Spanish Golden Age Poetry: An Anthology
Fray Luis de Leon (1527–1591)
Retired Life
What restful life,
the fleeing of the worldly noise,
and follow the hidden path
along which have gone
the few wise men in the world!
That does not cloud the chest
of the proud great state,
or the admired golden roof,
made the sage dwell
in supported poverty.
No cure if fame’s
herald voice sings your name,
or cure if perched
flattering tongue
which condemns the honest truth.
What gives me happy,
vain if I’m finger pointed out,
if in search of this wind
I’m discouraged
forward to living and mortal care?
Oh field, oh mountain, oh river!
Oh sure secret delights!
almost broken ship,
your pillow to rest
fled person from this stormy sea.
A rompido not sleep,
one days pure, joyous, free love you;
I do not see the scowl
vainly severe
who praises blood or money.
Wake me the birds
with its graceful, learned song,
care not serious
that is always followed
alien abritrio who is adhered to.
I live with me,
I enjoy the good that I have the sky
alone, without witness,
free love, zeal,
of hatred, of hope and suspicion.
On the slopes of Mount
planted by my hand I have a garden,
that spring
of beautiful flower covered
and the result shows some hope.
And as greedy
to see and enhance its beauty,
from the airy summit
a pure fountain
running until rushes.
And then calm
The twisting through the trees,
the last floor
vegetable dressing,
and various flowers will spread.
The air garden orea,
and offers a thousand scents sense
shakes the trees
with a gentle noise,
that the gold scepter and puts oblivion.
Ténganse his treasure
which a thin wood is entrusted:
is not mine to see the weeping
of those who distrust
when the north wind south wind and opinionated.
The antenna fought
cracks, blind and night bright day
becomes, to Heaven sounds
confused clamor,
and enrich the sea contention.
To me, a poor child
table, peace of gentle good Abastida
sufficient for me, and dishes
of fine gold wrought,
who is not afraid of an angry sea.
And as miserable
mind are the other scorching
in thirst
of nondurable command
I lay in the shade is singing.
In the shadow lying
with ivy and laurel crowned eternal,
since the attentive ear
the are sweet, agreed,
the plectrum meneado wisely.
Source
Forest of old Castilian rhymes, by John Nicholas Bohl de Faber. Hamburg: Perthes and Besser, 1821.
Verse
Lira (stanza with 5-7 lines of eleven and seven syllables, with perfect rhyme). This scheme is used: aBabB
Syllables
- 7: Da vi resting
- 11: which the | huye_el worldly ru-i do
- 7: and continues la_escon di da
- 7: i do donde_han path by
- 11: the few wise que_en the mundo_hanif you do!
Rhyme
Perfect rhyme with the scheme aBabB
- a: V trip to resting
- B: the fleeing of the worldly ru ido
- a: and follows the way to hide
- b: path along which have gone
- B: the few sages in the world have s gone!
Oda III – A Francisco de Salinas (Professor of Music at the University of Salamanca)
A Francisco Salinas
The air is calm
and dresses of beauty and light not used,
Salinas, when it rings
music extremity,
governed by your wise hand.
To which are divine
the soul, which is sunk into oblivion,
turns to the destination charge
and memory loss
Initial investigation of their origin.
And as you know,
thoughts on luck and improvement;
gold unknown,
that the common vile adores
beauty expires, misleading.
Pierces the air all
to reach the highest sphere,
and hears otherwise there
of non-perishable
music, which is the source and the first.
See how the great master,
aquesta great zither applied
dexterous motion
Create the holy,
that this eternal temple is supported.
And as is made
concordant numbers, then sends
consonant response;
and both in contention
mix a sweet harmony.
Here the soul surfing
by a sea of sweetness, and finally
the urge drowns
that no accident
stranger and pilgrim hears or feels.
Oh, swoon happy!
Oh, death to give life! Oh, sweet oblivion!
