanthropy - filantropía
O, world! which was and is, what is cosmogony?
cosmogony - cosmogonía
Some people have accused me of misanthropy;
misanthropy - misantropía
And yet I know no more than the mahogany
mahogany - caoba
That forms this desk, of what they mean; lykanthropy
lykanthropy - Likantropía
I comprehend, for without transformation
Men become wolves on any slight occasion.
But I, the mildest, meekest of mankind,
meekest - el más manso; modesto, humilde, resignado, sumiso, manso
Like Moses, or Melancthon, who have ne'er
Moses - Moisés; (mos); Moisés
Done anything exceedingly unkind,"
unkind - desagradable; cruel, duro
And (though I could not now and then forbear
Following the bent of body or of mind)
Have always had a tendency to spare,"
Why do they call me misanthrope? Because
misanthrope - misántropo, misántropa
They hate me, not I them."and here we'll pause.
'Tis time we should proceed with our good poem,"
For I maintain that it is really good,
Not only in the body but the proem,
However little both are understood
Just now,"but by and by the Truth will show 'em
Herself in her sublimest attitude:
And till she doth, I fain must be content
To share her beauty and her banishment.
banishment - destierro; exilio
Our hero (and, I trust, kind reader, yours)
Was left upon his way to the chief city
Of the immortal Peter's polish'd boors
boors - caballos; huaso, paleto, patán, cateto
Who still have shown themselves more brave than witty.
I know its mighty empire now allures
Much flattery"even Voltaire's, and that 's a pity.
For me, I deem an absolute autocrat
absolute - absoluto, completo, pleno
autocrat - autócrata
Not a barbarian, but much worse than that.
barbarian - bárbaro, bárbaro, bárbara, panish: t-needed
And I will war, at least in words (and"should
My chance so happen"deeds), with all who war
With Thought;"and of Thought's foes by far most rude,
Tyrants and sycophants have been and are.
sycophants - sicofantes; sicofanta, adulador, pelota, lameculos
I know not who may conquer: if I could
Have such a prescience, it should be no bar
prescience - presciencia
To this my plain, sworn, downright detestation
sworn - jurado; jurar
Of every depotism in every nation.
depotism - depotismo
It is not that I adulate the people:
Without me, there are demagogues enough,
demagogues - demagogos; demagogo
And infidels, to pull down every steeple,
pull down - bajar, demoler, abatir
And set up in their stead some proper stuff.
Whether they may sow scepticism to reap hell,
scepticism - escepticismo
reap - Cosechar
As is the Christian dogma rather rough,
dogma - dogma
I do not know;"I wish men to be free
As much from mobs as kings"from you as me.
mobs - afias; banda, chusma
The consequence is, being of no party,
I shall offend all parties: never mind!
My words, at least, are more sincere and hearty
more sincere - más sincero
Than if I sought to sail before the wind.
He who has nought to gain can have small art: he
Who neither wishes to be bound nor bind,
May still expatiate freely, as will I,
Nor give my voice to slavery's jackal cry.
jackal - chacal
That 's an appropriate simile, that jackal;"
appropriate - es apropiado; apropiado, adecuado, aduenarse, designar
I've heard them in the Ephesian ruins howl
Ephesian - efesia; efesio, efesio
By night, as do that mercenary pack all,
mercenary - mercenario
Power's base purveyors, who for pickings prowl,
purveyors - Proveedor
pickings - Recogiendo
prowl - rondar; acechar, merodear, aguaitar
And scent the prey their masters would attack all.
scent - olor, esencia, olfato, fragancia, oler
However, the poor jackals are less foul
jackals - chacales; chacal
foul - falta; asqueroso, fétido
(As being the brave lions'keen providers)
providers - proveedores; suministrador, proveedor
Than human insects, catering for spiders.
catering - banquete, servicio de banquete, catering; (cater); banquete
Raise but an arm! 'twill brush their web away,
And without that, their poison and their claws
claws - garras; garra
Are useless. Mind, good people! what I say
(Or rather peoples)"go on without pause!
The web of these tarantulas each day
tarantulas - tarántulas; tarántula
Increases, till you shall make common cause:
None, save the Spanish fly and Attic bee,
Spanish fly - Mosca espanola
As yet are strongly stinging to be free.
stinging - Picando; (sting) Picando
Don Juan, who had shone in the late slaughter,
Was left upon his way with the despatch,
Where blood was talk'd of as we would of water;
And carcasses that lay as thick as thatch
O'er silenced cities, merely served to flatter
Fair Catherine's pastime"who look'd on the match
Between these nations as a main of cocks,
cocks - pollas; gallo, macho
Wherein she liked her own to stand like rocks.
And there in a kibitka he roll'd on
(A cursed sort of carriage without springs,
Which on rough roads leaves scarcely a whole bone),
Pondering on glory, chivalry, and kings,
And orders, and on all that he had done"
And wishing that post-horses had the wings
Of Pegasus, or at the least post-chaises
chaises - hais
Had feathers, when a traveller on deep ways is.
feathers - plumas; pluma
At every jolt"and they were many"still
jolt - sacudida; sacudir, traquetear
He turn'd his eyes upon his little charge,
As if he wish'd that she should fare less ill
Than he, in these sad highways left at large
highways - autopistas; carretera, autopista
To ruts, and flints, and lovely Nature's skill,
ruts - ruts; surco, bache
flints - piedras; pedernal, sílex, piedra
Who is no paviour, nor admits a barge
paviour - Comportamiento
Barge - lancha a remolque, barcaza
On her canals, where God takes sea and land,
canals - anales; canal
Fishery and farm, both into his own hand.
At least he pays no rent, and has best right
To be the first of what we used to call
'Gentlemen farmer'"a race worn out quite,
Since lately there have been no rents at all,
And 'gentlemen'are in a piteous plight,
And 'farmers'can't raise Ceres from her fall:
farmers - agricultores; granjero, granjera
She fell with Buonaparte"What strange thoughts
Arise, when we see emperors fall with oats!
oats - avena
But Juan turn'd his eyes on the sweet child
Whom he had saved from slaughter"what a trophy
O! ye who build up monuments, defiled
monuments - onumentos; monumento
With gore, like Nadir Shah, that costive sophy,
nadir - nadir
Who, after leaving Hindostan a wild,
And scarce to the Mogul a cup of coffee
Mogul - magnate
To soothe his woes withal, was slain, the sinner!
Because he could no more digest his dinner;"
digest - digerir; (dig) digerir
O ye! or we! or he! or she! reflect,
That one life saved, especially if young
Or pretty, is a thing to recollect
Far sweeter than the greenest laurels sprung
From the manure of human clay, though deck'd
With all the praises ever said or sung:
praises - alabanzas; alabanza, loa, enaltecimiento, elogio, adoración
Though hymn'd by every harp, unless within
Your heart joins chorus, Fame is but a din.
O! ye great authors luminous, voluminous!
voluminous - voluminoso, prolífico
Ye twice ten hundred thousand daily scribes!
Whose pamphlets, volumes, newspapers, illumine us!
pamphlets - panfletos; folleto, panfleto
illumine - iluminar
Whether you're paid by government in bribes,
To prove the public debt is not consuming us"
Or, roughly treading on the 'courtier's kibes'
treading - Pisando; (tread) Pisando
With clownish heel, your popular circulation
clownish - payaso; bufonesco, payasesco
Circulation - circulación
Feeds you by printing half the realm's starvation;"
O, ye great authors!"'Apropos des bottes,'-
apropos - pertinente, oportuno, a propósito
I have forgotten what I meant to say,
As sometimes have been greater sages'lots;
'Twas something calculated to allay
All wrath in barracks, palaces, or cots:
Barracks - cuartel; (barrack) cuartel
cots - cunas; cuna
Certes it would have been but thrown away,
And that 's one comfort for my lost advice,
Although no doubt it was beyond all price.
But let it go:"it will one day be found
With other relics of 'a former world,'
relics - reliquias; reliquia, vestigio
When this world shall be former, underground,
Thrown topsy-turvy, twisted, crisp'd, and curl'd,
crisp - crujiente, preciso, burbujeante, efervescente
Baked, fried, or burnt, turn'd inside-out, or drown'd,
Like all the worlds before, which have been hurl'd
First out of, and then back again to chaos,
chaos - caos; (chao); caos
The superstratum which will overlay us.
overlay - superposición; (overlie) superposición
So Cuvier says;"and then shall come again
Unto the new creation, rising out
creation - creación
From our old crash, some mystic, ancient strain
Of things destroy'd and left in airy doubt:
Like to the notions we now entertain
Of Titans, giants, fellows of about
Titans - titanes; titán
Some hundred feet in height, not to say miles,
And mammoths, and your winged crocodiles.
Mammoths - mamuts; mamut, panish: t-needed
crocodiles - cocodrilos; cocodrilo
Think if then George the Fourth should be dug up!
How the new worldlings of the then new East
worldlings - mundanos
Will wonder where such animals could sup!
(For they themselves will be but of the least:
Even worlds miscarry, when too oft they pup,
And every new creation hath decreased
decreased - disminuido; disminuir, mermar, disminución
In size, from overworking the material"
overworking - trabajo excesivo
Men are but maggots of some huge Earth's burial.)
maggots - gusanos; larva, cresa, gusano, verme
burial - entierro, soterramiento, enterramiento, sepultura
How will"to these young people, just thrust out
thrust out - Expulsar
From some fresh Paradise, and set to plough,
And dig, and sweat, and turn themselves about,
dig - cavar
And plant, and reap, and spin, and grind, and sow,
reap - segar, cosechar, recoger, mies
spin - hacer girar
grind - moler, triturar, picar
Till all the arts at length are brought about,
Especially of war and taxing,"how,
I say, will these great relics, when they see 'em,
Look like the monsters of a new museum?
But I am apt to grow too metaphysical:
metaphysical - metafísica; metafísico
'The time is out of joint,'"and so am I;
I quite forget this poem 's merely quizzical,
quizzical - Inquietante
And deviate into matters rather dry.
deviate - desviarse
I ne'er decide what I shall say, and this I cal
Much too poetical: men should know why
They write, and for what end; but, note or text,
I never know the word which will come next.
So on I ramble, now and then narrating,
ramble - discutir; pasearse, callejear, divagar, debrayar
Now pondering:"it is time we should narrate.
narrate - narrar, contar
I left Don Juan with his horses baiting"
baiting - Cebo; (bait) Cebo
Now we'll get o'er the ground at a great rate.
I shall not be particular in stating
His journey, we've so many tours of late:
Suppose him then at Petersburgh; suppose
That pleasant capital of painted snows;
Suppose him in a handsome uniform,"
A scarlet coat, black facings, a long plume,
plume - pluma
Waving, like sails new shiver'd in a storm,
Over a cock'd hat in a crowded room,
And brilliant breeches, bright as a Cairn Gorme,
cairn - mojón, punto de referencia, montículo
Of yellow casimere we may presume,
White stocking drawn uncurdled as new milk
uncurdled - Sin cuajar
O'er limbs whose symmetry set off the silk;
symmetry - simetría
Suppose him sword by side, and hat in hand,
Made up by youth, fame, and an army tailor"
That great enchanter, at whose rod's command
Beauty springs forth, and Nature's self turns paler,
Seeing how Art can make her work more grand
(When she don't pin men's limbs in like a gaoler),"
Behold him placed as if upon a pillar! He
Seems Love turn'd a lieutenant of artillery:"
His bandage slipp'd down into a cravat;
His wings subdued to epaulettes; his quiver
epaulettes - epaulettes; hombrera, charretera
quiver - tiemblo; estremecer(se)
Shrunk to a scabbard, with his arrows at
scabbard - vainas; vaina
arrows - flechas; flecha
His side as a small sword, but sharp as ever;
His bow converted into a cock'd hat;
converted - convertido; convertir, converso
But still so like, that Psyche were more clever
more clever - más inteligente
Than some wives (who make blunders no less stupid),
blunders - errores; error
If she had not mistaken him for Cupid.
The courtiers stared, the ladies whisper'd, and
courtiers - cortesanos; cortesano
The empress smiled: the reigning favourite frown'd"
I quite forget which of them was in hand
Just then; as they are rather numerous found,
Who took by turns that difficult command
Since first her majesty was singly crown'd:
singly - solo
But they were mostly nervous six-foot fellows,
All fit to make a Patagonian jealous.
Juan was none of these, but slight and slim,
slim - flaco, delgado, adelgazarse, enflaquecer, enflaquecerse
Blushing and beardless; and yet ne'ertheless
There was a something in his turn of limb,
And still more in his eye, which seem'd to express,
That though he look'd one of the seraphim,
There lurk'd a man beneath the spirit's dress.
Besides, the empress sometimes liked a boy,
And had just buried the fair-faced Lanskoi.
No wonder then that Yermoloff, or Momonoff,
Or Scherbatoff, or any other off
Or on, might dread her majesty had not room enough
Within her bosom (which was not too tough)
For a new flame; a thought to cast of gloom enough
Along the aspect, whether smooth or rough,
Of him who, in the language of his station,
Then held that 'high official situation.'
high official - un alto funcionario
O, gentle ladies! should you seek to know
The import of this diplomatic phrase,
Bid Ireland's Londonderry's Marquess show
Marquess - marquesa; marqués
His parts of speech; and in the strange displays
Of that odd string of words, all in a row,
Which none divine, and every one obeys,
obeys - obedecer
Perhaps you may pick out some queer no meaning,
Of that weak wordy harvest the sole gleaning.
harvest - cosecha, cosechar
I think I can explain myself without
That sad inexplicable beast of prey"
inexplicable - inexplicable
That Sphinx, whose words would ever be a doubt,
sphinx - esfinge
Did not his deeds unriddle them each day"
unriddle - Descifrar
That monstrous hieroglyphic"that long spout
spout - pitorro; pico, chorro, chorrear
Of blood and water, leaden Castlereagh!
leaden - plúmbeo, plomizo, cubierto, nublado
And here I must an anecdote relate,
anecdote - anécdota, chascarrillo
But luckily of no great length or weight.
An English lady ask'd of an Italian,
What were the actual and official duties
official duties - obligaciones oficiales
Of the strange thing some women set a value on,
Which hovers oft about some married beauties,
Called 'Cavalier servente?'"a Pygmalion
Whose statues warm (I fear, alas! too true 'tis)
Beneath his art. The dame, press'd to disclose them,
Said"'Lady, I beseech you to suppose them.'
And thus I supplicate your supposition,
supplicate - suplicar, deprecar, panish: t-needed
And mildest, matron-like interpretation,
interpretation - interpretación, apreciación
Of the imperial favourite's condition.
'Twas a high place, the highest in the nation
In fact, if not in rank; and the suspicion
Of any one's attaining to his station,
No doubt gave pain, where each new pair of shoulders,
If rather broad, made stocks rise and their holders.
stocks - acciones; existencias, stock
holders - tenedores; soporte, tenedor, titular, poseedor
Juan, I said, was a most beauteous boy,
And had retain'd his boyish look beyond
The usual hirsute seasons which destroy,
hirsute - peludo, velludo, hirsuto
With beards and whiskers, and the like, the fond
beards - barbas; barba, jotera, pantalla, barbar, provocar, mortificar
whiskers - bigotes; vibrisa, bigote
Parisian aspect which upset old Troy
Parisian - parisiense, parisino, parisina
And founded Doctors'Commons:"I have conn'd
founded - Encontrado
The history of divorces, which, though chequer'd,
divorces - se divorcia; divorcio, divorciar, divorciarse
Calls Ilion's the first damages on record.
And Catherine, who loved all things (save her lord,
Who was gone to his place), and pass'd for much
Admiring those (by dainty dames abhorr'd)
Gigantic gentlemen, yet had a touch
Of sentiment; and he she most adored
Was the lamented Lanskoi, who was such
A lover as had cost her many a tear,
And yet but made a middling grenadier.
O thou 'teterrima causa'of all 'belli'-
Thou gate of life and death"thou nondescript!
nondescript - anodino; indescriptivo
Whence is our exit and our entrance,"well I
exit - salir; salida
May pause in pondering how all souls are dipt
In thy perennial fountain:"how man fell I
perennial - perenne, planta perenne
Know not, since knowledge saw her branches stript
Of her first fruit; but how he falls and rises
Since, thou hast settled beyond all surmises.
surmises - suposiciones; suponer, conjeturar, presumir
Some call thee 'the worst cause of war,'but I
Maintain thou art the best: for after all
From thee we come, to thee we go, and why
To get at thee not batter down a wall,
Or waste a world? since no one can deny
deny - Negar
Thou dost replenish worlds both great and small:
replenish - rellenar, reponer
With, or without thee, all things at a stand
Are, or would be, thou sea of life's dry land!
Catherine, who was the grand epitome
epitome - epítome, resumen, sinopsis
Of that great cause of war, or peace, or what
You please (it causes all the things which be,
So you may take your choice of this or that)"
Catherine, I say, was very glad to see
The handsome herald, on whose plumage sat
Herald - heraldo; anunciador
Victory; and pausing as she saw him kneel
With his despatch, forgot to break the seal.
Then recollecting the whole empress, nor
recollecting - recordando; recordar, acordarse de
forgetting quite the woman (which composed
At least three parts of this great whole), she tore
The letter open with an air which posed
posed - posado; postura, pose
The court, that watch'd each look her visage wore,
Until a royal smile at length disclosed
Fair weather for the day. Though rather spacious,
Her face was noble, her eyes fine, mouth gracious.
Great joy was hers, or rather joys: the first
Was a ta'en city, thirty thousand slain.
Glory and triumph o'er her aspect burst,
As an East Indian sunrise on the main.
These quench'd a moment her ambition's thirst"
So Arab deserts drink in summer's rain:
In vain!"As fall the dews on quenchless sands,
quenchless - sin apagar
Blood only serves to wash Ambition's hands!
Her next amusement was more fanciful;
fanciful - antasioso; imaginado, fantástico
She smiled at mad Suwarrow's rhymes, who threw
Into a Russian couplet rather dull
The whole gazette of thousands whom he slew.
Her third was feminine enough to annul
The shudder which runs naturally through
Our veins, when things call'd sovereigns think it best
To kill, and generals turn it into jest.
The two first feelings ran their course complete,
And lighted first her eye, and then her mouth:
The whole court look'd immediately most sweet,
Like flowers well water'd after a long drouth.
drouth - gota
But when on the lieutenant at her feet
Her majesty, who liked to gaze on youth
Almost as much as on a new despatch,
Glanced mildly, all the world was on the watch.
mildly - Suavemente
Though somewhat large, exuberant, and truculent,
exuberant - exuberante
truculent - truculento
When wroth"while pleased, she was as fine a figure
As those who like things rosy, ripe, and succulent,
succulent - suculento, suculenta, planta suculenta
Would wish to look on, while they are in vigour.
She could repay each amatory look you lent
repay - repagar; devolver, pagar
With interest, and in turn was wont with rigour
To exact of Cupid's bills the full amount
at sight, nor would permit you to discount.
at sight - a la vista
permit - permiso; permitir
With her the latter, though at times convenient,
Was not so necessary; for they tell
That she was handsome, and though fierce look'd lenient,
lenient - indulgente; tolerante, laxo, leniente
And always used her favourites too well.
If once beyond her boudoir's precincts in ye went,
Your 'fortune'was in a fair way 'to swell
A man'(as Giles says); for though she would widow all
Nations, she liked man as an individual.
What a strange thing is man? and what a stranger
Is woman! What a whirlwind is her head,
whirlwind - torbellino, tromba
And what a whirlpool full of depth and danger
whirlpool - remolino, vorágine
Is all the rest about her! Whether wed
Or widow, maid or mother, she can change her
Mind like the wind: whatever she has said
Or done, is light to what she'll say or do;"
The oldest thing on record, and yet new!
O Catherine! (for of all interjections,
interjections - interjecciones; interjección
To thee both oh! and ah! belong of right
In love and war) how odd are the connections
Of human thoughts, which jostle in their flight!
jostle - codear, empujar
Just now yours were cut out in different sections:
First Ismail's capture caught your fancy quite;
capture - captura, capturar
Next of new knights, the fresh and glorious batch;
batch - hornada; lote
And thirdly he who brought you the despatch!
Shakspeare talks of 'the herald Mercury
mercury - mercurio, azogue
New lighted on a heaven-kissing hill;'
And some such visions cross'd her majesty,
While her young herald knelt before her still.
'Tis very true the hill seem'd rather high,
For a lieutenant to climb up; but skill
Smooth'd even the Simplon's steep, and by God's blessing
With youth and health all kisses are 'heaven-kissing.'
Her majesty look'd down, the youth look'd up"
And so they fell in love;"she with his face,
His grace, his God-knows-what: for Cupid's cup
With the first draught intoxicates apace,
intoxicates - intoxicar, emborrachar
A quintessential laudanum or 'black drop,'
quintessential - la quintaesencia; quintaesencial
laudanum - láudano
Which makes one drunk at once, without the base
Expedient of full bumpers; for the eye
expedient - conveniente, expediente
In love drinks all life's fountains (save tears) dry.
He, on the other hand, if not in love,
Fell into that no less imperious passion,
Self-love"which, when some sort of thing above
Ourselves, a singer, dancer, much in fashion,
Or duchess, princess, empress, 'deigns to prove'
Duchess - duquesa
('Tis Pope's phrase) a great longing, though a rash one,
For one especial person out of many,
especial - especial
Makes us believe ourselves as good as any.
Besides, he was of that delighted age
Which makes all female ages equal"when
We don't much care with whom we may engage,
engage - participar; atraer, trabar conversación con, trabar batalla
As bold as Daniel in the lion's den,
So that we can our native sun assuage
assuage - calmar, ain, apaciguar, sosegar
In the next ocean, which may flow just then,
To make a twilight in, just as Sol's heat is
Quench'd in the lap of the salt sea, or Thetis.
lap - vuelta; lamer
And Catherine (we must say thus much for Catherine),
Though bold and bloody, was the kind of thing
Whose temporary passion was quite flattering,
temporary - temporal, provisional
Because each lover look'd a sort of king,
Made up upon an amatory pattern,
A royal husband in all save the ring"
Which, being the damn'dest part of matrimony,
Seem'd taking out the sting to leave the honey.
And when you add to this, her womanhood
In its meridian, her blue eyes or gray
(The last, if they have soul, are quite as good,
Or better, as the best examples say:
Napoleon's, Mary's (queen of Scotland), should
Scotland - Escocia
Lend to that colour a transcendent ray;
And Pallas also sanctions the same hue,
sanctions - sanciones; autorización, aprobación, decreto, sanción, ratificar
Too wise to look through optics black or blue)"
Her sweet smile, and her then majestic figure,
majestic - majestuoso
Her plumpness, her imperial condescension,
plumpness - Gordura
Her preference of a boy to men much bigger
(Fellows whom Messalina's self would pension),
Her prime of life, just now in juicy vigour,
juicy - jugoso
With other extras, which we need not mention,"
All these, or any one of these, explain
Enough to make a stripling very vain.
And that 's enough, for love is vanity,
Selfish in its beginning as its end,
Selfish - egoísta
Except where 'tis a mere insanity,
A maddening spirit which would strive to blend
maddening - enloquecedor; enloquecer
Itself with beauty's frail inanity,
On which the passion's self seems to depend:
And hence some heathenish philosophers
Make love the main spring of the universe.
Besides Platonic love, besides the love
Of God, the love of sentiment, the loving
Of faithful pairs (I needs must rhyme with dove,
That good old steam-boat which keeps verses moving
Steam - vapor
'Gainst reason"Reason ne'er was hand-and-glove
With rhyme, but always leant less to improving
leant - leant; inclinarse
The sound than sense)"beside all these pretences
To love, there are those things which words name senses;
Those movements, those improvements in our bodies
Which make all bodies anxious to get out
Of their own sand-pits, to mix with a goddess,
sand-pits - (sand-pits) fosos de arena
goddess - diosa
For such all women are at first no doubt.
How beautiful that moment! and how odd is
That fever which precedes the languid rout
precedes - preceder, anteceder
Of our sensations! What a curious way
The whole thing is of clothing souls in clay!
The noblest kind of love is love Platonical,
To end or to begin with; the next grand
Is that which may be christen'd love canonical,
canonical - canónico
Because the clergy take the thing in hand;
clergy - clero
The third sort to be noted in our chronicle
As flourishing in every Christian land,
flourishing - loreciente; florecer, prosperar, ademanes, floritura, floreo
Is when chaste matrons to their other ties
Add what may be call'd marriage in disguise.
Well, we won't analyse"our story must
Tell for itself: the sovereign was smitten,
smitten - enamorado; golpear, cascar
Juan much flatter'd by her love, or lust;"
I cannot stop to alter words once written,
And the two are so mix'd with human dust,
That he who names one, both perchance may hit on:
But in such matters Russia's mighty empress
Russia - Rusia
Behaved no better than a common sempstress.
sempstress - Sempress
The whole court melted into one wide whisper,
And all lips were applied unto all ears!
The elder ladies'wrinkles curl'd much crisper
crisper - Más nítido; (crisp); crujiente, preciso, burbujeante
As they beheld; the younger cast some leers
leers - leers; mirada lasciva
On one another, and each lovely lisper
Smiled as she talk'd the matter o'er; but tears
Of rivalship rose in each clouded eye
rivalship - Rivalidad
Of all the standing army who stood by.
All the ambassadors of all the powers
ambassadors - embajadores; embajador, embajadora
Enquired, Who was this very new young man,
enquired - Preguntar
Who promised to be great in some few hours?
Which is full soon"though life is but a span.
Already they beheld the silver showers
Of rubles rain, as fast as specie can,
specie - Especie
Upon his cabinet, besides the presents
cabinet - armario, gabinete, vestidor, consejo
Of several ribands, and some thousand peasants.
Catherine was generous,"all such ladies are:
Love, that great opener of the heart and all
The ways that lead there, be they near or far,
Above, below, by turnpikes great or small,"
turnpikes - pistas; panish: t-needed
Love (though she had a cursed taste for war,
And was not the best wife, unless we call
Such Clytemnestra, though perhaps 'tis better
That one should die, than two drag on the fetter)"
Love had made Catherine make each lover's fortune,
Unlike our own half-chaste Elizabeth,
Elizabeth - Isabel
Whose avarice all disbursements did importune,
disbursements - desembolsos; desembolso
importune - importar; importunar, prostituirse
If history, the grand liar, ever saith
liar - mentiroso, mentirosa, embustero, embustera
The truth; and though grief her old age might shorten,
shorten - acortar, abreviar, reducir, acortarse
Because she put a favourite to death,
Her vile, ambiguous method of flirtation,
ambiguous - ambiguo
And stinginess, disgrace her sex and station.
stinginess - acanería; tacanería
But when the levee rose, and all was bustle
In the dissolving circle, all the nations'
dissolving - Se disuelve; (dissolve); disolver
Ambassadors began as 'twere to hustle
hustle - apresurarse; darse prisa, apurarse, enganar, engrupir
Round the young man with their congratulations.
congratulations - felicidades; felicitación
Also the softer silks were heard to rustle
silks - sedas; seda
rustle - susurro; crujido
Of gentle dames, among whose recreations
recreations - recreaciones; recreación
It is to speculate on handsome faces,
Especially when such lead to high places.
Juan, who found himself, he knew not how,
A general object of attention, made
His answers with a very graceful bow,
As if born for the ministerial trade.
ministerial - ministerial, panish: t-needed
Though modest, on his unembarrass'd brow
unembarrass - desembarazarse
Nature had written 'gentleman.'He said
Little, but to the purpose; and his manner
Flung hovering graces o'er him like a banner.
An order from her majesty consign'd
Our young lieutenant to the genial care
Of those in office: all the world look'd kind
(As it will look sometimes with the first stare,
Which youth would not act ill to keep in mind),
As also did Miss Protasoff then there,
Named from her mystic office'l'Eprouveuse,'
A term inexplicable to the Muse.
With her then, as in humble duty bound,
Juan retired,"and so will I, until
My Pegasus shall tire of touching ground.
We have just lit on a 'heaven-kissing hill,'
So lofty that I feel my brain turn round,
turn round - dar la vuelta
And all my fancies whirling like a mill;
Mill - molinillo
Which is a signal to my nerves and brain,
To take a quiet ride in some green Lane.
lane - camino, carril
When Newton saw an apple fall, he found
In that slight startle from his contemplation"
startle - susto; sobresaltarse, alarmarse, espantarse, evitar, impedir
contemplation - contemplación
'Tis said (for I'll not answer above ground
For any sage's creed or calculation)"
A mode of proving that the earth turn'd round
In a most natural whirl, called 'gravitation;'
most natural - el más natural
Gravitation - gravitación
And this is the sole mortal who could grapple,
grapple - forcejear, luchar
Since Adam, with a fall or with an apple.
Man fell with apples, and with apples rose,
If this be true; for we must deem the mode
In which Sir Isaac Newton could disclose
Isaac - Isaac
Through the then unpaved stars the turnpike road,
unpaved - Sin asfaltar
A thing to counterbalance human woes:
counterbalance - contrabalanza, contrapeso, contraposición, contrabalancear
For ever since immortal man hath glow'd
With all kinds of mechanics, and full soon
mechanics - mecánica; mecánico
Steam-engines will conduct him to the moon.
And wherefore this exordium?"Why, just now,
exordium - exordio
In taking up this paltry sheet of paper,
My bosom underwent a glorious glow,
underwent - ufrió; experimentar, sufrir, soportar, padecer
And my internal spirit cut a caper:
internal - interno, interior
caper - caperucita; juguetear, brincar
And though so much inferior, as I know,
To those who, by the dint of glass and vapour,
Discover stars and sail in the wind's eye,
I wish to do as much by poesy.
In the wind's eye I have sail'd, and sail; but for
The stars, I own my telescope is dim:
But at least I have shunn'd the common shore,
And leaving land far out of sight, would skim
The ocean of eternity: the roar
Of breakers has not daunted my slight, trim,
daunted - asustado; descorazonar, intimidar, amedrentar, amilanar, agobiar
But still sea-worthy skiff; and she may float
Where ships have founder'd, as doth many a boat.
founder - Fundador
We left our hero, Juan, in the bloom
Of favouritism, but not yet in the blush;
favouritism - favoritismo
And far be it from my Muses to presume
(For I have more than one Muse at a push)
To follow him beyond the drawing-room:
It is enough that Fortune found him flush
Of youth, and vigour, beauty, and those things
Which for an instant clip enjoyment's wings.
clip - cortar
enjoyment - disfrutar; disfrute, gozo, regocijo, holganza
But soon they grow again and leave their nest.
grow again - crecer de nuevo
'Oh!'saith the Psalmist, 'that I had a dove's
Pinions to flee away, and be at rest!'
pinions - pinón
flee - huir, desvanecerse, checkfugarse
And who that recollects young years and loves,"
recollects - recuerda; recordar, acordarse de
Though hoary now, and with a withering breast,
And palsied fancy, which no longer roves
palsied - parálisis
roves - robos; vagar, errar
Beyond its dimm'd eye's sphere,"but would much rather
dimm - Disminuir
sphere - esfera, bola
Sigh like his son, than cough like his grandfather?
But sighs subside, and tears (even widows') shrink,
subside - disminuir; calmarse
Like Arno in the summer, to a shallow,
So narrow as to shame their wintry brink,
wintry - invernal
Which threatens inundations deep and yellow!
Threatens - amenazas; amenazar
inundations - inundaciones; inundación
Such difference doth a few months make. You'd think
Grief a rich field which never would lie fallow;
fallow - en barbecho
No more it doth, its ploughs but change their boys,
ploughs - arados; arado, Carro Mayor, arar, labrar, barbechar
Who furrow some new soil to sow for joys.
furrow - surco, arruga, surcar, acanalar, fruncir
But coughs will come when sighs depart"and now
coughs - toser, tos
And then before sighs cease; for oft the one
Will bring the other, ere the lake-like brow
Is ruffled by a wrinkle, or the sun
wrinkle - arruga
Of life reach'd ten o'clock: and while a glow,
Hectic and brief as summer's day nigh done,
O'erspreads the cheek which seems too pure for clay,
erspreads - rspreads
Thousands blaze, love, hope, die,"how happy they!
But Juan was not meant to die so soon.
We left him in the focus of such glory
As may be won by favour of the moon
Or ladies'fancies"rather transitory
Perhaps; but who would scorn the month of June,
Because December, with his breath so hoary,
Must come? Much rather should he court the ray,
To hoard up warmth against a wintry day.
hoard - acumular; provisión
Besides, he had some qualities which fix
Middle-aged ladies even more than young:
The former know what 's what; while new-fledged chicks
fledged - Emplumecer
chicks - chicas; pollito
Know little more of love than what is sung
In rhymes, or dreamt (for fancy will play tricks)
In visions of those skies from whence Love sprung.
Some reckon women by their suns or years,
I rather think the moon should date the dears.
And why? because she 's changeable and chaste.
I know no other reason, whatsoe'er
Suspicious people, who find fault in haste,
find fault - encontrar fallo; encontrar al culpable
May choose to tax me with; which is not fair,
Nor flattering to 'their temper or their taste,'
As my friend Jeffrey writes with such an air:
However, I forgive him, and I trust
He will forgive himself;"if not, I must.
Old enemies who have become new friends
Should so continue"'tis a point of honour;
A point of honour - un punto de honor
And I know nothing which could make amends
For a return to hatred: I would shun her
hatred - odio
Like garlic, howsoever she extends
garlic - ajo
extends - se extiende; extender, ampliar
Her hundred arms and legs, and fain outrun her.
Old flames, new wives, become our bitterest foes"
Converted foes should scorn to join with those.
This were the worst desertion:"renegadoes,
desertion - deserción
Even shuffling Southey, that incarnate lie,
shuffling - barajando; (shuffle); barajar, mezclar, barajear, arrastrar
Would scarcely join again the 'reformadoes,'
Whom he forsook to fill the laureate's sty:
sty - aguijón; pocilga, zahúrda
And honest men from Iceland to Barbadoes,
Iceland - Islandia
Whether in Caledon or Italy,
Should not veer round with every breath, nor seize
veer - girar; virar
To pain, the moment when you cease to please.
The lawyer and the critic but behold
The baser sides of literature and life,
And nought remains unseen, but much untold,
untold - in contar
By those who scour those double vales of strife.
scour - recorrer; fregar, restregar
While common men grow ignorantly old,
ignorantly - Ignorantemente
The lawyer's brief is like the surgeon's knife,
Dissecting the whole inside of a question,
dissecting - Diseccionando; (dissect); disecar, diseccionar
And with it all the process of digestion.
A legal broom 's a moral chimney-sweeper,
broom - una escoba; escoba
sweeper - barredora; barrendero
And that 's the reason he himself 's so dirty;
The endless soot bestows a tint far deeper
Soot - hollín
bestows - otorga; guardar, estibar, depositar, alojar, acordar, conceder
tint - tinte, matiz
Than can be hid by altering his shirt; he
altering - cambiar, modificar, alterar
Retains the sable stains of the dark creeper,
retains - retiene; retener, detentar
stains - manchas; mancha, lamparón, tacha, mancilla, colorante
creeper - enredadera; rastrera
At least some twenty-nine do out of thirty,
In all their habits;"not so you, I own;
As Caesar wore his robe you wear your gown.
And all our little feuds, at least all mine,
feuds - nemistades; enemistad
Dear Jefferson, once my most redoubted foe
(As far as rhyme and criticism combine
To make such puppets of us things below),
puppets - marionetas; títere, marioneta, fantoche
Are over: Here 's a health to 'Auld Lang Syne!'
I do not know you, and may never know
Your face"but you have acted on the whole
Most nobly, and I own it from my soul.
And when I use the phrase of 'Auld Lang Syne!'
'Tis not address'd to you"the more 's the pity
For me, for I would rather take my wine
With you, than aught (save Scott) in your proud city.
But somehow,"it may seem a schoolboy's whine,
And yet I seek not to be grand nor witty,
But I am half a Scot by birth, and bred
Scot - escocés, escocesa
by birth - por nacimiento
A whole one, and my heart flies to my head,"
As 'Auld Lang Syne'brings Scotland, one and all,
Scotch plaids, Scotch snoods, the blue hills, and clear streams,
plaids - A cuadros
snoods - snoods; redecilla, cintillo, moco de pavo
streams - corrientes; corriente, flujo, arroyo, fluir, recibir flujo
The Dee, the Don, Balgounie's brig's black wall,
All my boy feelings, all my gentler dreams
Of what I then dreamt, clothed in their own pall,
Like Banquo's offspring;"floating past me seems
My childhood in this childishness of mine:
childishness - puerilidad, ninería, chiquillada, infantilismo
I care not"'tis a glimpse of 'Auld Lang Syne.'
And though, as you remember, in a fit
Of wrath and rhyme, when juvenile and curly,
I rail'd at Scots to show my wrath and wit,
Which must be own'd was sensitive and surly,
surly - hurano; irritado, malhumorado, inamistoso, hosco, amenazante
Yet 'tis in vain such sallies to permit,
sallies - salidas; salida
They cannot quench young feelings fresh and early:
I 'scotch'd not kill'd'the Scotchman in my blood,
Scotchman - Escocés
And love the land of 'mountain and of flood.'
Don Juan, who was real, or ideal,"
For both are much the same, since what men think
Exists when the once thinkers are less real
thinkers - pensadores; pensador, pensadora
Than what they thought, for mind can never sink,
And 'gainst the body makes a strong appeal;
And yet 'tis very puzzling on the brink
Of what is call'd eternity, to stare,
And know no more of what is here, than there;"
Don Juan grew a very polish'd Russian"
How we won't mention, why we need not say:
Few youthful minds can stand the strong concussion
concussion - choque, conmoción cerebral
Of any slight temptation in their way;
But his just now were spread as is a cushion
Smooth'd for a monarch's seat of honour; gay
Damsels, and dances, revels, ready money,
Made ice seem paradise, and winter sunny.
The favour of the empress was agreeable;
agreeable - lisonjero, agradable, dispuesto, conforme
And though the duty wax'd a little hard,
Young people at his time of life should be able
To come off handsomely in that regard.
handsomely - enerosamente
He was now growing up like a green tree, able
For love, war, or ambition, which reward
Their luckier votaries, till old age's tedium
tedium - tedio
Make some prefer the circulating medium.
About this time, as might have been anticipated,
anticipated - previsto; anticipar, prever
Seduced by youth and dangerous examples,
seduced - seducido; seducir
Don Juan grew, I fear, a little dissipated;
Which is a sad thing, and not only tramples
tramples - pisotear, hollar, maltratar, humillar, ofender
On our fresh feelings, but"as being participated
With all kinds of incorrigible samples
incorrigible - incorregible, empecatado
Of frail humanity"must make us selfish,
And shut our souls up in us like a shell-fish.
This we pass over. We will also pass
The usual progress of intrigues between
Unequal matches, such as are, alas!
A young lieutenant's with a not old queen,
But one who is not so youthful as she was
In all the royalty of sweet seventeen.
royalty - realeza
Sovereigns may sway materials, but not matter,
And Death, the sovereign's sovereign, though the great
Gracchus of all mortality, who levels
With his Agrarian laws the high estate
agrarian - agraria; agrario
Of him who feasts, and fights, and roars, and revels,
roars - rugidos; rugir, bramar, rugido, bramido
To one small grass-grown patch (which must await
patch - remiendo, parche
Corruption for its crop) with the poor devils
Who never had a foot of land till now,"
Death 's a reformer, all men must allow.
He lived (not Death, but Juan) in a hurry
Of waste, and haste, and glare, and gloss, and glitter,
gloss - lustre, brillo
In this gay clime of bear-skins black and furry"
furry - peludo, velludo, cabelludo, furro
Which (though I hate to say a thing that 's bitter)
Peep out sometimes, when things are in a flurry,
flurry - ráfaga, frenesí
Through all the 'purple and fine linen,'fitter
For Babylon's than Russia's royal harlot"
And neutralize her outward show of scarlet.
neutralize - neutralizar
And this same state we won't describe: we would
Perhaps from hearsay, or from recollection;
hearsay - rumores, habladurías, pruebas de oídas, testimonio de oídas
But getting nigh grim Dante's 'obscure wood,'
That horrid equinox, that hateful section
equinox - equinoccio
hateful - odioso, detestable
Of human years, that half-way house, that rude
Hut, whence wise travellers drive with circumspection
Life's sad post-horses o'er the dreary frontier
frontier - frontera
Of age, and looking back to youth, give one tear;"
I won't describe,"that is, if I can help
Description; and I won't reflect,"that is,
If I can stave off thought, which"as a whelp
stave - duela, estrofa, pentagrama
whelp - Cachorro
clings to its teat"sticks to me through the abyss
clings to - Aferrarse a
teat - teta; pezón, chupete
Of this odd labyrinth; or as the kelp
kelp - algas; quelpo
Holds by the rock; or as a lover's kiss
Drains its first draught of lips:"but, as I said,
I won't philosophise, and will be read.