Duration of your rest,
not be returned
aqueste ever felt low and vile!
I call this good,
glory of the sacred choir Apollonian,
friends whom I love
especially treasure;
that everything visible is sad cry.
Oh, it sounds unceasingly,
Salinas, your are in my ears,
for whom the good God
awaken the senses
Besides being a deadened!
Serena Night Poem
When I look at the sky
adorned with innumerable lights,
and look toward the floor
night surrounded
in sleep and buried in oblivion,
love and grief
wake up in my chest a burning desire;
vein long goodbye
eyes that source;
I say finally Loarte sorrowful voice:
Abode of greatness,
Temple of clarity and beauty,
the soul, that your highness
born, what misfortune
the floor is in this prison, was dark?
What mortal folly
away from the truth and meaning,
that, in your divine right
forgotten, lost
follows the vain shadow, good fake?
The man is delivered
to sleep, not caring for their fate;
and, with silent step,
the sky turns giving,
the hours you will live by stealing.
Oh, wake up, mortals!
Look closely at your damage.
The immortal souls,
made a good size,
Can they live in darkness and deception?
Oh, raise your eyes
aquesta eternal heavenly sphere!
burlaréis cravings
of flattering Aques
life, as feared and as expected.
Is it more than a brief paragraph
ground bass and clumsy compared
with this large transcript,
do better lives
what is, what will be, what happened?
Whoever looks at the big concert
person from this eternal glow,
some movement
their uneven steps
and concorde so equal proportion;
how the moon moves
the silver wheel, and go after della
knowledge do light rain,
and the graceful star
still love the bright and beautiful;
and how another way
Mars continues the sanguine angry,
Jupiter and Benin,
thousand fenced property,
serene heaven with his beloved beam;
– Went round at the top
Saturn, father of the golden age;
the crowd behind him
the glittering chorus
its light is spreading and its treasure -:
Who is this look
and boasts the baseness of the earth,
and no groans and sighs
and break what’s in
the soul and of these goods the exiles?
Here lives the happy,
peace reigns here, here, based
in rich, high chair,
Love is sacred,
glories and delights surrounded.
Immense beauty
shown here throughout, and glitters
crystal clear pure light,
that never gets dark;
Spring blooms eternal here.
Real fields Oh!
Oh really fresh meadows and fun!
The rich miners!
Oh delightful breasts!
Parts valleys, filled with a thousand blessings!”
San Juan de la Cruz (1542–1591)
Spiritual Canticle
Songs from the Soul and the Husband
Spouse:
Where have you hidden,
loved, and left me moaning?
As the deer ran away,
after wounding;
I went out, crying, and you were gone.
Pastors, who fuerdes
there, for the sheep, the hill,
if by chance VIERDES
one that I most want,
tell him to languish, Penile and die.
Searching for my love,
I will go through these mountains and shores;
or pick the flowers,
nor fear the wild beasts,
and pass the forts and frontiers.
(Question to the Creatures)
Oh forests and thickets,
Planted by the hand of the beloved!
Oh meadow of vegetables,
enamel flower,
say if you happened!
(Response of Creatures)
Many thanks shedding,
he passed these groves in haste,
yéndolos and watching,
with only his figure
clothes left in beauty.
Spouse:
Oh, who can heal me!
Just surrender already vero;
not want to send
Today more and messenger
you can not tell me what I want.
And all songs roam,
you referring to me a thousand thanks.
And all over me sore,
and me dying
I know not what they are darkly speaking.
But how you persevere,
O life, not living where you live,
and doing, because you die,
the arrows you receive,
than the beloved in you conceive?
Why, for you have wounded
This heart, not healed?
And since you’ve won me,
And why you left,
and not carried away the stolen prey?
Turn off my anger,
since none is sufficient to deshacellos,
and véante my eyes,
for you are light of them,
and I’ll probably keep it just for you.
O crystal fountain,
whether these your silvered,
forms of sudden
eyes desired
I have in my bowels drawn!
Withdraw, loved,
I’m going to fly!
Husband:
Return, dove,
violated the buck
on the hill overlooking,
the air of your flight and is refreshed.
Spouse:
My beloved, the mountains,
solitary wooded valleys,
the strange islands,
the resounding rivers,
the whisper of the amorous gales,
quiet night,
in time of the rising of the dawn,
silent music,
The murmuring solitude,
The supper that refreshes and deepens love,
our bed of flowers,
dens of lions encompassed,
hung with purple,
peace built,
thousand gold crowns crowned!
A behind your mark,
the young ones run Your way;
the touch of a spark,
the spiced wine,
emissions divine balm.
In the inner cellar
I drank my beloved, and he left,
Through all this valley,
thing and did not know
and lost the flock I followed before.
He gave me his chest,
I taught science there very tasty
and I gave indeed
to me, still nothing;
There I promised to be his wife.
My soul is occupied,
and all my substance in their service;
no longer keep livestock,
nor have I any other trade,
already in love is my only exercise.
Well, if the ejido
from now on be not seen or found,
I will say that I lost;
who walk in love,
I did perdidiza, and I won.
Of flowers and emeralds,
in the cool early morning gathered,
we garlands
in your love bloom,
and a hair of my head:
that one hair
fly in my neck consideration;
mirástele in my neck,
and he stayed in prison,
and one of my eyes wounded You.
When you looked at me,
Your grace Your eyes imprinted in me;
so I Adamas,
and it deserved
my people worship what they saw in you.
Do not despise,
brown in color if you found me,
It can either look at me,
you looked after me,
grace and beauty that you left me.
Cogednos the foxes,
that our vineyard has flourished,
rose while
do a pineapple,
and no one appear on the Montina.
Stop, gale dead;
Come, south wind, that awakens love,
breathe through my garden,
and run its smells,
and the beloved shall feed among the flowers.
Husband:
The wife has entered
desired in the pleasant garden,
It rests its flavor,
Reclining neck
On the gentle arms of the beloved.
Beneath the apple tree,
there were you betrothed,
there I gave the hand,
And you were redeemed
Where your mother was raped.
Or you, light birds,
lions, deer, jumping deer,
mountains, valleys, shorelines,
water, air, burning
and fears of night,
by the soft lyres
and I conjure serene song
to cease your anger
and not touch the wall,
because the wife sleep safer.
Spouse:
O nymphs of Judea,
whereas in the flowers and roses
amber perfume,
dwells in the suburbs,
ye not touch our thresholds.
Hide, Carrillo,
and look with your beam to the mountains,
and do not speak;
but look the retinue
who goes by the strange islands.
Husband:
The white dove
the ark with an olive branch has become,
and as the turtle
Its desired
On the green banks has found.
In solitude she lived,
And in solitude built her nest I,
guidance and loneliness
alone his beloved,
In solitude also wounded with love.
Spouse:
Let us rejoice, dear,
and let’s go see your beauty
the mountain or hill
do the pure water flows;
further, deep into the thicket.
And then increases
caverns in the rock we will,
they are well hidden,
There we shall enter,
and the must of great taste.
They show me
what my soul desired,
and then give me
there you, my love,
what gave me the other day:
sucking air
the song of the sweet nightingale,
the grove and its beauty,
In the serene night
With the flame that consumes and painless;
that nobody was watching,
Amminadab did not seem,
The siege was stilled,
and the cavalry
a view of the waters.
Verse:
Lira (stanza with 5-7 lines of eleven and seven syllables, with perfect rhyme). This scheme is used: aBabB
Syllables
- 7: Te_escon Where dis you
- 11: loved, left me _y-ge mi do
- 7: Como_el deer | hü-is you
- 7: inhabi-ri éndome_he do
- 11: I went out, crying, | y_eras i do
Rhyme
Perfect rhyme, with the schedule aBabB
- Where are you hiding iste
- loved, and left me gem go?