Juan, instead of courting courts, was courted,"
A thing which happens rarely: this he owed
owed - debido; deber, adeudar, estar en deuda
Much to his youth, and much to his reported
Valour; much also to the blood he show'd,
Like a race-horse; much to each dress he sported,
race-horse - (race-horse) Caballo de carreras
Which set the beauty off in which he glow'd,
As purple clouds befringe the sun; but most
befringe - Fringe
He owed to an old woman and his post.
He wrote to Spain:"and all his near relations,
Perceiving fie was in a handsome way
Of getting on himself, and finding stations
For cousins also, answer'd the same day.
Several prepared themselves for emigrations;
emigrations - emigraciones; emigración
And eating ices, were o'erheard to say,
erheard - Oído
That with the addition of a slight pelisse,
Madrid's and Moscow's climes were of a piece.
His mother, Donna Inez, finding, too,
That in the lieu of drawing on his banker,
lieu - Mentira
banker - banquero
Where his assets were waxing rather few,
assets - activos; bien, valor, activo, recurso
He had brought his spending to a handsome anchor,"
Replied, 'that she was glad to see him through
Those pleasures after which wild youth will hanker;
hanker - ansiar; querer
As the sole sign of man's being in his senses
Is, learning to reduce his past expenses.
'She also recommended him to God,
And no less to God's Son, as well as Mother,
Warn'd him against Greek worship, which looks odd
worship - adoración, culto, checkalabanza, adorar, checkvenerar
In Catholic eyes; but told him, too, to smother
Outward dislike, which don't look well abroad;
Inform'd him that he had a little brother
Born in a second wedlock; and above
All, praised the empress's maternal love.
'She could not too much give her approbation
Unto an empress, who preferr'd young men
Whose age, and what was better still, whose nation
And climate, stopp'd all scandal (now and then):"
At home it might have given her some vexation;
But where thermometers sunk down to ten,
thermometers - termómetros; termómetro
Or five, or one, or zero, she could never
Believe that virtue thaw'd before the river.'
O for a forty-parson power to chant
chant - cantar; salmodiar
Thy praise, Hypocrisy! Oh for a hymn
Loud as the virtues thou dost loudly vaunt,
Not practise! Oh for trumps of cherubim!
trumps - trumps; triunfo
cherubim - querubines
Or the ear-trumpet of my good old aunt,
ear-trumpet - (ear-trumpet) trompetilla
Who, though her spectacles at last grew dim,
spectacles - gafas; espectáculo, papelón
Drew quiet consolation through its hint,
When she no more could read the pious print.
She was no hypocrite at least, poor soul,
hypocrite - hipócrita
But went to heaven in as sincere a way
As any body on the elected roll,
elected - elegido; elegir, electo
Which portions out upon the judgment day
Heaven's freeholds, in a sort of doomsday scroll,
freeholds - Propiedad absoluta
doomsday - el día del juicio final; día del Juicio Final, apocalipsis
scroll - pergamino; rollo, desplazarse
Such as the conqueror William did repay
William - Guillermo
His knights with, lotting others'properties
Into some sixty thousand new knights'fees.
I Can't complain, whose ancestors are there,
Can't complain - no poder quejarse
Erneis, Radulphus"eight-and-forty manors
manors - mansiones; finca
(If that my memory doth not greatly err)
Were their reward for following Billy's banners:
banners - pancartas; bandera, estandarte
And though I can't help thinking 'twas scarce fair
To strip the Saxons of their hydes, like tanners;
Saxons - sajones; sajón, sajona
tanners - Curtidor
Yet as they founded churches with the produce,
You'll deem, no doubt, they put it to a good use.
The gentle Juan flourish'd, though at times
flourish - florecer, prosperar, ademanes, floritura, floreo, ornamento
He felt like other plants called sensitive,
Which shrink from touch, as monarchs do from rhymes,
Save such as Southey can afford to give.
Perhaps he long'd in bitter frosts for climes
frosts - heladas; escarcha, helada, escarchar, glasear, granizar
In which the Neva's ice would cease to live
Before May-day: perhaps, despite his duty,
In royalty's vast arms he sigh d for beauty:
Perhaps"but, sans perhaps, we need not seek
For causes young or old: the canker-worm
canker - Cáncer
worm - gusano, lombriz, alimana, rata
Will feed upon the fairest, freshest cheek,
As well as further drain the wither'd form:
drain - desagüe, drenaje, aliviadero, tubo abierto, sangría, drenar
Care, like a housekeeper, brings every week
housekeeper - ama de llaves, ama de casa
His bills in, and however we may storm,
They must be paid: though six days smoothly run,
smoothly - sin problemas; suavemente
The seventh will bring blue devils or a dun.
I don't know how it was, but he grew sick:
The empress was alarm'd, and her physician
(The same who physick'd Peter) found the tick
physick - Física
the tick - garrapata
Of his fierce pulse betoken a condition
Which augur'd of the dead, however quick
Itself, and show'd a feverish disposition;
disposition - disposición; inclinación, temperamento, carácter
At which the whole court was extremely troubled,
The sovereign shock'd, and all his medicines doubled.
Low were the whispers, manifold the rumours:
whispers - susurros; susurro, rumor, rastro, susurrar
manifold - Múltiple
rumours - rumores; rumor
Some said he had been poison'd by Potemkin;
Others talk'd learnedly of certain tumours,
tumours - umores; tumor
Exhaustion, or disorders of the same kin;
exhaustion - agotamiento, cansancio
disorders - trastornos; desorden, disturbio, desenfreno, trastorno
Some said 'twas a concoction of the humours,
concoction - brebaje, poción, mejunje, cocimiento
humours - humores; humor, seguir la corriente
Which with the blood too readily will claim kin;
Others again were ready to maintain,
''Twas only the fatigue of last campaign.'
But here is one prescription out of many:
prescription - recetas; receta, remedios recetados, medicinas, prescripción
'Sodae sulphat. 3vj. 3fs. Mannae optim.
sulphat - Sulfato
optim - Optima
Aq. fervent. f. 3ifs. 3ij. tinct. Sennae
fervent - fervoroso; ferviente
Tinct - Tint
Haustus'(And here the surgeon came and cupp'd him)
'Rx Pulv Com gr. iij. Ipecacuanhae'
gr - gr, g
(With more beside if Juan had not stopp'd 'em).
'Bolus Potassae Sulphuret. sumendus,
bolus - bolo alimenticio, bolo
sumendus - umendus
Et haustus ter in die capiendus.'
This is the way physicians mend or end us,
Secundum artem: but although we sneer
In health"when ill, we call them to attend us,
Without the least propensity to jeer:
propensity - propensión, inclinación
jeer - burla; abuchear
While that 'hiatus maxime deflendus'
To be fill'd up by spade or mattock's near,
spade - pala
mattock - matón; zapapico
Instead of gliding graciously down Lethe,
graciously - con amabilidad
We tease mild Baillie, or soft Abernethy.
Juan demurr'd at this first notice to
Quit; and though death had threaten'd an ejection,
ejection - expulsión; eyección
His youth and constitution bore him through,
constitution - constitución, constituciones
And sent the doctors in a new direction.
But still his state was delicate: the hue
Of health but flicker'd with a faint reflection
flicker - parpadeo; vacilar
Along his wasted cheek, and seem'd to gravel
gravel - grava, gravilla, rociar con grava, salpicar con grava
The faculty"who said that he must travel.
faculty - cuerpo docente, facultad
The climate was too cold, they said, for him,
Meridian-born, to bloom in. This opinion
Made the chaste Catherine look a little grim,
Who did not like at first to lose her minion:
minion - lacayo, súbdito, sirviente, subalterno, acólito
But when she saw his dazzling eye wax dim,
And drooping like an eagle's with clipt pinion,
clipt - clipt; cortar
She then resolved to send him on a mission,
But in a style becoming his condition.
There was just then a kind of a discussion,
A sort of treaty or negotiation
Treaty - tratado
negotiation - negociación
Between the British cabinet and Russian,
Maintain'd with all the due prevarication
prevarication - prevaricación
With which great states such things are apt to push on;
Something about the Baltic's navigation,
Hides, train-oil, tallow, and the rights of Thetis,
train-oil - (train-oil) Aceite de tren; aceite de ballena
tallow - sebo
Which Britons deem their 'uti possidetis.'
Britons - británicos; británico, británica
uti - ti
possidetis - ossidetis
So Catherine, who had a handsome way
Of fitting out her favourites, conferr'd
fitting out - equipar; proveer
This secret charge on Juan, to display
At once her royal splendour, and reward
His services. He kiss'd hands the next day,
Received instructions how to play his card,
Was laden with all kinds of gifts and honours,
laden - cargado; (lade); cargado
Which show'd what great discernment was the donor's.
donor - donador, donante
But she was lucky, and luck 's all. Your queens
Are generally prosperous in reigning;
prosperous - róspero; rico
Which puzzles us to know what Fortune means.
But to continue: though her years were waning
Her climacteric teased her like her teens;
climacteric - Climaterio
teased - se burló; cardar, peinar, burlarse de, molestar, tomar el pelo
And though her dignity brook'd no complaining,
dignity - dignidad
So much did Juan's setting off distress her,
She could not find at first a fit successor.
successor - sucesor, sucesora
But time, the comforter, will come at last;
And four-and-twenty hours, and twice that number
Of candidates requesting to be placed,
Made Catherine taste next night a quiet slumber:"
Not that she meant to fix again in haste,
Nor did she find the quantity encumber,
But always choosing with deliberation,
deliberation - deliberación
Kept the place open for their emulation.
While this high post of honour 's in abeyance,
abeyance - en suspenso; expectativa, esperanza, suspenso, suspensión
For one or two days, reader, we request
You'll mount with our young hero the conveyance
Which wafted him from Petersburgh: the best
Barouche, which had the glory to display once
The fair czarina's autocratic crest,
autocratic - autocrático
When, a new lphigene, she went to Tauris,
Was given to her favourite, and now bore his.
A bull-dog, and a bullfinch, and an ermine,
bullfinch - un camachuelo; camachuelo común
ermine - armino; armino
All private favourites of Don Juan;"for
(Let deeper sages the true cause determine)
He had a kind of inclination, or
Weakness, for what most people deem mere vermin,
vermin - bichos; alimana, bicho, gentuza, sabandija
Live animals: an old maid of threescore
old maid - Solterona
For cats and birds more penchant ne'er display'd,
penchant - ilusión; inclinación, gusto
Although he was not old, nor even a maid;"
The animals aforesaid occupied
Their station: there were valets, secretaries,
valets - valets; edecán, mánager, aparcacoches
In other vehicles; but at his side
Sat little Leila, who survived the parries
parries - paradas; parada, guardia
He made 'gainst Cossacque sabres, in the wide
Slaughter of Ismail. Though my wild Muse varies
varies - varía; variar
Her note, she don't forget the infant girl
Whom he preserved, a pure and living pearl
preserved - conservado; mermelada, reserva, reserva natural, coto, terreno
Poor little thing! She was as fair as docile,
docile - dócil
And with that gentle, serious character,
As rare in living beings as a fossile
fossile - Fósil
Man, 'midst thy mouldy mammoths, 'grand Cuvier!'
mouldy - enmohecido; mohoso
Ill fitted was her ignorance to jostle
With this o'erwhelming world, where all must err:
erwhelming - Abrumador
But she was yet but ten years old, and therefore
Was tranquil, though she knew not why or wherefore.
Don Juan loved her, and she loved him, as
Nor brother, father, sister, daughter love.
I cannot tell exactly what it was;
He was not yet quite old enough to prove
Parental feelings, and the other class,
parental - padres; parental
Call'd brotherly affection, could not move
brotherly - fraternal, fraterno
His bosom,"for he never had a sister:
Ah! if he had, how much he would have miss'd her!
And still less was it sensual; for besides
That he was not an ancient debauchee
(Who like sour fruit, to stir their veins'salt tides,
As acids rouse a dormant alkali),
acids - ácidos; agrio, ácido, malhumorado, ácido
dormant - inactivo; latente
Alkali - álcali
Although ('twill happen as our planet guides)
His youth was not the chastest that might be,
There was the purest Platonism at bottom
Of all his feelings"only he forgot 'em.
Just now there was no peril of temptation;
He loved the infant orphan he had saved,
As patriots (now and then) may love a nation;
patriots - patriotas; patriota
His pride, too, felt that she was not enslaved
Owing to him;"as also her salvation
Through his means and the church's might be paved.
But one thing 's odd, which here must be inserted,
inserted - insertado; insertar, meter
The little Turk refused to be converted.
'Twas strange enough she should retain the impression
Through such a scene of change, and dread, and slaughter;
But though three bishops told her the transgression,
She show'd a great dislike to holy water:
She also had no passion for confession;
confession - confesión
Perhaps she had nothing to confess:"no matter,
Whate'er the cause, the church made little of it"
She still held out that Mahomet was a prophet.
In fact, the only Christian she could bear
Was Juan; whom she seem'd to have selected
In place of what her home and friends once were.
He naturally loved what he protected:
And thus they form'd a rather curious pair,
A guardian green in years, a ward connected
In neither clime, time, blood, with her defender;
defender - defensor, defensora
And yet this want of ties made theirs more tender.
They journey'd on through Poland and through Warsaw,
Poland - Polonia
Warsaw - Varsovia
Famous for mines of salt and yokes of iron:
Through Courland also, which that famous farce saw
Which gave her dukes the graceless name of 'Biron.'
Dukes - dukes; duque
graceless - Sin gracia
'Tis the same landscape which the modern Mars saw,
Who march'd to Moscow, led by Fame, the siren!
To lose by one month's frost some twenty years
Of conquest, and his guard of grenadiers.
Let this not seem an anti-climax:"'Oh!
My guard! my old guard exclaim'd!'exclaim'd that god of day.
Think of the Thunderer's falling down below
Thunderer - Trueno
Carotid-artery-cutting Castlereagh!
carotid - carótida, carotídeo
artery - arteria
Alas, that glory should be chill'd by snow!
But should we wish to warm us on our way
Through Poland, there is Kosciusko's name
Might scatter fire through ice, like Hecla's flame.
From Poland they came on through Prussia Proper,
Prussia - Prusia
And Konigsberg the capital, whose vaunt,
Besides some veins of iron, lead, or copper,
Has lately been the great Professor Kant.
Juan, who cared not a tobacco-stopper
About philosophy, pursued his jaunt
jaunt - ir de excursión; paseo, excursión
To Germany, whose somewhat tardy millions
Have princes who spur more than their postilions.
postilions - postillas; postillón
And thence through Berlin, Dresden, and the like,
Berlin - Berlín
Dresden - Dresde
Until he reach'd the castellated Rhine:"
castellated - Castillado
Rhine - Rin
Ye glorious Gothic scenes! how much ye strike
All phantasies, not even excepting mine;
A grey wall, a green ruin, rusty pike,
rusty - Oxidado
Make my soul pass the equinoctial line
Between the present and past worlds, and hover
Upon their airy confine, half-seas-over.
confine - confinar, encorsetar, confín, raya
But Juan posted on through Manheim, Bonn,
Bonn - Bonn
Which Drachenfels frowns over like a spectre
frowns - frunce el ceno; fruncir el ceno
Of the good feudal times forever gone,
feudal - feudal
On which I have not time just now to lecture.
From thence he was drawn onwards to Cologne,
Cologne - Colonia
A city which presents to the inspector
inspector - inspector
Eleven thousand maidenheads of bone,
The greatest number flesh hath ever known.
From thence to Holland's Hague and Helvoetsluys,
That water-land of Dutchmen and of ditches,
Dutchmen - holandeses; holandés, neerlandés
Where juniper expresses its best juice,
juniper - enebros; junípero, enebro
The poor man's sparkling substitute for riches.
Senates and sages have condemn'd its use"
senates - senados; senado
But to deny the mob a cordial, which is
deny - negar
Too often all the clothing, meat, or fuel,
Good government has left them, seems but cruel.
Here he embark'd, and with a flowing sail
Went bounding for the island of the free,
Towards which the impatient wind blew half a gale;
impatient - impaciente
High dash'd the spray, the bows dipp'd in the sea,
And sea-sick passengers turn'd somewhat pale;
But Juan, season'd, as he well might be,
By former voyages, stood to watch the skiffs
Which pass'd, or catch the first glimpse of the cliffs.
At length they rose, like a white wall along
The blue sea's border; and I Don Juan felt"
What even young strangers feel a little strong
At the first sight of Albion's chalky belt"
chalky - calcáreo
A kind of pride that he should be among
Those haughty shopkeepers, who sternly dealt
shopkeepers - comerciantes; comerciante, tendero, tendera
sternly - con severidad
Their goods and edicts out from pole to pole,
edicts - dictos; edicto
And made the very billows pay them toll.
I've no great cause to love that spot of earth,
Which holds what might have been the noblest nation;
But though I owe it little but my birth,
owe - deber, adeudar, estar en deuda
I feel a mix'd regret and veneration
For its decaying fame and former worth.
decaying - decayendo; descomposición, deterioración, putrefacción
Seven years (the usual term of transportation)
transportation - transporte
Of absence lay one's old resentments level,
resentments - resentimientos; resentimiento, animadversión, animosidad, rencor
When a man's country 's going to the devil.
Alas! could she but fully, truly, know
How her great name is now throughout abhorr'd:
How eager all the earth is for the blow
Which shall lay bare her bosom to the sword;
How all the nations deem her their worst foe,
That worse than worst of foes, the once adored
False friend, who held out freedom to mankind,
And now would chain them, to the very mind:"
Would she be proud, or boast herself the free,
Who is but first of slaves? The nations are
In prison,"but the gaoler, what is he?
No less a victim to the bolt and bar.
Is the poor privilege to turn the key
privilege - privilegio, privilegiar
Upon the captive, freedom? He 's as far
From the enjoyment of the earth and air
Who watches o'er the chain, as they who wear.
Don Juan now saw Albion's earliest beauties,
Thy cliffs, dear Dover! harbour, and hotel;
harbour - puerto
Thy custom-house, with all its delicate duties;
Thy waiters running mucks at every bell;
mucks - mucks; porquería, estiércol
Thy packets, all whose passengers are booties
packets - paquetes; paquete
booties - Botín
To those who upon land or water dwell;
And last, not least, to strangers uninstructed,
uninstructed - sin instrucciones
Thy long, long bills, whence nothing is deducted.
Juan, though careless, young, and magnifique,
And rich in rubles, diamonds, cash, and credit,
Who did not limit much his bills per week,
Yet stared at this a little, though he paid it
(His Maggior Duomo, a smart, subtle Greek,
Before him summ'd the awful scroll and read it);
But doubtless as the air, though seldom sunny,
Is free, the respiration's worth the money.
respiration - respiración
On with the horses! Off to Canterbury!
Canterbury - Canterbury, Cantórbery
Tramp, tramp o'er pebble, and splash, splash through puddle;
tramp - vagabundo, vagabunda, golfa, ramera, puta
pebble - guijarro, canto pelado, canto rodado, china, empedrar
Hurrah! how swiftly speeds the post so merry!
Swiftly - rápido; rápidamente
Not like slow Germany, wherein they muddle
muddle - enredo; mezclar, confundir, embrollar, zarabutear, machacar
Along the road, as if they went to bury
Their fare; and also pause besides, to fuddle
With 'schnapps'"sad dogs! whom 'Hundsfot,'or 'Verflucter,'
Affect no more than lightning a conductor.
Now there is nothing gives a man such spirits,
Leavening his blood as cayenne doth a curry,
Leavening - Leudante; (leaven); levadura, polvos de hornear, leudar
cayenne - Cayena
As going at full speed"no matter where its
Direction be, so 'tis but in a hurry,
And merely for the sake of its own merits;
For the less cause there is for all this flurry,
The greater is the pleasure in arriving
At the great end of travel"which is driving.
They saw at Canterbury the cathedral;
cathedral - catedral
Black Edward's helm, and Becket's bloody stone,
Edward - Eduardo
helm - yelmo; timón
Were pointed out as usual by the bedral,
In the same quaint, uninterested tone:"
uninterested - desinterés
There's glory again for you, gentle reader! All
Ends in a rusty casque and dubious bone,
Half-solved into these sodas or magnesias;
sodas - gaseosas; sosa, soda, gaseosa, bebida
Which form that bitter draught, the human species.
The effect on Juan was of course sublime:
He breathed a thousand Cressys, as he saw
That casque, which never stoop'd except to Time.
Even the bold Churchman's tomb excited awe,
Churchman - Iglesia
Who died in the then great attempt to climb
attempt - intentar, tentativa, intento, ensayo
O'er kings, who now at least must talk of law
Before they butcher. Little Leila gazed,
And ask'd why such a structure had been raised:
And being told it was 'God's house,'she said
He was well lodged, but only wonder'd how
lodged - alojado; cabana, barraca, caseta, logia, madriguera
He suffer'd Infidels in his homestead,
homestead - casal, caserío, hacienda
The cruel Nazarenes, who had laid low
His holy temples in the lands which bred
The True Believers:"and her infant brow
Was bent with grief that Mahomet should resign
A mosque so noble, flung like pearls to swine.
swine - cerdo, canalla
O! oh! through meadows managed like a garden,
meadows - praderas; prado, vega
A paradise of hops and high production;
hops - lúpulo; saltar a la pata coja
For after years of travel by a bard in
Countries of greater heat, but lesser suction,
A green field is a sight which makes him pardon
The absence of that more sublime construction,
Which mixes up vines, olives, precipices,
mixes up - mezclar
vines - enredaderas; vid, trepadora, enredadera
olives - aceitunas; aceituna, oliva, olivo, verde oliva, aceitunado
precipices - recipicios; precipicio
Glaciers, volcanos, oranges, and ices.
glaciers - glaciares; glaciar, helero
volcanos - volcanes
And when I think upon a pot of beer"
But I won't weep!"and so drive on, postilions!
As the smart boys spurr'd fast in their career,
Juan admired these highways of free millions;
A country in all senses the most dear
To foreigner or native, save some silly ones,
Who 'kick against the pricks'just at this juncture,
pricks - gilipollas; pinchar, perforar
juncture - oyuntura; juntura
And for their pains get only a fresh puncture.
puncture - pinchazo, perforar
What a delightful thing 's a turnpike road!
So smooth, so level, such a mode of shaving
The earth, as scarce the eagle in the broad
Air can accomplish, with his wide wings waving.
accomplish - cumplir; efectuar, realizar, lograr, completar
Had such been cut in Phaeton's time, the god
phaeton - Faetón
Had told his son to satisfy his craving
satisfy - satisfacer
craving - Ansias; (crave); anhelar, ansiar, implorar
With the York mail;"but onward as we roll,
York - York, Yórk
'Surgit amari aliquid'"the toll
Alas, how deeply painful is all payment!
Take lives, take wives, take aught except men's purses:
purses - monederos; bolsa, monedero, fruncir
As Machiavel shows those in purple raiment,
Such is the shortest way to general curses.
They hate a murderer much less than a claimant
murderer - asesino, asesina, victimario, victimaria
claimant - reclamante; actor
On that sweet ore which every body nurses;"
Kill a man's family, and he may brook it,
But keep your hands out of his breeches'pocket.
So said the Florentine: ye monarchs, hearken
To your instructor. Juan now was borne,
Just as the day began to wane and darken,
wane - disminuir; menguar
O'er the high hill, which looks with pride or scorn
Toward the great city."Ye who have a spark in
Your veins of Cockney spirit, smile or mourn
Cockney - cockney, londinense (de clase popular)
According as you take things well or ill;"
Bold Britons, we are now on Shooter's Hill!
Shooter - tirador, tiradora
The sun went down, the smoke rose up, as from
A half-unquench'd volcano, o'er a space
volcano - volcán
Which well beseem'd the 'Devil's drawing-room,'
As some have qualified that wondrous place:
But Juan felt, though not approaching home,
As one who, though he were not of the race,
Revered the soil, of those true sons the mother,
revered - venerado; reverenciar, idolatrar
Who butcher'd half the earth, and bullied t'other.
bullied - cosado; bravucón, abusón, matón, abusador
A mighty mass of brick, and smoke, and shipping,
brick - ladrillo
Dirty and dusky, but as wide as eye
Could reach, with here and there a sail just skipping
skipping - saltando; saltar
In sight, then lost amidst the forestry
forestry - silvicultura, ingeniería forestal
Of masts; a wilderness of steeples peeping
steeples - campanarios; campanario
peeping - espiando; espiar
On tiptoe through their sea-coal canopy;
tiptoe - punta del pie, caminar de puntillas
A huge, dun cupola, like a foolscap crown
On a fool's head"and there is London Town!
But Juan saw not this: each wreath of smoke
Appear'd to him but as the magic vapour
Of some alchymic furnace, from whence broke
alchymic - alquímico
furnace - horno, caldera, calefacción
The wealth of worlds (a wealth of tax and paper):
The gloomy clouds, which o'er it as a yoke
Are bow'd, and put the sun out like a taper,
Were nothing but the natural atmosphere,
Extremely wholesome, though but rarely clear.
He paused"and so will I; as doth a crew
Before they give their broadside. By and by,
broadside - golpe de costado; costado, andanada
My gentle countrymen, we will renew
Our old acquaintance; and at least I'll try
To tell you truths you will not take as true,
Because they are so;"a male Mrs. Fry,
With a soft besom will I sweep your halls,
And brush a web or two from off the walls.
O Mrs. Fry! Why go to Newgate? Why
Preach to poor rogues? And wherefore not begin
With Carlton, or with other houses? Try
Your head at harden'd and imperial sin.
To mend the people 's an absurdity,
absurdity - absurdo, absurdidad
A jargon, a mere philanthropic din,
jargon - jerga
Unless you make their betters better:"Fy!
I thought you had more religion, Mrs. Fry.
Teach them the decencies of good threescore;
decencies - decencias; decencia
Cure them of tours, hussar and highland dresses;
Hussar - húsar
Tell them that youth once gone returns no more,
That hired huzzas redeem no land's distresses;
redeem - redimir, rescatar, liberar, libertar, redimirse, canjear
Tell them Sir William Curtis is a bore,
Too dull even for the dullest of excesses,
dullest - más aburrido; romo, desafilado, embotado, aburrido, soso
The witless Falstaff of a hoary Hal,
A fool whose bells have ceased to ring at all.
Tell them, though it may be perhaps too late,
On life's worn confine, jaded, bloated, sated,
bloated - inflado; hinchar, inflar
sated - ado
To set up vain pretence of being great,
'Tis not so to be good; and be it stated,
The worthiest kings have ever loved least state;
And tell them"But you won't, and I have prated
Just now enough; but by and by I'll prattle
prattle - parloteo; parlotear
Like Roland's horn in Roncesvalles'battle.
horn - cuerno
When Bishop Berkeley said 'there was no matter,'
bishop - obispo
And proved it"'twas no matter what he said:
They say his system 'tis in vain to batter,
Too subtle for the airiest human head;
airiest - más aire; airoso
And yet who can believe it? I would shatter
Gladly all matters down to stone or lead,
Or adamant, to find the world a spirit,
adamant - constante; firme, categórico, inflexible, impenetrable
And wear my head, denying that I wear it.
What a sublime discovery 'twas to make the
Universe universal egotism,
That all 's ideal"all ourselves: I'll stake the
World (be it what you will) that that 's no schism.
schism - cisma
O Doubt!"if thou be'st Doubt, for which some take thee;
But which I doubt extremely"thou sole prism
prism - prisma
Of the Truth's rays, spoil not my draught of spirit!
Heaven's brandy, though our brain can hardly bear it.
brandy - brandy, conac
For ever and anon comes Indigestion,
(Not the most 'dainty Ariel') and perplexes
Ariel - Ariel
perplexes - perpleja; confundir, desconcertar
Our soarings with another sort of question:
soarings - soarings; ascendente
And that which after all my spirit vexes,
Vexes - vexes; molestar, irritar, disgustar, afligir, atormentar
Is, that I find no spot where man can rest eye on,
Without confusion of the sorts and sexes,
Of beings, stars, and this unriddled wonder,
The world, which at the worst 's a glorious blunder"
If it be chance; or if it be according
To the old text, still better:"lest it should
Turn out so, we'll say nothing 'gainst the wording,
As several people think such hazards rude.
hazards - peligros; riesgo, peligro, arriesgar, peligrar, aventurar
They're right; our days are too brief for affording
Space to dispute what no one ever could
Decide, and every body one day will
Know very clearly"or at least lie still.
And therefore will I leave off metaphysical
Discussion, which is neither here nor there:
If I agree that what is, is; then this I call
Being quite perspicuous and extremely fair;
The truth is, I've grown lately rather phthisical:
phthisical - Ftísico
I don't know what the reason is"the air
Perhaps; but as I suffer from the shocks
shocks - shocks; conmoción, golpe
Of illness, I grow much more orthodox.
orthodox - ortodoxo
The first attack at once proved the Divinity
divinity - deidad, divinidad
(But that I never doubted, nor the Devil);
The next, the Virgin's mystical virginity;
virginity - virginidad, doncellez
The third, the usual Origin of Evil;
The fourth at once establish'd the whole Trinity
Trinity - trío, trinidad
On so uncontrovertible a level,
uncontrovertible - incontrovertible
That I devoutly wish'd the three were four,
On purpose to believe so much the more.
To our Theme."The man who has stood on the Acropolis,
Acropolis - Acrópolis
And look'd down over Attica; or he
Attica - atica; Ática
Who has sail'd where picturesque Constantinople is,
picturesque - pintoresco
Or seen Timbuctoo, or hath taken tea
In small-eyed China's crockery-ware metropolis,
crockery - vajilla, loza
metropolis - urbe, metrópolis
Or sat amidst the bricks of Nineveh,
May not think much of London's first appearance"
But ask him what he thinks of it a year hence?
Don Juan had got out on Shooter's Hill;
Sunset the time, the place the same declivity
Which looks along that vale of good and ill
vale - valle
Where London streets ferment in full activity;
ferment - fermento; fermentar
While every thing around was calm and still,
Except the creak of wheels, which on their pivot he
pivot - pivotar; perno, pivote
Heard,"and that bee-like, bubbling, busy hum
Of cities, that boil over with their scum:"
boil over - desbordar
scum - escoria, gentuza, canalla
I say, Don Juan, wrapt in contemplation,
Walk'd on behind his carriage, o'er the summit,
And lost in wonder of so great a nation,
Gave way to 't, since he could not overcome it.
'And here,'he cried, 'is Freedom's chosen station;
Here peals the people's voice, nor can entomb it
peals - eals; repique, toque de campanas
Racks, prisons, inquisitions; resurrection
racks - astidores; estante
inquisitions - inquisiciones; Inquisición
Awaits it, each new meeting or election.
'Here are chaste wives, pure lives; here people pay
But what they please; and if that things be dear,
'Tis only that they love to throw away
Their cash, to show how much they have a-year.
Here laws are all inviolate; none lay
inviolate - inviolable; inviolado
Traps for the traveller; every highway 's clear:
traps - trampas; trampa
highway - carretera, autopista
Here-'he was interrupted by a knife,
With,"'Damn your eyes! your money or your life!'
These freeborn sounds proceeded from four pads
pads - almohadillas; almohadilla
In ambush laid, who had perceived him loiter
ambush - emboscada, encerrona
Behind his carriage; and, like handy lads,
Had seized the lucky hour to reconnoitre,
reconnoitre - reconocer; hacer un reconocimiento
In which the heedless gentleman who gads
heedless - ignorante; negligente, inconsiderado, indiligente, desatento
gads - gads; Gad
Upon the road, unless he prove a fighter,
fighter - guerrero, combatiente, luchador, guerrero, caza
May find himself within that isle of riches
Exposed to lose his life as well as breeches.
exposed - expuesto; exponer, revelar, descubrir, exhibir
Juan, who did not understand a word
Of English, save their shibboleth, 'God damn!'
shibboleth - santo y sena, contrasena, doctrina anticuada
And even that he had so rarely heard,
He sometimes thought 'twas only their 'Salam,'
Or 'God be with you!'"and 'tis not absurd
To think so: for half English as I am
(To my misfortune), never can I say
misfortune - infortunio, gafe, mala suerte, desgracia
I heard them wish 'God with you,'save that way;"
Juan yet quickly understood their gesture,
And being somewhat choleric and sudden,
choleric - colérico
Drew forth a pocket pistol from his vesture,
vesture - vestuario
And fired it into one assailant's pudding"
assailant - asaltante, atacante
Who fell, as rolls an ox o'er in his pasture,
pasture - pasto, pradera, pastar
And roar'd out, as he writhed his native mud in,
Unto his nearest follower or henchman,
follower - seguidor, seguidora, imitador
henchman - secuaz, esbirro
'Oh Jack! I'm floor'd by that 'ere bloody Frenchman!'
On which Jack and his train set off at speed,
And Juan's suite, late scatter'd at a distance,
Came up, all marvelling at such a deed,
marvelling - Maravillado; (marvel) Maravillado
And offering, as usual, late assistance.
offering - ofrenda; ofrecimiento; (offer) ofrenda; ofrecimiento
Juan, who saw the moon's late minion bleed
bleed - sangrar, desangrar, purgar, sangría, sangrado, sangre
As if his veins would pour out his existence,
Stood calling out for bandages and lint,
bandages - vendas; venda, vendaje, vendar
lint - pelusa; hilas
And wish'd he had been less hasty with his flint.
hasty - apresurarse; apresurado, de prisa, arrebatado, atropellado
'Perhaps,'thought he, 'it is the country's wont
To welcome foreigners in this way: now
I recollect some innkeepers who don't
innkeepers - posaderos; posadero, posadera, ventero, ventera
Differ, except in robbing with a bow,
differ - difieren; ser distinto
robbing - robando; robar
In lieu of a bare blade and brazen front.
But what is to be done? I can't allow
The fellow to lie groaning on the road:
So take him up; I'll help you with the load.'
load - cargar; carga
But ere they could perform this pious duty,
The dying man cried, 'Hold! I've got my gruel!
gruel - Gachas
O for a glass of max! We've miss'd our booty;
booty - culo; botín
Let me die where I am!'And as the fuel
Of life shrunk in his heart, and thick and sooty
sooty - hollín; fuliginoso, tiznado, hollinoso, holliniento
The drops fell from his death-wound, and he drew ill
His breath,"he from his swelling throat untied
swelling - inflamación, hinchazón; (swell); inflamación, hinchazón
untied - sin ataduras; desatar, desamarrar, desligar, soltar, desatarse
A kerchief, crying, 'Give Sal that!'"and died.
The cravat stain'd with bloody drops fell down
Before Don Juan's feet: he could not tell
Exactly why it was before him thrown,
Nor what the meaning of the man's farewell.
Poor Tom was once a kiddy upon town,
kiddy - Nino
A thorough varmint, and a real swell,
Full flash, all fancy, until fairly diddled,
His pockets first and then his body riddled.
riddled - acribillado; adivinanza, acertijo
Don Juan, having done the best he could
In all the circumstances of the case,
As soon as 'Crowner's quest'allow'd, pursued
His travels to the capital apace;"
Esteeming it a little hard he should
esteeming - estimar; estima
In twelve hours'time, and very little space,
Have been obliged to slay a freeborn native
In self-defence: this made him meditative.
meditative - Meditativo
He from the world had cut off a great man,
Who in his time had made heroic bustle.
Who in a row like Tom could lead the van,
Booze in the ken, or at the spellken hustle?
booze - bebida; trago, aguardiente, exico, escabiar
spellken - Hechizo
Who queer a flat? Who (spite of Bow Street's ban)
On the high toby-spice so flash the muzzle?
spice - picante; especia
muzzle - bocina; hocico, bozal, boca, amordazar, censurar
Who on a lark, with black-eyed Sal (his blowing),
So prime, so swell, so nutty, and so knowing?
But Tom's no more"and so no more of Tom.
Heroes must die; and by God's blessing 'tis
Not long before the most of them go home.
Hail! Thamis, Hail! Upon thy verge it is
That Juan's chariot, rolling like a drum
chariot - carroza; quadriga, biga, carro
In thunder, holds the way it can't well miss,
Through Kennington and all the other 'tons,'
Which makes us wish ourselves in town at once;"
Through Groves, so call'd as being void of trees
(Like lucus from no light); through prospects named
Mount Pleasant, as containing nought to please,
Nor much to climb; through little boxes framed
Of bricks, to let the dust in at your ease,
With 'To be let'upon their doors proclaim'd;
Through 'Rows'most modestly call'd 'Paradise,'
modestly - con modestia; modestamente
Which Eve might quit without much sacrifice;"
Through coaches, drays, choked turnpikes, and a whirl
choked - ahogado; ahogar, asfixiar
Of wheels, and roar of voices, and confusion;
Here taverns wooing to a pint of 'purl,'
taverns - tabernas; taberna
wooing - Cortejando; (woo) Cortejando
pint - una pinta; pinta
purl - Por el revés
There mails fast flying off like a delusion;
delusion - engano, ilusión, delirio, idea delirante
There barbers'blocks with periwigs in curl
barbers - barberos; barbero, peluquero
In windows; here the lamplighter's infusion
infusion - infusión
Slowly distill'd into the glimmering glass
distill - Destilar
glimmering - Resplandeciente; (glimmer); luz tenue, titileo
(For in those days we had not got to gas);"
Through this, and much, and more, is the approach
Of travellers to mighty Babylon:
Whether they come by horse, or chaise, or coach,
With slight exceptions, all the ways seem one.
I could say more, but do not choose to encroach
encroach - invadir; inmiscuirse
Upon the Guide-book's privilege. The sun
Had set some time, and night was on the ridge
ridge - cresta, arista, cumbrera, caballete, cordillera, sierra, dorsal
Of twilight, as the party cross'd the bridge,"
That 's rather fine. The gentle sound of Thamis"
Who vindicates a moment, too, his stream,
vindicates - reivindica; vindicar, defender, justificar, reclamar
Though hardly heard through multifarious 'damme's'-
multifarious - múltiples; múltiple, diverso, variado
The lamps of Westminster's more regular gleam,
more regular - más regular
The breadth of pavement, and yon shrine where fame is
A spectral resident"whose pallid beam
spectral - espectral
resident - residente, habitante, munícipe
In shape of moonshine hovers o'er the pile"
pile - montón, pila
Make this a sacred part of Albion's isle.
The Druids'groves are gone"so much the better:
druids - druidas; druida
Stone-Henge is not"but what the devil is it?-
But Bedlam still exists with its sage fetter,
bedlam - \"bedlam\"; pandemonio, caos
That madmen may not bite you on a visit;
The Bench too seats or suits full many a debtor;
Bench - banco
The Mansion House too (though some people quiz it)
mansion - mansión, casoplón
quiz - prueba, cuestionario, examen, examen parcial, enganar, probar
To me appears a stiff yet grand erection;
erection - erección
But then the Abbey 's worth the whole collection.
The line of lights, too, up to Charing Cross,
Charing - charing; chamuscar, carbonizar
Pall Mall, and so forth, have a coruscation
Like gold as in comparison to dross,
Match'd with the Continent's illumination,
Whose cities Night by no means deigns to gloss.
The French were not yet a lamp-lighting nation,
And when they grew so"on their new-found lantern,
Instead of wicks, they made a wicked man turn.
wicks - mechas; mecha
A row of gentlemen along the streets
Suspended may illuminate mankind,
suspended - suspendido; suspender
illuminate - iluminar
As also bonfires made of country seats;
bonfires - fogatas; fogata, hoguera
But the old way is best for the purblind:
The other looks like phosphorus on sheets,
phosphorus - fósforo
A sort of ignis fatuus to the mind,
Which, though 'tis certain to perplex and frighten,
Must burn more mildly ere it can enlighten.
enlighten - iluminar, alumbrar, ilustrar
But London 's so well lit, that if Diogenes
Could recommence to hunt his honest man,
recommence - reanudar; recomenzar
And found him not amidst the various progenies
progenies - progenie; descendiente
Of this enormous city's spreading span,
'Twere not for want of lamps to aid his dodging his
dodging - evadir, esquivar, capear
Yet undiscover'd treasure. What I can,
undiscover - Descubrir
I've done to find the same throughout life's journey,
But see the world is only one attorney.
Over the stones still rattling up Pall Mall,
rattling - traqueteo; (rattle) traqueteo
Through crowds and carriages, but waxing thinner
As thunder'd knockers broke the long seal'd spell
Of doors 'gainst duns, and to an early dinner
Admitted a small party as night fell,"
Don Juan, our young diplomatic sinner,
Pursued his path, and drove past some hotels,
St. James's Palace and St. James's 'Hells.'
James - Santiago, Jacobo, Yago, Jaime
They reach'd the hotel: forth stream'd from the front door
A tide of well-clad waiters, and around
The mob stood, and as usual several score
Of those pedestrian Paphians who abound
Paphians - papians; pafio
abound - abundar, ser abundante
In decent London when the daylight 's o'er;
Commodious but immoral, they are found
commodious - confortable; espacioso, amplio
Useful, like Malthus, in promoting marriage.-
But Juan now is stepping from his carriage
Into one of the sweetest of hotels,
Especially for foreigners"and mostly
For those whom favour or whom fortune swells,
swells - se hincha; hinchar(se), inflar(se)
And cannot find a bill's small items costly.
There many an envoy either dwelt or dwells
envoy - enviado
(The den of many a diplomatic lost lie),
Until to some conspicuous square they pass,
conspicuous - conspicuo, llamativo, ilustre, notorio
And blazon o'er the door their names in brass.
blazon - blasón, blasonar
Juan, whose was a delicate commission,
Private, though publicly important, bore
publicly - públicamente
No title to point out with due precision
The exact affair on which he was sent o'er.
'Twas merely known, that on a secret mission
A foreigner of rank had graced our shore,
graced - graciada; gracias, benedícite, gracia, donaire, merced
Young, handsome, and accomplish'd, who was said
(In whispers) to have turn'd his sovereign's head.
Some rumour also of some strange adventures
Had gone before him, and his wars and loves;
And as romantic heads are pretty painters,
And, above all, an Englishwoman's roves
Englishwoman - inglesa
Into the excursive, breaking the indentures
excursive - Excursivo
indentures - contratos; contrato
Of sober reason wheresoe'er it moves,
He found himself extremely in the fashion,
Which serves our thinking people for a passion.
I don't mean that they are passionless, but quite
The contrary; but then 'tis in the head;
Yet as the consequences are as bright
As if they acted with the heart instead,
What after all can signify the site
signify - significar, senalar, checksuponer, checkrepresentar
Of ladies'lucubrations? So they lead
lucubrations - elucubraciones; lucubración
In safety to the place for which you start,
What matters if the road be head or heart?
Juan presented in the proper place,
To proper placemen, every Russ credential;
placemen - colocador
credential - credencial, credencial
And was received with all the due grimace
grimace - una mueca; mueca, hacer gestos, hacer muecas
By those who govern in the mood potential,
potential - potencial
Who, seeing a handsome stripling with smooth face,
Thought (what in state affairs is most essential)
That they as easily might do the youngster,
youngster - jovenzuelo
As hawks may pounce upon a woodland songster.
pounce - saltar sobre; precipitarse; abalanzarse sobre
woodland - forestal, del bosque, bosque, floresta, foresta
They err'd, as aged men will do; but by
And by we'll talk of that; and if we don't,
'Twill be because our notion is not high
Of politicians and their double front,
Who live by lies, yet dare not boldly lie:"
boldly - con valentía; audazmente, valientemente
Now what I love in women is, they won't
Or can't do otherwise than lie, but do it
otherwise - o no; de otro
So well, the very truth seems falsehood to it.
And, after all, what is a lie? 'Tis but
The truth in masquerade; and I defy
Historians, heroes, lawyers, priests, to put
A fact without some leaven of a lie.
Leaven - levadura, polvos de hornear, leudar
The very shadow of true Truth would shut
Up annals, revelations, poesy,
annals - anales; anal
revelations - revelaciones; revelación, develamiento
And prophecy"except it should be dated
prophecy - profecía
Some years before the incidents related.
Incidents - incidentes; incidente
Praised be all liars and all lies! Who now
Can tax my mild Muse with misanthropy?
She rings the world's 'Te Deum,'and her brow
Blushes for those who will not:"but to sigh
Is idle; let us like most others bow,
Kiss hands, feet, any part of majesty,
After the good example of 'Green Erin,'
Whose shamrock now seems rather worse for wearing.
Shamrock - trébol
Don Juan was presented, and his dress
And mien excited general admiration"
I don't know which was more admired or less:
One monstrous diamond drew much observation,
observation - observación, vigilancia; observancia, anotación, registro
Which Catherine in a moment of 'ivresse'
(In love or brandy's fervent fermentation)
fermentation - fermentación
Bestow'd upon him, as the public learn'd;
bestow - otorgar; guardar, estibar, depositar, alojar, acordar, conceder
And, to say truth, it had been fairly earn'd.
Besides the ministers and underlings,
underlings - Subalternos
Who must be courteous to the accredited
courteous - cordial, cortés
accredited - acreditado; acreditar
Diplomatists of rather wavering kings,
diplomatists - diplomático
Until their royal riddle 's fully read,
The very clerks,"those somewhat dirty springs
clerks - ficinistas; clérigo, oficinista, secretario, escribiente
Of office, or the house of office, fed
By foul corruption into streams,"even they
Were hardly rude enough to earn their pay:
And insolence no doubt is what they are
insolence - insolencia
Employ'd for, since it is their daily labour,
In the dear offices of peace or war;
And should you doubt, pray ask of your next neighbour,
When for a passport, or some other bar
To freedom, he applied (a grief and a bore),
If he found not his spawn of taxborn riches,
spawn - desove; huevas
But Juan was received with much 'empressement:'-
empressement - Emperatriz
These phrases of refinement I must borrow
From our next neighbours'land, where, like a chessman,
There is a move set down for joy or sorrow
Not only in mere talking, but the press. Man
In islands is, it seems, downright and thorough,
More than on continents"as if the sea
(See Billingsgate) made even the tongue more free.
And yet the British 'Damme''s rather Attic:
Your continental oaths are but incontinent,
Continental - continental
And turn on things which no aristocratic
Spirit would name, and therefore even I won't anent
anent - Ante
This subject quote; as it would be schismatic
In politesse, and have a sound affronting in 't:"
affronting - Afrentando; (affront); afrentar, ofender, afrontar, confrontar
But 'Damme''s quite ethereal, though too daring"
Platonic blasphemy, the soul of swearing.
For downright rudeness, ye may stay at home;
rudeness - grosería, ordinariez
For true or false politeness (and scarce that
politeness - educación, cortesía
Now) you may cross the blue deep and white foam"
The first the emblem (rarely though) of what
emblem - emblema
You leave behind, the next of much you come
To meet. However, 'tis no time to chat
On general topics: poems must confine
Themselves to unity, like this of mine.
In the great world,"which, being interpreted,
interpreted - interpretado; explicar, exponer, interpretar
Meaneth the west or worst end of a city,
And about twice two thousand people bred
By no means to be very wise or witty,
But to sit up while others lie in bed,
And look down on the universe with pity,"
Juan, as an inveterate patrician,
Was well received by persons of condition.
He was a bachelor, which is a matter
Of import both to virgin and to bride,
The former's hymeneal hopes to flatter;
hymeneal - himeneal; himeneo
And (should she not hold fast by love or pride)
'Tis also of some moment to the latter:
A rib 's a thorn in a wed gallant's side,
rib - costilla
Requires decorum, and is apt to double
decorum - decoro, pundonor
The horrid sin"and what 's still worse, the trouble.
But Juan was a bachelor"of arts,
And parts, and hearts: he danced and sung, and had
An air as sentimental as Mozart's
Softest of melodies; and could be sad
melodies - melodías; melodía
Or cheerful, without any 'flaws or starts,'
Just at the proper time; and though a lad,
Had seen the world"which is a curious sight,
And very much unlike what people write.
Fair virgins blush'd upon him; wedded dames
Bloom'd also in less transitory hues;
For both commodities dwell by the Thames,
commodities - materias primas; bien, artículo de consumo, materia prima
The painting and the painted; youth, ceruse,
ceruse - Cerusa
Against his heart preferr'd their usual claims,
Such as no gentleman can quite refuse:
Daughters admired his dress, and pious mothers
Inquired his income, and if he had brothers.
The milliners who furnish 'drapery Misses'
Throughout the season, upon speculation
Of payment ere the honey-moon's last kisses
Have waned into a crescent's coruscation,
waned - desapareció; pálido, macilento; débil
Thought such an opportunity as this is,
Of a rich foreigner's initiation,
initiation - inicio, iniciación
Not to be overlook'd"and gave such credit,
That future bridegrooms swore, and sigh'd, and paid it.
bridegrooms - novios; novio
The Blues, that tender tribe who sigh o'er sonnets,
And with the pages of the last Review
Line the interior of their heads or bonnets,
bonnets - capós; capucha, gorra, cofia, capota, capó
Advanced in all their azure's highest hue:
They talk'd bad French or Spanish, and upon its
Late authors ask'd him for a hint or two;
And which was softest, Russian or Castilian?
And whether in his travels he saw Ilion?
Juan, who was a little superficial,
superficial - superficial
And not in literature a great Drawcansir,
Examined by this learned and especial
Jury of matrons, scarce knew what to answer:
His duties warlike, loving or official,
His steady application as a dancer,
Had kept him from the brink of Hippocrene,
Which now he found was blue instead of green.
However, he replied at hazard, with
A modest confidence and calm assurance,
assurance - seguridad; certidumbre, confianza
Which lent his learned lucubrations pith,
And pass'd for arguments of good endurance.
endurance - resistencia, aguante
That prodigy, Miss Araminta Smith
(Who at sixteen translated 'Hercules Furens'
Into as furious English), with her best look,
Set down his sayings in her common-place book.
Juan knew several languages"as well
He might"and brought them up with skill, in time
To save his fame with each accomplish'd belle,
Who still regretted that he did not rhyme.
There wanted but this requisite to swell
requisite - requisito; necesario
His qualities (with them) into sublime:
Lady Fitz-Frisky, and Miss Maevia Mannish,
frisky - fresco; juguetón, enérgico, vivaz, entusiasta
Mannish - Hombre
Both long'd extremely to be sung in Spanish.
However, he did pretty well, and was
Admitted as an aspirant to all
aspirant - aspirante
The coteries, and, as in Banquo's glass,
At great assemblies or in parties small,
assemblies - sambleas; ensamblaje, ensamblaje, montaje, asamblea, ensamblador
He saw ten thousand living authors pass,
That being about their average numeral;
numeral - número, cifra, letra numeral
Also the eighty 'greatest living poets,'
As every paltry magazine can show its.
In twice five years the 'greatest living poet,'
Like to the champion in the fisty ring,
Is call'd on to support his claim, or show it,
Although 'tis an imaginary thing.
Even I"albeit I'm sure I did not know it,
Nor sought of foolscap subjects to be king"
Was reckon'd a considerable time,
considerable - considerable
The grand Napoleon of the realms of rhyme.
But Juan was my Moscow, and Faliero
My Leipsic, and my Mount Saint Jean seems Cain:
Cain - Caín
'La Belle Alliance'of dunces down at zero,
Now that the Lion 's fall'n, may rise again:
But I will fall at least as fell my hero;
Nor reign at all, or as a monarch reign;
Or to some lonely isle of gaolers go,
With turncoat Southey for my turnkey Lowe.
turnkey - llave en mano, llavero
Sir Walter reign'd before me; Moore and Campbell
Before and after; but now grown more holy,
The Muses upon Sion's hill must ramble
With poets almost clergymen, or wholly;
clergymen - lérigos; clérigo
And Pegasus hath a psalmodic amble
amble - pasear; deambular
Beneath the very Reverend Rowley Powley,
Who shoes the glorious animal with stilts,
stilts - zancos; zanco, pilote, cigüenuela, mancera, esteva
A modern Ancient Pistol"by the hilts?
hilts - cabos; empunadura, mango
Then there's my gentle Euphues, who, they say,
Sets up for being a sort of moral me;
He'll find it rather difficult some day
To turn out both, or either, it may be.
Some persons think that Coleridge hath the sway;
And Wordsworth has supporters, two or three;
supporters - apoyantes; soporte, tenante
And that deep-mouth'd Boeotian 'Savage Landor'
Boeotian - boeociano; beocio, tarado, simplón, beocio, tarado, simplón
Has taken for a swan rogue Southey's gander.
rogue - canalla, granuja, vago
gander - ganso, vistazo
John Keats, who was kill'd off by one critique,
critique - críticas; crítica
Just as he really promised something great,
If not intelligible, without Greek
intelligible - inteligible
Contrived to talk about the gods of late,
Much as they might have been supposed to speak.
Poor fellow! His was an untoward fate;
'Tis strange the mind, that very fiery particle,
particle - partícula
Should let itself be snuff'd out by an article.
The list grows long of live and dead pretenders
pretenders - pretendientes; impostor, mentiroso, embustero, hipócrita
To that which none will gain"or none will know
The conqueror at least; who, ere Time renders
renders - enders; dejar, volver
His last award, will have the long grass grow
Above his burnt-out brain, and sapless cinders.
burnt-out - (burnt-out) quemar(se)
cinders - cenizas; ceniza, escoria, incinerar
If I might augur, I should rate but low
Their chances; they're too numerous, like the thirty
Mock tyrants, when Rome's annals wax'd but dirty.
This is the literary lower empire,
Where the praetorian bands take up the matter;"
A 'dreadful trade,'like his who 'gathers samphire,'
samphire - salicornia
The insolent soldiery to soothe and flatter,
With the same feelings as you'd coax a vampire.
coax - coaxial; engatusar
vampire - vampiro
Now, were I once at home, and in good satire,
I'd try conclusions with those Janizaries,
And show them what an intellectual war is.
I think I know a trick or two, would turn
Their flanks;"but it is hardly worth my while
With such small gear to give myself concern:
gear - equipo, engranaje, pertrecho, aparejo
Indeed I've not the necessary bile;
My natural temper 's really aught but stern,
And even my Muse's worst reproof 's a smile;
reproof - reprobación, reprensión
And then she drops a brief and modern curtsy,
curtsy - una reverencia; reverencia
And glides away, assured she never hurts ye.
glides - deslizamientos; deslizar, planear
My Juan, whom I left in deadly peril
Amongst live poets and blue ladies, past
With some small profit through that field so sterile,
sterile - estéril
Being tired in time, and, neither least nor last,
Left it before he had been treated very ill;
And henceforth found himself more gaily class'd
gaily - con alegría
Amongst the higher spirits of the day,
The sun's true son, no vapour, but a ray.
His morns he pass'd in business"which, dissected,
morns - mananas; manana
dissected - diseccionado; disecar, diseccionar
Was like all business a laborious nothing
laborious - trabajoso; laborioso
That leads to lassitude, the most infected
lassitude - lasitud
And Centaur Nessus garb of mortal clothing,
And on our sofas makes us lie dejected,
dejected - desanimado
And talk in tender horrors of our loathing
All kinds of toil, save for our country's good"
Which grows no better, though 'tis time it should.
His afternoons he pass'd in visits, luncheons,
luncheons - lmuerzos; almuerzo
Lounging and boxing; and the twilight hour
lounging - Descansando; (lounge); relajarse, sala de estar, estancia
In riding round those vegetable puncheons
Call'd 'Parks,'where there is neither fruit nor flower
Enough to gratify a bee's slight munchings;
But after all it is the only 'bower'
(In Moore's phrase), where the fashionable fair
Can form a slight acquaintance with fresh air.
Then dress, then dinner, then awakes the world!
Then glare the lamps, then whirl the wheels, then roar
Through street and square fast flashing chariots hurl'd
chariots - carrozas; quadriga, biga, carro
Like harness'd meteors; then along the floor
meteors - meteoritos; meteoro
Chalk mimics painting; then festoons are twirl'd;
chalk - creta, tiza, gis
festoons - festones; guirnalda, festón, guirnalda luminosa
twirl - pirueta, girar
Then roll the brazen thunders of the door,
Which opens to the thousand happy few
An earthly paradise of 'Or Molu.'
There stands the noble hostess, nor shall sink
hostess - anfitriona, azafata, aeromoza
With the three-thousandth curtsy; there the waltz,
thousandth - milésimo, milésimo, milésima
waltz - vals, valsar, bailar vals
The only dance which teaches girls to think,
Makes one in love even with its very faults.
Saloon, room, hall, o'erflow beyond their brink,
And long the latest of arrivals halts,
halts - se detiene; parar, detener
'Midst royal dukes and dames condemn'd to climb,
And gain an inch of staircase at a time.
staircase - escalera
Thrice happy he who, after a survey
Of the good company, can win a corner,
A door that's in or boudoir out of the way,
Where he may fix himself like small 'Jack Horner,'
And let the Babel round run as it may,
And look on as a mourner, or a scorner,
Or an approver, or a mere spectator,
approver - aprobador
Yawning a little as the night grows later.
yawning - Bostezando; (yawn); bostezar, abrirse, bostezo
But This won't do, save by and by; and he
This won't do - Esto no servirá
Who, like Don Juan, takes an active share,
Must steer with care through all that glittering sea
Of gems and plumes and pearls and silks, to where
plumes - plumas; pluma
He deems it is his proper place to be;
Dissolving in the waltz to some soft air,
Or proudlier prancing with mercurial skill
proudlier - orgulloso; fieramente, orgullosamente
prancing - Presumiendo; (prance); encabritarse
mercurial - mercurial
Where Science marshals forth her own quadrille.
marshals - mariscales; mariscal, formar, recopilar, empaquetar
Quadrille - Cuadrilla
Or, if he dance not, but hath higher views
Upon an heiress or his neighbour's bride,
Let him take care that that which he pursues
pursues - ersigue; perseguir, apuntar a
Is not at once too palpably descried.
Full many an eager gentleman oft rues
Rues - ue
His haste: impatience is a blundering guide,
Impatience - impaciencia
blundering - trompicones; (blunder); error
Amongst a people famous for reflection,
Who like to play the fool with circumspection.
But, if you can contrive, get next at supper;
Or, if forestalled, get opposite and ogle:"
forestalled - prevenir
O, ye ambrosial moments! always upper
In mind, a sort of sentimental bogle,
Which sits for ever upon memory's crupper,
crupper - cupper; grupera, ataharre
The ghost of vanish'd pleasures once in vogue! Ill
vogue - de moda; boga
Can tender souls relate the rise and fall
Of hopes and fears which shake a single ball.
But these precautionary hints can touch
precautionary - precaución; preventivo, precautorio
Only the common run, who must pursue,
And watch, and ward; whose plans a word too much
Or little overturns; and not the few
overturns - vuelcos; volcar, derrocar, casar
Or many (for the number's sometimes such)
Whom a good mien, especially if new,
Or fame, or name, for wit, war, sense, or nonsense,
Permits whate'er they please, or did not long since.
permits - permisos; permitir
Our hero, as a hero, young and handsome,
Noble, rich, celebrated, and a stranger,
Like other slaves of course must pay his ransom,
Before he can escape from so much danger
As will environ a conspicuous man. Some
Talk about poetry, and 'rack and manger,'
manger - camarero; pesebre
And ugliness, disease, as toil and trouble;"
ugliness - feo; fealdad, feúra
I wish they knew the life of a young noble.
They are young, but know not youth"it is anticipated;
Handsome but wasted, rich without a sou;
Their vigour in a thousand arms is dissipated;
Their cash comes from, their wealth goes to a Jew;
Both senates see their nightly votes participated
Between the tyrant's and the tribunes'crew;
tribunes - tribunos; tribuna
And having voted, dined, drunk, gamed, and whored,
dined - cenamos; cenar
whored - puto; puta, prostituta, zorra, fulana
The family vault receives another lord.
family vault - bóveda familiar
'Where is the world?'cries Young, at eighty"'Where
The world in which a man was born? 'Alas!
Where is the world of eight years past? 'Twas there"
I look for it"'tis gone, a globe of glass!
globe - globo, globo terráqueo
Crack'd, shiver'd, vanish'd, scarcely gazed on, ere
A silent change dissolves the glittering mass.
dissolves - se disuelve; disolver
Statesmen, chiefs, orators, queens, patriots, kings,
statesmen - stadistas; estadista
orators - radores; orador, oradora
And dandies, all are gone on the wind's wings.
dandies - dandis; dandy, dandi, gomoso, petimetre
Where is Napoleon the Grand? God knows.
Where little Castlereagh? The devil can tell:
Where Grattan, Curran, Sheridan, all those
Who bound the bar or senate in their spell?
Senate - senado
Where is the unhappy Queen, with all her woes?
And where the Daughter, whom the Isles loved well?
Where are those martyr'd saints the Five per Cents?
And where"oh, where the devil are the rents?
Where's Brummel? Dish'd. Where's Long Pole Wellesley? Diddled.
Where's Whitbread? Romilly? Where's George the Third?
Where is his will? (That 's not so soon unriddled.)
And where is 'Fum'the Fourth, our 'royal bird?'
Gone down, it seems, to Scotland to be fiddled
Unto by Sawney's violin, we have heard:
violin - violín
'Caw me, caw thee'"for six months hath been hatching
caw - gaw; graznido, graznar
This scene of royal itch and loyal scratching.
itch - picazón
scratching - Rascarse; (scratch); rascar, raspar, aranar, rasgunar, rayar
Where is Lord This? And where my Lady That?
The Honourable Mistresses and Misses?
Some laid aside like an old Opera hat,
Married, unmarried, and remarried (this is
unmarried - soltero; (unmarry); soltero
remarried - volver a casarse
An evolution oft performed of late).
evolution - evolución
Where are the Dublin shouts"and London hisses?
Dublin - Dublín
Where are the Grenvilles? Turn'd as usual. Where
My friends the Whigs? Exactly where they were.
Where are the Lady Carolines and Franceses?
Divorced or doing thereanent. Ye annals
thereanent - hereanent
So brilliant, where the list of routs and dances is,"
routs - rutas; derrotar
Thou Morning Post, sole record of the panels
Broken in carriages, and all the phantasies
Of fashion,"say what streams now fill those channels?
Some die, some fly, some languish on the Continent,
languish - atrofiar, marchitar, decaer, languidecer, sufrir, desperecer
Because the times have hardly left them one tenant.
tenant - inquilino, arrendatario
Some who once set their caps at cautious dukes,
cautious - cauto, cauteloso, precavido, cuidadoso
Have taken up at length with younger brothers:
Some heiresses have bit at sharpers'hooks:
heiresses - herederas; heredera
sharpers - más nítida
hooks - ganchos; gancho, garfio, enganchar
Some maids have been made wives, some merely mothers;
Others have lost their fresh and fairy looks:
In short, the list of alterations bothers.
There's little strange in this, but something strange is
The unusual quickness of these common changes.
quickness - rapidez
Talk not of seventy years as age; in seven
I have seen more changes, down from monarchs to
The humblest individual under heaven,
humblest - más humilde; humilde
Than might suffice a moderate century through.
suffice - bastar, alcanzar
I knew that nought was lasting, but now even
Change grows too changeable, without being new:
Nought 's permanent among the human race,
Except the Whigs not getting into place.
I have seen Napoleon, who seem'd quite a Jupiter,
Jupiter - Júpiter
Shrink to a Saturn. I have seen a Duke
Saturn - Saturno
(No matter which) turn politician stupider,
If that can well be, than his wooden look.
But it is time that I should hoist my 'blue Peter,'
Hoist - izador; izar, aparejo
And sail for a new theme:"I have seen"and shook
To see it"the king hiss'd, and then caress'd;
But don't pretend to settle which was best.
I have seen the Landholders without a rap"
landholders - terrateniente
rap - golpe seco
I have seen Joanna Southcote"I have seen"
The House of Commons turn'd to a tax-trap"
I have seen that sad affair of the late Queen"
I have seen crowns worn instead of a fool's cap"
I have seen a Congress doing all that 's mean"
I have seen some nations like o'erloaded asses
asses - Culos; (ass) Culos
Kick off their burthens, meaning the high classes.
burthens - carga
I have seen small poets, and great prosers, and
Interminable"not eternal"speakers"
interminable - interminable
I have seen the funds at war with house and land"
funds - fondos; fondo, capital, financiar, sufragar, patrocinar
I have seen the country gentlemen turn squeakers"
squeakers - chirriadores; chillón, nino rata, nina rata
I have seen the people ridden o'er like sand
By slaves on horseback"I have seen malt liquors
horseback - a caballo
malt - malta, malteada
liquors - licores; jugo, licor
Exchanged for 'thin potations'by John Bull"
potations - potación
I have seen john half detect himself a fool.-
detect - detectar, sentir
But 'carpe diem,'Juan, 'carpe, carpe!'
To-morrow sees another race as gay
And transient, and devour'd by the same harpy.
harpy - arpía, harpía
'Life 's a poor player,'"then 'play out the play,
Ye villains!'above all keep a sharp eye
villains - villanos; villano
sharp eye - ojo de lince
Much less on what you do than what you say:
Be hypocritical, be cautious, be
Not what you seem, but always what you see.
But how shall I relate in other cantos
Of what befell our hero in the land,
Which 'tis the common cry and lie to vaunt as
A moral country? But I hold my hand"
For I disdain to write an Atalantis;
But 'tis as well at once to understand,
You are not a moral people, and you know it
Without the aid of too sincere a poet.
What Juan saw and underwent shall be
My topic, with of course the due restriction
Which is required by proper courtesy;
And recollect the work is only fiction,
And that I sing of neither mine nor me,
Though every scribe, in some slight turn of diction,
scribe - escriba, amanuense, escribano, escriba, punta de trazar
Will hint allusions never meant. Ne'er doubt
allusions - alusiones; alusión
This"when I speak, I don't hint, but speak out.
Whether he married with the third or fourth
Offspring of some sage husband-hunting countess,
Countess - condesa
Or whether with some virgin of more worth
(I mean in Fortune's matrimonial bounties)
bounties - compensas; dádiva, donación, recompensa
He took to regularly peopling Earth,
Of which your lawful awful wedlock fount is,"
Or whether he was taken in for damages,
For being too excursive in his homages,"
homages - homenajes; homenaje
Is yet within the unread events of time.
Thus far, go forth, thou lay, which I will back
Against the same given quantity of rhyme,
For being as much the subject of attack
As ever yet was any work sublime,
By those who love to say that white is black.
So much the better!"I may stand alone,
stand alone - se puede mantener solo
But would not change my free thoughts for a throne.
Of all the barbarous middle ages, that
Which is most barbarous is the middle age
Of man; it is"I really scarce know what;
But when we hover between fool and sage,
And don't know justly what we would be at"
justly - con justicia; justamente, con razón
A period something like a printed page,
printed page - página impresa
Black letter upon foolscap, while our hair
Grows grizzled, and we are not what we were;"
Too old for youth,"too young, at thirty-five,
To herd with boys, or hoard with good threescore,"
I wonder people should be left alive;
But since they are, that epoch is a bore:
Love lingers still, although 'twere late to wive;
wive - Esposa
And as for other love, the illusion 's o'er;
And money, that most pure imagination,
Gleams only through the dawn of its creation.
O Gold! Why call we misers miserable?
misers - miseres; tacano, rata, pesetero, tacano
miserable - miserable
Theirs is the pleasure that can never pall;
Theirs is the best bower anchor, the chain cable
chain cable - cadena de ancla
Which holds fast other pleasures great and small.
Ye who but see the saving man at table,
And scorn his temperate board, as none at all,
And wonder how the wealthy can be sparing,
wealthy - ricos; adinerado, rico, próspero, acomodado
sparing - escatimando; prescindir, pasar sin
Know not what visions spring from each cheese-paring.
spring from - surgir de
Love or lust makes man sick, and wine much sicker;
Ambition rends, and gaming gains a loss;
rends - endas; rasgar, destrozar, desgajar, romper
But making money, slowly first, then quicker,
And adding still a little through each cross
(Which will come over things), beats love or liquor,
The gamester's counter, or the statesman's dross.
gamester - Jugador
counter - Contador
O Gold! I still prefer thee unto paper,
Which makes bank credit like a bank of vapour.
Who hold the balance of the world? Who reign
O'er congress, whether royalist or liberal?
Royalist - realista
Who rouse the shirtless patriots of Spain?
(That make old Europe's journals squeak and gibber all.)
squeak - chirriar; chirrido, rechinar
gibber - farfullar, hablar atropelladamente
Who keep the world, both old and new, in pain
Or pleasure? Who make politics run glibber all?
glibber - glibber; de mucha labia, charlatán, desenvuelto
The shade of Buonaparte's noble daring?-
Jew Rothschild, and his fellow-Christian, Baring.
Those, and the truly liberal Lafitte,
Are the true lords of Europe. Every loan
Is not a merely speculative hit,
speculative - especulativo
But seats a nation or upsets a throne.
Republics also get involved a bit;
republics - repúblicas; república
Columbia's stock hath holders not unknown
On 'Change; and even thy silver soil, Peru,
Must get itself discounted by a Jew.
Why call the miser miserable? as
I said before: the frugal life is his,
frugal - frugal, ahorrativo, económico
Which in a saint or cynic ever was
cynic - cínico, cínica
The theme of praise: a hermit would not miss
Canonization for the self-same cause,
canonization - canonización
And wherefore blame gaunt wealth's austerities?
austerities - austeridades; austeridad
Because, you'll say, nought calls for such a trial;"
Then there's more merit in his self-denial.
He is your only poet;"passion, pure
And sparkling on from heap to heap, displays,
Possess'd, the ore, of which mere hopes allure
Nations athwart the deep: the golden rays
athwart - a través de; a través, de lado a lado
Flash up in ingots from the mine obscure;
ingots - lingotes; lingote
On him the diamond pours its brilliant blaze,
While the mild emerald's beam shades down the dies
shades - sombras; sombra, persiana, umbral, tono, matiz, sombrear
Of other stones, to soothe the miser's eyes.
The lands on either side are his; the ship
From Ceylon, Inde, or far Cathay, unloads
Ceylon - Ceilán
inde - Ide
Cathay - Catay
unloads - descargas; descargar
For him the fragrant produce of each trip;
Beneath his cars of Ceres groan the roads,
And the vine blushes like Aurora's lip;
His very cellars might be kings'abodes;
cellars - sótanos; sótano, bodega
abodes - oradas; Morada
While he, despising every sensual call,
Commands"the intellectual lord of all.
Perhaps he hath great projects in his mind,
To build a college, or to found a race,
A hospital, a church,"and leave behind
Some dome surmounted by his meagre face:
dome - cúpula, domo
meagre - escaso, pobre
Perhaps he fain would liberate mankind
liberate - liberar
Even with the very ore which makes them base;
Perhaps he would be wealthiest of his nation,
wealthiest - los más ricos; adinerado, rico, próspero, acomodado
Or revel in the joys of calculation.
But whether all, or each, or none of these
May be the hoarder's principle of action,
hoarder - acaparador; acumulador, acumulador compulsivo
The fool will call such mania a disease:"
mania - manía
What is his own? Go"look at each transaction,
transaction - transacción
Wars, revels, loves"do these bring men more ease
Than the mere plodding through each 'vulgar fraction'?
fraction - fracción, quebrado
Or do they benefit mankind? Lean miser!
Let spendthrifts'heirs enquire of yours"who 's wiser?
Spendthrifts - gastadores; pródigo, manirroto, gastador, gastadora, pródigo
How beauteous are rouleaus! how charming chests
rouleaus - Ruleau
Containing ingots, bags of dollars, coins
(Not of old victors, all whose heads and crests
victors - vencedores; Víctor
crests - crestas; cornisa, cresta, cimera
Weigh not the thin ore where their visage shines,
But) of fine unclipt gold, where dully rests
dully - Tranquilamente
Some likeness, which the glittering cirque confines,
confines - onfines; confinar, encorsetar, confín, raya
Of modern, reigning, sterling, stupid stamp:"
Yes! ready money is Aladdin's lamp.
Aladdin - Aladino
'Love rules the camp, the court, the grove,'"'for love
Is heaven, and heaven is love:'"so sings the bard;
Which it were rather difficult to prove
(A thing with poetry in general hard).
Perhaps there may be something in 'the grove,'
At least it rhymes to 'love;'but I'm prepared
To doubt (no less than landlords of their rental)
landlords - propietarios; arrendador, casero
If 'courts'and 'camps'be quite so sentimental.
But if Love don't, Cash does, and Cash alone:
Cash rules the grove, and fells it too besides;
fells - Cayó
Without cash, camps were thin, and courts were none;
Without cash, Malthus tells you"'take no brides.'
So Cash rules Love the ruler, on his own
ruler - regla, gobernante
High ground, as virgin Cynthia sways the tides:
Cynthia - Cintia
sways - se balancea; balanceo, influencia, influjo, preponderancia
And as for Heaven 'Heaven being Love,'why not say honey
Is wax? Heaven is not Love, 'tis Matrimony.
Is not all love prohibited whatever,
prohibited - prohibido; prohibir
Excepting marriage? which is love, no doubt,
After a sort; but somehow people never
With the same thought the two words have help'd out:
Love may exist with marriage, and should ever,
And marriage also may exist without;
But love sans bans is both a sin and shame,
And ought to go by quite another name.
Now if the 'court,'and 'camp,'and 'grove,'be not
Recruited all with constant married men,
recruited - reclutado; reemplazo, recluta, contratado, reclutar, reemplazar
Who never coveted their neighbour's lot,
I say that line 's a lapsus of the pen;"
Strange too in my 'buon camerado'Scott,
camerado - Cámara
So celebrated for his morals, when
My Jeffrey held him up as an example
To me;"of whom these morals are a sample.
Well, if I don't succeed, I have succeeded,
And that 's enough; succeeded in my youth,
The only time when much success is needed:
And my success produced what I, in sooth,
Cared most about; it need not now be pleaded"
Whate'er it was, 'twas mine; I've paid, in truth,
Of late the penalty of such success,
penalty - penalización; pena, castigo
But have not learn'd to wish it any less.
That suit in Chancery,"which some persons plead
In an appeal to the unborn, whom they,
In the faith of their procreative creed,
procreative - procreativo
Baptize posterity, or future clay,"
baptize - bautizar
To me seems but a dubious kind of reed
To lean on for support in any way;
Since odds are that posterity will know
No more of them, than they of her, I trow.
Why, I'm posterity"and so are you;
And whom do we remember? Not a hundred.
Were every memory written down all true,
The tenth or twentieth name would be but blunder'd;
Even Plutarch's Lives have but pick'd out a few,
Plutarch - Plutarco
And 'gainst those few your annalists have thunder'd;
And Mitford in the nineteenth century
nineteenth - decimonoveno, diecinueveavo
Gives, with Greek truth, the good old Greek the lie.
Good people all, of every degree,
Ye gentle readers and ungentle writers,
ungentle - desagradable
In this twelfth Canto 'tis my wish to be
As serious as if I had for inditers
inditers - Introductor
Malthus and Wilberforce:"the last set free
The Negroes and is worth a million fighters;
fighters - luchadores; guerrero, combatiente, luchador, guerrero, caza
While Wellington has but enslaved the Whites,
And Malthus does the thing 'gainst which he writes.
I'm serious"so are all men upon paper;
And why should I not form my speculation,
And hold up to the sun my little taper?
Mankind just now seem wrapt in mediation
mediation - mediación
On constitutions and steam-boats of vapour;
constitutions - constitución, constituciones
While sages write against all procreation,
Procreation - procreación
Unless a man can calculate his means
calculate - calcular
Of feeding brats the moment his wife weans.
brats - mocosos; mocoso, crío
weans - estetados; destetar
That 's noble! That 's romantic! For my part,
I think that 'Philo-genitiveness'is
genitiveness - Genitivo
(Now here's a word quite after my own heart,
Though there's a shorter a good deal than this,
If that politeness set it not apart;
But I'm resolved to say nought that 's amiss)"
I say, methinks that 'Philo-genitiveness'
Might meet from men a little more forgiveness.
forgiveness - perdón, misericordia
And now to business."O my gentle Juan,
Thou art in London"in that pleasant place,
Where every kind of mischief 's daily brewing,
brewing - cervando; elaboración de cerveza; (brew) cervando; elaboración de cerveza
Which can await warm youth in its wild race.
'Tis true, that thy career is not a new one;
Thou art no novice in the headlong chase
Of early life; but this is a new land,
Which foreigners can never understand.
What with a small diversity of climate,
diversity - diversidad
Of hot or cold, mercurial or sedate,
I could send forth my mandate like a primate
mandate - Mandato
primate - primado
Upon the rest of Europe's social state;
social state - el estado social
But thou art the most difficult to rhyme at,
Great Britain, which the Muse may penetrate.
penetrate - penetrar
All countries have their 'Lions,'but in the
There is but one superb menagerie.
menagerie - casa de fieras
But I am sick of politics. Begin,
'Paulo Majora.'Juan, undecided
undecided - indecisos; indeciso
Amongst the paths of being 'taken in,'
Above the ice had like a skater glided:
skater - patinador, patinadora
When tired of play, he flirted without sin
flirted - coqueteó; coqueto, coqueta, flirteo, coqueteo, flirtear
With some of those fair creatures who have prided
Themselves on innocent tantalisation,
tantalisation - tantalización
And hate all vice except its reputation.
But these are few, and in the end they make
Some devilish escapade or stir, which shows
devilish - endiablado; diabólico
That even the purest people may mistake
Their way through virtue's primrose paths of snows;
Primrose - primavera
And then men stare, as if a new ass spake
To Balaam, and from tongue to ear o'erflows
erflows - los flujos
Quicksilver small talk, ending (if you note it)
With the kind world's amen"'Who would have thought it?'
Amen - amén
The little Leila, with her orient eyes,
And taciturn Asiatic disposition
(Which saw all western things with small surprise,
To the surprise of people of condition,
Who think that novelties are butterflies
novelties - novedades; novedad
To be pursued as food for inanition),
Her charming figure and romantic history
Became a kind of fashionable mystery.
The women much divided"as is usual
Amongst the sex in little things or great.
Think not, fair creatures, that I mean to abuse you all"
I have always liked you better than I state:
liked you - gustar alguien
Since I've grown moral, still I must accuse you all
Of being apt to talk at a great rate;
And now there was a general sensation
Amongst you, about Leila's education.
In one point only were you settled"and
You had reason; 'twas that a young child of grace,
As beautiful as her own native land,
And far away, the last bud of her race,
bud - colega; brote
Howe'er our friend Don Juan might command
Himself for five, four, three, or two years'space,
Would be much better taught beneath the eye
Of peeresses whose follies had run dry.
follies - locuras; capricho
run dry - secarse
So first there was a generous emulation,
And then there was a general competition,
To undertake the orphan's education.
undertake - emprender, acometer
As Juan was a person of condition,
It had been an affront on this occasion
affront - afrentar, ofender, afrontar, confrontar, afrenta, afruenta
To talk of a subscription or petition;
petition - petición
But sixteen dowagers, ten unwed she sages,
dowagers - dowagers; viuda, dama
unwed - Soltera
Whose tale belongs to 'Hallam's Middle Ages,'
And one or two sad, separate wives, without
A fruit to bloom upon their withering bough"
Begg'd to bring up the little girl and 'out,'-
For that 's the phrase that settles all things now,
Meaning a virgin's first blush at a rout,
And all her points as thorough-bred to show:
And I assure you, that like virgin honey
Tastes their first season (mostly if they have money).
How all the needy honourable misters,
needy - necesitado, pobre, menesteroso
Each out-at-elbow peer, or desperate dandy,
The watchful mothers, and the careful sisters
(Who, by the by, when clever, are more handy
At making matches, where ''tis gold that glisters,'
Than their he relatives), like flies o'er candy
candy - caramelos; dulce, bombón
Buzz round 'the Fortune'with their busy battery,
buzz - zumbido, zurrido, suspiro, zumbar, abejorrear, zurrir, comentar
To turn her head with waltzing and with flattery!
Waltzing - Vals; (waltz); vals, valsar, bailar vals
Each aunt, each cousin, hath her speculation;
Nay, married dames will now and then discover
Such pure disinterestedness of passion,
I've known them court an heiress for their lover.
'Tantaene!'Such the virtues of high station,
Even in the hopeful Isle, whose outlet 's 'Dover!'
outlet - salida, desahogo, río que nace en un lago, minorista de marca
While the poor rich wretch, object of these cares,
Has cause to wish her sire had had male heirs.
Some are soon bagg'd, and some reject three dozen.
'Tis fine to see them scattering refusals
refusals - rechazos; negativa, rechazo
And wild dismay o'er every angry cousin
(Friends of the party), who begin accusals,
accusals - acusación
Such as"'Unless Miss (Blank) meant to have chosen
Poor Frederick, why did she accord perusals
perusals - erusales; escrutinio, lectura atenta, lectura cuidadosa
To his billets? Why waltz with him? Why, I pray,
billets - ochos; alojamiento, acuartelamiento
Look yes last night, and yet say no to-day?
'Why?"Why?"Besides, Fred really was attach'd;
'Twas not her fortune"he has enough without:
The time will come she'll wish that she had snatch'd
So good an opportunity, no doubt:"
But the old marchioness some plan had hatch'd,
Marchioness - marquesa
hatch - salir del cascarón; ventanilla
As I'll tell Aurea at to-morrow's rout:
And after all poor Frederick may do better"
Pray did you see her answer to his letter?'
Smart uniforms and sparkling coronets
Are spurn'd in turn, until her turn arrives,
After male loss of time, and hearts, and bets
bets - apuestas; apostar
Upon the sweepstakes for substantial wives;
sweepstakes - orteo; rifa, lotería
substantial - sustancial, is, enjundioso, substancial
And when at last the pretty creature gets
Some gentleman, who fights, or writes, or drives,
It soothes the awkward squad of the rejected
soothes - calmar, serenar, aliviar, aliviarse, descansar
To find how very badly she selected.