- As the deer hu iste
- habiéndome her gone
- I went out, crying, and you were gone.
The Dark Night
Songs of the soul that rejoices after reaching the high state of perfection, which is union with God, by the way of spiritual negation.
On a dark night,
Kindled in love with longing,
(Oh, happy chance!)
went unnoticed,
My house being now at peace.
In darkness and secure,
by the secret ladder, disguised,
(Oh, happy chance!)
in darkness and in concealment,
My house being now at peace.
In the happy night,
In secret, when none saw me,
Nor I beheld aught,
Without light or guide
but that which burned in my heart.
This guided me
truer than the midday sun,
where I expected
whom I knew so well,
In a place where none appeared.
O night that guided me!,
O night more lovely than the dawn!,
O night that joined
Beloved with lover,
transformed into the beloved mistress!
In my flowering breast
that whole he kept to himself,
There he stayed sleeping,
and I caressed him,
and the fanning of the cedars made a breeze.
The air from the turret
when I parted his locks;
With His gentle hand
wounded my neck,
and all my senses to be suspended.
I remained and olvidéme,
face on my Beloved,
All ceased, and let me,
Leaving my cares
Forgotten among the lilies.
Source
Forest of old Castilian rhymes, by John Nicholas Bohl de Faber. Hamburg: Perthes and Besser, 1821.
Date
C. 1577
Vocabulary
- tranquil – tranquil, at peace
- dark – in the dark
- level – stairs, ladder
- disguised – disguized
- dawn – dawn
- gave – Caress
- fanning of the cedars – cedar (-branch) fan
- spread – spread out
- hurt – touched (literally, wounded)
- battlement – ramparts, battlements
- let me – I let myself go
- care – cares, concerns
- lilies – (white) lilies
Verse
Lira (stanza with 5-7 lines of eleven and seven syllables, with perfect rhyme). This scheme is used: aBabB
Syllables
- 7: In a noche_os cu ra
- 11: inflated forward in love ma da
- 7: (Oh, happy are you ra!)
- 7: I left without being no ta da
- 11: My house being now Sose-ga da.
Rhyme
Perfect rhyme with the scheme aBabB
- Ura osc in one night
- Kindled in love forward ada
- (Ah, the vent ura!)
- not be left without ada
- My house being now calmed ada.
Llama de Amor Viva
Oh flame of love alive
tenderly hieres
of my soul in the deepest center!
As you are no longer elusive
just as if you want,
Breaks the fabric of this sweet encounter!
O sweet cautery!
O delightful wound!
O gentle hand! O delicate touch
eternal life that know
and pays every debt!
Killing, death in life You changed.
Oh torches
in whose splendors
the deep caverns of feeling,
it was dark and blind,
with strange beauties
color and light are with his dear!
How gentle and loving
remember in my heart
where only secretly blackberries,
and you suck tasty
filled with good and glory,
how delicately I love!
Source
Forest of old Castilian rhymes, by John Nicholas Bohl de Faber. Hamburg: Perthes and Besser, 1821.
Verse
Lira (stanza with 5-7 lines of eleven and seven syllables, with perfect rhyme). This scheme is used: abcabc
Syllables
Verses seven and eleven syllables
- 7: Oh I saw you called de_amor
- 7: that hie res tiernamente_
- 11: of mi_alma | at deeper cen tro!
- 7: Well, now is who will no_eres
- 7: just as if quie res
- 11: Web breaks de_este dulce_enaccounts tro!
Jose Maria Ortega prefers another version of this line:
11: Me | alma_en the deepest cen tro!
Rhyme
Perfect rhyme, with the schedule abcabc
- Flame of love Oh v iva
- hi you tenderly
- of my soul in the deepest centro!
- Well, you’re not skiing VAT
- just as if qui you are
- Breaks the material of the candy disguised entro!