For sometimes they accept some long pursuer,
Worn out with importunity; or fall
(But here perhaps the instances are fewer)
instances - instancias; caso, ejemplo, ocasión, instancia
To the lot of him who scarce pursued at all.
A hazy widower turn'd of forty 's sure
widower - viudo
(If 'tis not vain examples to recall)
To draw a high prize: now, howe'er he got her, I
See nought more strange in this than t'other lottery.
more strange - más extrano
I, for my part (one 'modern instance'more,
'True, 'tis a pity"pity 'tis, 'tis true'),
Was chosen from out an amatory score,
Albeit my years were less discreet than few;
But though I also had reform'd before
Reform - reforma, reformar
Those became one who soon were to be two,
I'll not gainsay the generous public's voice,
That the young lady made a monstrous choice.
O, pardon my digression"or at least
Peruse! 'Tis always with a moral end
peruse - examinar, ojear, hojear, leer por encima, ver por encima
That I dissert, like grace before a feast:
dissert - Disertar
For like an aged aunt, or tiresome friend,
A rigid guardian, or a zealous priest,
zealous - celoso, ferviente
My Muse by exhortation means to mend
exhortation - exhortación
All people, at all times, and in most places,
Which puts my Pegasus to these grave paces.
But now I'm going to be immoral; now
I mean to show things really as they are,
Not as they ought to be: for I avow,
avow - confesar, admitir, reconocer
That till we see what 's what in fact, we're far
From much improvement with that virtuous plough
Which skims the surface, leaving scarce a scar
skims - desnatada; sobrevolar rozando, rebotar, hojear, leer por encima
scar - cicatriz
Upon the black loam long manured by Vice,
loam - marga; suelo franco
manured - con abono; cultivar, estercolar, abonar, estiércol, abono
Only to keep its corn at the old price.
But first of little Leila we'll dispose;
dispose - disponer; deshacerse
For like a day-dawn she was young and pure,
Or like the old comparison of snows,
Which are more pure than pleasant to be sure.
Like many people everybody knows,
Don Juan was delighted to secure
A goodly guardian for his infant charge,
Who might not profit much by being at large.
Besides, he had found out he was no tutor
(I wish that others would find out the same);
And rather wish'd in such things to stand neuter,
For silly wards will bring their guardians blame:
wards - pabellones; sala
guardians - guardianes; guardián, guardia, apoderado, tutor, custodio, jefe
So when he saw each ancient dame a suitor
To make his little wild Asiatic tame,
Consulting 'the Society for Vice
consulting - consultoría; consultar
Suppression,'Lady Pinchbeck was his choice.
pinchbeck - similor
Olden she was"but had been very young;
olden - Antiguo
Virtuous she was"and had been, I believe;
Although the world has such an evil tongue
That"but my chaster ear will not receive
An echo of a syllable that 's wrong:
In fact, there's nothing makes me so much grieve,
As that abominable tittle-tattle,
abominable - abominable, aborrecible
Tattle - charlotear, delatar, soplar
Which is the cud eschew'd by human cattle.
cud - bolo alimenticio; rumiar
eschew - evitar
Moreover I've remark'd (and I was once
A slight observer in a modest way),
observer - observador
And so may every one except a dunce,
That ladies in their youth a little gay,
Besides their knowledge of the world, and sense
Of the sad consequence of going astray,
astray - perdido, extraviado
Are wiser in their warnings 'gainst the woe
warnings - advertencias; advertencia, aviso, precaución, cuidado
Which the mere passionless can never know.
While the harsh prude indemnifies her virtue
indemnifies - Indemnizar
By railing at the unknown and envied passion,
railing - barandilla; (rail); barandilla
envied - envidiado; envidia, pelusa, envidiar
Seeking far less to save you than to hurt you,
seeking - buscando; buscar
Or, what 's still worse, to put you out of fashion,"
The kinder veteran with calm words will court you,
Entreating you to pause before you dash on;
Expounding and illustrating the riddle
expounding - exponiendo; exponer, explayar, disertar
illustrating - ilustrando; ilustrar
Of epic Love's beginning, end, and middle.
Now whether it be thus, or that they are stricter,
As better knowing why they should be so,
I think you'll find from many a family picture,
That daughters of such mothers as may know
The world by experience rather than by lecture,
Turn out much better for the Smithfield Show
Of vestals brought into the marriage mart,
vestals - vestales; vestal
Than those bred up by prudes without a heart.
prudes - priudes; mojigato, mojigata
I said that Lady Pinchbeck had been talk'd about"
As who has not, if female, young, and pretty?
But now no more the ghost of Scandal stalk'd about;
She merely was deem'd amiable and witty,
And several of her best bon-mots were hawk'd about:
Then she was given to charity and pity,
And pass'd (at least the latter years of life)
For being a most exemplary wife.
most exemplary - el más ejemplar
High in high circles, gentle in her own,
She was the mild reprover of the young,
Whenever"which means every day"they'd shown
An awkward inclination to go wrong.
The quantity of good she did 's unknown,
Or at the least would lengthen out my song:
In brief, the little orphan of the East
Had raised an interest in her, which increased.
Juan, too, was a sort of favourite with her,
Because she thought him a good heart at bottom,
A little spoil'd, but not so altogether;
Which was a wonder, if you think who got him,
And how he had been toss'd, he scarce knew whither:
whither - ?adónde?
Though this might ruin others, it did not him,
At least entirely"for he had seen too many
Changes in youth, to be surprised at any.
And these vicissitudes tell best in youth;
For when they happen at a riper age,
riper - Más maduro; (rip) Más maduro
People are apt to blame the Fates, forsooth,
And wonder Providence is not more sage.
Adversity is the first path to truth:
He who hath proved war, storm, or woman's rage,
Whether his winters be eighteen or eighty,
Hath won the experience which is deem'd so weighty.
weighty - pesado, de peso, importante
How far it profits is another matter.-
Our hero gladly saw his little charge
Safe with a lady, whose last grown-up daughter
Being long married, and thus set at large,
Had left all the accomplishments she taught her
To be transmitted, like the Lord mayor's barge,
Lord mayor - Senor alcalde
To the next comer; or"as it will tell
More Muse-like"like to Cytherea's shell.
Cytherea - Citerea
I call such things transmission; for there is
transmission - caja de cambios, transmisión, transmisión
A floating balance of accomplishment
accomplishment - logro, éxito
Which forms a pedigree from Miss to Miss,
According as their minds or backs are bent.
Some waltz; some draw; some fathom the abyss
fathom - entender; braza
Of metaphysics; others are content
With music; the most moderate shine as wits;
most moderate - el más moderado
While others have a genius turn'd for fits.
But whether fits, or wits, or harpsichords,
harpsichords - clavicordios; clavicordio; clavicémbalo
Theology, fine arts, or finer stays,
May be the baits for gentlemen or lords
With regular descent, in these our days,
descent - descendencia; descenso, bajada, ascendencia, origen, abolengo
The last year to the new transfers its hoards;
transfers - transferencias; transferir, trasladar, calcar, imprimir
hoards - acaparamientos; provisión
New vestals claim men's eyes with the same praise
Of 'elegant'et caetera, in fresh batches"
batches - otes; hornada; lote
All matchless creatures, and yet bent on matches.
matchless - incomparable
But now I will begin my poem. 'Tis
Perhaps a little strange, if not quite new,
That from the first of Cantos up to this
I've not begun what we have to go through.
These first twelve books are merely flourishes,
flourishes - florecer, prosperar, ademanes, floritura, floreo, ornamento
Preludios, trying just a string or two
Upon my lyre, or making the pegs sure;
pegs - pinzas; clavija, tarugo, colgador, perchero, gancho, fijar
And when so, you shall have the overture.
overture - obertura
My Muses do not care a pinch of rosin
About what 's call'd success, or not succeeding:
Such thoughts are quite below the strain they have chosen;
'Tis a 'great moral lesson'they are reading.
I thought, at setting off, about two dozen
Cantos would do; but at Apollo's pleading,
If that my Pegasus should not be founder'd,
I think to canter gently through a hundred.
Don Juan saw that microcosm on stilts,
microcosm - microcosmos; microcosmo
Yclept the Great World; for it is the least,
Although the highest: but as swords have hilts
By which their power of mischief is increased,
When man in battle or in quarrel tilts,
tilts - se inclina; inclinar, ladear
Thus the low world, north, south, or west, or east,
Must still obey the high"which is their handle,
Their moon, their sun, their gas, their farthing candle.
He had many friends who had many wives, and was
Well look'd upon by both, to that extent
Of friendship which you may accept or pass,
It does nor good nor harm being merely meant
To keep the wheels going of the higher class,
And draw them nightly when a ticket 's sent:
And what with masquerades, and fetes, and balls,
masquerades - mascaradas; mascarada
For the first season such a life scarce palls.
palls - palls; pano mortuorio; cortina, manto
A young unmarried man, with a good name
And fortune, has an awkward part to play;
For good society is but a game,
'The royal game of Goose,'as I may say,
goose - ganso
Where every body has some separate aim,
An end to answer, or a plan to lay"
The single ladies wishing to be double,
The married ones to save the virgins trouble.
I don't mean this as general, but particular
Examples may be found of such pursuits:
pursuits - persecuciones; persecución
Though several also keep their perpendicular
perpendicular - perpendicular
Like poplars, with good principles for roots;
poplars - álamos; álamo, chopo
principles - principios; principio
Yet many have a method more reticular"
'Fishers for men,'like sirens with soft lutes:
sirens - sirenas; sirena
lutes - Laúd
For talk six times with the same single lady,
And you may get the wedding dresses ready.
Perhaps you'll have a letter from the mother,
To say her daughter's feelings are trepann'd;
Perhaps you'll have a visit from the brother,
All strut, and stays, and whiskers, to demand
strut - puntales; pavonearse
demand - demanda, exigencia, exigir, demandar
What 'your intentions are?'"One way or other
It seems the virgin's heart expects your hand:
And between pity for her case and yours,
You'll add to Matrimony's list of cures.
cures - curas; curar, remediar
I've known a dozen weddings made even thus,
And some of them high names: I have also known
Young men who"though they hated to discuss
Pretensions which they never dream'd to have shown"
Yet neither frighten'd by a female fuss,
fuss - alboroto; fandango, jaleo, escándalo
Nor by mustachios moved, were let alone,
mustachios - Mostacho
And lived, as did the broken-hearted fair,
In happier plight than if they form'd a pair.
There's also nightly, to the uninitiated,
A peril"not indeed like love or marriage,
But not the less for this to be depreciated:
It is"I meant and mean not to disparage
The show of virtue even in the vitiated"
It adds an outward grace unto their carriage"
But to denounce the amphibious sort of harlot,
amphibious - anfibio
'Couleur de rose,'who 's neither white nor scarlet.
Such is your cold coquette, who can't say 'No,'
And won't say 'Yes,'and keeps you on and off-ing
On a lee-shore, till it begins to blow"
Then sees your heart wreck'd, with an inward scoffing.
Scoffing - Se burla; (scoff) Se burla
This works a world of sentimental woe,
And sends new Werters yearly to their coffin;
But yet is merely innocent flirtation,
Not quite adultery, but adulteration.
adulteration - adulteración
'Ye gods, I grow a talker!'Let us prate.
talker - Hablador
The next of perils, though I place it sternest,
sternest - más severo; severo, austero, serio
Is when, without regard to 'church or state,'
A wife makes or takes love in upright earnest.
Abroad, such things decide few women's fate"
(Such, early traveller! is the truth thou learnest)"
learnest - Aprender
But in old England, when a young bride errs,
errs - errores; errar, equivocarse
Poor thing! Eve's was a trifling case to hers.
For 'tis a low, newspaper, humdrum, lawsuit
humdrum - aburrido, tedioso, soso
lawsuit - demanda; proceso judicial, proceso, pleito, litigio
Country, where a young couple of the same ages
Can't form a friendship, but the world o'erawes it.
Then there's the vulgar trick of those d"d damages!!
A verdict"grievous foe to those who cause it!-
Forms a sad climax to romantic homages;
Besides those soothing speeches of the pleaders,
soothing - calmante; tranquilizador, tranquilizante; (sooth); verdad
pleaders - Suplicante
And evidences which regale all readers.
regale - regalar
But they who blunder thus are raw beginners;
beginners - principiantes; principiante, novato, novillo, bisono
A little genial sprinkling of hypocrisy
sprinkling - Rociando; (sprinkle); salpicar, rociar, asperjar, espolvorear
Has saved the fame of thousand splendid sinners,
sinners - ecadores; pecador, pecadora
The loveliest oligarchs of our gynocracy;
oligarchs - oligarcas; oligarca
gynocracy - ginocracia
You may see such at all the balls and dinners,
Among the proudest of our aristocracy,
So gentle, charming, charitable, chaste"
charitable - caritativo, benéfico
And all by having tact as well as taste.
Juan, who did not stand in the predicament
predicament - problemas; predicamento, aprieto, apuro
Of a mere novice, had one safeguard more;
safeguard - salvaguardia, salvaguardar, resguardar
For he was sick"no, 'twas not the word sick I meant"
But he had seen so much love before,
That he was not in heart so very weak;"I meant
But thus much, and no sneer against the shore
Of white cliffs, white necks, blue eyes, bluer stockings,
Tithes, taxes, duns, and doors with double knockings.
knockings - Golpeando
But coming young from lands and scenes romantic,
Where lives, not lawsuits, must be risk'd for Passion,
lawsuits - demandas; proceso judicial, proceso, pleito, litigio
And Passion's self must have a spice of frantic,
Into a country where 'tis half a fashion,
Seem'd to him half commercial, half pedantic,
pedantic - pedante, pretencioso, cursi, checkmaniático, checkpedante
Howe'er he might esteem this moral nation:
Besides (alas! his taste"forgive and pity!)
At first he did not think the women pretty.
I say at first"for he found out at last,
But by degrees, that they were fairer far
Than the more glowing dames whose lot is cast
Beneath the influence of the eastern star.
A further proof we should not judge in haste;
Yet inexperience could not be his bar
inexperience - inexperiencia, bisonez
To taste:"the truth is, if men would confess,
That novelties please less than they impress.
impress - impresionar, impresión, impresión
Though travell'd, I have never had the luck to
Trace up those shuffling negroes, Nile or Niger,
Niger - Níger
To that impracticable place, Timbuctoo,
Where Geography finds no one to oblige her
oblige - obligar
With such a chart as may be safely stuck to"
For Europe ploughs in Afric like 'bos piger:'
piger - Pigre
But if I had been at Timbuctoo, there
No doubt I should be told that black is fair.
It is. I will not swear that black is white;
But I suspect in fact that white is black,
And the whole matter rests upon eyesight.
rests upon - apoyarse en; depender de; basarse en
eyesight - visión, vista
Ask a blind man, the best judge. You'll attack
Perhaps this new position"but I'm right;
I'm right - Estoy en lo cierto
Or if I'm wrong, I'll not be ta'en aback:"
aback - atrapado; desconcertado
He hath no morn nor night, but all is dark
Within; and what seest thou? A dubious spark.
But I'm relapsing into metaphysics,
relapsing - reincidir, recaer, recaída, recidiva, reincidencia
That labyrinth, whose clue is of the same
Construction as your cures for hectic phthisics,
cures - curas; chucho, quiltro
phthisics - ftísicos; tísico
Those bright moths fluttering round a dying flame;
moths - polillas; mariposa nocturna
And this reflection brings me to plain physics,
And to the beauties of a foreign dame,
Compared with those of our pure pearls of price,
Those polar summers, all sun, and some ice.
Or say they are like virtuous mermaids, whose
mermaids - sirenas; sirena
Beginnings are fair faces, ends mere fishes;"
beginnings - Comienzo
Not that there's not a quantity of those
Who have a due respect for their own wishes.
Like Russians rushing from hot baths to snows
Are they, at bottom virtuous even when vicious:
They warm into a scrape, but keep of course,
As a reserve, a plunge into remorse.
reserve - reserva, reservar
But this has nought to do with their outsides.
I said that Juan did not think them pretty
At the first blush; for a fair Briton hides
Half her attractions"probably from pity"
And rather calmly into the heart glides,
Than storms it as a foe would take a city;
But once there (if you doubt this, prithee try)
She keeps it for you like a true ally.
ally - aliado; aliarse (con)
She cannot step as does an Arab barb,
Or Andalusian girl from mass returning,
Andalusian - andaluz, andalusí, andaluz, andaluza, andalusí, caballo andaluz
Nor wear as gracefully as Gauls her garb,
gracefully - con elegancia; agraciadamente
Gauls - galos; Galia, galo, gala
Nor in her eye Ausonia's glance is burning;
Her voice, though sweet, is not so fit to warb"
le those bravuras (which I still am learning
To like, though I have been seven years in Italy,
And have, or had, an ear that served me prettily);"
prettily - bonito; bellamente, hermosamente, lindamente
She cannot do these things, nor one or two
Others, in that off-hand and dashing style
Which takes so much"to give the devil his due;
Nor is she quite so ready with her smile,
Nor settles all things in one interview
(A thing approved as saving time and toil);"
approved - aprobado; aprobar; tener un buen concepto de
But though the soil may give you time and trouble,
Well cultivated, it will render double.
cultivated - ultivado; cultivar
And if in fact she takes to a 'grande passion,'
It is a very serious thing indeed:
Nine times in ten 'tis but caprice or fashion,
Coquetry, or a wish to take the lead,
coquetry - coquetería
The pride of a mere child with a new sash on,
sash - faja; fajín (militar)
Or wish to make a rival's bosom bleed:
rival - rival
But the tenth instance will be a tornado,
tornado - un tornado; tornado
For there's no saying what they will or may do.
The reason 's obvious; if there's an eclat,
They lose their caste at once, as do the Parias;
caste - casta
And when the delicacies of the law
delicacies - delicias; fineza, delicadeza, fragilidad, exquisitez, golosina
Have fill'd their papers with their comments various,
Society, that china without flaw
(The hypocrite!), will banish them like Marius,
To sit amidst the ruins of their guilt:
For Fame 's a Carthage not so soon rebuilt.
rebuilt - reconstruido; reconstruir
Perhaps this is as it should be;"it is
A comment on the Gospel's 'Sin no more,
gospel - evangelio
And be thy sins forgiven:'"but upon this
I leave the saints to settle their own score.
Abroad, though doubtless they do much amiss,
An erring woman finds an opener door
erring - errando; (err) errando
For her return to Virtue"as they cal
That lady, who should be at home to all.
For me, I leave the matter where I find it,
Knowing that such uneasy virtue leads
uneasy - inquieta; inquieto
People some ten times less in fact to mind it,
And care but for discoveries and not deeds.
And as for chastity, you'll never bind it
By all the laws the strictest lawyer pleads,
strictest - el más estricto; estricto
pleads - suplica; rogar
But aggravate the crime you have not prevented,
aggravate - agravar, empeorar, irritar, exasperar, sublevar
By rendering desperate those who had else repented.
But Juan was no casuist, nor had ponder'd
casuist - casuista
Upon the moral lessons of mankind:
Besides, he had not seen of several hundred
A lady altogether to his mind.
A little 'blase'"'tis not to be wonder'd
At, that his heart had got a tougher rind:
tougher - más duro; resistente, severo, de mano dura, ni modo
And though not vainer from his past success,
vainer - vanidoso, vano, vacuo
No doubt his sensibilities were less.
sensibilities - sensibilidad
He also had been busy seeing sights"
The Parliament and all the other houses;
Parliament - parlamento
Had sat beneath the gallery at nights,
To hear debates whose thunder roused (not rouses)
debates - debates; debate, debatir
roused - despertado; despertar
rouses - ouses; despertar
The world to gaze upon those northern lights
northern lights - aurora boreal
Which flash'd as far as where the musk-bull browses;
musk - almizcle
browses - cejas
He had also stood at times behind the throne"
But Grey was not arrived, and Chatham gone.
He saw, however, at the closing session,
That noble sight, when really free the nation,
A king in constitutional possession
constitutional - constitucional
Of such a throne as is the proudest station,
Though despots know it not"till the progression
despots - déspotas; déspota
progression - progresión
Of freedom shall complete their education.
'Tis not mere splendour makes the show august
To eye or heart"it is the people's trust.
There, too, he saw (whate'er he may be now)
A Prince, the prince of princes at the time,
With fascination in his very bow,
fascination - fascinación
And full of promise, as the spring of prime.
Though royalty was written on his brow,
He had then the grace, too, rare in every clime,
Of being, without alloy of fop or beau,
alloy - aleación
fop - petimetre, pisaverde, gomoso, dandi
A finish'd gentleman from top to toe.
And Juan was received, as hath been said,
Into the best society: and there
Occurr'd what often happens, I'm afraid,
However disciplined and debonnaire:"
disciplined - disciplinado; disciplina, castigo, ramo, disciplinar
The talent and good humour he display'd,
humour - humor, seguir la corriente
Besides the mark'd distinction of his air,
Exposed him, as was natural, to temptation,
Even though himself avoided the occasion.
But what, and where, with whom, and when, and why,
Is not to be put hastily together;
hastily - apresuradamente; de prisa, atropelladamente
And as my object is morality
(Whatever people say), I don't know whether
I'll leave a single reader's eyelid dry,
eyelid - párpado
But harrow up his feelings till they wither,
And hew out a huge monument of pathos,
As Philip's son proposed to do with Athos.
Here the twelfth Canto of our introduction
Ends. When the body of the book 's begun,
You'll find it of a different construction
From what some people say 'twill be when done:
The plan at present 's simply in concoction,
I can't oblige you, reader, to read on;
That 's your affair, not mine: a real spirit
Should neither court neglect, nor dread to bear it.
And if my thunderbolt not always rattles,
thunderbolt - rayo, panish: t-needed
Remember, reader! you have had before
The worst of tempests and the best of battles
That e'er were brew'd from elements or gore,
brew - cerveza; elaborar bebidas fermentadas
Besides the most sublime of"Heaven knows what else:
An usurer could scarce expect much more"
usurer - usurero, usurera
But my best canto, save one on astronomy,
astronomy - astronomía
Will turn upon 'political economy.'
That is your present theme for popularity:
popularity - popularidad
Now that the public hedge hath scarce a stake,
hedge - cobertura; seto
It grows an act of patriotic charity,
patriotic - patriótico, patriota
To show the people the best way to break.
My plan (but I, if but for singularity,
Singularity - singularidad
Reserve it) will be very sure to take.
Meantime, read all the national debt-sinkers,
And tell me what you think of your great thinkers.
I now mean to be serious;"it is time,
Since laughter now-a-days is deem'd too serious.
A jest at Vice by Virtue 's call'd a crime,
And critically held as deleterious:
critically - críticamente
Besides, the sad 's a source of the sublime,
Although when long a little apt to weary us;
And therefore shall my lay soar high and solemn,
As an old temple dwindled to a column.
Temple - templo
dwindled - disminuido; disminuir, agotarse, desaparecer, menguar
The Lady Adeline Amundeville
('Tis an old Norman name, and to be found
Norman - normando, normanda
In pedigrees, by those who wander still
pedigrees - pedigríes; pedigrí
Along the last fields of that Gothic ground)
Was high-born, wealthy by her father's will,
And beauteous, even where beauties most abound,
In Britain"which of course true patriots find
The goodliest soil of body and of mind.
goodliest - Bueno
I'll not gainsay them; it is not my cue;
I'll leave them to their taste, no doubt the best:
An eye 's an eye, and whether black or blue,
Is no great matter, so 'tis in request,
'Tis nonsense to dispute about a hue"
The kindest may be taken as a test.
The fair sex should be always fair; and no man,
Till thirty, should perceive there's a plain woman.
And after that serene and somewhat dull
Epoch, that awkward corner turn'd for days
more quiet, when our moon 's no more at full,
more quiet - más tranquilo
We may presume to criticise or praise;
criticise - Criticar
Because indifference begins to lull
indifference - indiferencia
Our passions, and we walk in wisdom's ways;
Also because the figure and the face
Hint, that 'tis time to give the younger place.
I know that some would fain postpone this era,
postpone - posponer; aplazar, postergar, atrasar, perecear
Reluctant as all placemen to resign
Their post; but theirs is merely a chimera,
For they have pass'd life's equinoctial line:
But then they have their claret and Madeira
To irrigate the dryness of decline;
irrigate - egar; irrigar
dryness - sequedad, aridez, enjutez, resequedad
decline - declive, retroceso, decadencia
And county meetings, and the parliament,
meetings - reunión
And debt, and what not, for their solace sent.
And is there not religion, and reform,
Peace, war, the taxes, and what 's call'd the 'Nation'?
The struggle to be pilots in a storm?
The landed and the monied speculation?
monied - monetaria
The joys of mutual hate to keep them warm,
Instead of love, that mere hallucination?
Now hatred is by far the longest pleasure;
Men love in haste, but they detest at leisure.
Rough Johnson, the great moralist, profess'd,
profess - profesar
Right honestly, 'he liked an honest hater!'-
honestly - honestamente, francamente
The only truth that yet has been confest
Within these latest thousand years or later.
Perhaps the fine old fellow spoke in jest:"
For my part, I am but a mere spectator,
And gaze where'er the palace or the hovel is,
Much in the mode of Goethe's Mephistopheles;
But neither love nor hate in much excess;
Though 'twas not once so. If I sneer sometimes,
It is because I cannot well do less,
And now and then it also suits my rhymes.
I should be very willing to redress
redress - desagravio; compensar
Men's wrongs, and rather check than punish crimes,
Had not Cervantes, in that too true tale
Of Quixote, shown how all such efforts fail.
Quixote - Quijote
Of all tales 'tis the saddest"and more sad,
Because it makes us smile: his hero 's right,
And still pursues the right;"to curb the bad
His only object, and 'gainst odds to fight
His guerdon: 'tis his virtue makes him mad!
guerdon - galardón
But his adventures form a sorry sight;
A sorrier still is the great moral taught
By that real epic unto all who have thought.
Redressing injury, revenging wrong,
redressing - reparación; compensar
revenging - Venganza; (revenge); venganza
To aid the damsel and destroy the caitiff;
Opposing singly the united strong,
opposing - Oposición
From foreign yoke to free the helpless native:"
Alas! must noblest views, like an old song,
Be for mere fancy's sport a theme creative,
A jest, a riddle, Fame through thin and thick sought!
And Socrates himself but Wisdom's Quixote?
Cervantes smiled Spain's chivalry away;
A single laugh demolish'd the right arm
demolish - demoler
Of his own country;"seldom since that day
Has Spain had heroes. While Romance could charm,
The world gave ground before her bright array;
And therefore have his volumes done such harm,
That all their glory, as a composition,
Was dearly purchased by his land's perdition.
perdition - perdición, infierno
I'm 'at my old lunes'"digression, and forget
The Lady Adeline Amundeville;
The fair most fatal Juan ever met,
most fatal - más fatal
Although she was not evil nor meant ill;
But Destiny and Passion spread the net
(Fate is a good excuse for our own will),
And caught them;"what do they not catch, methinks?
But I'm not OEdipus, and life 's a Sphinx.
Oedipus - Edipo
I tell the tale as it is told, nor dare
To venture a solution: 'Davus sum!'
And now I will proceed upon the pair.
Sweet Adeline, amidst the gay world's hum,
Was the Queen-Bee, the glass of all that 's fair;
queen-bee - (queen-bee) Abeja reina
Whose charms made all men speak, and women dumb.
The last 's a miracle, and such was reckon'd,
And since that time there has not been a second.
Chaste was she, to detraction's desperation,
detraction - detracción
desperation - desesperación
And wedded unto one she had loved well"
A man known in the councils of the nation,
Cool, and quite English, imperturbable,
imperturbable - imperturbable
Though apt to act with fire upon occasion,
Proud of himself and her: the world could tell
Nought against either, and both seem'd secure"
She in her virtue, he in his hauteur.
It chanced some diplomatical relations,
diplomatical - diplomático
Arising out of business, often brought
arising - ue surge; (arise); surgir, levantarse, provenir, aparecer
Himself and Juan in their mutual stations
Into close contact. Though reserved, nor caught
By specious seeming, Juan's youth, and patience,
specious - Especioso
And talent, on his haughty spirit wrought,
And form'd a basis of esteem, which ends
In making men what courtesy calls friends.
And thus Lord Henry, who was cautious as
Reserve and pride could make him, and full slow
In judging men"when once his judgment was
Determined, right or wrong, on friend or foe,
Had all the pertinacity pride has,
Which knows no ebb to its imperious flow,
And loves or hates, disdaining to be guided,
disdaining - desdén, desprecio, desdeno, desdenar, despreciar
Because its own good pleasure hath decided.
His friendships, therefore, and no less aversions,
aversions - aversiones; aversión
Though oft well founded, which confirm'd but more
His prepossessions, like the laws of Persians
prepossessions - Preposesión
And Medes, would ne'er revoke what went before.
His feelings had not those strange fits, like tertians,
tertians - terciano
Of common likings, which make some deplore
likings - Te gusta
What they should laugh at"the mere ague still
Of men's regard, the fever or the chill.
''Tis not in mortals to command success:
But do you more, Sempronius"don't deserve it,'
And take my word, you won't have any less.
Be wary, watch the time, and always serve it;
Give gently way, when there's too great a press;
And for your conscience, only learn to nerve it,
For, like a racer, or a boxer training,
'Twill make, if proved, vast efforts without paining.
Lord Henry also liked to be superior,
As most men do, the little or the great;
The very lowest find out an inferior,
At least they think so, to exert their state
exert - esforzar, ejercer, aplicar
Upon: for there are very few things wearier
wearier - más cansado; cansado, cansino, cansar
Than solitary Pride's oppressive weight,
Which mortals generously would divide,
generously - generosamente
By bidding others carry while they ride.
In birth, in rank, in fortune likewise equal,
O'er Juan he could no distinction claim;
In years he had the advantage of time's sequel;
And, as he thought, in country much the same"
Because bold Britons have a tongue and free quill,
At which all modern nations vainly aim;
And the Lord Henry was a great debater,
So that few members kept the house up later.
These were advantages: and then he thought"
It was his foible, but by no means sinister"
sinister - siniestro, izquierdo
That few or none more than himself had caught
Court mysteries, having been himself a minister:
He liked to teach that which he had been taught,
And greatly shone whenever there had been a stir;
And reconciled all qualities which grace man,
Always a patriot, and sometimes a placeman.
placeman - colocador
He liked the gentle Spaniard for his gravity;
Spaniard - espanol; espanol, espanola
gravity - gravedad
He almost honour'd him for his docility;
docility - docilidad
Because, though young, he acquiesced with suavity,
acquiesced - aceptó; consentir
Or contradicted but with proud humility.
contradicted - ontradicho; contradecir, contrariar
humility - humildad
He knew the world, and would not see depravity
depravity - depravación
In faults which sometimes show the soil's fertility,
fertility - fecundidad; fertilidad
If that the weeds o'erlive not the first crop"
For then they are very difficult to stop.
And then he talk'd with him about Madrid,
Constantinople, and such distant places;
Where people always did as they were bid,
Or did what they should not with foreign graces.
Of coursers also spake they: Henry rid
coursers - coursers; corredor
Well, like most Englishmen, and loved the races;
And Juan, like a true-born Andalusian,
Could back a horse, as despots ride a Russian.
And thus acquaintance grew, at noble routs,
And diplomatic dinners, or at other"
For Juan stood well both with Ins and Outs,
As in freemasonry a higher brother.
Upon his talent Henry had no doubts;
His manner show'd him sprung from a high mother;
And all men like to show their hospitality
To him whose breeding matches with his quality.
At Blank-Blank Square;"for we will break no squares
By naming streets: since men are so censorious,
And apt to sow an author's wheat with tares,
wheat - trigo
tares - la cizana; alquitrán, brea, chapapote
Reaping allusions private and inglorious,
inglorious - Inglorioso
Where none were dreamt of, unto love's affairs,
Which were, or are, or are to be notorious,
notorious - no es notorio; de mala fama, notorio, afamado
That therefore do I previously declare,
Lord Henry's mansion was in Blank-Blank Square.
Also there bin another pious reason
For making squares and streets anonymous;
anonymous - anónimo
Which is, that there is scarce a single season
Which doth not shake some very splendid house
With some slight heart-quake of domestic treason"
A topic scandal doth delight to rouse:
Such I might stumble over unawares,
stumble - tropezón, traspié, desliz, torpeza, tropiezo, tropezar
Unless I knew the very chastest squares.
'Tis true, I might have chosen Piccadilly,
A place where peccadillos are unknown;
peccadillos - Pecadillos
But I have motives, whether wise or silly,
motives - motivos; motivo, móbil
For letting that pure sanctuary alone.
sanctuary - santuario; sanctuario
Therefore I name not square, street, place, until I
Find one where nothing naughty can be shown,
A vestal shrine of innocence of heart:
Such are"but I have lost the London Chart.
At Henry's mansion then, in Blank-Blank Square,
Was Juan a recherche, welcome guest,
recherche - echerche
As many other noble scions were;
scions - vástagos; descendiente, heredero, vástago, púa, hijuelo
And some who had but talent for their crest;
Or wealth, which is a passport every where;
Or even mere fashion, which indeed 's the best
Recommendation; and to be well drest
Will very often supersede the rest.
And since 'there's safety in a multitude
multitude - multitud
Of counsellors,'as Solomon has said,
counsellors - Consejero
Or some one for him, in some sage, grave mood;"
Indeed we see the daily proof display'd
In senates, at the bar, in wordy feud,
feud - disputas; enemistad
Where'er collective wisdom can parade,
collective - colectivo, colectivo
Which is the only cause that we can guess
Of Britain's present wealth and happiness;"
But as 'there's safety'grafted in the number
grafted - injertado; injertar, hacer un injerto
'Of counsellors'for men, thus for the sex
A large acquaintance lets not Virtue slumber;
Or should it shake, the choice will more perplex"
Variety itself will more encumber.
'Midst many rocks we guard more against wrecks;
And thus with women: howsoe'er it shocks some's
howsoe - cómo
Self-love, there's safety in a crowd of coxcombs.
But Adeline had not the least occasion
For such a shield, which leaves but little merit
To virtue proper, or good education.
Her chief resource was in her own high spirit,
Which judged mankind at their due estimation;
estimation - estimación; valoración
And for coquetry, she disdain'd to wear it:
Secure of admiration, its impression
Was faint, as of an every-day possession.
To all she was polite without parade;
To some she show'd attention of that kind
Which flatters, but is flattery convey'd
Flatters - te halaga; halagar, adular
convey - transmitir; transportar, trasladar, comunicar, expresar
In such a sort as cannot leave behind
A trace unworthy either wife or maid;"
A gentle, genial courtesy of mind,
To those who were, or pass'd for meritorious,
meritorious - meritorio, loable, laudable, encomiable
Just to console sad glory for being glorious;
console - consolar
Which is in all respects, save now and then,
A dull and desolate appendage. Gaze
appendage - apéndice; miembro, extremidad, anadidura
Upon the shades of those distinguish'd men
Who were or are the puppet-shows of praise,
puppet - títere, marioneta, fantoche
The praise of persecution; gaze again
persecution - persecución
On the most favour'd; and amidst the blaze
Of sunset halos o'er the laurel-brow'd,
halos - alos; halo, nimbo, aureola
What can ye recognise?"a gilded cloud.
recognise - Reconoces
There also was of course in Adeline
That calm patrician polish in the address,
Which ne'er can pass the equinoctial line
Of any thing which nature would express;
Just as a mandarin finds nothing fine,"
Mandarin - mandarín, chino mandarín
At least his manner suffers not to guess
That any thing he views can greatly please.
Perhaps we have borrow'd this from the Chinese"
Perhaps from Horace: his 'Nil admirari'
Was what he call'd the 'Art of Happiness;'
An art on which the artists greatly vary,
And have not yet attain'd to much success.
However, 'tis expedient to be wary:
Indifference certes don't produce distress;
And rash enthusiasm in good society
Were nothing but a moral inebriety.
inebriety - embriaguez
But Adeline was not indifferent: for
(Now for a common-place!) beneath the snow,
As a volcano holds the lava more
Within"et caetera. Shall I go on?"No!
I hate to hunt down a tired metaphor,
So let the often-used volcano go.
Poor thing! How frequently, by me and others,
It hath been stirr'd up till its smoke quite smothers!
smothers - smothers; asfixiar, ahogar
I'll have another figure in a trice:"
What say you to a bottle of champagne?
Frozen into a very vinous ice,
Which leaves few drops of that immortal rain,
Yet in the very centre, past all price,
About a liquid glassful will remain;
glassful - vaso
And this is stronger than the strongest grape
Could e'er express in its expanded shape:
'Tis the whole spirit brought to a quintessence;
quintessence - la quintaesencia; quintaesencia
And thus the chilliest aspects may concentre
chilliest - frío
Aspects - aspectos; aspecto
concentre - concentrarse
A hidden nectar under a cold presence.
And such are many"though I only meant her
From whom I now deduce these moral lessons,
deduce - deducir
On which the Muse has always sought to enter.
And your cold people are beyond all price,
When once you have broken their confounded ice.
But after all they are a North-West Passage
Unto the glowing India of the soul;
And as the good ships sent upon that message
Have not exactly ascertain'd the Pole
(Though Parry's efforts look a lucky presage),
presage - presagio, presentimiento, intuición, presagiar, predecir
Thus gentlemen may run upon a shoal;
For if the Pole 's not open, but all frost
(A chance still), 'tis a voyage or vessel lost.
And young beginners may as well commence
With quiet cruising o'er the ocean woman;
While those who are not beginners should have sense
Enough to make for port, ere time shall summon
With his grey signal-flag; and the past tense,
tense - tenso; tiempo
The dreary 'Fuimus'of all things human,
Must be declined, while life's thin thread 's spun out
Between the gaping heir and gnawing gout.
gnawing - roer; corrosivo, punzante; insistente; (gnaw); roer
But heaven must be diverted; its diversion
Is sometimes truculent"but never mind:
The world upon the whole is worth the assertion
(If but for comfort) that all things are kind:
And that same devilish doctrine of the Persian,
doctrine - doctrina
Of the two principles, but leaves behind
As many doubts as any other doctrine
Has ever puzzled Faith withal, or yoked her in.
yoked - yugo
The English winter"ending in July,
To recommence in August"now was done.
'Tis the postilion's paradise: wheels fly;
postilion - postillón
On roads, east, south, north, west, there is a run.
But for post-horses who finds sympathy?
Man's pity 's for himself, or for his son,
Always premising that said son at college
premising - premisas; premisa
Has not contracted much more debt than knowledge.
contracted - contratado; contraer
The London winter 's ended in July"
Sometimes a little later. I don't err
In this: whatever other blunders lie
Upon my shoulders, here I must aver
aver - Qué
My Muse a glass of weatherology;
weatherology - meteorología
For parliament is our barometer:
barometer - barómetro
Let radicals its other acts attack,
Its sessions form our only almanack.
Sessions - sesiones; sesión
Almanack - Almanaque
When its quicksilver 's down at zero,"lo
Coach, chariot, luggage, baggage, equipage!
equipage - bagaje, furgón, tren de equipajes, carroza, carruaje de lujo
Wheels whirl from Carlton palace to Soho,
And happiest they who horses can engage;
The turnpikes glow with dust; and Rotten Row
rotten - podrido, estropeado, malo, putrefacto
Sleeps from the chivalry of this bright age;
And tradesmen, with long bills and longer faces,
tradesmen - omerciantes; artesano
Sigh"as the postboys fasten on the traces.
traces - rastros; rastro, huella, vestigio, indicio
They and their bills, 'Arcadians both,'are left
To the Greek kalends of another session.
kalends - calendas
Alas! to them of ready cash bereft,
What hope remains? Of hope the full possession,
full possession - Propiedad completa
Or generous draft, conceded as a gift,
draft - corriente, corriente de aire, trago, cerveza de barril, calado
conceded - cedido; conceder, conferir, otorgar
At a long date"till they can get a fresh one"
Hawk'd about at a discount, small or large;
Also the solace of an overcharge.
overcharge - cobrar de más; panish: t-needed
But these are trifles. Downward flies my lord,
Nodding beside my lady in his carriage.
Away! away! 'Fresh horses!'are the word,
And changed as quickly as hearts after marriage;
The obsequious landlord hath the change restored;
obsequious - sobsequioso; servil, apatronado, obsequioso, sumiso
landlord - propietario; arrendador, casero
The postboys have no reason to disparage
Their fee; but ere the water'd wheels may hiss hence,
The ostler pleads too for a reminiscence.
reminiscence - recuerdo; reminiscencia
'Tis granted; and the valet mounts the dickey"
mounts - montajes; montar
That gentleman of lords and gentlemen;
Also my lady's gentlewoman, tricky,
gentlewoman - Caballera
tricky - enganoso; difícil, dificultoso, chungo
Trick'd out, but modest more than poet's pen
Can paint,"'Cosi viaggino i Ricchi!'
viaggino - iaggino
(Excuse a foreign slipslop now and then,
slipslop - deslizamiento
If but to show I've travell'd; and what 's travel,
Unless it teaches one to quote and cavil?)
The London winter and the country summer
Were well nigh over. 'Tis perhaps a pity,
When nature wears the gown that doth become her,
To lose those best months in a sweaty city,
sweaty - Sudoroso
And wait until the nightingale grows dumber,
dumber - más tonto; mudo
Listening debates not very wise or witty,
Ere patriots their true country can remember;"
But there's no shooting (save grouse) till September.
grouse - gurogallo; urogallo
I've done with my tirade. The world was gone;
tirade - diatriba, invectiva, catilinaria
The twice two thousand, for whom earth was made,
Were vanish'd to be what they call alone"
That is, with thirty servants for parade,
As many guests, or more; before whom groan
As many covers, duly, daily, laid.
Let none accuse Old England's hospitality"
Its quantity is but condensed to quality.
condensed - condensado; condensar, condensarse
Lord Henry and the Lady Adeline
Departed like the rest of their compeers,
departed - se ha ido; irse, salir, partir, panish:
The peerage, to a mansion very fine;
peerage - parentesco; pairía, título nobiliario
The Gothic Babel of a thousand years.
None than themselves could boast a longer line,
Where time through heroes and through beauties steers;
steers - bueyes; buey
And oaks as olden as their pedigree
Told of their sires, a tomb in every tree.
A paragraph in every paper told
Of their departure: such is modern fame:
'Tis pity that it takes no farther hold
Than an advertisement, or much the same;
When, ere the ink be dry, the sound grows cold.
The Morning Post was foremost to proclaim"
'Departure, for his country seat, to-day,
Lord H. Amundeville and Lady A.
'We understand the splendid host intends
To entertain, this autumn, a select
And numerous party of his noble friends;
'Midst whom we have heard, from sources quite correct,
With many more by rank and fashion deck'd;
Also a foreigner of high condition,
The envoy of the secret Russian mission.'
And thus we see"who doubts the Morning Post?
(Whose articles are like the 'Thirty-nine,'
Which those most swear to who believe them most)"
Our gay Russ Spaniard was ordain'd to shine,
ordain - ordenar
Deck'd by the rays reflected from his host,
With those who, Pope says, 'greatly daring dine.'
'Tis odd, but true,"last war the News abounded
More with these dinners than the kill'd or wounded;"
As thus: 'On Thursday there was a grand dinner;
Present, Lords A. B. C.'"Earls, dukes, by name
earls - condes; conde
Announced with no less pomp than victory's winner:
Then underneath, and in the very same
Column; date, 'Falmouth. There has lately been here
The Slap-dash regiment, so well known to fame,
slap - abofetada; bofetada, cachetada, abofetear, cachetear, golpear
Whose loss in the late action we regret:
The vacancies are fill'd up"see Gazette.'
To Norman Abbey whirl'd the noble pair,"
An old, old monastery once, and now
monastery - monasterio
Still older mansion; of a rich and rare
Mix'd Gothic, such as artists all allow
Few specimens yet left us can compare
specimens - especímenes; espécimen, ejemplar
Withal: it lies perhaps a little low,
Because the monks preferr'd a hill behind,
monks - monjes; monje
To shelter their devotion from the wind.
It stood embosom'd in a happy valley,
embosom - Emboscada
Crown'd by high woodlands, where the Druid oak
woodlands - bosques; forestal, del bosque, bosque, floresta, foresta
druid - druida
oak - roble, encina, carrasca
Stood like Caractacus in act to rally
His host, with broad arms 'gainst the thunderstroke;
And from beneath his boughs were seen to sally
The dappled foresters"as day awoke,
dappled - mojado; tordo, animal de piel moteada, moteado, habado, motear
The branching stag swept down with all his herd,
To quaff a brook which murmur'd like a bird.
Before the mansion lay a lucid lake,
Broad as transparent, deep, and freshly fed
By a river, which its soften'd way did take
In currents through the calmer water spread
Around: the wildfowl nestled in the brake
wildfowl - Aves silvestres
nestled - encajado; acomodarse, acurrucarse
And sedges, brooding in their liquid bed:
The woods sloped downwards to its brink, and stood
sloped - nclinado; pendiente, cuesta, desnivel, inclinación, ojo chueco
downwards - hacia abajo
With their green faces fix'd upon the flood.
Its outlet dash'd into a deep cascade,
cascade - en cascada; cascada
Sparkling with foam, until again subsiding,
subsiding - disminuyendo; calmarse
Its shriller echoes"like an infant made
Quiet"sank into softer ripples, gliding
ripples - ndas; ondulación
Into a rivulet; and thus allay'd,
Pursued its course, now gleaming, and now hiding
Its windings through the woods; now clear, now blue,
windings - Devanado
According as the skies their shadows threw.
A glorious remnant of the Gothic pile
(While yet the church was Rome's) stood half apart
In a grand arch, which once screen'd many an aisle.
aisle - nave, pasillo, paso
These last had disappear'd"a loss to art:
The first yet frown'd superbly o'er the soil,
And kindled feelings in the roughest heart,
Which mourn'd the power of time's or tempest's march,
In gazing on that venerable arch.
Within a niche, nigh to its pinnacle,
pinnacle - cumbre, pináculo, pico, ápice
Twelve saints had once stood sanctified in stone;
But these had fallen, not when the friars fell,
friars - frailes; fraile
But in the war which struck Charles from his throne,
When each house was a fortalice, as tell
fortalice - fortaleza
The annals of full many a line undone,"
The gallant cavaliers, who fought in vain
cavaliers - cavaliers; caballero
For those who knew not to resign or reign.
But in a higher niche, alone, but crowned,
crowned - coronado; corona
The Virgin Mother of the God-born Child,
With her Son in her blessed arms, look'd round,
Spared by some chance when all beside was spoil'd;
She made the earth below seem holy ground.
This may be superstition, weak or wild,
superstition - superstición
But even the faintest relics of a shrine
faintest - más débil; débil, tenue
Of any worship wake some thoughts divine.
A mighty window, hollow in the centre,
Shorn of its glass of thousand colourings,
colourings - colorear
Through which the deepen'd glories once could enter,
deepen - ahondar, checkprofundizar
Streaming from off the sun like seraph's wings,
Now yawns all desolate: now loud, now fainter,
yawns - bostezos; bostezar, abrirse, bostezo
The gale sweeps through its fretwork, and oft sings
fretwork - calado
The owl his anthem, where the silenced quire
Owl - búho, lechuza, tecolote
Anthem - himno
Lie with their hallelujahs quench'd like fire.
hallelujahs - aleluyas; aleluya, aleluya, felicitación, congratulación
But in the noontide of the moon, and when
noontide - Mediodía
The wind is winged from one point of heaven,
There moans a strange unearthly sound, which then
moans - gimoteos; gemido, quejido, quejar, gemir
unearthly - terrenal; sobrenatural, de otro mundo
Is musical"a dying accent driven
Through the huge arch, which soars and sinks again.
Some deem it but the distant echo given
Back to the night wind by the waterfall,
waterfall - catarata, cascada, caída de agua
And harmonised by the old choral wall:
harmonised - armonizar
Others, that some original shape, or form
Shaped by decay perchance, hath given the power
(Though less than that of Memnon's statue, warm
In Egypt's rays, to harp at a fix'd hour)
To this grey ruin, with a voice to charm.
Sad, but serene, it sweeps o'er tree or tower;
The cause I know not, nor can solve; but such
The fact:"I've heard it"once perhaps too much.
Amidst the court a Gothic fountain play'd,
Symmetrical, but deck'd with carvings quaint"
symmetrical - simétrico
carvings - tallas; tallado, escultura
Strange faces, like to men in masquerade,
And here perhaps a monster, there a saint:
The spring gush'd through grim mouths of granite made,
granite - granito, berroquena
And sparkled into basins, where it spent
basins - uencas; pileta, lavabo, lavamanos, jofaina
Its little torrent in a thousand bubbles,
Like man's vain glory, and his vainer troubles.
The mansion's self was vast and venerable,
With more of the monastic than has been
Elsewhere preserved: the cloisters still were stable,
stable - Estable
The cells, too, and refectory, I ween:
refectory - refectorio
An exquisite small chapel had been able,
chapel - capilla
Still unimpair'd, to decorate the scene;
The rest had been reform'd, replaced, or sunk,
And spoke more of the baron than the monk.
Baron - barón
monk - monje
Huge halls, long galleries, spacious chambers, join'd
By no quite lawful marriage of the arts,
Might shock a connoisseur; but when combined,
connoisseur - conocedor; connaisseur; connoisseur
Form'd a whole which, irregular in parts,
Yet left a grand impression on the mind,
At least of those whose eyes are in their hearts:
We gaze upon a giant for his stature,
Nor judge at first if all be true to nature.
Steel barons, molten the next generation
barons - barones; barón
To silken rows of gay and garter'd earls,
Garter - liga, jarretera
Glanced from the walls in goodly preservation;
And Lady Marys blooming into girls,
With fair long locks, had also kept their station;
And countesses mature in robes and pearls:
countesses - condesas; condesa
mature - maduro
robes - togas; bata, hábito, toga
Also some beauties of Sir Peter Lely,
Whose drapery hints we may admire them freely.
Judges in very formidable ermine
Were there, with brows that did not much invite
The accused to think their lordships would determine
lordships - senorías; el Senor, senoría, esfera, senorío
His cause by leaning much from might to right:
Bishops, who had not left a single sermon:
Attorneys-general, awful to the sight,
attorneys - abogados; abogado, abogada, notario
As hinting more (unless our judgments warp us)
hinting - insinuación; pista, indicio, indirecta, buscapié, toque
Of the 'Star Chamber'than of 'Habeas Corpus.'
Corpus - corpus
Generals, some all in armour, of the old
armour - armadura
And iron time, ere lead had ta'en the lead;
Others in wigs of Marlborough's martial fold,
wigs - pelucas; peluca
Huger than twelve of our degenerate breed:
Lordlings, with staves of white or keys of gold:
lordlings - Senores
staves - duelas; duela, estrofa, pentagrama
Nimrods, whose canvass scarce contain'd the steed;
Nimrods - nimrods; Nemrod
canvass - consultar; hacer propaganda, hacer campana
And here and there some stern high patriot stood,
Who could not get the place for which he sued.
But ever and anon, to soothe your vision,
Fatigued with these hereditary glories,
fatigued - fatigado; fatiga, fatigar, acosar
hereditary - heredado, hereditario
There rose a Carlo Dolce or a Titian,
Titian - tiziano; castano cobrizo
Or wilder group of savage Salvatore's;
Here danced Albano's boys, and here the sea shone
In Vernet's ocean lights; and there the stories
Of martyrs awed, as Spagnoletto tainted
awed - asombrado; pavor, temor, medrosía, asombro, asombrar, abrumar
tainted - manchada; echar a perder; contaminar
His brush with all the blood of all the sainted.
sainted - santificado; San, Santa, Santo
Here sweetly spread a landscape of Lorraine;
Lorraine - Lorena
There Rembrandt made his darkness equal light,
Or gloomy Caravaggio's gloomier stain
gloomier - más sombrío; lóbrego, sombrío
Bronzed o'er some lean and stoic anchorite:"
bronzed - bronce, broncíneo, broncínea, éneo, bronceado, tostado, pavonar
anchorite - anacoreta
But, lo! a Teniers woos, and not in vain,
woos - woos; cortejar
Your eyes to revel in a livelier sight:
livelier - animado
His bell-mouth'd goblet makes me feel quite Danish
goblet - copa, cáliz
Danish - danés, dinamarqués
Or Dutch with thirst"What, ho! a flask of Rhenish.
flask - frasco; petaca, licorera disfrazado
Rhenish - Renano
O reader! if that thou canst read,"and know,
'Tis not enough to spell, or even to read,
To constitute a reader; there must go
constitute - constituir
Virtues of which both you and I have need;"
Firstly, begin with the beginning (though
That clause is hard); and secondly, proceed;
Thirdly, commence not with the end"or, sinning
In this sort, end at least with the beginning.
But, reader, thou hast patient been of late,
While I, without remorse of rhyme, or fear,
Have built and laid out ground at such a rate,
Dan Phoebus takes me for an auctioneer.
auctioneer - pregonero, subastador, rematador, rematar, subastar
That poets were so from their earliest date,
By Homer's 'Catalogue of ships'is clear;
catalogue - catálogo, calendario universitario, catalogar
But a mere modern must be moderate"
be moderate - ser moderado
I spare you then the furniture and plate.
The mellow autumn came, and with it came
The promised party, to enjoy its sweets.
The corn is cut, the manor full of game;
Manor - mansión; finca
The pointer ranges, and the sportsman beats
Pointer - puntero, aguja, perro de muestra, braco, apuntador
sportsman - deportista
In russet jacket:"lynx-like is his aim;
russet - ocre, marrojizo, marrojiza, color teja
Full grows his bag, and wonderful his feats.
Ah, nut-brown partridges! Ah, brilliant pheasants!
Partridges - perdices; perdiz
pheasants - aisanes; faisán
And ah, ye poachers!"'Tis no sport for peasants.
Poachers - cazadores furtivos; cazador furtivo, ish
An English autumn, though it hath no vines,
Blushing with Bacchant coronals along
The paths, o'er which the far festoon entwines
festoon - guirnalda, festón, guirnalda luminosa, panish: t-needed
The red grape in the sunny lands of song,
Hath yet a purchased choice of choicest wines;
The claret light, and the Madeira strong.
If Britain mourn her bleakness, we can tell her,
bleakness - desolación; palidez, tristeza
The very best of vineyards is the cellar.
vineyards - inedos; vinedo, vina
cellar - sótano, bodega
Then, if she hath not that serene decline
Which makes the southern autumn's day appear
As if 'twould to a second spring resign
The season, rather than to winter drear,
Of in-door comforts still she hath a mine,"
comforts - comodidades; comodidad, consuelo, confortar
The sea-coal fires the 'earliest of the year;'
Without doors, too, she may compete in mellow,
As what is lost in green is gain'd in yellow.
And for the effeminate villeggiatura"
Rife with more horns than hounds"she hath the chase,
So animated that it might allure
animated - animado, animar
Saint from his beads to join the jocund race;
jocund - jocundo
Even Nimrod's self might leave the plains of Dura,
And wear the Melton jacket for a space:
If she hath no wild boars, she hath a tame
boars - jabalíes; verraco
Preserve of bores, who ought to be made game.
preserve - mermelada, reserva, reserva natural, coto, terreno, dominio
bores - taladros; perforar
The noble guests, assembled at the Abbey,
Consisted of"we give the sex the pas"
The Duchess of Fitz-Fulke; the Countess Crabby;
Crabby - cangrejo; malgeniado
The Ladies Scilly, Busey;"Miss Eclat,
Miss Bombazeen, Miss Mackstay, Miss O'Tabby,
And Mrs. Rabbi, the rich banker's squaw;
rabbi - rabino
Also the honourable Mrs. Sleep,
Who look'd a white lamb, yet was a black sheep:
With other Countesses of Blank"but rank;
At once the'lie'and the 'elite'of crowds;
elite - élite
Who pass like water filter'd in a tank,
tank - tanque, depósito
All purged and pious from their native clouds;
purged - purgado; purga, purgar, relevar, exonerar
Or paper turn'd to money by the Bank:
No matter how or why, the passport shrouds
shrouds - cubiertas; mortaja
The 'passee'and the past; for good society
Is no less famed for tolerance than piety,"
tolerance - tolerancia
That is, up to a certain point; which point
Forms the most difficult in punctuation.
punctuation - puntuación
Appearances appear to form the joint
On which it hinges in a higher station;
And so that no explosion cry 'Aroint
Thee, witch!'or each Medea has her Jason;
witch - bruja
Or (to the point with Horace and with Pulci)
'Omne tulit punctum, quae miscuit utile dulci.'
Utile - ÚTIL
dulci - ulci
I can't exactly trace their rule of right,
Which hath a little leaning to a lottery.
I've seen a virtuous woman put down quite
By the mere combination of a coterie;
combination - combinación
Also a so-so matron boldly fight
Her way back to the world by dint of plottery,
plottery - Conspiración
And shine the very Siria of the spheres,
Escaping with a few slight, scarless sneers.
scarless - Sin cicatrices
I have seen more than I'll say:"but we will see
How our villeggiatura will get on.
The party might consist of thirty-three
Of highest caste"the Brahmins of the ton.
ton - tonelada
I have named a few, not foremost in degree,
But ta'en at hazard as the rhyme may run.
By way of sprinkling, scatter'd amongst these,
There also were some Irish absentees.
absentees - ausentes; ausente
There was Parolles, too, the legal bully,
bully - acosador; acosar
Who limits all his battles to the bar
And senate: when invited elsewhere, truly,
He shows more appetite for words than war.
There was the young bard Rackrhyme, who had newly
Come out and glimmer'd as a six weeks'star.
glimmer - resplandor; luz tenue, titileo
There was Lord Pyrrho, too, the great freethinker;
freethinker - librepensador, librepensadora
And Sir John Pottledeep, the mighty drinker.
Drinker - bebedor, bebedora
There was the Duke of Dash, who was a"duke,
'Ay, every inch a'duke; there were twelve peers
peers - colegas; par, noble
Like Charlemagne's"and all such peers in look
Charlemagne - Carlomagno
And intellect, that neither eyes nor ears
For commoners had ever them mistook.
commoners - lebeyo
There were the six Miss Rawbolds"pretty dears!
All song and sentiment; whose hearts were set
Less on a convent than a coronet.
There were four Honourable Misters, whose
Honour was more before their names than after;
There was the preux Chevalier de la Ruse,
ruse - truco; asechanza, artimana, trácala, astucia
Whom France and Fortune lately deign'd to waft here,
waft - waffer; revolotear, levitar, flotar, vaharada
Whose chiefly harmless talent was to amuse;
But the clubs found it rather serious laughter,
Because"such was his magic power to please"
magic power - poder mágico
The dice seem'd charm'd, too, with his repartees.
dice - dados; cortar en cubos
There was Dick Dubious, the metaphysician,
Who loved philosophy and a good dinner;
Angle, the soi-disant mathematician;
mathematician - matemático, matemática
Sir Henry Silvercup, the great race-winner.
There was the Reverend Rodomont Precisian,
Precisian - Precisiano
Who did not hate so much the sin as sinner;
And Lord Augustus Fitz-Plantagenet,
Augustus - Augusto
Good at all things, but better at a bet.
There was jack jargon, the gigantic guardsman;
And General Fireface, famous in the field,
A great tactician, and no less a swordsman,
tactician - táctico; estratega
swordsman - esgrimista; espadachín
Who ate, last war, more Yankees than he kill'd.
Yankees - yankees; yanqui, gabacho
There was the waggish Welsh Judge, Jefferies Hardsman,
Welsh - galés, galés, galeses, galesas
In his grave office so completely skill'd,
That when a culprit came far condemnation,
culprit - culpable
condemnation - condenación
He had his judge's joke for consolation.
Good company 's a chess-board"there are kings,
Queens, bishops, knights, rooks, pawns; the world 's a game;
rooks - torres; grajo
Pawns - peones; empenar
Save that the puppets pull at their own strings,
Methinks gay Punch hath something of the same.
My Muse, the butterfly hath but her wings,
butterfly - mariposa
Not stings, and flits through ether without aim,
flits - flits; revolotear
ether - éter
Alighting rarely:"were she but a hornet,
alighting - saliendo; apearse de
hornet - un avispón; avispón
Perhaps there might be vices which would mourn it.
I had forgotten"but must not forget"
An orator, the latest of the session,
Who had deliver'd well a very set
Smooth speech, his first and maidenly transgression
maidenly - Doncella
Upon debate: the papers echoed yet
With his debut, which made a strong impression,
debut - debut, debutar
And rank'd with what is every day display'd"
'The best first speech that ever yet was made.'
Proud of his 'Hear hims!'proud, too, of his vote
And lost virginity of oratory,
oratory - oratoria
Proud of his learning (just enough to quote),
He revell'd in his Ciceronian glory:
ciceronian - Ciceroniano
With memory excellent to get by rote,
rote - De memoria
With wit to hatch a pun or tell a story,
pun - un juego de palabras; juego de palabras, retruécano
Graced with some merit, and with more effrontery,
effrontery - desfachatez, desvergüenza, descaro
'His country's pride,'he came down to the country.
There also were two wits by acclamation,
acclamation - aclamación
Longbow from Ireland, Strongbow from the Tweed,
Longbow - arco largo
Both lawyers and both men of education;
But Strongbow's wit was of more polish'd breed:
Longbow was rich in an imagination
As beautiful and bounding as a steed,
But sometimes stumbling over a potato,"
While Strongbow's best things might have come from Cato.
Strongbow was like a new-tuned harpsichord;
harpsichord - clavicordio; clavicémbalo
But Longbow wild as an AEolian harp,
Aeolian - eolia; eólico
With which the winds of heaven can claim accord,
And make a music, whether flat or sharp.
Of Strongbow's talk you would not change a word:
At Longbow's phrases you might sometimes carp:
Both wits"one born so, and the other bred"
This by his heart, his rival by his head.
If all these seem a heterogeneous mas
heterogeneous - heterogéneo
To be assembled at a country seat,
Yet think, a specimen of every class
specimen - espécimen, ejemplar
Is better than a humdrum tete-a-tete.
The days of Comedy are gone, alas!
When Congreve's fool could vie with Moliere's bete:
Society is smooth'd to that excess,
That manners hardly differ more than dress.
Our ridicules are kept in the back-ground"
ridicules - ridículos; ridiculizar, poner en ridículo
Ridiculous enough, but also dull;
ridiculous - ridículo
Professions, too, are no more to be found
Professional; and there is nought to cull
cull - sacrificar; eliminar
Of folly's fruit; for though your fools abound,
They're barren, and not worth the pains to pull.
Society is now one polish'd horde,
horde - horda
Form'd of two mighty tribes, the Bores and Bored.
tribes - tribus; tribu
But from being farmers, we turn gleaners, gleaning
gleaners - spigadores; espigador, espigadora
The scanty but right-well thresh'd ears of truth;
thresh - trillar, desgranar, apalear, azotar
And, gentle reader! when you gather meaning,
You may be Boaz, and I"modest Ruth.
ruth - Rut, Ruth
Farther I'd quote, but Scripture intervening
intervening - intervenir, involucrarse, interceder, meterse
Forbids. Its great impression in my youth
Was made by Mrs. Adams, where she cries,
Adams - adams; Adam, Adán
'That Scriptures out of church are blasphemies.'
blasphemies - blasfemias; blasfemia
But what we can we glean in this vile age
Of chaff, although our gleanings be not grist.
chaff - paja, barcia, exico, pienso
grist - granos; grano (para molino), molienda
I must not quite omit the talking sage,
Kit-Cat, the famous Conversationist,
kit - equipo
Conversationist - Conversador
Who, in his common-place book, had a page
Prepared each morn for evenings. 'List, oh, list!'-
'Alas, poor ghost!'"What unexpected woes
Await those who have studied their bon-mots!
Firstly, they must allure the conversation
By many windings to their clever clinch;
clinch - panish: t-needed
And secondly, must let slip no occasion,
Nor bate (abate) their hearers of an inch,
But take an ell"and make a great sensation,
If possible; and thirdly, never flinch
When some smart talker puts them to the test,
But seize the last word, which no doubt 's the best.
Lord Henry and his lady were the hosts;
The party we have touch'd on were the guests:
Their table was a board to tempt even ghosts
To pass the Styx for more substantial feasts.
more substantial - más sustancial
I will not dwell upon ragouts or roasts,
ragouts - ragouts; guiso, puchero
roasts - asados; asar, rostir, planchar, brindis cómico, vejamen
Albeit all human history attests
attests - avalar, atestiguar, compulsar
That happiness for man"the hungry sinner!-
Since Eve ate apples, much depends on dinner.
Witness the lands which 'flow'd with milk and honey,'
Held out unto the hungry Israelites;
To this we have added since, the love of money,
The only sort of pleasure which requites.
Youth fades, and leaves our days no longer sunny;
fades - se desvanece; moda, moda pasajera
We tire of mistresses and parasites;
parasites - parásitos; parásito
But oh, ambrosial cash! Ah! who would lose thee?
When we no more can use, or even abuse thee!
The gentlemen got up betimes to shoot,
Or hunt: the young, because they liked the sport"
The first thing boys like after play and fruit;
The middle-aged to make the day more short;
For ennui is a growth of English root,
Though nameless in our language:"we retort
The fact for words, and let the French translate
That awful yawn which sleep can not abate.
The elderly walk'd through the library,
elderly - ancianos; anciano, entrado en anos
And tumbled books, or criticised the pictures,
criticised - Criticar
Or saunter'd through the gardens piteously,
saunter - pasear, paseo
piteously - lamentablemente
And made upon the hot-house several strictures,
Or rode a nag which trotted not too high,
trotted - trotó; trotar
Or on the morning papers read their lectures,
Or on the watch their longing eyes would fix,
Longing at sixty for the hour of six.
But none were 'gene:'the great hour of union
gene - gen, gene
Was rung by dinner's knell; till then all were
Masters of their own time"or in communion,
Or solitary, as they chose to bear
The hours, which how to pass is but to few known.
Each rose up at his own, and had to spare
What time he chose for dress, and broke his fast
When, where, and how he chose for that repast.
The ladies"some rouged, some a little pale"
Met the morn as they might. If fine, they rode,
Or walk'd; if foul, they read, or told a tale,
Sung, or rehearsed the last dance from abroad;
rehearsed - Ensayar
Discuss'd the fashion which might next prevail,
And settled bonnets by the newest code,
Or cramm'd twelve sheets into one little letter,
To make each correspondent a new debtor.
correspondent - corresponsal
For some had absent lovers, all had friends.
The earth has nothing like a she epistle,
epistle - epístola
And hardly heaven"because it never ends.
I love the mystery of a female missal,
Which, like a creed, ne'er says all it intends,
But full of cunning as Ulysses'whistle,
When he allured poor Dolon:"you had better
Take care what you reply to such a letter.
Then there were billiards; cards, too, but no dice;"
billiards - Billar
Save in the clubs no man of honour plays;"
Boats when 'twas water, skating when 'twas ice,
skating - patinando; patinaje; (skat) patinando; patinaje
And the hard frost destroy'd the scenting days:
scenting - Olfateando; (scent); olor, esencia, olfato, fragancia, oler
And angling, too, that solitary vice,
angling - pescar con cana; pesca con cana; (angle); anglo
Whatever Izaak Walton sings or says;
The quaint, old, cruel coxcomb, in his gullet
gullet - garganta; esófago, gaznate, tragaderas
Should have a hook, and a small trout to pull it.
Hook - gancho, garfio, enganchar
trout - trucha, truchear
With evening came the banquet and the wine;
The conversazione; the duet,
Conversazione - Conversación
duet - dúo, dueto
Attuned by voices more or less divine
attuned - en sintonía; adecuar, adaptar
(My heart or head aches with the memory yet).
aches - dolores; dolor
The four Miss Rawbolds in a glee would shine;
But the two youngest loved more to be set
Down to the harp"because to music's charms
They added graceful necks, white hands and arms.
Sometimes a dance (though rarely on field days,
For then the gentlemen were rather tired)
Display'd some sylph-like figures in its maze;
sylph - sílfide
Then there was small-talk ready when required;
Flirtation"but decorous; the mere praise
Of charms that should or should not be admired.
The hunters fought their fox-hunt o'er again,
hunters - cazadores; cazador, perro de caza, buscador, buscadora
And then retreated soberly"at ten.
soberly - sobriamente
The politicians, in a nook apart,
Discuss'd the world, and settled all the spheres;
The wits watch'd every loophole for their art,
loophole - aguna jurídica; arquera, aspillera, ballestera, lancera
To introduce a bon-mot head and ears;
Small is the rest of those who would be smart,
A moment's good thing may have cost them years
Before they find an hour to introduce it;
And then, even then, some bore may make them lose it.
But all was gentle and aristocratic
In this our party; polish'd, smooth, and cold,
As Phidian forms cut out of marble Attic.
There now are no Squire Westerns as of old;
squire - Escudero
And our Sophias are not so emphatic,
emphatic - enfático, rotundo, tajante
But fair as then, or fairer to behold.
We have no accomplish'd blackguards, like Tom Jones,
But gentlemen in stays, as stiff as stones.
They separated at an early hour;
That is, ere midnight"which is London's noon:
noon - mediodía
But in the country ladies seek their bower
A little earlier than the waning moon.
Peace to the slumbers of each folded flower"
May the rose call back its true colour soon!
Good hours of fair cheeks are the fairest tinters,
And lower the price of rouge"at least some winters.
If from great nature's or our own abyss
Of thought we could but snatch a certainty,
Perhaps mankind might find the path they miss"
But then 'twould spoil much good philosophy.
One system eats another up, and this
Much as old Saturn ate his progeny;
progeny - progenie; descendiente
For when his pious consort gave him stones
Consort - consorte, consorcio
In lieu of sons, of these he made no bones.
But System doth reverse the Titan's breakfast,
And eats her parents, albeit the digestion
Is difficult. Pray tell me, can you make fast,
make fast - hacer algo rápido
After due search, your faith to any question?
Look back o'er ages, ere unto the stake fast
You bind yourself, and call some mode the best one.
Nothing more true than not to trust your senses;
And yet what are your other evidences?
For me, I know nought; nothing I deny,
Admit, reject, contemn; and what know you,
contemn - despreciar, menospreciar
Except perhaps that you were born to die?
And both may after all turn out untrue.
An age may come, Font of Eternity,
When nothing shall be either old or new.
Death, so call'd, is a thing which makes men weep,
And yet a third of life is pass'd in sleep.
A sleep without dreams, after a rough day
Of toil, is what we covet most; and yet
How clay shrinks back from more quiescent clay!
quiescent - quiescente
The very Suicide that pays his debt
At once without instalments (an old way
instalments - Fraccionamiento
Of paying debts, which creditors regret)
lets out impatiently his rushing breath,
lets out - se deja salir
impatiently - impacientemente
Less from disgust of life than dread of death.
disgust - repugnar, dar asco, asquear, asco, repugnancia
'Tis round him, near him, here, there, every where;
And there's a courage which grows out of fear,
Perhaps of all most desperate, which will dare
The worst to know it:"when the mountains rear
Their peaks beneath your human foot, and there
peaks - picos; pico, cumbre
You look down o'er the precipice, and drear
The gulf of rock yawns,"you can't gaze a minute
Without an awful wish to plunge within it.
'Tis true, you don't"but, pale and struck with terror,
Retire: but look into your past impression!
And you will find, though shuddering at the mirror
Of your own thoughts, in all their self-confession,
The lurking bias, be it truth or error,
bias - prejuicios; inclinación, predisposición, parcialidad, prejuicio
To the unknown; a secret prepossession,
prepossession - Preposesión
To plunge with all your fears"but where? You know not,
And that's the reason why you do"or do not.
But what 's this to the purpose? you will say.
Gent. reader, nothing; a mere speculation,
For which my sole excuse is"'tis my way;
Sometimes with and sometimes without occasion
I write what 's uppermost, without delay:
This narrative is not meant for narration,
But a mere airy and fantastic basis,
To build up common things with common places.
You know, or don't know, that great Bacon saith,
'Fling up a straw, 'twill show the way the wind blows;'
straw - paja, pajizo, pajiza
And such a straw, borne on by human breath,
Is poesy, according as the mind glows;
glows - fulgir, fulgurar, iluminar, brillar
A paper kite which flies 'twixt life and death,
kite - cometa
A shadow which the onward soul behind throws:
And mine 's a bubble, not blown up for praise,
But just to play with, as an infant plays.
The world is all before me"or behind;
For I have seen a portion of that same,
And quite enough for me to keep in mind;"
Of passions, too, I have proved enough to blame,
To the great pleasure of our friends, mankind,
Who like to mix some slight alloy with fame;
For I was rather famous in my time,
Until I fairly knock'd it up with rhyme.
I have brought this world about my ears, and eke
eke - hacer alcanzar, racionar
The other; that 's to say, the clergy, who
Upon my head have bid their thunders break
In pious libels by no means a few.
libels - libelos; libelo, calumnia, difamación
And yet I can't help scribbling once a week,
Tiring old readers, nor discovering new.
tiring - agotador, cansado, cansador, fatigoso; (tire); agotador
In youth I wrote because my mind was full,
And now because I feel it growing dull.
But 'why then publish?'"There are no rewards
rewards - recompensas; recompensa
Of fame or profit when the world grows weary.
I ask in turn,"Why do you play at cards?
play at cards - jugar a las cartas
Why drink? Why read?"To make some hour less dreary.
It occupies me to turn back regards
occupies - ocupar
regards - saludos; considerar
On what I've seen or ponder'd, sad or cheery;
cheery - Alegre
And what I write I cast upon the stream,
To swim or sink"I have had at least my dream.
I think that were I certain of success,
I hardly could compose another line:
compose - componer, constituir, conformar, constar, panish: t-needed
So long I've battled either more or less,
That no defeat can drive me from the Nine.
defeat - vencer, derrotar
This feeling 'tis not easy to express,
And yet 'tis not affected, I opine.
opine - opinar
In play, there are two pleasures for your choosing"
The one is winning, and the other losing.
Besides, my Muse by no means deals in fiction:
She gathers a repertory of facts,
repertory - repertorio
Of course with some reserve and slight restriction,
But mostly sings of human things and acts"
And that 's one cause she meets with contradiction;
contradiction - contradicción, contrasentido
For too much truth, at first sight, ne'er attracts;
And were her object only what 's call'd glory,
With more ease too she'd tell a different story.
Love, war, a tempest"surely there's variety;
Also a seasoning slight of lucubration;
lucubration - elucubración; lucubración
A bird's-eye view, too, of that wild, Society;
bird's-eye view - a vista de pájaro
A slight glance thrown on men of every station.
If you have nought else, here's at least satiety
satiety - saciedad
Both in performance and in preparation;
And though these lines should only line portmanteaus,
Trade will be all the better for these Cantos.
The portion of this world which I at present
Have taken up to fill the following sermon,
Is one of which there's no description recent.
The reason why is easy to determine:
Although it seems both prominent and pleasant,
prominent - destacado; prominente, sobresaliente
There is a sameness in its gems and ermine,
sameness - igualdad; mismidad
A dull and family likeness through all ages,
family likeness - parecido familiar
Of no great promise for poetic pages.
With much to excite, there's little to exalt;
exalt - exaltar
Nothing that speaks to all men and all times;
A sort of varnish over every fault;
varnish - barniz, barnizar, lacar
A kind of common-place, even in their crimes;
Factitious passions, wit without much salt,
A want of that true nature which sublimes
sublimes - sublima; sublime
Whate'er it shows with truth; a smooth monotony
monotony - monotonía
Of character, in those at least who have got any.
Sometimes, indeed, like soldiers off parade,
They break their ranks and gladly leave the drill;
But then the roll-call draws them back afraid,
And they must be or seem what they were: still
Doubtless it is a brilliant masquerade;
But when of the first sight you have had your fill,
It palls"at least it did so upon me,
This paradise of pleasure and ennui.
When we have made our love, and gamed our gaming,
Drest, voted, shone, and, may be, something more;
With dandies dined; heard senators declaiming;
senators - senadores; senador, senadora
declaiming - Declamando; (declaim); declamar
Seen beauties brought to market by the score,
Sad rakes to sadder husbands chastely taming;
rakes - rastrillos; rastrillo
taming - Doma; (tam) Doma
There's little left but to be bored or bore.
be bored - estar aburrido
Witness those 'ci-devant jeunes hommes'who stem
jeunes - eunes
hommes - hombre
stem - tallo; CTIM
The stream, nor leave the world which leaveth them.
leaveth - se va
'Tis said"indeed a general complaint"
That no one has succeeded in describing
The monde, exactly as they ought to paint:
monde - onde
Some say, that authors only snatch, by bribing
bribing - soborno, coima, sobornar, cohechar, coimear
The porter, some slight scandals strange and quaint,
To furnish matter for their moral gibing;
And that their books have but one style in common"
My lady's prattle, filter'd through her woman.
But this can't well be true, just now; for writers
Are grown of the beau monde a part potential:
I've seen them balance even the scale with fighters,
Especially when young, for that 's essential.
Why do their sketches fail them as inditers
Of what they deem themselves most consequential,
consequential - consecuente; consiguiente
The real portrait of the highest tribe?
'Tis that, in fact, there's little to describe.
'Haud ignara loquor;'these are Nugae, 'quarum
quarum - Cuarum
Pars parva fui,'but still art and part.
fui - fue
Now I could much more easily sketch a harem,
harem - harén
A battle, wreck, or history of the heart,
Than these things; and besides, I wish to spare 'em,
For reasons which I choose to keep apart.
keep apart - Mantenerse aparte
'Vetabo Cereris sacrum qui vulgarit"'
sacrum - sacro
vulgarit - ulgarit
Which means that vulgar people must not share it.
And therefore what I throw off is ideal"
Lower'd, leaven'd, like a history of freemasons;
freemasons - masones; francmasón
Which bears the same relation to the real,
As Captain Parry's voyage may do to Jason's.
The grand arcanum 's not for men to see all;
My music has some mystic diapasons;
diapasons - Diapasón
And there is much which could not be appreciated
In any manner by the uninitiated.
Alas! worlds fall"and woman, since she fell'd
The world (as, since that history less polite
Than true, hath been a creed so strictly held)
Has not yet given up the practice quite.
Poor thing of usages! coerced, compell'd,
usages - usos; uso, usanza
coerced - coaccionado; coercer, panish: t-needed
Victim when wrong, and martyr oft when right,
Condemn'd to child-bed, as men for their sins
Have shaving too entail'd upon their chins,"
chins - barbillas; barbilla, mentón
A daily plague, which in the aggregate
aggregate - agregado, conjunto, resultado global, total
May average on the whole with parturition.
parturition - parto, nacimiento
But as to women, who can penetrate
The real sufferings of their she condition?
Man's very sympathy with their estate
Has much of selfishness, and more suspicion.
selfishness - egoísmo
Their love, their virtue, beauty, education,
But form good housekeepers, to breed a nation.
housekeepers - amas de llaves; ama de llaves, ama de casa
All this were very well, and can't be better;
But even this is difficult, Heaven knows,
So many troubles from her birth beset her,
Such small distinction between friends and foes,
The gilding wears so soon from off her fetter,
That"but ask any woman if she'd choose
(Take her at thirty, that is) to have been
Female or male? a schoolboy or a queen?
'Petticoat influence'is a great reproach,
Which even those who obey would fain be thought
To fly from, as from hungry pikes a roach;
pikes - picas; lucio
But since beneath it upon earth we are brought,
By various joltings of life's hackney coach,
joltings - Sacudidas
I for one venerate a petticoat"
venerate - venerar
A garment of a mystical sublimity,
No matter whether russet, silk, or dimity.
Much I respect, and much I have adored,
In my young days, that chaste and goodly veil,
Which holds a treasure, like a miser's hoard,
And more attracts by all it doth conceal"
A golden scabbard on a Damasque sword,
A loving letter with a mystic seal,
A cure for grief"for what can ever rankle
Before a petticoat and peeping ankle?
And when upon a silent, sullen day,
With a sirocco, for example, blowing,
sirocco - siroco
When even the sea looks dim with all its spray,
And sulkily the river's ripple 's flowing,
sulkily - Enfurrunada
And the sky shows that very ancient gray,
The sober, sad antithesis to glowing,"
'Tis pleasant, if then any thing is pleasant,
To catch a glimpse even of a pretty peasant.
We left our heroes and our heroines
heroines - heroínas; heroína
In that fair clime which don't depend on climate,
Quite independent of the Zodiac's signs,
Zodiac - zodíaco
Though certainly more difficult to rhyme at,
Because the sun, and stars, and aught that shines,
Mountains, and all we can be most sublime at,
Are there oft dull and dreary as a dun"
Whether a sky's or tradesman's is all one.
tradesman - obrero; artesano
An in-door life is less poetical;
And out of door hath showers, and mists, and sleet,
sleet - llovizna; perdigón de hielo, aguanieve, panish: t-needed
With which I could not brew a pastoral.
pastoral - pastoral
But be it as it may, a bard must meet
All difficulties, whether great or small,
To spoil his undertaking or complete,
undertaking - emprender; funeraria, emprendimiento; (undertake); emprender
And work away like spirit upon matter,
Embarrass'd somewhat both with fire and water.
Juan"in this respect, at least, like saints"
Was all things unto people of all sorts,
And lived contentedly, without complaints,
contentedly - Contento
In camps, in ships, in cottages, or courts"
Born with that happy soul which seldom faints,
faints - desmayos; débil, tenue
And mingling modestly in toils or sports.
mingling - mezclando; (mingle); mezclar
toils - trabajos; esfuerzo, labrar, trabajar
He likewise could be most things to all women,
Without the coxcombry of certain she men.
A fox-hunt to a foreigner is strange;
'Tis also subject to the double danger
Of tumbling first, and having in exchange
Some pleasant jesting at the awkward stranger:
But Juan had been early taught to range
The wilds, as doth an Arab turn'd avenger,
So that his horse, or charger, hunter, hack,
charger - cargador
Knew that he had a rider on his back.
rider - jinete
And now in this new field, with some applause,
He clear'd hedge, ditch, and double post, and rail,
And never craned, and made but few 'faux pas,'
craned - manivela; grúa
faux - imitación; falso
And only fretted when the scent 'gan fail.
He broke, 'tis true, some statutes of the laws
statutes - estatutos; estatuto
Of hunting"for the sagest youth is frail;
Rode o'er the hounds, it may be, now and then,
And once o'er several country gentlemen.
But on the whole, to general admiration
He acquitted both himself and horse: the squires
acquitted - absuelto; absolver, exculpar
squires - Escuderos; (squire) Escuderos
Marvell'd at merit of another nation;
The boors cried 'Dang it? who 'd have thought it?'"Sires,
Dang - Maldición
The Nestors of the sporting generation,
Nestors - nestors; Néstor
Swore praises, and recall'd their former fires;
The huntsman's self relented to a grin,
relented - cedió; ceder
And rated him almost a whipper-in.
whipper - Zas
Such were his trophies"not of spear and shield,
trophies - trofeos; trofeo
spear - lanza, jabalina
But leaps, and bursts, and sometimes foxes'brushes;
leaps - saltos; saltar, brincar
bursts - ráfagas; reventar, romper, ráfaga, estallo, reventón
foxes - zorros; zorro, zorra, raposo, traposa
Yet I must own,"although in this I yield
To patriot sympathy a Briton's blushes,"
He thought at heart like courtly Chesterfield,
courtly - Cortés
Who, after a long chase o'er hills, dales, bushes,
bushes - arbustos; arbusto
And what not, though he rode beyond all price,
Ask'd next day, 'If men ever hunted twice?'
He also had a quality uncommon
To early risers after a long chase,
risers - las bandas; contrahuella
Who wake in winter ere the cock can summon
December's drowsy day to his dull race,"
A quality agreeable to woman,
When her soft, liquid words run on apace,
Who likes a listener, whether saint or sinner,"
He did not fall asleep just after dinner;
But, light and airy, stood on the alert,
And shone in the best part of dialogue,
By humouring always what they might assert,
humouring - humor, seguir la corriente
And listening to the topics most in vogue;
Now grave, now gay, but never dull or pert;
And smiling but in secret"cunning rogue!
He ne'er presumed to make an error clearer;"
In short, there never was a better hearer.
hearer - Oyente
And then he danced;"all foreigners excel
excel - aventajar, superar, sobresalir, distinguirse
The serious Angles in the eloquence
Of pantomime;"he danced, I say, right well,
With emphasis, and also with good sense"
emphasis - énfasis, hincapié
A thing in footing indispensable;
He danced without theatrical pretence,
theatrical - teatral
Not like a ballet-master in the van
ballet - ballet, baile
Of his drill'd nymphs, but like a gentleman.
Chaste were his steps, each kept within due bound,
And elegance was sprinkled o'er his figure;
Like swift Camilla, he scarce skimm'd the ground,
skimm - Desnatada
And rather held in than put forth his vigour;
And then he had an ear for music's sound,
Which might defy a crotchet critic's rigour.
crotchet - negra
Such classic pas"sans flaws"set off our hero,
He glanced like a personified Bolero;
personified - ersonificado; personificar
Or, like a flying Hour before Aurora,
In Guido's famous fresco which alone
fresco - fresco
Is worth a tour to Rome, although no more a
Remnant were there of the old world's sole throne.
The 'tout ensemble'of his movements wore a
tout - buscar, intentar captar
Grace of the soft ideal, seldom shown,
And ne'er to be described; for to the dolour
dolour - dolor
Of bards and prosers, words are void of colour.
No marvel then he was a favourite;
A full-grown Cupid, very much admired;
A little spoilt, but by no means so quite;
At least he kept his vanity retired.
Such was his tact, he could alike delight
The chaste, and those who are not so much inspired.
The Duchess of Fitz-Fulke, who loved 'tracasserie,'
Began to treat him with some small 'agacerie.'
She was a fine and somewhat full-blown blonde,
Desirable, distinguish'd, celebrated
desirable - deseable, conveniente
For several winters in the grand, grand monde.
I'd rather not say what might be related
Of her exploits, for this were ticklish ground;
exploits - hazanas; hazana, proeza, gesta, heroicidad
ticklish - tienes cosquillas; cosquilloso
Besides there might be falsehood in what 's stated:
Her late performance had been a dead set
At Lord Augustus Fitz-Plantagenet.
This noble personage began to look
A little black upon this new flirtation;
But such small licences must lovers brook,
licences - icencias; licencia, permiso
Mere freedoms of the female corporation.
corporation - corporación, sociedad anónima
Woe to the man who ventures a rebuke!
ventures - aventuras; aventura, arriesgar
rebuke - reprender; reproche, reprensión, reprimenda, reprobación
'Twill but precipitate a situation
precipitate - precipitado
Extremely disagreeable, but common
To calculators when they count on woman.
calculators - calculadoras; calculador, calculadora
The circle smiled, then whisper'd, and then sneer'd;
The Misses bridled, and the matrons frown'd;
bridled - con bridas; brida
Some hoped things might not turn out as they fear'd;
Some would not deem such women could be found;
Some ne'er believed one half of what they heard;
Some look'd perplex'd, and others look'd profound;
profound - profundo
And several pitied with sincere regret
Poor Lord Augustus Fitz-Plantagenet.
But what is odd, none ever named the duke,
Who, one might think, was something in the affair;
True, he was absent, and, 'twas rumour'd, took
But small concern about the when, or where,
Or what his consort did: if he could brook
Her gaieties, none had a right to stare:
gaieties - gaieties; felicidad, alegría
Theirs was that best of unions, past all doubt,
Which never meets, and therefore can't fall out.
But, oh! that I should ever pen so sad a line!
Fired with an abstract love of virtue, she,
My Dian of the Ephesians, Lady Adeline,
Ephesians - efesios; efesio, efesio
Began to think the duchess'conduct free;
Regretting much that she had chosen so bad a line,
regretting - lamentando; lamentar, pena, pesar, arrepentimiento
And waxing chiller in her courtesy,
Look'd grave and pale to see her friend's fragility,
fragility - fragilidad
For which most friends reserve their sensibility.
sensibility - sensibilidad
There's nought in this bad world like sympathy:
'Tis so becoming to the soul and face,
Sets to soft music the harmonious sigh,
And robes sweet friendship in a Brussels lace.
Brussels - Bruselas
Without a friend, what were humanity,
To hunt our errors up with a good grace?
Consoling us with"'Would you had thought twice!
consoling - consolador; consolar
Ah, if you had but follow'd my advice!'
O job! you had two friends: one 's quite enough,
Especially when we are ill at ease;
They are but bad pilots when the weather 's rough,
Doctors less famous for their cures than fees.
Let no man grumble when his friends fall off,
grumble - grunir; refunfunar, rezongar
As they will do like leaves at the first breeze:
When your affairs come round, one way or t'other,
Go to the coffee-house, and take another.
But this is not my maxim: had it been,
Some heart-aches had been spared me: yet I care not"
I would not be a tortoise in his screen
Of stubborn shell, which waves and weather wear not.
'Tis better on the whole to have felt and seen
That which humanity may bear, or bear not:
'Twill teach discernment to the sensitive,
And not to pour their ocean in a sieve.
sieve - amiz; cedazo, rom solids, criba, cribar, colar
Of all the horrid, hideous notes of woe,
Sadder than owl-songs or the midnight blast,
Is that portentous phrase, 'I told you so,'
portentous - portentoso
Utter'd by friends, those prophets of the past,
utter - totalmente; absoluto, total
Who, 'stead of saying what you now should do,
Own they foresaw that you would fall at last,
foresaw - previó; pronosticar, prever, antever
And solace your slight lapse 'gainst 'bonos mores,'
lapse - lapso, desliz, prescripción
mores - mores; más
With a long memorandum of old stories.
memorandum - memorándum
The Lady Adeline's serene severity
Was not confined to feeling for her friend,
Whose fame she rather doubted with posterity,
Unless her habits should begin to mend:
But Juan also shared in her austerity,
austerity - austeridad
But mix'd with pity, pure as e'er was penn'd:
His inexperience moved her gentle ruth,
And (as her junior by six weeks) his youth.
These forty days'advantage of her years"
And hers were those which can face calculation,
Boldly referring to the list of peers
And noble births, nor dread the enumeration"
enumeration - enumeración
Gave her a right to have maternal fears
For a young gentleman's fit education,
Though she was far from that leap year, whose leap,
leap year - ano bisiesto
In female dates, strikes Time all of a heap.
strikes - huelgas; tachar, borrar, golpear, pegar, acunar
This may be fix'd at somewhere before thirty"
Say seven-and-twenty; for I never knew
The strictest in chronology and virtue
Advance beyond, while they could pass for new.
O Time! why dost not pause? Thy scythe, so dirty
With rust, should surely cease to hack and hew.
rust - oxido; óxido
Reset it; shave more smoothly, also slower,
reset - Reiniciar
If but to keep thy credit as a mower.
But Adeline was far from that ripe age,
Whose ripeness is but bitter at the best:
ripeness - madurez, sazón
'Twas rather her experience made her sage,
For she had seen the world and stood its test,
As I have said in"I forget What page;
What page - ?Qué página?
My Muse despises reference, as you have guess'd
despises - esprecia; desdenar
By this time;"but strike six from seven-and-twenty,
And you will find her sum of years in plenty.
At sixteen she came out; presented, vaunted,
vaunted - Vanagloriarse
She put all coronets into commotion:
At seventeen, too, the world was still enchanted
enchanted - encantado; encantar
With the new Venus of their brilliant ocean:
At eighteen, though below her feet still panted
A hecatomb of suitors with devotion,
She had consented to create again
That Adam, call'd 'The happiest of men.'
Since then she had sparkled through three glowing winters,
Admired, adored; but also so correct,
That she had puzzled all the acutest hinters,
acutest - acutest; agudo, perspicaz, sagaz, grave
Without the apparel of being circumspect:
apparel - atavío, ropa
They could not even glean the slightest splinters
slightest - lo más mínimo; insignificante, leve, ligero, falta de respeto
From off the marble, which had no defect.
She had also snatch'd a moment since her marriage
To bear a son and heir"and one miscarriage.
Fondly the wheeling fire-flies flew around her,
Those little glitterers of the London night;
glitterers - brillantes
But none of these possess'd a sting to wound her"
She was a pitch beyond a coxcomb's flight.
Perhaps she wish'd an aspirant profounder;
profounder - profundizador; profundo
But whatsoe'er she wish'd, she acted right;
And whether coldness, pride, or virtue dignify
A woman, so she 's good, what does it signify?
I hate a motive, like a lingering bottle
Which with the landlord makes too long a stand,
Leaving all-claretless the unmoisten'd throttle,
claretless - Sin claridad
throttle - válvula reguladora, acelerador
Especially with politics on hand;
I hate it, as I hate a drove of cattle,
Who whirl the dust as simooms whirl the sand;
simooms - simooms; simún
I hate it, as I hate an argument,
A laureate's ode, or servile peer's 'content.'
'Tis sad to hack into the roots of things,
They are so much intertwisted with the earth;
intertwisted - entrelazar
So that the branch a goodly verdure flings,
verdure - verdor, vegetación, verdura
I reck not if an acorn gave it birth.
acorn - bellota
To trace all actions to their secret springs
Would make indeed some melancholy mirth;
But this is not at present my concern,
And I refer you to wise Oxenstiern.
With the kind view of saving an eclat,
Both to the duchess and diplomatist,
diplomatist - diplomático
The Lady Adeline, as soon 's she saw
That Juan was unlikely to resist
resist - resistir, panish: t-needed
(For foreigners don't know that a faux pas
In England ranks quite on a different list
From those of other lands unblest with juries,
Whose verdict for such sin a certain cure is);"
The Lady Adeline resolved to take
Such measures as she thought might best impede
The farther progress of this sad mistake.
She thought with some simplicity indeed;
simplicity - simplicidad, sencillez, llano
But innocence is bold even at the stake,
And simple in the world, and doth not need
Nor use those palisades by dames erected,
Whose virtue lies in never being detected.
detected - detectado; detectar, sentir
It was not that she fear'd the very worst:
His Grace was an enduring, married man,
enduring - perdurable; aguantar, perdurar, tolerar, consentir, condescender
And was not likely all at once to burst
Into a scene, and swell the clients'clan
clan - clan
Of Doctors'Commons: but she dreaded first
The magic of her Grace's talisman,
talisman - talismán
And next a quarrel (as he seem'd to fret)
With Lord Augustus Fitz-Plantagenet.
Her Grace, too, pass'd for being an intrigante,
And somewhat mechante in her amorous sphere;
One of those pretty, precious plagues, which haunt
haunt - persecución; frecuentar, espantar, desasosegar, inquietar
A lover with caprices soft and dear,
That like to make a quarrel, when they can't
Find one, each day of the delightful year;
Bewitching, torturing, as they freeze or glow,
bewitching - hechizante; hechizar, embrujar
torturing - tortura; (torture); tortura, suplicio, torturar
And"what is worst of all"won't let you go:
The sort of thing to turn a young man's head,
Or make a Werter of him in the end.
No wonder then a purer soul should dread
This sort of chaste liaison for a friend;
It were much better to be wed or dead,
Than wear a heart a woman loves to rend.
rend - render; rasgar, destrozar, desgajar, romper
'Tis best to pause, and think, ere you rush on,
If that a 'bonne fortune'be really 'bonne.'
And first, in the o'erflowing of her heart,
Which really knew or thought it knew no guile,
guile - astucia; mana para enganar
She call'd her husband now and then apart,
And bade him counsel Juan. With a smile
Lord Henry heard her plans of artless art
artless - sin arte; cándido, natural
To wean Don Juan from the siren's wile;
And answer'd, like a statesman or a prophet,
In such guise that she could make nothing of it.
Firstly, he said, 'he never interfered
In any body's business but the king's:'
Next, that 'he never judged from what appear'd,
Without strong reason, of those sort of things:'
Thirdly, that 'Juan had more brain than beard,
And was not to be held in leading strings;'
And fourthly, what need hardly be said twice,
fourthly - en cuarto lugar
'That good but rarely came from good advice.'
And, therefore, doubtless to approve the truth
approve - aprobar; tener un buen concepto de
Of the last axiom, he advised his spouse
axiom - axioma
To leave the parties to themselves, forsooth"
At least as far as bienseance allows:
bienseance - bienestar
That time would temper Juan's faults of youth;
That young men rarely made monastic vows;
That opposition only more attaches"
opposition - oposición
But here a messenger brought in despatches:
messenger - mensajero
And being of the council call'd 'the Privy,'
Privy - privado; cómplice
Lord Henry walk'd into his cabinet,
To furnish matter for some future Livy
To tell how he reduced the nation's debt;
And if their full contents I do not give ye,
Contents - ontenido; satisfecho
It is because I do not know them yet;
But I shall add them in a brief appendix,
To come between mine epic and its index.
But ere he went, he added a slight hint,
Another gentle common-place or two,
Such as are coin'd in conversation's mint,
mint - menta; casa de la moneda
And pass, for want of better, though not new:
Then broke his packet, to see what was in 't,
packet - paquete
And having casually glanced it through,
casually - Casualmente
Retired; and, as went out, calmly kiss'd her,
Less like a young wife than an aged sister.
He was a cold, good, honourable man,
Proud of his birth, and proud of every thing;
A goodly spirit for a state divan,
A figure fit to walk before a king;
Tall, stately, form'd to lead the courtly van
On birthdays, glorious with a star and string;
The very model of a chamberlain"
chamberlain - chambelán
And such I mean to make him when I reign.
But there was something wanting on the whole"
I don't know what, and therefore cannot tell"
Which pretty women"the sweet souls!"call soul.
Certes it was not body; he was well
Proportion'd, as a poplar or a pole,
poplar - álamo, chopo
A handsome man, that human miracle;
And in each circumstance of love or war
Had still preserved his perpendicular.
Still there was something wanting, as I've said"
That undefinable 'Je ne scais quoi,'
undefinable - indefinible
quoi - Qué
Which, for what I know, may of yore have led
To Homer's Iliad, since it drew to Troy
Iliad - la ilíada; Ilíada
The Greek Eve, Helen, from the Spartan's bed;
Helen - Helena, Elena
Though on the whole, no doubt, the Dardan boy
Was much inferior to King Menelaus:"
But thus it is some women will betray us.
There is an awkward thing which much perplexes,
Unless like wise Tiresias we had proved
By turns the difference of the several sexes;
Neither can show quite how they would be loved.
The sensual for a short time but connects us,
The sentimental boasts to be unmoved;
boasts - se jacta; vanagloriarse, jactarse de, fanfarronear
But both together form a kind of centaur,
Upon whose back 'tis better not to venture.
A something all-sufficient for the heart
Is that for which the sex are always seeking:
But how to fill up that same vacant part?
There lies the rub"and this they are but weak in.
Rub - frotación, frotamiento, frote, frotar
Frail mariners afloat without a chart,
mariners - marineros; marinero
They run before the wind through high seas breaking;
And when they have made the shore through every shock,
'Tis odd, or odds, it may turn out a rock.
There is a flower call'd 'Love in Idleness,'
For which see Shakspeare's everblooming garden;"
everblooming - verblooming
I will not make his great description less,
And beg his British godship's humble pardon,
godship - deidad
If in my extremity of rhyme's distress,
I touch a single leaf where he is warden;"
warden - alcaide; director
But though the flower is different, with the French
Or Swiss Rousseau, cry 'Voila la Pervenche!'
Swiss - suizo, helvético, suizo, suiza
Eureka! I have found it! What I mean
Eureka - eureka
To say is, not that love is idleness,
But that in love such idleness has been
An accessory, as I have cause to guess.
accessory - accesorio
Hard labour's an indifferent go-between;
Your men of business are not apt to express
Much passion, since the merchant-ship, the Argo,
merchant-ship - (merchant-ship) un barco mercante
Convey'd Medea as her supercargo.
supercargo - sobrecargo
'Beatus ille procul!'from 'negotiis,'
negotiis - negociar
Saith Horace; the great little poet 's wrong;
His other maxim, 'Noscitur a sociis,'
Is much more to the purpose of his song;
Though even that were sometimes too ferocious,
ferocious - feroz
Unless good company be kept too long;
But, in his teeth, whate'er their state or station,
Thrice happy they who have an occupation!
Adam exchanged his Paradise for ploughing,
ploughing - arado; arada; (plough); arado, Carro Mayor, arar, labrar
Eve made up millinery with fig leaves"
millinery - una sombrerería; boneteria
fig - higo
The earliest knowledge from the tree so knowing,
As far as I know, that the church receives:
And since that time it need not cost much showing,
That many of the ills o'er which man grieves,
And still more women, spring from not employing
Some hours to make the remnant worth enjoying.
And hence high life is oft a dreary void,
A rack of pleasures, where we must invent
A something wherewithal to be annoy'd.
wherewithal - con qué; medios
Bards may sing what they please about Content;
Contented, when translated, means but cloy'd;
contented - contento; satisfecho
cloy - Dulce
And hence arise the woes of sentiment,
Blue devils, and blue-stockings, and romances
Reduced to practice, and perform'd like dances.
I do declare, upon an affidavit,
affidavit - declaración jurada, affidávit, afidávit
Romances I ne'er read like those I have seen;
Nor, if unto the world I ever gave it,
Would some believe that such a tale had been:
But such intent I never had, nor have it;
Some truths are better kept behind a screen,
Especially when they would look like lies;
I therefore deal in generalities.
generalities - Generalidad
'An oyster may be cross'd in love,'"and why?
oyster - ostra, ostra, tumba
Because he mopeth idly in his shell,
And heaves a lonely subterraqueous sigh,
heaves - golpes; ondular
subterraqueous - subterráneo
Much as a monk may do within his cell:
cell - célula; celda
And a-propos of monks, their piety
With sloth hath found it difficult to dwell;
sloth - pereza, perezoso
Those vegetables of the Catholic creed
Are apt exceedingly to run to seed.
run to seed - venirse a menos; echar semillas
O Wilberforce! thou man of black renown,
Whose merit none enough can sing or say,
Thou hast struck one immense Colossus down,
colossus - coloso
Thou moral Washington of Africa!
But there's another little thing, I own,
Which you should perpetrate some summer's day,
perpetrate - perpetrar
And set the other halt of earth to rights;
You have freed the blacks"now pray shut up the whites.
Shut up the bald-coot bully Alexander!
bald - calvo, pelón
Bully - intimidador; bravucón, abusón, matón, abusador
Ship off the Holy Three to Senegal;
Senegal - Senegal
Teach them that 'sauce for goose is sauce for gander,'
And ask them how they like to be in thrall?
thrall - Esclavitud
Shut up each high heroic salamander,
Who eats fire gratis (since the pay 's but small);
Shut up"no, not the King, but the Pavilion,
Or else 'twill cost us all another million.
Shut up the world at large, let Bedlam out;
And you will be perhaps surprised to find
All things pursue exactly the same route,
As now with those of soi-disant sound mind.
This I could prove beyond a single doubt,
Were there a jot of sense among mankind;
But till that point d'appui is found, alas!
Like Archimedes, I leave earth as 'twas.
Our gentle Adeline had one defect"
Her heart was vacant, though a splendid mansion;
Her conduct had been perfectly correct,
As she had seen nought claiming its expansion.
expansion - expansión, dilatación
A wavering spirit may be easier wreck'd,
Because 'tis frailer, doubtless, than a stanch one;
frailer - frágil; débil, delicado
stanch - puntalar
But when the latter works its own undoing,
undoing - deshaciendo; (undo) deshaciendo
Its inner crash is like an earthquake's ruin.
She loved her lord, or thought so; but that love
Cost her an effort, which is a sad toil,
The stone of Sisyphus, if once we move
Sisyphus - Sísifo
Our feelings 'gainst the nature of the soil.
She had nothing to complain of, or reprove,
No bickerings, no connubial turmoil:
bickerings - Discusiones
turmoil - confusión; desorden, turbulencia, dificultad, tumulto
Their union was a model to behold,
Serene and noble,"conjugal, but cold.
There was no great disparity of years,
disparity - disparidad
Though much in temper; but they never clash'd:
They moved like stars united in their spheres,
Or like the Rhone by Leman's waters wash'd,
Rhone - Ródano
Where mingled and yet separate appears
The river from the lake, all bluely dash'd
bluely - Azul
Through the serene and placid glassy deep,
Which fain would lull its river-child to sleep.
Now when she once had ta'en an interest
In any thing, however she might flatter
Herself that her intentions were the best,
Intense intentions are a dangerous matter:
Impressions were much stronger than she guess'd,
And gather'd as they run like growing water
Upon her mind; the more so, as her breast
Was not at first too readily impress'd.
But when it was, she had that lurking demon
Of double nature, and thus doubly named"
Firmness yclept in heroes, kings, and seamen,
That is, when they succeed; but greatly blamed
As obstinacy, both in men and women,
Whene'er their triumph pales, or star is tamed:"
And 'twill perplex the casuist in morality
To fix the due bounds of this dangerous quality.
Had Buonaparte won at Waterloo,
It had been firmness; now 'tis pertinacity:
Must the event decide between the two?
I leave it to your people of sagacity
sagacity - sagacidad, sagaz
To draw the line between the false and true,
If such can e'er be drawn by man's capacity:
capacity - capacidad
My business is with Lady Adeline,
Who in her way too was a heroine.
She knew not her own heart; then how should I?
I think not she was then in love with Juan:
If so, she would have had the strength to fly
The wild sensation, unto her a new one:
She merely felt a common sympathy
(I will not say it was a false or true one)
In him, because she thought he was in danger,"
Her husband's friend, her own, young, and a stranger,
She was, or thought she was, his friend"and this
Without the farce of friendship, or romance
Of Platonism, which leads so oft amiss
Ladies who have studied friendship but in France,
Or Germany, where people purely kiss.
purely - Puramente
To thus much Adeline would not advance;
But of such friendship as man's may to man be
She was as capable as woman can be.
capable - capaz
No doubt the secret influence of the sex
Will there, as also in the ties of blood,
An innocent predominance annex,
predominance - Predominio
And tune the concord to a finer mood.
Concord - concordia
If free from passion, which all friendship checks,
And your true feelings fully understood,
No friend like to a woman earth discovers,
So that you have not been nor will be lovers.
Love bears within its breast the very germ
germ - gérmenes; germen
Of change; and how should this be otherwise?
That violent things more quickly find a term
Is shown through nature's whole analogies;
analogies - analogías; analogía
And how should the most fierce of all be firm?
Would you have endless lightning in the skies?
Methinks Love's very title says enough:
How should 'the tender passion'e'er be tough?
Alas! by all experience, seldom yet
(I merely quote what I have heard from many)
Had lovers not some reason to regret
The passion which made Solomon a zany.
zany - alocada; alocado, disparatado, chiflado
I've also seen some wives (not to forget
The marriage state, the best or worst of any)
Who were the very paragons of wives,
paragons - paragones; modelo, dechado, parangón, gran paragon
Yet made the misery of at least two lives.
I've also seen some female friends ( 'tis odd,
female friends - amigas
But true"as, if expedient, I could prove)
That faithful were through thick and thin, abroad,
At home, far more than ever yet was Love"
Who did not quit me when Oppression trod
Upon me; whom no scandal could remove;
Who fought, and fight, in absence, too, my battles,
Despite the snake Society's loud rattles.
Whether Don Juan and chaste Adeline
Grew friends in this or any other sense,
Will be discuss'd hereafter, I opine:
At present I am glad of a pretence
To leave them hovering, as the effect is fine,
And keeps the atrocious reader in suspense;
The surest way for ladies and for books
To bait their tender, or their tenter, hooks.
bait - cebo, carnada, carnaza
tenter - Tentador
Whether they rode, or walk'd, or studied Spanish
To read Don Quixote in the original,
A pleasure before which all others vanish;
Whether their talk was of the kind call'd 'small,'
Or serious, are the topics I must banish
To the next Canto; where perhaps I shall
Say something to the purpose, and display
Considerable talent in my way.
Above all, I beg all men to forbear
Anticipating aught about the matter:
anticipating - nticipando; anticipar, prever
They'll only make mistakes about the fair,
And Juan too, especially the latter.
And I shall take a much more serious air
Than I have yet done, in this epic satire.
It is not clear that Adeline and Juan
Will fall; but if they do, 'twill be their ruin.
But great things spring from little:"Would you think,
That in our youth, as dangerous a passion
As e'er brought man and woman to the brink
Of ruin, rose from such a slight occasion,
As few would ever dream could form the link
Of such a sentimental situation?
You'll never guess, I'll bet you millions, milliards"
milliards - Millones
It all sprung from a harmless game at billiards.
'Tis strange,"but true; for truth is always strange;
Stranger than fiction; if it could be told,
How much would novels gain by the exchange!
How differently the world would men behold!
How oft would vice and virtue places change!
The new world would be nothing to the old,
If some Columbus of the moral seas
Columbus - Cristóbal Colón
Would show mankind their souls'antipodes.
What 'antres vast and deserts idle'then
antres - ntre
Would be discover'd in the human soul!
human soul - alma humana
What icebergs in the hearts of mighty men,
icebergs - icebergs; banquisa, iceberg, témpano de hielo, témpano
With self-love in the centre as their pole!
What Anthropophagi are nine of ten
Anthropophagi - Antropófagos; (anthropophagus) Antropófagos
Of those who hold the kingdoms in control
Were things but only call'd by their right name,
Caesar himself would be ashamed of fame.
Ah!"What should follow slips from my reflection;
slips - resbalones; resbalar
Whatever follows ne'ertheless may be
As Ă propos of hope or retrospection,
As though the lurking thought had follow'd free.
All present life is but an interjection,
interjection - interjección
An 'Oh!'or 'Ah!'of joy or misery,
Or a 'Ha! ha!'or 'Bah!'"a yawn, or 'Pooh!'
ha - Ja
Of which perhaps the latter is most true.
But, more or less, the whole 's a syncope
syncope - síncopa, síncope, soponcio
Or a singultus"emblems of emotion,
emblems - emblemas; emblema
The grand antithesis to great ennui,
Wherewith we break our bubbles on the ocean,"
That watery outline of eternity,
Or miniature at least, as is my notion,
miniature - miniatura
Which ministers unto the soul's delight,
In seeing matters which are out of sight.
But all are better than the sigh supprest,
Corroding in the cavern of the heart,
corroding - corrosión; corroer
Making the countenance a masque of rest,
countenance - semblante, apariencia, expresión, rostro
masque - mascarilla
And turning human nature to an art.
Few men dare show their thoughts of worst or best;
Dissimulation always sets apart
A corner for herself; and therefore fiction
Is that which passes with least contradiction.
Ah! who can tell? Or rather, who can not
Remember, without telling, passion's errors?
The drainer of oblivion, even the sot,
sot - tomador, borracho, bebedor
Hath got blue devils for his morning mirrors:
What though on Lethe's stream he seem to float,
He cannot sink his tremors or his terrors;
tremors - temblores; temblor, terremoto
The ruby glass that shakes within his hand
ruby - rubí
Leaves a sad sediment of Time's worst sand.
sediment - sedimentos; sedimento, sedimentar
And as for love"O love!"We will proceed.
The Lady Adeline Amundeville,
A pretty name as one would wish to read,
Must perch harmonious on my tuneful quill.
There's music in the sighing of a reed;
There's music in the gushing of a rill;
There's music in all things, if men had ears:
Their earth is but an echo of the spheres.
The Lady Adeline, Right Honourable;
Right Honourable - Muy honorable
And honour'd, ran a risk of growing less so;
For few of the soft sex are very stable
In their resolves"alas! that I should say so!
Resolves - resuelve; tomar la decisión de, resolver
They differ as wine differs from its label,
differs - difiere; ser distinto
When once decanted;"I presume to guess so,
decanted - decantado; decantar, transvasar, trasvasar
But will not swear: yet both upon occasion,
Till old, may undergo adulteration.
But Adeline was of the purest vintage,
The unmingled essence of the grape; and yet
unmingled - desmezclar
Bright as a new Napoleon from its mintage,
Or glorious as a diamond richly set;
A page where Time should hesitate to print age,
hesitate - vacilar, dudar, hesitar
And for which Nature might forego her debt"
forego - Renunciar
Sole creditor whose process doth involve in 't
involve in - Involucrarse en
The luck of finding every body solvent.
solvent - disolvente
O Death! thou dunnest of all duns! thou daily
Knockest at doors, at first with modest tap,
tap - golpear; golpecito, palmadita
Like a meek tradesman when, approaching palely,
meek - dócil; modesto, humilde, resignado, sumiso, manso
Some splendid debtor he would take by sap:
But oft denied, as patience 'gins to fail, he
gins - ginebras; ginebra
Advances with exasperated rap,
advances - avances; avanzar, progresar, avance, progreso, adelanto, avance
exasperated - exasperado; exasperar
And (if let in) insists, in terms unhandsome,
insists - insiste; insistir
unhandsome - poco guapo
On ready money, or 'a draft on Ransom.'
Whate'er thou takest, spare a while poor Beauty!
takest - akest
She is so rare, and thou hast so much prey.
What though she now and then may slip from duty,
The more 's the reason why you ought to stay.
Gaunt Gourmand! with whole nations for your booty,
gourmand - tragaldabas, glotón, comilón, tragón
You should be civil in a modest way:
Suppress, then, some slight feminine diseases,
And take as many heroes as Heaven pleases.
Fair Adeline, the more ingenuous
Where she was interested (as was said),
Because she was not apt, like some of us,
To like too readily, or too high bred
To show it (points we need not now discuss)"
Would give up artlessly both heart and head
artlessly - sin arte
Unto such feelings as seem'd innocent,
For objects worthy of the sentiment.
Some parts of Juan's history, which Rumour,
That live gazette, had scatter'd to disfigure,
disfigure - desfigurar
She had heard; but women hear with more good humour
Such aberrations than we men of rigour:
aberrations - aberraciones; aberración, alienación, locura, enajenación
Besides, his conduct, since in England, grew more
Strict, and his mind assumed a manlier vigour;
Because he had, like Alcibiades,
The art of living in all climes with ease.
His manner was perhaps the more seductive,
more seductive - más seductor
Because he ne'er seem'd anxious to seduce;
seduce - seducir
Nothing affected, studied, or constructive
constructive - constructivo
Of coxcombry or conquest: no abuse
Of his attractions marr'd the fair perspective,
To indicate a Cupidon broke loose,
And seem to say, 'Resist us if you can'-
Which makes a dandy while it spoils a man.
They are wrong"that 's not the way to set about it;
As, if they told the truth, could well be shown.
But, right or wrong, Don Juan was without it;
In fact, his manner was his own alone;
Sincere he was"at least you could not doubt it,
In listening merely to his voice's tone.
The devil hath not in all his quiver's choice
An arrow for the heart like a sweet voice.
By nature soft, his whole address held off
Suspicion: though not timid, his regard
Was such as rather seem'd to keep aloof,
To shield himself than put you on your guard:
Perhaps 'twas hardly quite assured enough,
But modesty 's at times its own reward,
Like virtue; and the absence of pretension
pretension - Pretensión
Will go much farther than there's need to mention.
Serene, accomplish'd, cheerful but not loud;
Insinuating without insinuation;
insinuating - insinuando; insinuar
insinuation - insinuación
Observant of the foibles of the crowd,
Yet ne'er betraying this in conversation;
betraying - traicionando; traicionar, entregar, vender, delatar, demostrar
Proud with the proud, yet courteously proud,
So as to make them feel he knew his station
And theirs:"without a struggle for priority,
priority - Prioridad
He neither brook'd nor claim'd superiority.
superiority - superioridad
That is, with men: with women he was what
They pleased to make or take him for; and their
Imagination 's quite enough for that:
So that the outline 's tolerably fair,
They fill the canvas up"and 'verbum sat.'
If once their phantasies be brought to bear
Upon an object, whether sad or playful,
They can transfigure brighter than a Raphael.
transfigure - transfigurar
Adeline, no deep judge of character,
Was apt to add a colouring from her own:
'Tis thus the good will amiably err,
amiably - amablemente
And eke the wise, as has been often shown.
Experience is the chief philosopher,
But saddest when his science is well known:
And persecuted sages teach the schools
Persecuted - perseguido; perseguir
Their folly in forgetting there are fools.
Was it not so, great Locke? and greater Bacon?
Great Socrates? And thou, Diviner still,
Whose lot it is by man to be mistaken,
And thy pure creed made sanction of all ill?
Redeeming worlds to be by bigots shaken,
bigots - idiotas; fanático
How was thy toil rewarded? We might fill
rewarded - recompensado; recompensa
Volumes with similar sad illustrations,
But leave them to the conscience of the nations.
I perch upon an humbler promontory,
Amidst life's infinite variety:
infinite - infinito
With no great care for what is nicknamed glory,
nicknamed - apodado; apodo, mote, sobrenombre
But speculating as I cast mine eye
On what may suit or may not suit my story,
And never straining hard to versify,
I rattle on exactly as I'd talk
rattle - sonajero; hacer sonar, hacer vibrar
With any body in a ride or walk.
I don't know that there may be much ability
Shown in this sort of desultory rhyme;
desultory - esporádico; incoherente
But there's a conversational facility,
conversational - conversacional
facility - facilidad, instalación, material
Which may round off an hour upon a time.
round off - Redondear
Of this I'm sure at least, there's no servility
servility - servilismo
In mine irregularity of chime,
Which rings what 's uppermost of new or hoary,
Just as I feel the 'Improvvisatore.'
'Omnia vult belle Matho dicere"dic aliquando
dicere - icere
Et bene, dic neutrum, dic aliquando male.'
bene - Bajo
The first is rather more than mortal can do;
The second may be sadly done or gaily;
The third is still more difficult to stand to;
The fourth we hear, and see, and say too, daily.
The whole together is what I could wish
To serve in this conundrum of a dish.
conundrum - adivinanza, acertijo, interrogante, dilema, enigma
A modest hope"but modesty 's my forte,
And pride my feeble:"let us ramble on.
I meant to make this poem very short,
But now I can't tell where it may not run.
No doubt, if I had wish'to pay my court
To critics, or to hail the setting sun
setting sun - Sol poniente; puesta del sol
Of tyranny of all kinds, my concision
concision - concisión
Were more;"but I was born for opposition.
But then 'tis mostly on the weaker side;
So that I verily believe if they
verily - verdaderamente, de verdad, de veras, realmente
Who now are basking in their full-blown pride
Were shaken down, and 'dogs had had their day,'
Though at the first I might perchance deride
deride - burlarse; ridiculizar
Their tumble, I should turn the other way,
And wax an ultra-royalist in loyalty,
loyalty - lealtad, lealtad
Because I hate even democratic royalty.
democratic - democrático
I think I should have made a decent spouse,
If I had never proved the soft condition;
I think I should have made monastic vows,
But for my own peculiar superstition:
'Gainst rhyme I never should have knock'd my brows,
Nor broken my own head, nor that of Priscian,
Nor worn the motley mantle of a poet,
If some one had not told me to forego it.
But 'laissez aller'"knights and dames I sing,
Such as the times may furnish. 'Tis a flight
Which seems at first to need no lofty wing,
Plumed by Longinus or the Stagyrite:
plumed - plumaje; ciruela
The difficultly lies in colouring
difficultly - dificultad; difícilmente
(Keeping the due proportions still in sight)
proportions - proporciones; proporción
With nature manners which are artificial,
artificial - artificial
And rend'ring general that which is especial.
The difference is, that in the days of old
Men made the manners; manners now make men"
Pinn'd like a flock, and fleeced too in their fold,
At least nine, and a ninth beside of ten.
Now this at all events must render cold
Your writers, who must either draw again
Days better drawn before, or else assume
The present, with their common-place costume.
We'll do our best to make the best on 't:"March!
March, my Muse! If you cannot fly, yet flutter;
And when you may not be sublime, be arch,
Or starch, as are the edicts statesmen utter.
We surely may find something worth research:
Columbus found a new world in a cutter,
Or brigantine, or pink, of no great tonnage,
brigantine - Bergantín
While yet America was in her non-age.
When Adeline, in all her growing sense
Of Juan's merits and his situation,
Felt on the whole an interest intense,"
Partly perhaps because a fresh sensation,
partly - en parte, en cierto modo
Or that he had an air of innocence,
Which is for innocence a sad temptation,"
As women hate half measures, on the whole,
She 'gan to ponder how to save his soul.
She had a good opinion of advice,
Like all who give and eke receive it gratis,
For which small thanks are still the market price,
Even where the article at highest rate is:
She thought upon the subject twice or thrice,
And morally decided, the best state is
morally - moralmente
For morals, marriage; and this question carried,
She seriously advised him to get married.
Juan replied, with all becoming deference,
He had a predilection for that tie;
predilection - predilección
But that, at present, with immediate reference
To his own circumstances, there might lie
Some difficulties, as in his own preference,
Or that of her to whom he might apply:
That still he'd wed with such or such a lady,
If that they were not married all already.
Next to the making matches for herself,
And daughters, brothers, sisters, kith or kin,
Arranging them like books on the same shelf,
There's nothing women love to dabble in
dabble - disfrutar; chapotear, aventurarse en, chapoteo, escarceo
More (like a stock-holder in growing pelf)
holder - soporte, tenedor, titular, poseedor
Than match-making in general: 'tis no sin
Certes, but a preventative, and therefore
preventative - Preventivo
That is, no doubt, the only reason wherefore.
But never yet (except of course a miss
Unwed, or mistress never to be wed,
Or wed already, who object to this)
Was there chaste dame who had not in her head
Some drama of the marriage unities,
unities - unidades; unidad
Observed as strictly both at board and bed
As those of Aristotle, though sometimes
They turn out melodrames or pantomimes.
melodrames - Melodrama
They generally have some only son,
Some heir to a large property, some friend
Of an old family, some gay Sir john,
Or grave Lord George, with whom perhaps might end
A line, and leave posterity undone,
Unless a marriage was applied to mend
The prospect and their morals: and besides,
prospect - prospecto; perspectiva, vista, panorama, expectativa, prospectar
They have at hand a blooming glut of brides.
glut - abundancia; saciar, glotonear
From these they will be careful to select,
For this an heiress, and for that a beauty;
For one a songstress who hath no defect,
songstress - cantante, cantora
For t'other one who promises much duty;
For this a lady no one can reject,
Whose sole accomplishments were quite a booty;
A second for her excellent connections;
A third, because there can be no objections.
objections - objeciones; objeción, protesta
When Rapp the Harmonist embargo'd marriage
Harmonist - Armonista
In his harmonious settlement (which flourishes
settlement - poblado, asentamiento, finiquito, acuerdo
Strangely enough as yet without miscarriage,
strangely - extranamente; extranamente
Because it breeds no more mouths than it nourishes,
breeds - razas; criar, procrear, aparearse, cultivar, engendrar, raza
nourishes - utre; nutrir
Without those sad expenses which disparage
What Nature naturally most encourages)"
Why call'd he 'Harmony'a state sans wedlock?
Now here I've got the preacher at a dead lock.
Because he either meant to sneer at harmony
Or marriage, by divorcing them thus oddly.
divorcing - divorcio, divorciar, divorciarse
oddly - extranamente; extranamente, curiosamente, sorprendentemente
But whether reverend Rapp learn'd this in Germany
Or no, 'tis said his sect is rich and godly,
godly - dios; santo
Pious and pure, beyond what I can term any
Of ours, although they propagate more broadly.
broadly - ampliamente; a grandes rasgos, en líneas generales
My objection 's to his title, not his ritual,
Ritual - ritual
Although I wonder how it grew habitual.
habitual - habitual
But Rapp is the reverse of zealous matrons,
Who favour, malgre Malthus, generation"
Professors of that genial art, and patrons
patrons - patrones; patrón, mecenas, patrocinador, auspiciador, cliente
Of all the modest part of propagation;
Which after all at such a desperate rate runs,
That half its produce tends to emigration,
emigration - emigración
That sad result of passions and potatoes"
Two weeds which pose our economic Catos.
Had Adeline read Malthus? I can't tell;
I wish she had: his book 's the eleventh commandment,
Which says, 'Thou shalt not marry,'unless well:
This he (as far as I can understand) meant.
'Tis not my purpose on his views to dwell
Nor canvass what so 'eminent a hand'meant;
But certes it conducts to lives ascetic,
conducts - onduce; conducción, conducta, guiar, dirigir, manejar, conducir
ascetic - ascético, asceta
Or turning marriage into arithmetic.
Arithmetic - aritmética, aritmético
But Adeline, who probably presumed
That Juan had enough of maintenance,
maintenance - mantenimiento
Or separate maintenance, in case 'twas doom'd"
As on the whole it is an even chance
That bridegrooms, after they are fairly groom'd,
groom - novio; mozo de cuadra
May retrograde a little in the dance
retrograde - retrógrada
Of marriage (which might form a painter's fame,
Like Holbein's 'Dance of Death'"but 'tis the same);"
But Adeline determined Juan's wedding
In her own mind, and that 's enough for woman:
But then, with whom? There was the sage Miss Reading,
Miss Raw, Miss Flaw, Miss Showman, and Miss Knowman.
And the two fair co-heiresses Giltbedding.
She deem'd his merits something more than common:
All these were unobjectionable matches,
unobjectionable - inobjetable
And might go on, if well wound up, like watches.
There was Miss Millpond, smooth as summer's sea,
That usual paragon, an only daughter,
Who seem'd the cream of equanimity
equanimity - equanimidad; ecuanimidad
Till skimm'd"and then there was some milk and water,
With a slight shade of blue too, it might be,
Beneath the surface; but what did it matter?
Love 's riotous, but marriage should have quiet,
riotous - Disturbios
And being consumptive, live on a milk diet.
consumptive - consumidor; tísico
And then there was the Miss Audacia Shoestring,
A dashing demoiselle of good estate,
Whose heart was fix'd upon a star or blue string;
But whether English dukes grew rare of late,
Or that she had not harp'd upon the true string,
By which such sirens can attract our great,
She took up with some foreign younger brother,
A Russ or Turk"the one 's as good as t'other.
And then there was"but why should I go on,
Unless the ladies should go off?"there was
Indeed a certain fair and fairy one,
Of the best class, and better than her class,"
Aurora Raby, a young star who shone
O'er life, too sweet an image for such glass,
A lovely being, scarcely form'd or moulded,
moulded - moldeado; mantillo
A rose with all its sweetest leaves yet folded;
Rich, noble, but an orphan; left an only
Child to the care of guardians good and kind;
But still her aspect had an air so lonely!
Blood is not water; and where shall we find
Feelings of youth like those which overthrown lie
overthrown - derribado; derrocar, derribar
By death, when we are left, alas! behind,
To feel, in friendless palaces, a home
friendless - sin amigos
Is wanting, and our best ties in the tomb?
Early in years, and yet more infantine
infantine - infantina
In figure, she had something of sublime
In eyes which sadly shone, as seraphs'shine.
seraphs - serafines; serafín
All youth"but with an aspect beyond time;
Radiant and grave"as pitying man's decline;
Mournful"but mournful of another's crime,
mournful - lúgubre; melancólico, lastimero
She look'd as if she sat by Eden's door.
And grieved for those who could return no more.
She was a Catholic, too, sincere, austere,
austere - austeridad; severo, austero
As far as her own gentle heart allow'd,
And deem'd that fallen worship far more dear
Perhaps because 'twas fallen: her sires were proud
Of deeds and days when they had fill'd the ear
Of nations, and had never bent or bow'd
To novel power; and as she was the last,
She held their old faith and old feelings fast.
She gazed upon a world she scarcely knew,
As seeking not to know it; silent, lone,
As grows a flower, thus quietly she grew,
And kept her heart serene within its zone.
There was awe in the homage which she drew;
homage - homenaje
Her spirit seem'd as seated on a throne
Apart from the surrounding world, and strong
In its own strength"most strange in one so young!
Now it so happen'd, in the catalogue
Of Adeline, Aurora was omitted,
omitted - omitido; omitir, dejar de lado, dejarse en el tintero
Although her birth and wealth had given her vogue
Beyond the charmers we have already cited;
Charmers - encantadores; encantador, encantadora
cited - Citar
Her beauty also seem'd to form no clog
clog - zueco, bloqueo, obstrucción, obstruir, azolvar, bloquear
Against her being mention'd as well fitted,
By many virtues, to be worth the trouble
Of single gentlemen who would be double.
And this omission, like that of the bust
Of Brutus at the pageant of Tiberius,
pageant - oncurso; muestra, cabalgata, comparsa, espectáculo, exhibición
Made Juan wonder, as no doubt he must.
This he express'd half smiling and half serious;
When Adeline replied with some disgust,
And with an air, to say the least, imperious,
She marvell'd 'what he saw in such a baby
As that prim, silent, cold Aurora Raby?'
Juan rejoin'd"'She was a Catholic,
And therefore fittest, as of his persuasion;
Since he was sure his mother would fall sick,
And the Pope thunder excommunication,
excommunication - excomunión, descomunión
If-'But here Adeline, who seem'd to pique
Herself extremely on the inoculation
inoculation - inoculación; vacunación
Of others with her own opinions, stated"
As usual"the same reason which she late did.
And wherefore not? A reasonable reason,
If good, is none the worse for repetition;
If bad, the best way 's certainly to tease on,
And amplify: you lose much by concision,
amplify - amplificar
Whereas insisting in or out of season
Convinces all men, even a politician;
Or"what is just the same"it wearies out.
wearies - cansado, cansino, cansar
So the end 's gain'd, what signifies the route?
signifies - significar, senalar, checksuponer, checkrepresentar
Why Adeline had this slight prejudice"
prejudice - prejuicios; prejuicio, perjudicar, prejuiciar
For prejudice it was"against a creature
As pure as sanctity itself from vice,
sanctity - santidad
With all the added charm of form and feature,
For me appears a question far too nice,
Since Adeline was liberal by nature;
But nature 's nature, and has more caprices
Than I have time, or will, to take to pieces.
Perhaps she did not like the quiet way
With which Aurora on those baubles look'd,
baubles - chucherías; bola de navidad
Which charm most people in their earlier day:
For there are few things by mankind less brook'd,
And womankind too, if we so may say,
Than finding thus their genius stand rebuked,
rebuked - reprendido; reproche, reprensión, reprimenda, reprobación
Like 'Anthony's by Caesar,'by the few
Who look upon them as they ought to do.
It was not envy"Adeline had none;
Her place was far beyond it, and her mind.
It was not scorn"which could not light on one
Whose greatest fault was leaving few to find.
It was not jealousy, I think: but shun
Following the 'ignes fatui'of mankind.
It was not"but 'tis easier far, alas!
To say what it was not than what it was.
Little Aurora deem'd she was the theme
Of such discussion. She was there a guest;
A beauteous ripple of the brilliant stream
Of rank and youth, though purer than the rest,
Which flow'd on for a moment in the beam
Time sheds a moment o'er each sparkling crest.
Had she known this, she would have calmly smiled"
She had so much, or little, of the child.
The dashing and proud air of Adeline
Imposed not upon her: she saw her blaze
imposed - impuesto; imponer
Much as she would have seen a glow-worm shine,
Then turn'd unto the stars for loftier rays.
Juan was something she could not divine,
Being no sibyl in the new world's ways;
Sibyl - sibila
Yet she was nothing dazzled by the meteor,
Because she did not pin her faith on feature.
His fame too,"for he had that kind of fame
Which sometimes plays the deuce with womankind,
A heterogeneous mass of glorious blame,
Half virtues and whole vices being combined;
Faults which attract because they are not tame;
Follies trick'd out so brightly that they blind:"
These seals upon her wax made no impression,
Such was her coldness or her self-possession.
Juan knew nought of such a character"
High, yet resembling not his lost Haidee;
resembling - se parece; asemejar
Yet each was radiant in her proper sphere:
The island girl, bred up by the lone sea,
More warm, as lovely, and not less sincere,
Was Nature's all: Aurora could not be,
Nor would be thus:"the difference in them
Was such as lies between a flower and gem.
Having wound up with this sublime comparison,
Methinks we may proceed upon our narrative,
And, as my friend Scott says, 'I sound my warison;'
Scott, the superlative of my comparative"
superlative - superlativo, superlativo, supremo
Scott, who can paint your Christian knight or Saracen,
Saracen - sarraceno, sarracena
Serf, lord, man, with such skill as none would share it, if
serf - siervo
There had not been one Shakspeare and Voltaire,
Of one or both of whom he seems the heir.
I say, in my slight way I may proceed
To play upon the surface of humanity.
I write the world, nor care if the world read,
At least for this I cannot spare its vanity.
My Muse hath bred, and still perhaps may breed
More foes by this same scroll: when I began it, I
Thought that it might turn out so"now I know it,
But still I am, or was, a pretty poet.
The conference or congress (for it ended
As congresses of late do) of the Lady
congresses - ongresos; congreso
Adeline and Don Juan rather blended
blended - mezclado; mezcla, mezclar, combinar
Some acids with the sweets"for she was heady;
But, ere the matter could be marr'd or mended,
mended - reparado; remiendo, remendar, reparar
The silvery bell rang, not for 'dinner ready,
But for that hour, call'd half-hour, given to dress,
Though ladies'robes seem scant enough for less.
Great things were now to be achieved at table,
With massy plate for armour, knives and forks
For weapons; but what Muse since Homer 's able
(His feasts are not the worst part of his works)
To draw up in array a single day-bill
Of modern dinners? where more mystery lurks,
lurks - acechar, agazaparse, ocultarse, esconderse, merodear, vigilar
In soups or sauces, or a sole ragout,
Than witches, b"ches, or physicians, brew.
witches - brujas; bruja
There was a goodly 'soupe a la bonne femme,'
femme - Mujer
Though God knows whence it came from; there was, too,
A turbot for relief of those who cram,
turbot - rodaballo
cram - atiborrarse; atestar, atiborrar, embutir, chancar
Relieved with 'dindon a la Parigeux;'
There also was"the sinner that I am!
How shall I get this gourmand stanza through?-
stanza - estrofa
'Soupe a la Beauveau,'whose relief was dory,
Relieved itself by pork, for greater glory.
But I must crowd all into one grand mess
Or mass; for should I stretch into detail,
My Muse would run much more into excess,
Than when some squeamish people deem her frail.
squeamish - remilgado, quisquilloso, aprensivo
But though a 'bonne vivante,'I must confess
Her stomach 's not her peccant part; this tale
However doth require some slight refection,
Just to relieve her spirits from dejection.
relieve - aliviar, relevar
dejection - abatimiento, desaliento, desánimo
Fowls 'a la Conde,'slices eke of salmon,
fowls - gallinas; ave de corral
salmon - salmón, asalmonado
With 'sauces Genevoises,'and haunch of venison;
haunch of venison - pata de venado
Wines too, which might again have slain young Ammon"
A man like whom I hope we shan't see many soon;
They also set a glazed Westphalian ham on,
Ham - jamón
Whereon Apicius would bestow his benison;
And then there was champagne with foaming whirls,
As white as Cleopatra's melted pearls.
Then there was God knows what 'a l'Allemande,'
'A l'Espagnole,''timballe,'and 'salpicon'-
salpicon - Salpicón
With things I can't withstand or understand,
Though swallow'd with much zest upon the whole;
zest - entusiasmo, brío, ralladura, cáscara
And 'entremets'to piddle with at hand,
Gently to lull down the subsiding soul;
While great Lucullus'Robe triumphal muffles
muffles - muflas; mufla
(There's fame) young partridge fillets, deck'd with truffles.
partridge - perdiz
fillets - filetes; filete
truffles - trufas; trufa
What are the fillets on the victor's brow
To these? They are rags or dust. Where is the arch
Which nodded to the nation's spoils below?
Where the triumphal chariots'haughty march?
Gone to where victories must like dinners go.
Farther I shall not follow the research:
But oh! ye modern heroes with your cartridges,
When will your names lend lustre e'en to partridges?
Those truffles too are no bad accessaries,
accessaries - Accesorio
Follow'd by 'petits puits d'amour'"a dish
petits - Pequenos
Of which perhaps the cookery rather varies,
So every one may dress it to his wish,
According to the best of dictionaries,
Which encyclopedize both flesh and fish;
encyclopedize - enciclopedia
But even sans 'confitures,'it no less true is,
confitures - confituras; mermelada
There's pretty picking in those 'petits puits.'
The mind is lost in mighty contemplation
Of intellect expanded on two courses;
And indigestion's grand multiplication
Multiplication - multiplicación
Requires arithmetic beyond my forces.
Who would suppose, from Adam's simple ration,
That cookery could have call'd forth such resources,
As form a science and a nomenclature
From out the commonest demands of nature?
The glasses jingled, and the palates tingled;
jingled - tintineó; tintineo, retintín, sintonía
palates - paladares; paladar
The diners of celebrity dined well;
The ladies with more moderation mingled
moderation - moderación
In the feast, pecking less than I can tell;
pecking - Picoteando; (pec) Picoteando
Also the younger men too: for a springald
Can't, like ripe age, in gormandize excel,
gormandize - Gormandizar
But thinks less of good eating than the whisper
(When seated next him) of some pretty lisper.
Alas! I must leave undescribed the gibier,
undescribed - sin describir
The salmi, the consomme, the puree,
consomme - Consomé
puree - Puré
All which I use to make my rhymes run glibber
Than could roast beef in our rough John Bull way:
roast beef - carne asada
I must not introduce even a spare rib here,
'Bubble and squeak'would spoil my liquid lay:
But I have dined, and must forego, Alas!
The chaste description even of a 'becasse;'
And fruits, and ice, and all that art refines
refines - refinar, perfeccionar
From nature for the service of the gout"
Taste or the gout,"pronounce it as inclines
Your stomach! Ere you dine, the French will do;
But after, there are sometimes certain signs
Which prove plain English truer of the two.
Hast ever had the gout? I have not had it"
But I may have, and you too, reader, dread it.
The simple olives, best allies of wine,
Must I pass over in my bill of fare?
I must, although a favourite 'plat'of mine
In Spain, and Lucca, Athens, every where:
Athens - Atenas
On them and bread 'twas oft my luck to dine,
The grass my table-cloth, in open-air,
table-cloth - (table-cloth) mantel de mesa
open-air - (open-air) al aire libre
On Sunium or Hymettus, like Diogenes,
Of whom half my philosophy the progeny is.
Amidst this tumult of fish, flesh, and 'fowl,
fowl - aves; ave de corral
And vegetables, all in masquerade,
The guests were placed according to their roll,
But various as the various meats display'd:
Don Juan sat next 'an l'Espagnole'-
No damsel, but a dish, as hath been said;
But so far like a lady, that 'twas drest
Superbly, and contain'd a world of zest.
By some odd chance too, he was placed between
Aurora and the Lady Adeline"
A situation difficult, I ween,
For man therein, with eyes and heart, to dine.
Therein - En eso
Also the conference which we have seen
Was not such as to encourage him to shine;
For Adeline, addressing few words to him,
With two transcendent eyes seem'd to look through him.
I sometimes almost think that eyes have ears:
This much is sure, that, out of earshot, things
earshot - al alcance del oído; alcance del oído
Are somehow echoed to the pretty dears,
Of which I can't tell whence their knowledge springs.
Like that same mystic music of the spheres,
Which no one bears, so loudly though it rings,
'Tis wonderful how oft the sex have heard
Long dialogues"which pass'd without a word!
Aurora sat with that indifference
Which piques a preux chevalier"as it ought:
Of all offences that 's the worst offence,
offences - Ofensa
Which seems to hint you are not worth a thought.
Now Juan, though no coxcomb in pretence,
Was not exactly pleased to be so caught;
Like a good ship entangled among ice,
entangled - enredados; enredar
And after so much excellent advice.
To his gay nothings, nothing was replied,
Or something which was nothing, as urbanity
urbanity - urbanidad, educación, modales, corrección
Required. Aurora scarcely look'd aside,
Nor even smiled enough for any vanity.
The devil was in the girl! Could it be pride?
Or modesty, or absence, or inanity?
Heaven knows? But Adeline's malicious eyes
malicious - malicioso; maligno
Sparkled with her successful prophecies,
And look'd as much as if to say, 'I said it;'
A kind of triumph I'll not recommend,
Because it sometimes, as I have seen or read it,
Both in the case of lover and of friend,
Will pique a gentleman, for his own credit,
To bring what was a jest to a serious end:
For all men prophesy what is or was,
And hate those who won't let them come to pass.
Juan was drawn thus into some attentions,
Slight but select, and just enough to express,
To females of perspicuous comprehensions,
comprehensions - comprensiones; comprensión, entendimiento
That he would rather make them more than less.
Aurora at the last (so history mentions,
Though probably much less a fact than guess)
So far relax'd her thoughts from their sweet prison,
As once or twice to smile, if not to listen.
From answering she began to question; this
With her was rare: and Adeline, who as yet
Thought her predictions went not much amiss,
Began to dread she'd thaw to a coquette"
So very difficult, they say, it is
To keep extremes from meeting, when once set
In motion; but she here too much refined"
Aurora's spirit was not of that kind.
But Juan had a sort of winning way,
A proud humility, if such there be,
Which show'd such deference to what females say,
As if each charming word were a decree.
His tact, too, temper'd him from grave to gay,
And taught him when to be reserved or free:
He had the art of drawing people out,
Without their seeing what he was about.
Aurora, who in her indifference
Confounded him in common with the crowd
Of flatterers, though she deem'd he had more sense
Than whispering foplings, or than witlings loud"
Commenced (from such slight things will great commence)
To feel that flattery which attracts the proud
Rather by deference than compliment,
And wins even by a delicate dissent.
dissent - discrepar, disentir, disenso, disentimiento, disconformidad
And then he had good looks;"that point was carried
Nem. con. amongst the women, which I grieve
con - estafar, timar
To say leads oft to crim. con. with the married"
A case which to the juries we may leave,
Since with digressions we too long have tarried.
tarried - tardar
Now though we know of old that looks deceive,
deceive - enganar; enganar, decebir
And always have done, somehow these good looks
Make more impression than the best of books.
Aurora, who look'd more on books than faces,
Was very young, although so very sage,
Admiring more Minerva than the Graces,
Especially upon a printed page.
But Virtue's self, with all her tightest laces,
laces - cordones; cordón
Has not the natural stays of strict old age;
And Socrates, that model of all duty,
Own'd to a penchant, though discreet, for beauty.
And girls of sixteen are thus far Socratic,
But innocently so, as Socrates;
And really, if the sage sublime and Attic
At seventy years had phantasies like these,
Which Plato in his dialogues dramatic
dramatic - dramático, asombroso
Has shown, I know not why they should displease
In virgins"always in a modest way,
Observe; for that with me 's a 'sine qua.'
sine - seno
qua - Qué
Also observe, that, like the great Lord Coke
coke - cola, cola
(See Littleton), whene'er I have express'd
Opinions two, which at first sight may look
Twin opposites, the second is the best.
Perhaps I have a third, too, in a nook,
Or none at all"which seems a sorry jest:
But if a writer should be quite consistent,
consistent - consistente, constante, coherente
How could he possibly show things existent?
existent - existente
If people contradict themselves, can I
contradict - contradecir, contrariar
Help contradicting them, and every body,
contradicting - contradictorio; contradecir, contrariar
Even my veracious self?"But that 's a lie:
veracious - Veraz
I never did so, never will"how should I?
He who doubts all things nothing can deny:
Truth's fountains may be clear"her streams are muddy,
Muddy - Fango
And cut through such canals of contradiction,
That she must often navigate o'er fiction.
navigate - navegar
Apologue, fable, poesy, and parable,
apologue - disculpa; apólogo
parable - parábola
Are false, but may he render'd also true,
By those who sow them in a land that 's arable.
arable - arable, cultivable
'Tis wonderful what fable will not do!
'Tis said it makes reality more bearable:
bearable - soportable, tolerable, llevadero
But what 's reality? Who has its clue?
Philosophy? No: she too much rejects.
Religion? Yes; but which of all her sects?
sects - sectas; secta, culto
Some millions must be wrong, that 's pretty dear;
Perhaps it may turn out that all were right.
God help us! Since we have need on our career
To keep our holy beacons always bright,
beacons - balizas; baliza, almenara, cúspide, punto conspicuo
'Tis time that some new prophet should appear,
Or old indulge man with a second sight.
indulge - darse un capricho; ceder, sucumbir, mimar, consentir
Opinions wear out in some thousand years,
Without a small refreshment from the spheres.
refreshment - refresco; refrescamiento, refrigerio
But here again, why will I thus entangle
entangle - enredar
Myself with metaphysics? None can hate
So much as I do any kind of wrangle;
wrangle - discutir; altercado, disputa, gresca, rina
And yet, such is my folly, or my fate,
I always knock my head against some angle
About the present, past, or future state.
Yet I wish well to Trojan and to Tyrian,
For I was bred a moderate Presbyterian.
Presbyterian - presbiteriano, presbiteriano
But though I am a temperate theologian,
theologian - teólogo, teóloga
And also meek as a metaphysician,
Impartial between Tyrian and Trojan,
impartial - imparcial
As Eldon on a lunatic commission"
lunatic - insano, orate, lunático
In politics my duty is to show John
Bull something of the lower world's condition.
It makes my blood boil like the springs of Hecla,
To see men let these scoundrel sovereigns break law.
scoundrel - sinvergüenza; bribón, canalla, bellaco, villano
But politics, and policy, and piety,
Are topics which I sometimes introduce,
Not only for the sake of their variety,
But as subservient to a moral use;
subservient - sumiso; servil
Because my business is to dress society,
And stuff with sage that very verdant goose.
verdant - verde, verdoso
And now, that we may furnish with some matter all
Tastes, we are going to try the supernatural.
And now I will give up all argument;
And positively henceforth no temptation
positively - ositivamente; inequívocamente, terminantemente, de todas maneras
Shall 'fool me to the top up of my bent:'-
top up - Recargar
Yes, I'll begin a thorough reformation.
Indeed, I never knew what people meant
By deeming that my Muse's conversation
Was dangerous;"I think she is as harmless
As some who labour more and yet may charm less.
Grim reader! did you ever see a ghost?
No; but you have heard"I understand"be dumb!
And don't regret the time you may have lost,
For you have got that pleasure still to come:
And do not think I mean to sneer at most
Of these things, or by ridicule benumb
ridicule - ridiculizar, poner en ridículo
benumb - Imbécil
That source of the sublime and the mysterious:"
mysterious - misterioso
For certain reasons my belief is serious.
Serious? You laugh;"you may: that will I not;
My smiles must be sincere or not at all.
I say I do believe a haunted spot
Exists"and where? That shall I not recall,
Because I'd rather it should be forgot,
'Shadows the soul of Richard'may appal.
Richard - Ricardo
In short, upon that subject I've some qualms very
Like those of the philosopher of Malmsbury.
The night (I sing by night"sometimes an owl,
And now and then a nightingale) is dim,
And the loud shriek of sage Minerva's fowl
Rattles around me her discordant hymn:
discordant - discordante
Old portraits from old walls upon me scowl"
scowl - ceno fruncido; fruncir el ceno/entrecejo
I wish to heaven they would not look so grim;
The dying embers dwindle in the grate"
embers - rasa
dwindle - disminuir, agotarse, desaparecer, menguar
grate - rejilla
I think too that I have sate up too late:
And therefore, though 'tis by no means my way
To rhyme at noon"when I have other things
To think of, if I ever think"I say
I feel some chilly midnight shudderings,
shudderings - Temblores
And prudently postpone, until mid-day,
prudently - con prudencia; prudentemente
mid - a mitad, en medio
Treating a topic which, alas! but brings
Shadows;"but you must be in my condition
Before you learn to call this superstition.
The antique Persians taught three useful things,
To draw the bow, to ride, and speak the truth.
This was the mode of Cyrus, best of kings"
A mode adopted since by modern youth.
adopted - adoptado; adoptar, ahijar
Bows have they, generally with two strings;
Horses they ride without remorse or ruth;
At speaking truth perhaps they are less clever,
But draw the long bow better now than ever.
draw the long bow - tirar el arco largo
The cause of this effect, or this defect,"
'For this effect defective comes by cause,'-
defective - defectuoso, defectivo
Is what I have not leisure to inspect;
inspect - inspeccionar, pasar revista
But this I must say in my own applause,
Of all the Muses that I recollect,
Whate'er may be her follies or her flaws
In some things, mine 's beyond all contradiction
The most sincere that ever dealt in fiction.
most sincere - el más sincero
And as she treats all things, and ne'er retreats
retreats - retiros; retirarse, batirse en retirada
From any thing, this epic will contain
A wilderness of the most rare conceits,
conceits - conceptos; engreimiento, vanidad, presunción, ego
Which you might elsewhere hope to find in vain.
'Tis true there be some bitters with the sweets,
bitters - amargos; amargo
Yet mix'd so slightly, that you can't complain,
But wonder they so few are, since my tale is
'De rebus cunctis et quibusdam aliis.'
rebus - jeroglífico
aliis - liis
But of all truths which she has told, the most
True is that which she is about to tell.
I said it was a story of a ghost"
What then? I only know it so befell.
Have you explored the limits of the coast,
Where all the dwellers of the earth must dwell?
dwellers - habitante
'Tis time to strike such puny doubters dumb as
puny - enclenque; flojo, gualtrapas, tirillas
The sceptics who would not believe Columbus.
Some people would impose now with authority,
impose - imponer
Turpin's or Monmouth Geoffry's Chronicle;
Men whose historical superiority
Is always greatest at a miracle.
But Saint Augustine has the great priority,
priority - prioridad
Who bids all men believe the impossible,
bids - ofertas; pujar, hacer una oferta
Because 'tis so. Who nibble, scribble, quibble, he
nibble - mordisquear, picar
scribble - garabatear
quibble - problemas; sutileza, argucia, sutilizar, andar con sutilezas
Quiets at once with 'quia impossibile.'
quia - qué
impossibile - imposible
And therefore, mortals, cavil not at all;
Believe:"if 'tis improbable you must,
improbable - improbable, inverosímil
And if it is impossible, you shall:
'Tis always best to take things upon trust.
I do not speak profanely, to recall
Those holier mysteries which the wise and just
holier - más santo; santo, sagrado
Receive as gospel, and which grow more rooted,
As all truths must, the more they are disputed:
disputed - discutido; disputa, contencioso
I merely mean to say what Johnson said,
That in the course of some six thousand years,
All nations have believed that from the dead
A visitant at intervals appears;
visitant - visitante
And what is strangest upon this strange head,
Is, that whatever bar the reason rears
rears - traseros; parte trasera
'Gainst such belief, there's something stronger still
In its behalf, let those deny who will.
The dinner and the soiree too were done,
soiree - fiesta; velada
The supper too discuss'd, the dames admired,
The banqueteers had dropp'd off one by one"
banqueteers - Banqueteador
The song was silent, and the dance expired:
The last thin petticoats were vanish'd, gone
Like fleecy Clouds into the sky retired,
And nothing brighter gleam'd through the saloon
Than dying tapers"and the peeping moon.
tapers - galletas; cerilla
The evaporation of a joyous day
evaporation - evaporación
Is like the last glass of champagne, without
The foam which made its virgin bumper gay;
bumper - parachoques, bómper
Or like a system coupled with a doubt;
Or like a soda bottle when its spray
Has sparkled and let half its spirit out;
Or like a billow left by storms behind,
Without the animation of the wind;
Or like an opiate, which brings troubled rest,
opiate - opiáceo; opiato
Or none; or like"like nothing that I know
Except itself;"such is the human breast;
A thing, of which similitudes can show
similitudes - similitudes; similitud
No real likeness,"like the old Tyrian vest
Dyed purple, none at present can tell how,
If from a shell-fish or from cochineal.
cochineal - cochinilla, grana
So perish every tyrant's robe piece-meal!
But next to dressing for a rout or ball,
Undressing is a woe; our robe de chambre
undressing - Desvistiéndote; (undress); desvestirse, desnudarse
May sit like that of Nessus, and recall
Thoughts quite as yellow, but less clear than amber.
Titus exclaim'd, 'I've lost a day!'Of all
The nights and days most people can remember
(I have had of both, some not to be disdain'd),
I wish they'd state how many they have gain'd.
And Juan, on retiring for the night,
Felt restless, and perplex'd, and compromised:
compromised - comprometido; acuerdo, arreglo
He thought Aurora Raby's eyes more bright
Than Adeline (such is advice) advised;
If he had known exactly his own plight,
He probably would have philosophised:
philosophised - filosofar
A great resource to all, and ne'er denied
Till wanted; therefore Juan only sigh'd.
He sigh'd;"the next resource is the full moon,
Where all sighs are deposited; and now
deposited - epositado; depósito, empeno, depositar
It happen'd luckily, the chaste orb shone
As clear as such a climate will allow;
And Juan's mind was in the proper tone
To hail her with the apostrophe"'O thou!'
apostrophe - apóstrofe; apóstrofo
Of amatory egotism the Tuism,
Which further to explain would be a truism.
truism - una perogrullada; obviedad
But lover, poet, or astronomer,
astronomer - astrónomo, astrónoma
Shepherd, or swain, whoever may behold,
Swain - zagal
Whoever - a quién; cualquier, cualesquiera, cualquiera, quien
Feel some abstraction when they gaze on her:
abstraction - abstracción
Great thoughts we catch from thence (besides a cold
Sometimes, unless my feelings rather err);
Deep secrets to her rolling light are told;
The ocean's tides and mortals'brains she sways,
And also hearts, if there be truth in lays.
Juan felt somewhat pensive, and disposed
For contemplation rather than his pillow:
The Gothic chamber, where he was enclosed,
Let in the rippling sound of the lake's billow,
rippling - ndulación; (ripple) ndulación
With all the mystery by midnight caused;
Below his window waved (of course) a willow;
And he stood gazing out on the cascade
That flash'd and after darken'd in the shade.
Upon his table or his toilet,"which
Of these is not exactly ascertain'd
(I state this, for I am cautious to a pitch
Of nicety, where a fact is to be gain'd),"
A lamp burn'd high, while he leant from a niche,
Where many a Gothic ornament remain'd,
In chisell'd stone and painted glass, and all
That time has left our fathers of their hall.
Then, as the night was clear though cold, he threw
His chamber door wide open"and went forth
Into a gallery, of a sombre hue,
sombre - sombrío, grave
Long, furnish'd with old pictures of great worth,
Of knights and dames heroic and chaste too,
As doubtless should be people of high birth.
But by dim lights the portraits of the dead
Have something ghastly, desolate, and dread.
The forms of the grim knight and pictured saint
Look living in the moon; and as you turn
Backward and forward to the echoes faint
Of your own footsteps"voices from the urn
Appear to wake, and shadows wild and quaint
Start from the frames which fence their aspects stern,
As if to ask how you can dare to keep
A vigil there, where all but death should sleep.
vigil - vigilia, víspera
And the pale smile of beauties in the grave,
The charms of other days, in starlight gleams,
Glimmer on high; their buried locks still wave
Along the canvas; their eyes glance like dreams
On ours, or spars within some dusky cave,
But death is imaged in their shadowy beams.
A picture is the past; even ere its frame
Be gilt, who sate hath ceased to be the same.
As Juan mused on mutability,
mused - musitó; Musa
mutability - mutabilidad
Or on his mistress"terms synonymous"
synonymous - sinónimos; sinónimo
No sound except the echo of his sigh
Or step ran sadly through that antique house;
When suddenly he heard, or thought so, nigh,
A supernatural agent"or a mouse,
Whose little nibbling rustle will embarrass
nibbling - Mordisqueando; (nibble) Mordisqueando
Most people as it plays along the arras.
It was no mouse, but lo! a monk, array'd
In cowl and beads and dusky garb, appear'd,
cowl - caperuza; capucha
Now in the moonlight, and now lapsed in shade,
lapsed - aducado; lapso, desliz, prescripción
With steps that trod as heavy, yet unheard;
unheard - No se oye
His garments only a slight murmur made;
He moved as shadowy as the sisters weird,
weird - raro
But slowly; and as he pass'd Juan by,
Glanced, without pausing, on him a bright eye.
Juan was petrified; he had heard a hint
Petrified - petrificado; petrificar
Of such a spirit in these halls of old,
But thought, like most men, there was nothing in 't
Beyond the rumour which such spots unfold,
unfold - desdoblarse; desplegar
Coin'd from surviving superstition's mint,
Which passes ghosts in currency like gold,
But rarely seen, like gold compared with paper.
And did he see this? or was it a vapour?
Once, twice, thrice pass'd, repass'd"the thing of air,
repass - repasar
Or earth beneath, or heaven, or t'other place;
And Juan gazed upon it with a stare,
Yet could not speak or move; but, on its base
As stands a statue, stood: he felt his hair
Twine like a knot of snakes around his face;
twine - torzal; bramante
knot - nudo
He tax'd his tongue for words, which were not granted,
To ask the reverend person what he wanted.
The third time, after a still longer pause,
The shadow pass'd away"but where? the hall
Was long, and thus far there was no great cause
To think his vanishing unnatural:
vanishing - Desapareciendo; (vanish); desvanecerse, desaparecer, anularse
Doors there were many, through which, by the laws
Of physics, bodies whether short or tall
Might come or go; but Juan could not state
Through which the spectre seem'd to evaporate.
evaporate - vaporarse; evaporar
He stood"how long he knew not, but it seem'd
An age"expectant, powerless, with his eyes
expectant - esperando; expectante
powerless - impotente
Strain'd on the spot where first the figure gleam'd;
Then by degrees recall'd his energies,
And would have pass'd the whole off as a dream,
But could not wake; he was, he did surmise,
Waking already, and return'd at length
Back to his chamber, shorn of half his strength.
All there was as he left it: still his taper
Burnt, and not blue, as modest tapers use,
Receiving sprites with sympathetic vapour;
He rubb'd his eyes, and they did not refuse
Their office; he took up an old newspaper;
The paper was right easy to peruse;
He read an article the king attacking,
And a long eulogy of 'patent blacking.'
This savour'd of this world; but his hand shook"
He shut his door, and after having read
A paragraph, I think about Horne Tooke,
Undrest, and rather slowly went to bed.
There, couch'd all snugly on his pillow's nook,
With what he had seen his phantasy he fed;
And though it was no opiate, slumber crept
Upon him by degrees, and so he slept.
He woke betimes; and, as may be supposed,
Ponder'd upon his visitant or vision,
And whether it ought not to be disclosed,
At risk of being quizz'd for superstition.
quizz - Cuestionario
The more he thought, the more his mind was posed:
In the mean time, his valet, whose precision
Was great, because his master brook'd no less,
Knock'd to inform him it was time to dress.
He dress'd; and like young people he was wont
To take some trouble with his toilet, but
This morning rather spent less time upon 't;
Aside his very mirror soon was put;
His curls fell negligently o'er his front,
His clothes were not curb'd to their usual cut,
His very neckcloth's Gordian knot was tied
Gordian - Gordiano
Almost an hair's breadth too much on one side.
And when he walk'd down into the saloon,
He sate him pensive o'er a dish of tea,
Which he perhaps had not discover'd soon,
Had it not happen'd scalding hot to be,
scalding - Hirviendo; (scald) Hirviendo
Which made him have recourse unto his spoon;
So much distrait he was, that all could see
That something was the matter"Adeline
The first"but what she could not well divine.
She look'd, and saw him pale, and turn'd as pale
Herself; then hastily look'd down, and mutter'd
Something, but what 's not stated in my tale.
Lord Henry said his muffin was ill butter'd;
muffin - muffin, magdalena
The Duchess of Fitz-Fulke play'd with her veil,
And look'd at Juan hard, but nothing utter'd.
Aurora Raby with her large dark eyes
Survey'd him with a kind of calm surprise.
But seeing him all cold and silent still,
And everybody wondering more or less,
Fair Adeline enquired, 'If he were ill?'
He started, and said, 'Yes"no"rather"yes.'
The family physician had great skill,
And being present, now began to express
His readiness to feel his pulse and tell
readiness - preparados; preparación
The cause, but Juan said, 'He was quite well.'
'Quite well; yes,"no.'"These answers were mysterious,
And yet his looks appear'd to sanction both,
However they might savour of delirious;
delirious - delirante
Something like illness of a sudden growth
Weigh'd on his spirit, though by no means serious:
But for the rest, as he himself seem'd loth
To state the case, it might be ta'en for granted
It was not the physician that he wanted.
Lord Henry, who had now discuss'd his chocolate,
Also the muffin whereof he complain'd,
whereof - de qué; donde
Said, Juan had not got his usual look elate,
elate - feliz
At which he marvell'd, since it had not rain'd;
Then ask'd her Grace what news were of the duke of late?
Her Grace replied, his Grace was rather pain'd
With some slight, light, hereditary twinges
Of gout, which rusts aristocratic hinges.
rusts - se oxida; óxido
Then Henry turn'd to Juan, and address'd
A few words of condolence on his state:
condolence - pésame
'You look,'quoth he, 'as if you had had your rest
Broke in upon by the Black Friar of late.'
'What friar?'said Juan; and he did his best
To put the question with an air sedate,
Or careless; but the effort was not valid
valid - válido, valedero
To hinder him from growing still more pallid.
'Oh! have you never heard of the Black Friar?
The spirit of these walls?'"'In truth not I.'
'Why Fame"but Fame you know 's sometimes a liar"
Tells an odd story, of which by and by:
Whether with time the spectre has grown shyer,
Or that our sires had a more gifted eye
more gifted - más dotado
For such sights, though the tale is half believed,
The friar of late has not been oft perceived.
śThe last time was"ť śI pray,ť said Adeline"
(Who watch'd the changes of Don Juan's brow,
And from its context thought she could divine
Connexions stronger then he chose to avow
connexions - Conexión
With this same legend)"'if you but design
legend - leyenda, simbología
To jest, you'll choose some other theme just now,
Because the present tale has oft been told,
And is not much improved by growing old.'
growing old - envejecer
'Jest!'quoth Milor; 'why, Adeline, you know
That we ourselves"'twas in the honey-moon"
Saw"ś ťWell, no matter, 'twas so long ago;
But, come, I'll set your story to a tune.'
Graceful as Dian, when she draws her bow,
She seized her harp, whose strings were kindled soon
As touch'd, and plaintively began to play
plaintively - Llamativamente
The air of ''Twas a Friar of Orders Gray.'
'But add the words,'cried Henry, 'which you made;
For Adeline is half a poetess,'
poetess - poetisa
Turning round to the rest, he smiling said.
Of course the others could not but express
In courtesy their wish to see display'd
By one three talents, for there were no less"
The voice, the words, the harper's skill, at once
Could hardly be united by a dunce.
After some fascinating hesitation,"
The charming of these charmers, who seem bound,
I can't tell why, to this dissimulation,"
Fair Adeline, with eyes fix'd on the ground
At first, then kindling into animation,
Added her sweet voice to the lyric sound,
And sang with much simplicity,"a merit
Not the less precious, that we seldom hear it.
Beware! beware! of the Black Friar,
Beware - tener cuidado, ser precavido
Who sitteth by Norman stone,
sitteth - Se sienta
For he mutters his prayer in the midnight air,
mutters - hablar entre dientes, murmurar
And his mass of the days that are gone.
When the Lord of the Hill, Amundeville,
Made Norman Church his prey,
And expell'd the friars, one friar still
expell - Expulsar
Would not be driven away.
driven away - alejarse en coche; ahuyentar
Though he came in his might, with King Henry's right,
To turn church lands to lay,
With sword in hand, and torch to light
Their walls, if they said nay;
A monk remain'd, unchased, unchain'd,
unchased - Sin persecución
unchain - desencadenar
And he did not seem form'd of clay,
For he 's seen in the porch, and he 's seen in the church,
porch - pórtico, porche
Though he is not seen by day.
And whether for good, or whether for ill,
It is not mine to say;
But still with the house of Amundeville
He abideth night and day.
By the marriage-bed of their lords, 'tis said,
He flits on the bridal eve;
And 'tis held as faith, to their bed of death
He comes"but not to grieve.
When an heir is born, he 's heard to mourn,
And when aught is to befall
That ancient line, in the we moonshine
He walks from hall to hall.
His form you may trace, but not his face,
'Tis shadow'd by his cowl;
But his eyes may be seen from the folds between,
And they seem of a parted soul.
But beware! beware! of the Black Friar,
He still retains his sway,
For he is yet the church's heir
Whoever may be the lay.
Amundeville is lord by day,
But the monk is lord by night;
Nor wine nor wassail could raise a vassal
vassal - vasallo, avasallar
To question that friar's right.
Say nought to him as he walks the hall,
And he'll say nought to you;
He sweeps along in his dusky pall,
As o'er the grass the dew.
Then grammercy! for the Black Friar;
grammercy - Gramática
Heaven sain him, fair or foul!
And whatsoe'er may be his prayer,
Let ours be for his soul.
The lady's voice ceased, and the thrilling wires
wires - cables; alambre, hilo, cable
Died from the touch that kindled them to sound;
And the pause follow'd, which when song expires
expires - vencer, caducar
Pervades a moment those who listen round;
pervades - mpregna; permear
And then of course the circle much admires,
Nor less applauds, as in politeness bound,
applauds - aplaude; aplaudir
The tones, the feeling, and the execution,
execution - ejecución
To the performer's diffident confusion.
performer - artista, ejecutor, ejecutora, intérprete
diffident - diferente; difidente, apocado, tímido
Fair Adeline, though in a careless way,
As if she rated such accomplishment
As the mere pastime of an idle day,
Pursued an instant for her own content,
Would now and then as 'twere without display,
Yet with display in fact, at times relent
relent - ceder; (relend); ceder
To such performances with haughty smile,
To show she could, if it were worth her while.
Now this (but we will whisper it aside)
Was"pardon the pedantic illustration"
illustration - ejemplo, ilustración, instrucción, estampa
Trampling on Plato's pride with greater pride,
As did the Cynic on some like occasion;
Deeming the sage would be much mortified,
mortified - mortificado; mortificar, matar
Or thrown into a philosophic passion,
For a spoil'd carpet"but the 'Attic Bee'
Was much consoled by his own repartee.
consoled - consolar
Thus Adeline would throw into the shade
(By doing easily, whene'er she chose,
What dilettanti do with vast parade)
Their sort of half profession; for it grows
To something like this when too oft display'd;
And that it is so everybody knows
Who have heard Miss That or This, or Lady T'other,
Show off"to please their company or mother.
O! the long evenings of duets and trios!
duets - dúos; dúo, dueto
trios - tríos; (trio); trío
The admirations and the speculations;
admirations - admiraciones; admiración
The 'Mamma Mia's!'and the 'Amor Mio's!'
The 'Tanti palpiti's'on such occasions:
The 'Lasciami's,'and quavering 'Addio's!'
quavering - Tiembla; (quaver); corchea, temblor, temblar
Amongst our own most musical of nations;
most musical - más musical
With 'Tu mi chamas's'from Portingale,
To soothe our ears, lest Italy should fail.
In Babylon's bravuras"as the home
Heart-ballads of Green Erin or Gray Highlands,
That bring Lochaber back to eyes that roam
O'er far Atlantic continents or islands,
The calentures of music which o'ercome
calentures - calenturas; calentura
All mountaineers with dreams that they are nigh lands,
mountaineers - montaneros; alpinista, montanista, montanero
No more to be beheld but in such visions"
Was Adeline well versed, as compositions.
compositions - composiciones; composición, panish: t-needed
She also had a twilight tinge of 'Blue,'
Could write rhymes, and compose more than she wrote,
Made epigrams occasionally too
Occasionally - ocasionalmente, de vez en cuando, a veces
Upon her friends, as everybody ought.
But still from that sublimer azure hue,
sublimer - Sublimes; (sublime) Sublimes
So much the present dye, she was remote;
Was weak enough to deem Pope a great poet,
And what was worse, was not ashamed to show it.
Aurora"since we are touching upon taste,
Which now-a-days is the thermometer
thermometer - termómetro
By whose degrees all characters are class'd"
Was more Shakspearian, if I do not err.
The worlds beyond this world's perplexing waste
Had more of her existence, for in her
There was a depth of feeling to embrace
Embrace - abrazar, abrazo
Thoughts, boundless, deep, but silent too as Space.
Not so her gracious, graceful, graceless Grace,
The full-grown Hebe of Fitz-Fulke, whose mind,
If she had any, was upon her face,
And that was of a fascinating kind.
A little turn for mischief you might trace
Also thereon,"but that 's not much; we find
Few females without some such gentle leaven,
For fear we should suppose us quite in heaven.
I have not heard she was at all poetic,
Though once she was seen reading the 'Bath Guide,'
And 'Hayley's Triumphs,'which she deem'd pathetic,
triumphs - riunfos; triunfo
Because she said her temper had been tried
So much, the bard had really been prophetic
Of what she had gone through with"since a bride.
But of all verse, what most ensured her praise
Were sonnets to herself, or 'bouts rimes.'
bouts - ombates; ataque (med), rato
rimes - rima
'Twere difficult to say what was the object
Of Adeline, in bringing this same lay
To bear on what appear'd to her the subject
Of Juan's nervous feelings on that day.
Perhaps she merely had the simple project
To laugh him out of his supposed dismay;
Perhaps she might wish to confirm him in it,
Though why I cannot say"at least this minute.
this minute - en este momento
But so far the immediate effect
Was to restore him to his self-propriety,
propriety - aptitud, propiedad
A thing quite necessary to the elect,
Who wish to take the tone of their society:
In which you cannot be too circumspect,
Whether the mode be persiflage or piety,
But wear the newest mantle of hypocrisy,
On pain of much displeasing the gynocracy.
And therefore Juan now began to rally
His spirits, and without more explanation
To jest upon such themes in many a sally.
Her Grace, too, also seized the same occasion,
With various similar remarks to tally,
tally - cuenta (llevar la cuenta), registro
But wish'd for a still more detail'd narration
Of this same mystic friar's curious doings,
About the present family's deaths and wooings.
Of these few could say more than has been said;
They pass'd as such things do, for superstition
With some, while others, who had more in dread
The theme, half credited the strange tradition;
And much was talk'd on all sides on that head:
But Juan, when cross-question'd on the vision,
Which some supposed (though he had not avow'd it)
Had stirr'd him, answer'd in a way to cloud it.
And then, the mid-day having worn to one,
The company prepared to separate;
Some to their several pastimes, or to none,
Some wondering 'twas so early, some so late.
There was a goodly match too, to be run
Between some greyhounds on my lord's estate,
greyhounds - galgos; galgo
And a young race-horse of old pedigree
Match'd for the spring, whom several went to see.
There was a picture-dealer who had brought
A special Titian, warranted original,
So precious that it was not to be bought,
Though princes the possessor were besieging all.
possessor - poseedor; posesor
besieging - Asediando; (besiege); asediar, sitiar, poner sitio, asaeteado
The king himself had cheapen'd it, but thought
The civil list he deigns to accept (obliging all
obliging - complaciente; obligar
His subjects by his gracious acceptation)
acceptation - aceptación
Too scanty, in these times of low taxation.
But as Lord Henry was a connoisseur,"
The friend of artists, if not arts,"the owner,
With motives the most classical and pure,
So that he would have been the very donor,
Rather than seller, had his wants been fewer,
seller - Vendedor
So much he deem'd his patronage an honour,
Patronage - patronato; patrocinio, clientela
Had brought the capo d'opera, not for sale,
But for his judgment"never known to fail.
There was a modern Goth, I mean a Gothic
Goth - gótico
Bricklayer of Babel, call'd an architect,
bricklayer - albanil; albanil
Brought to survey these grey walls, which though so thick,
Might have from time acquired some slight defect;
Who after rummaging the Abbey through thick
And thin, produced a plan whereby to erect
whereby - por qué; mediante el cual, por la cual
erect - erecto, erguido
New buildings of correctest conformation,
conformation - onformación
And throw down old"which he call'd restoration.
throw down - tirar, arrojar
restoration - restauración
The cost would be a trifle"an 'old song,'
Set to some thousands ('tis the usual burden
burden - carga
Of that same tune, when people hum it long)"
The price would speedily repay its worth in
speedily - rápidamente
An edifice no less sublime than strong,
edifice - edificio
By which Lord Henry's good taste would go forth in
Its glory, through all ages shining sunny,
For Gothic daring shown in English money.
There were two lawyers busy on a mortgage
Lord Henry wish'd to raise for a new purchase;
purchase - compra, adquisición, comprar
Also a lawsuit upon tenures burgage,
tenures - enencias; tenencia, antigüedad, titularidad, arrendamiento
And one on tithes, which sure are Discord's torches,
Kindling Religion till she throws down her gage,
'Untying'squires 'to fight against the churches;'
untying - desatando; desatar, desamarrar, desligar, soltar, desatarse
There was a prize ox, a prize pig, and ploughman,
ploughman - Arador
For Henry was a sort of Sabine showman.
There were two poachers caught in a steel trap,
Ready for gaol, their place of convalescence;
gaol - Cárcel
There was a country girl in a close cap
And scarlet cloak (I hate the sight to see, since"
Since"since"in youth, I had the sad mishap"
mishap - contratiempo, percance
But luckily I have paid few parish fees since):
parish - parroquia
That scarlet cloak, alas! unclosed with rigour,
Presents the problem of a double figure.
A reel within a bottle is a mystery,
One can't tell how it e'er got in or out;
Therefore the present piece of natural history
I leave to those who are fond of solving doubt;
And merely state, though not for the consistory,
Consistory - Consistorio
Lord Henry was a justice, and that Scout
The constable, beneath a warrant's banner,
warrant - garantía, cédula, orden, garantizar
Had bagg'd this poacher upon Nature's manor.
poacher - cazador furtivo, ish
Now justices of peace must judge all pieces
Justices - jueces; justicia, justedad, justeza, justicia
Of mischief of all kinds, and keep the game
And morals of the country from caprices
Of those who have not a license for the same;
license - licencia, permiso, permisividad
And of all things, excepting tithes and leases,
leases - arrendamientos; contrato de arrendamiento
Perhaps these are most difficult to tame:
Preserving partridges and pretty wenches
preserving - conservando; mermelada, reserva, reserva natural, coto, terreno
wenches - mujeres; moza, criada, prostituta, negra, ir de putas
Are puzzles to the most precautious benches.
precautious - Precaución
benches - bancos; banco
The present culprit was extremely pale,
Pale as if painted so; her cheek being red
By nature, as in higher dames less hale
'Tis white, at least when they just rise from bed.
Perhaps she was ashamed of seeming frail,
Poor soul! for she was country born and bred,
And knew no better in her immorality
Than to wax white"for blushes are for quality.
Her black, bright, downcast, yet espiegle eye,
Had gather'd a large tear into its corner,
Which the poor thing at times essay'd to dry,
For she was not a sentimental mourner
Parading all her sensibility,
parading - desfilando; desfile
Nor insolent enough to scorn the scorner,
But stood in trembling, patient tribulation,
tribulation - tribulación
To be call'd up for her examination.
examination - examen, examinación
Of course these groups were scatter'd here and there,
Not nigh the gay saloon of ladies gent.
The lawyers in the study; and in air
The prize pig, ploughman, poachers; the men sent
From town, viz., architect and dealer, were
Both busy (as a general in his tent
Writing despatches) in their several stations,
Exulting in their brilliant lucubrations.
exulting - exultante; exultar
But this poor girl was left in the great hall,
While Scout, the parish guardian of the frail,
Discuss'd (he hated beer yclept the 'small')
A mighty mug of moral double ale.
mug - taza; tazón
She waited until justice could recall
Its kind attentions to their proper pale,
To name a thing in nomenclature rather
Perplexing for most virgins"a child's father.
You see here was enough of occupation
For the Lord Henry, link'd with dogs and horses.
There was much bustle too, and preparation
Below stairs on the score of second courses;
Because, as suits their rank and situation,
Those who in counties have great land resources
Counties - condados; condado
Have 'Public days,'when all men may carouse,
Though not exactly what 's call'd 'open house.'
But once a week or fortnight, uninvited
fortnight - quince días; quincena
uninvited - sin invitación; no invitado
(Thus we translate a general invitation),
All country gentlemen, esquired or knighted,
esquired - Senor
knighted - nombrado caballero; caballero
May drop in without cards, and take their station
At the full board, and sit alike delighted
full board - Pensión completa
With fashionable wines and conversation;
And, as the isthmus of the grand connection,
Isthmus - istmo
Talk o'er themselves the past and next election.
Lord Henry was a great electioneerer,
electioneerer - elector
Burrowing for boroughs like a rat or rabbit;
burrowing - escarbando; madriguera, ratonera, socavar
boroughs - istritos; municipio, concejo
rat - rata
rabbit - conejo
But county contests cost him rather dearer,
contests - concursos; debate, concurso, competencia, competición, competir
Because the neighbouring Scotch Earl of Giftgabbit
earl - conde
Had English influence in the self-same sphere here;
His son, the Honourable Dick Dicedrabbit,
Was member for the 'other interest'(meaning
The same self-interest, with a different leaning).
self-interest - (self-interest) Interés propio
Courteous and cautious therefore in his county,
He was all things to all men, and dispensed
To some civility, to others bounty,
civility - civismo, civilidad
bounty - dádiva, donación, recompensa
And promises to all"which last commenced
To gather to a somewhat large amount, he
Not calculating how much they condensed;
calculating - calculando; calcular
But what with keeping some, and breaking others,
His word had the same value as another's.
A friend to freedom and freeholders"yet
No less a friend to government"he held,
That he exactly the just medium hit
'Twixt place and patriotism"albeit compell'd,
patriotism - patriotismo
Such was his sovereign's pleasure (though unfit,
He added modestly, when rebels rail'd),
To hold some sinecures he wish'd abolish'd,
sinecures - sinecuras; canonjía, sinecura
abolish - abolir, suprimir, abrogar, quitar, destrozar
But that with them all law would be demolish'd.
He was 'free to confess'(whence comes this phrase?
Is 't English? No"'tis only parliamentary)
parliamentary - parlamentaria; parlamentario
That innovation's spirit now-a-days
innovation - innovación
Had made more progress than for the last century.
He would not tread a factious path to praise,
factious - sedicioso, faccioso
Though for the public weal disposed to venture high;
public weal - bienestar público
As for his place, he could but say this of it,
That the fatigue was greater than the profit.
Heaven, and his friends, knew that a private life
Had ever been his sole and whole ambition;
But could he quit his king in times of strife,
Which threaten'd the whole country with perdition?
When demagogues would with a butcher's knife
Cut through and through (oh! damnable incision!)
incision - incisión
The Gordian or the Geordi-an knot, whose strings
Have tied together commons, lords, and kings.
Sooner 'come lace into the civil list
And champion him to the utmost'"he would keep it,
Till duly disappointed or dismiss'd:
Profit he care not for, let others reap it;
But should the day come when place ceased to exist,
The country would have far more cause to weep it:
For how could it go on? Explain who can!
He gloried in the name of Englishman.
gloried - glorificado; gloria
Englishman - inglés
He was as independent"ay, much more"
Than those who were not paid for independence,
Independence - independencia
As common soldiers, or a common"shore,
Have in their several arts or parts ascendance
ascendance - ascenso
O'er the irregulars in lust or gore,
Who do not give professional attendance.
attendance - asistencia, presencia
Thus on the mob all statesmen are as eager
To prove their pride, as footmen to a beggar.
footmen - los lacayos; lacayo
All this (save the last stanza) Henry said,
And thought. I say no more"I've said too much;
For all of us have either heard or read"
Off"or upon the hustings"some slight such
hustings - Presentaciones
Hints from the independent heart or head
Of the official candidate. I'll touch
No more on this"the dinner-bell hath rung,
And grace is said; the grace I should have sung"
But I'm too late, and therefore must make play.
'Twas a great banquet, such as Albion old
Was wont to boast"as if a glutton's tray
Were something very glorious to behold.
But 'twas a public feast and public day,"
Quite full, right dull, guests hot, and dishes cold,
Great plenty, much formality, small cheer,
formality - formalidad
And every body out of their own sphere.
The squires familiarly formal, and
familiarly - familiarmente
My lords and ladies proudly condescending;
The very servants puzzling how to hand
Their plates"without it might be too much bending
From their high places by the sideboard's stand"
sideboard - aparador, panish: t-needed
Yet, like their masters, fearful of offending.
offending - ofender
For any deviation from the graces
deviation - desviación
Might cost both man and master too"their places.
There were some hunters bold, and coursers keen,
Whose hounds ne'er err'd, nor greyhounds deign'd to lurch;
Some deadly shots too, Septembrizers, seen
shots - disparos; tiro, disparo
Earliest to rise, and last to quit the search
Of the poor partridge through his stubble screen.
stubble - barba de varios días, rastrojo
There were some massy members of the church,
Takers of tithes, and makers of good matches,
makers - fabricantes; hacedor, fabricante
And several who sung fewer psalms than catches.
There were some country wags too"and, alas!
wags - meneos; menear, panish: t-needed
Some exiles from the town, who had been driven
exiles - exiliados; exilio, destierro, exiliado, desterrado, exiliar
To gaze, instead of pavement, upon grass,
And rise at nine in lieu of long eleven.
And lo! upon that day it came to pass,
I sate next that o'erwhelming son of heaven,
The very powerful parson, Peter Pith,
The loudest wit I e'er was deafen'd with.
I knew him in his livelier London days,
A brilliant diner out, though but a curate;
curate - conservar; cura
And not a joke he cut but earn'd its praise,
Until preferment, coming at a sure rate
(O Providence! how wondrous are thy ways!
Who would suppose thy gifts sometimes obdurate?),
Gave him, to lay the devil who looks o'er Lincoln,
A fat fen vicarage, and nought to think on.
His jokes were sermons, and his sermons jokes;
But both were thrown away amongst the fens;
fens - fens; pantano
For wit hath no great friend in aguish folks.
aguish - guish
No longer ready ears and short-hand pens
Imbibed the gay bon-mot, or happy hoax:
imbibed - bebido; beber, tomar
hoax - broma; engano, fraude, embuste, bulo
The poor priest was reduced to common sense,
Or to coarse efforts very loud and long,
To hammer a horse laugh from the thick throng.
There is a difference, says the song, 'between
A beggar and a queen,'or was (of late
The latter worse used of the two we've seen"
But we'll say nothing of affairs of state);
A difference ''twixt a bishop and a dean,'
dean - decano; deán
A difference between crockery ware and plate,
As between English beef and Spartan broth"
And yet great heroes have been bred by both.
But of all nature's discrepancies, none
discrepancies - iscrepancias; discrepancia
Upon the whole is greater than the difference
Beheld between the country and the town,
Of which the latter merits every preference
From those who have few resources of their own,
And only think, or act, or feel, with reference
To some small plan of interest or ambition"
Both which are limited to no condition.
But 'en avant!'The light loves languish o'er
Long banquets and too many guests, although
A slight repast makes people love much more,
Bacchus and Ceres being, as we know
Even from our grammar upwards, friends of yore
upwards - hacia arriba
With vivifying Venus, who doth owe
To these the invention of champagne and truffles:
Temperance delights her, but long fasting ruffles.
ruffles - rouffles; volante, retorcer
Dully past o'er the dinner of the day;
And Juan took his place, he knew not where,
Confused, in the confusion, and distrait,
And sitting as if nail'd upon his chair:
Though knives and forks clank'd round as in a fray,
He seem'd unconscious of all passing there,
Till some one, with a groan, exprest a wish
(Unheeded twice) to have a fin of fish.
unheeded - esoído
fin - aleta
On which, at the third asking of the bans,
He started; and perceiving smiles around
Broadening to grins, he colour'd more than once,
broadening - ampliación; ensanchar, ensancharse
And hastily"as nothing can confound
A wise man more than laughter from a dunce"
Inflicted on the dish a deadly wound,
And with such hurry, that ere he could curb it
He had paid his neighbour's prayer with half a turbot.
This was no bad mistake, as it occurr'd,
The supplicator being an amateur;
amateur - amateur, aficionado, diletante, inadaptado
But others, who were left with scarce a third,
Were angry"as they well might, to be sure.
They wonder'd how a young man so absurd
Lord Henry at his table should endure;
And this, and his not knowing how much oats
Had fallen last market, cost his host three votes.
They little knew, or might have sympathised,
sympathised - Simpatizar
That he the night before had seen a ghost,
A prologue which but slightly harmonised
With the substantial company engross'd
By matter, and so much materialised,
materialised - aterializarse
That one scarce knew at what to marvel most
Of two things"how (the question rather odd is)
Such bodies could have souls, or souls such bodies.
But what confused him more than smile or stare
From all the 'squires and 'squiresses around,
squiresses - Escuderos
Who wonder'd at the abstraction of his air,
Especially as he had been renown'd
For some vivacity among the fair,
vivacity - vivacidad
Even in the country circle's narrow bound
(For little things upon my lord's estate
Were good small talk for others still less great)"
Was, that he caught Aurora's eye on his,
And something like a smile upon her cheek.
Now this he really rather took amiss:
In those who rarely smile, their smiles bespeak
A strong external motive; and in this
external - externa; externo
Smile of Aurora's there was nought to pique
Or hope, or love, with any of the wiles
Which some pretend to trace in ladies'smiles.
'Twas a mere quiet smile of contemplation,
Indicative of some surprise and pity;
indicative - indicativo
And Juan grew carnation with vexation,
carnation - clavel, carnalización
Which was not very wise, and still less witty,
Since he had gain'd at least her observation,
A most important outwork of the city"
As Juan should have known, had not his senses
By last night's ghost been driven from their defences.
defences - defensas; defensa
But what was bad, she did not blush in turn,
Nor seem embarrass'd"quite the contrary;
Her aspect was as usual, still"not stern"
And she withdrew, but cast not down, her eye,
Yet grew a little pale"with what? concern?
I know not; but her colour ne'er was high"
Though sometimes faintly flush'd"and always clear,
As deep seas in a sunny atmosphere.
But Adeline was occupied by fame
This day; and watching, witching, condescending
witching - Brujas; (witch) Brujas
To the consumers of fish, fowl, and game,
And dignity with courtesy so blending,
As all must blend whose part it is to aim
(Especially as the sixth year is ending)
At their lord's, son's, or similar connection's
Safe conduct through the rocks of re-elections.
Though this was most expedient on the whole,
most expedient - el más conveniente
And usual"Juan, when he cast a glance
On Adeline while playing her grand role,
Which she went through as though it were a dance,
Betraying only now and then her soul
By a look scarce perceptibly askance
perceptibly - perceptiblemente
askance - preguntas; con recelo, de reojo, de través
(Of weariness or scorn), began to feel
Some doubt how much of Adeline was real;
So well she acted all and every part
By turns"with that vivacious versatility,
vivacious - vivaz
versatility - versatilidad
Which many people take for want of heart.
They err"'tis merely what is call'd mobility,
mobility - movilidad
A thing of temperament and not of art,
Though seeming so, from its supposed facility;
And false"though true; for surely they're sincerest
sincerest - sinceramente; sincero
Who are strongly acted on by what is nearest.
This makes your actors, artists, and romancers,
Heroes sometimes, though seldom"sages never;
But speakers, bards, diplomatists, and dancers,
Little that 's great, but much of what is clever;
Most orators, but very few financiers,
Though all Exchequer chancellors endeavour,
Exchequer - Hacienda
Chancellors - cancilleres; canciller
endeavour - esfuerzo; esforzarse
Of late years, to dispense with Cocker's rigours,
dispense with - prescindir de; deshacerse de
And grow quite figurative with their figures.
figurative - en sentido figurado; figurativo, figurado, traslaticio
The poets of arithmetic are they
Who, though they prove not two and two to be
Five, as they might do in a modest way,
Have plainly made it out that four are three,
Judging by what they take, and what they pay.
The Sinking Fund's unfathomable sea,
fund - fondo, capital, financiar, sufragar, patrocinar
unfathomable - incomprensible, insondable
That most unliquidating liquid, leaves
unliquidating - liquidar
The debt unsunk, yet sinks all it receives.
unsunk - Deshundido
While Adeline dispensed her airs and graces,
airs and graces - delirios de grandeza
The fair Fitz-Fulke seem'd very much at ease;
Though too well bred to quiz men to their faces,
Her laughing blue eyes with a glance could seize
The ridicules of people in all places"
That honey of your fashionable bees"
And store it up for mischievous enjoyment;
mischievous - pícaro, travieso
And this at present was her kind employment.
However, the day closed, as days must close;
The evening also waned"and coffee came.
Each carriage was announced, and ladies rose,
And curtsying off, as curtsies country dame,
curtsying - haciendo una reverencia; reverencia
curtsies - una reverencia; reverencia
Retired: with most unfashionable bows
Their docile esquires also did the same,
Delighted with their dinner and their host,
But with the Lady Adeline the most.
Some praised her beauty; others her great grace;
The warmth of her politeness, whose sincerity
sincerity - sinceridad
Was obvious in each feature of her face,
Whose traits were radiant with the rays of verity.
verity - Verdad
Yes; she was truly worthy her high place!
No one could envy her deserved prosperity.
prosperity - prosperidad
And then her dress"what beautiful simplicity
Draperied her form with curious felicity!
Felicity - felicidad
Meanwhile Sweet Adeline deserved their praises,
By an impartial indemnification
For all her past exertion and soft phrases,
In a most edifying conversation,
Which turn'd upon their late guests'miens and faces,
miens - miens; apostura, gesto
And families, even to the last relation;
Their hideous wives, their horrid selves and dresses,
And truculent distortion of their tresses.
distortion - distorsión
True, she said little"'twas the rest that broke
Forth into universal epigram;
epigram - epigrama
But then 'twas to the purpose what she spoke:
Like Addison's 'faint praise,'so wont to damn,
Her own but served to set off every joke,
As music chimes in with a melodrame.
chimes - campanadas; carrillón
melodrame - Melodrama
How sweet the task to shield an absent friend!
I ask but this of mine, to"not defend.
There were but two exceptions to this keen
Skirmish of wits o'er the departed; one
skirmish - escaramuza
Aurora, with her pure and placid mien;
And Juan, too, in general behind none
In gay remark on what he had heard or seen,
Sate silent now, his usual spirits gone:
In vain he heard the others rail or rally,
He would not join them in a single sally.
'Tis true he saw Aurora look as though
She approved his silence; she perhaps mistook
Its motive for that charity we owe
But seldom pay the absent, nor would look
Farther"it might or might not be so.
But Juan, sitting silent in his nook,
Observing little in his reverie,
observing - observando; observar, seguir, tomar en cuenta
Yet saw this much, which he was glad to see.
The ghost at least had done him this much good,
In making him as silent as a ghost,
If in the circumstances which ensued
He gain'd esteem where it was worth the most.
And certainly Aurora had renew'd
In him some feelings he had lately lost,
Or harden'd; feelings which, perhaps ideal,
Are so divine, that I must deem them real:"
The love of higher things and better days;
The unbounded hope, and heavenly ignorance
unbounded - sin límites
Of what is call'd the world, and the world's ways;
The moments when we gather from a glance
gather from - Recoger de
More joy than from all future pride or praise,
Which kindle manhood, but can ne'er entrance
The heart in an existence of its own,
Of which another's bosom is the zone.
Who would not sigh Ai ai Tan Kuuerheian
Ai - panish: t-needed
tan - curtir
That hath a memory, or that had a heart?
Alas! her star must fade like that of Dian:
fade - desvanecerse; apagarse, debilitarse; destenir
Ray fades on ray, as years on years depart.
fades - se desvanece; apagarse, debilitarse; destenir
Anacreon only had the soul to tie an
Unwithering myrtle round the unblunted dart
Myrtle - arrayán, murta, mirto
unblunted - Sin despuntar
Of Eros: but though thou hast play'd us many tricks,
Eros - Eros
Still we respect thee, 'Alma Venus Genetrix!'
And full of sentiments, sublime as billows
sentiments - sentimientos; sentimiento
Heaving between this world and worlds beyond,
Don Juan, when the midnight hour of pillows
pillows - almohadas; almohada
Arrived, retired to his; but to despond
Rather than rest. Instead of poppies, willows
poppies - amapolas; amapola
willows - sauces; sauce, mimbrera, sauz
Waved o'er his couch; he meditated, fond
meditated - meditado; meditar
Of those sweet bitter thoughts which banish sleep,
And make the worldling sneer, the youngling weep.
The night was as before: he was undrest,
Saving his night-gown, which is an undress;
undress - desvestirse, desnudarse
Completely 'sans culotte,'and without vest;
Culotte - falda-pantalón
In short, he hardly could be clothed with less:
But apprehensive of his spectral guest,
apprehensive - preocupado; aprensivo, inquieto
He sate with feelings awkward to express
(By those who have not had such visitations),
Expectant of the ghost's fresh operations.
And not in vain he listen'd;"Hush! what 's that?
I see"I see"Ah, no!"'tis not"yet 'tis"
Ye powers! it is the"the"the"Pooh! the cat!
The devil may take that stealthy pace of his!
stealthy - sigiloso, furtivo
So like a spiritual pit-a-pat,
spiritual - espiritual, espiritual
pit - hoyo, foso, fosa
Or tiptoe of an amatory Miss,
Gliding the first time to a rendezvous,
rendezvous - un encuentro; encuentro, cita
And dreading the chaste echoes of her shoe.
Again"what is 't? The wind? No, no"this time
It is the sable friar as before,
With awful footsteps regular as rhyme,
Or (as rhymes may be in these days) much more.
Again through shadows of the night sublime,
When deep sleep fell on men, and the world wore
deep sleep - un sueno profundo
The starry darkness round her like a girdle
starry - estrellado, estelífero, astrífero
Spangled with gems"the monk made his blood curdle.
spangled - con lentejuelas; lentejuela
A noise like to wet fingers drawn on glass,
Which sets the teeth on edge; and a slight clatter,
Like showers which on the midnight gusts will pass,
Sounding like very supernatural water,
Came over Juan's ear, which throbb'd, alas!
For immaterialism 's a serious matter;
immaterialism - inmaterialismo
So that even those whose faith is the most great
In souls immortal, shun them tete-a-tete.
Were his eyes open?"Yes! and his mouth too.
Surprise has this effect"to make one dumb,
Yet leave the gate which eloquence slips through
As wide as if a long speech were to come.
Nigh and more nigh the awful echoes drew,
Tremendous to a mortal tympanum:
His eyes were open, and (as was before
Stated) his mouth. What open'd next?"the door.
It open'd with a most infernal creak,
infernal - infernal
Like that of hell. 'Lasciate ogni speranza
Voi che entrate!'The hinge seem'd to speak,
entrate - entrar
hinge - bisagra, gozne, charnela, quicio, abisagrar, depender
Dreadful as Dante's rhima, or this stanza;
Or"but all words upon such themes are weak:
A single shade 's sufficient to entrance
Hero"for what is substance to a spirit?
Or how is 't matter trembles to come near it?
trembles - tiembla; tiritar, temblar, temblor, vibración, temblequera
come near - acercarse
The door flew wide,"not swiftly, but, as fly
The sea-gulls, with a steady, sober flight,
gulls - gaviotas; gaviota
And then swung back, nor close, but stood awry,
awry - mal; inadecuadamente, torcido
Half letting in long shadows on the light,
letting in - hacer pasar; dejar entrar; permitir
Which still in Juan's candlesticks burned high,
candlesticks - velas; candelero, candelabro
For he had two, both tolerably bright,
And in the doorway, darkening darkness, stood
doorway - puerta; entrada
darkening - oscurecimiento; oscurecer, obscurecer
The sable Friar in his solemn hood.
Between two worlds life hovers like a star,
'Twixt night and morn, upon the horizon's verge.
How little do we know that which we are!
How less what we may be! The eternal surge
Of time and tide rolls on, and bears afar
Our bubbles; as the old burst, new emerge,
Lash'd from the foam of ages; while the graves
Of empires heave but like some passing waves.
Don Juan shook, as erst he had been shaken
erst - rst
The night before, but being sick of shaking,
He first inclined to think he had been mistaken,
And then to be ashamed of such mistaking.
His own internal ghost began to awaken
Within him and to quell his corporal quaking,
quaking - Tiembla; (quake) Tiembla
Hinting that soul and body on the whole
Were odds against a disembodied soul.
And then his dread grew wrath, and his wrath fierce,
And he arose, advanced. The shade retreated,
But Juan, eager now the truth to pierce,
Followed, his veins no longer cold, but heated,
Resolved to thrust the mystery carte and tierce,
carte - Carta
At whatsoever risk of being defeated.
defeated - derrotado; vencer, derrotar
The ghost stopped, menaced, then retired, until
menaced - amenazado; amenaza, peligro
He reached the ancient wall, then stood stone still.
Juan put forth one arm. Eternal powers!
It touched no soul nor body, but the wall,
On which the moonbeams fell in silvery showers
Checkered with all the tracery of the hall.
checkered - Comprobador
tracery - tracería
He shuddered, as no doubt the bravest cowers
shuddered - se estremeció; escalofrío
When he can't tell what 'tis that doth appal.
How odd, a single hobgoblin's nonentity
Should cause more fear than a whole host's identity.
But still the shade remained, the blue eyes glared,
And rather variably for stony death.
variably - variablemente
Yet one thing rather good the grave had spared;
The ghost had a remarkably sweet breath.
remarkably - otablemente; extraordinariamente
A straggling curl showed he had been fair-haired.
haired - Pelo
A red lip with two rows of pearls beneath
Gleamed forth, as through the casement's ivy shroud
gleamed - brillaba; relucir, brillar, destellar
ivy - hiedra
The moon peeped, just escaped from a grey cloud.
peeped - spiado; espiar
And Juan, puzzled but still curious, thrust
His other arm forth. Wonder upon wonder!
It pressed upon a hard but glowing bust,
Which beat as if there was a warm heart under.
He found, as people on most trials must,
That he had made at first a silly blunder
And that in his confusion he had caught
Only the wall, instead of what he sought
The ghost, if ghost it were, seemed a sweet soul
As ever lurked beneath a holy hood.
lurked - al acecho; acechar, agazaparse, ocultarse, esconderse, merodear
A dimpled chin, a neck of ivory stole
dimpled - con hoyuelos; hoyuelo, camanance, formar hoyuelos
Forth into something much like flesh and blood.
Back fell the sable frock and dreary cowl
frock - vestido
And they revealed, alas, that ere they should,
revealed - revelado; revelar, propalar
In full, voluptuous, but not o'ergrown bulk,
bulk - masa, corpulencia, grueso, bulto, a granel, masivo
The phantom of her frolic Grace"Fitz-Fulke!
frolic - juguetear, retozar, jugueteo
[The end of the 1857 edition]
The world is full of orphans: firstly, those
Orphans - huérfanos; huérfano, huérfana
Who are so in the strict sense of the phrase
(But many a lonely tree the loftier grows
Than others crowded in the forest's maze);
The next are such as are not doomed to lose
doomed - condenado; condenar, danar
Their tender parents in their budding days,
But merely their parental tenderness,
Which leaves them orphans of the heart no less.
The next are 'only children', as they are styled,
Who grow up children only, since the old saw
Pronounces that an 'only''s a spoilt child.
But not to go too far, I hold it law
That where their education, harsh or mild,
'Transgresses the great bounds of love or awe,
Transgresses - transgredir
The sufferers, be't in heart or intellect,
sufferers - os enfermos; sufridor
Whate'er the cause are orphans in effect.
But to return unto the stricter rule
(As far as words make rules), our common notion
Of orphans paints at once a parish school,
A half-starved babe, a wreck upon life's ocean,
starved - muerto de hambre; morir de hambre, hambrear
A human (what the Italians nickname) 'mule',
nickname - apodo, mote, sobrenombre
mule - mula
A theme for pity or some worse emotion;
Yet, if examined, it might be admitted
The wealthiest orphans are to be more pitied.
Too soon they are parents to themselves; for what
Are tutors, guardians, and so forth, compared
With Nature's genial genitors, so that
A child of Chancery, that Star Chamber ward
(I'll take the likeness I can first come at),
Is like a duckling by Dame Partlett reared
duckling - pato; patito
reared - criado; parte trasera
And frights, especially if 'tis a daughter,
frights - miedos; susto
The old hen by running headlong to the water.
There is a commonplace book argument,
Which glibly glides from every vulgar tongue
glibly - con desgana
When any dare a new light to present:
'If you are right, then everybody's wrong.'
Suppose the converse of this precedent
precedent - precedente
So often urged, so loudly and so long:
urged - te urge; impulso, impulsar, urgir, aguijonear, apresurar
'If you are wrong, then everybody's right.'
Was ever everybody yet so quite?
Therefore I would solicit free discussion
solicit - solicitar, cortejar
Upon all points, no matter what or whose,
Because as ages upon ages push on,
The last is apt the former to accuse
Of pillowing its head on a pincushion,
pillowing - almohada
pincushion - pinza; agujero, acerico, alfiletero
Heedless of pricks because it was obtuse.
obtuse - obtuso, romo
What was a paradox becomes a truth or
paradox - paradoja, panish: t-needed
A something like it, as bear witness Luther.
The sacraments have been reduced to two
sacraments - acramentos; sacramento
And witches unto none, though somewhat late
Since burning aged women (save a few,
Not witches, only bitches, who create
bitches - zorras; perra, arpía, zorra, marrón, quejarse
Mischief in families, as some know or knew,
Should still be singed, but slightly let me state)
singed - chamuscado; chamuscar
Has been declared an act of inurbanity,
inurbanity - inurbanidad
Malgé Sir Matthew Hale's great humanity.
Matthew - Mateo, Matías
Great Galileo was debarred the sun,
Because he fixed it, and to stop his talking
How earth could round the solar orbit run,
orbit - órbita, orbitar
Found his own legs embargoed from mere walking.
embargoed - embargo, panish: t-needed
The man was well nigh dead, ere men begun
To think his skull had not some need of caulking,
skull - cráneo; calavera
caulking - enmasillado; (caulk); enmasillar, calafatear
But now it seems he's right, his notion just,
No doubt a consolation to his dust.
Pythagoras, Locke, Socrates"but pages
Pythagoras - Pitágoras
Might be filled up, as vainly as before,
With the sad usage of all sorts of sages,
usage - uso, usanza
Who in his lifetime each was deemed a bore.
lifetime - para toda la vida; vida, eternidad, toda la vida
deemed - considerado; considerar, concluir, estimar
The loftiest minds outrun their tardy ages;
This they must bear with and perhaps much more.
The wise man's sure when he no more can share it, he
Will have a firm post-obit on posterity.
obit - obituario
If such doom waits each intellectual giant,
We little people in our lesser way
To life's small rubs should surely be more pliant,
rubs - frotes; frotación, frotamiento, frote, frotar
And so for one will I, as well I may.
Would that I were less bilious"but oh fie on't!
Just as I make my mind up everyday
To be a totus teres stoic, sage,
The wind shifts and I fly into a rage.
Temperate I am, yet never had a temper;
Modest I am, yet with some slight assurance;
Changeable too, yet somehow idem semper;
Patient, but not enamoured of endurance;
enamoured - Enamorar
Cheerful, but sometimes rather apt to whimper;
whimper - gimoteo, lloriquear
Mild, but at times a sort of Hercules furens;
So that I almost think that the same skin
For one without has two or three within.
Our hero was in canto the sixteenth
Left in a tender moonlight situation,
Such as enables man to show his strength
Moral or physical On this occasion
Whether his virtue triumphed, or at length
triumphed - triunfó; triunfo
His vice"for he was of a kindling nation"
Is more than I shall venture to describe,
Unless some beauty with a kiss should bribe.
I leave the thing a problem, like all things.
The morning came, and breakfast, tea and toast,
Of which most men partake, but no one sings.
The company, whose birth, wealth, worth have cost
My trembling lyre already several strings,
Assembled with our hostess and mine host.
The guests dropped in, the last but one, Her Grace,
last but one - penúltimo
The latest, Juan with his virgin face.
Which best is to encounter, ghost or none,
encounter - encuentro; encontrar
'Twere difficult to say, but Juan looked
As if he had combated with more than one,
combated - ombatido; batalla, acción, combate, combatir
Being wan and worn, with eyes that hardly brooked
brooked - robado; arroyo
The light that through the Gothic windows shone.
Her Grace too had a sort of air rebuked,
Seemed pale and shivered, as if she had kept
shivered - tembló; temblar, tiritar, estremecerse
A vigil or dreamt rather more than slept.