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Overview
The selections begin at around 1550, at the outset of the 100 years known as the Golden Age. Excerpts from the era's major genres and authors include the works of three prominent playwrights, plus pastoral and picaresque novels, religious meditations, and a report from the New World. Three outstanding exponents of the Enlightenment appear here, in addition to contributions from the major Romantic playwrights and poets, several Realist and Naturalist novelists, and the pillars of the Generation of 1898. One-third of the selections are the works of Spanish-American writers. Accurate and up to date, this new translation by Stanley Appelbaum features a detailed Introduction with background on all of the writers and their works.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780486121772 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Dover Publications |
| Publication date: | 06/14/2012 |
| Series: | Dover Dual Language Spanish |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 256 |
| File size: | 1 MB |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
A Second Spanish Reader
A Dual-Language Book
By STANLEY APPELBAUM
Dover Publications, Inc.
Copyright © 2009 Dover Publications, Inc.All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-486-12177-2
CHAPTER 1
Las Casas (1474?-1566): Brevísima relación
El año de mil y quinientos y once pasaron a la isla de Cuba, que es como dije tan luenga como de Valladolid a Roma (donde había grandes provincias de gentes), comenzaron y acabaron de las maneras susodichas y mucho más y más cruelmente. Aquí acaecieron cosas muy señaladas. Un cacique y señor muy principal, que por nombre tenía Hatuey, que se había pasado de la isla Española a Cuba con mucha de su gente, por huir de las calamidades e inhumanas obras de los cristianos, y estando en aquella isla de Cuba, y dándole nuevas ciertos indios que pasaban a ella los cristianos, ayuntó mucha o toda su gente y díjoles: "Ya sabéis cómo se dice que los cristianos pasan acá, y tenéis experiencia cuáles han parado a los señores fulano y fulano y fulano; y aquellas gentes de Haití (que es la Española) lo mesmo vienen a hacer acá. ¿Sabéis quizá por qué lo hacen?" Dijeron: «No, sino porque son de su natura crueles y malos.» Dice él: «No lo hacen por sólo eso, sino porque tienen un dios a quien ellos adoran y quieren mucho, y por haberlo de nosotros para lo adorar, nos trabajan de sojuzgar y nos matan.» Tenía cabe sí una cestilla llena de oro en joyas y dijo: «Ves aquí el dios de los cristianos: hagámosle si os parece areitos (que son bailes y danzas) y quizá le agradaremos y les mandará que no nos haga mal.» Dijeron todos a voces: «Bien es, bien es. » Bailáronle delante hasta que todos se cansaron, y después dice el señor Hatuey: «Mirad, comoquiera que sea, si lo guardamos, para sacárnoslo al fin nos han de matar: echémoslo en este río. » Todos votaron que así se hiciese, y así lo echaron, en un río grande que allí estaba.
Este cacique y señor anduvo siempre huyendo de los cristianos desde que llegaron a aquella isla de Cuba, como quien los conocía, y defendíase cuando los topaba, y al fin lo prendieron. Y sólo porque huía de gente tan inicua y cruel, y se defendía de quien lo quería matar, y oprimir hasta la muerte a sí y a toda su gente y generación, lo hubieron vivo de quemar. Atado al palo decíale un religioso de San Francisco, santo varón que allí estaba, algunas cosas de Dios y de nuestra fe, el cual nunca las había jamás oído, lo que podía bastar aquel poquillo tiempo que los verdugos le daban, y que si quería creer aquello que le decía, que iría al cielo, donde había gloria y eterno descanso, y si no, que había de ir al infierno a padecer perpetuos tormentos y penas. Él, pensando un poco, preguntó al religioso si iban cristianos al cielo. El religioso le respondió que sí, pero que iban los que eran buenos. Dijo luego el cacique sin más pensar, que no quería él ir allá sino al infierno, por no estar donde estuviesen y por no ver tan cruel gente. Esta es la fama y honra que Dios y nuestra fe ha ganado con los cristianos que han ido a las Indias.
Una vez, saliéndonos a recibir con mantenimientos y regalos diez leguas de un gran pueblo, y llegados allá nos dieron gran cantidad de pescado y pan y comida con todo lo que más pudieron. Súbitamente se les revistió el diablo a los cristianos, y meten a cuchillo en mi presencia (sin motivo ni causa que tuviesen) más de tres mil ánimas que estaban sentados delante de nosotros, hombres y mujeres y niños. Allí vi tan grandes crueldades que nunca los vivos tal vieron ni pensaron ver.
Otra vez, desde a pocos días, envié yo mensajeros, asegurando que no temiesen, a todos los señores de la provincia de La Habana, porque tenían por oídas de mí crédito, que no se ausentasen, sino que nos saliesen a recibir, que no se les haría mal ninguno, porque de las matanzas pasadas estaba toda la tierra asombrada, y esto hice con parecer del capitán. Y llegados a la provincia, saliéronnos a recibir veinte y un señores y caciques, y luego los prendió el capitán, quebrantando el seguro que yo les había dado, y los quería quemar vivos otro día, diciendo que era bien, porque aquellos señores algún tiempo habían de hacer algún mal. Vime en muy gran trabajo quitarlos de la hoguera, pero al fin se escaparon.
Después de que todos los indios de la tierra de esta isla fueron puestos en la servidumbre y calamidad de los de la Española, viéndose morir y perecer sin remedio todos, comenzaron unos a huir a los montes, otros a ahorcarse de desesperados, y ahorcábanse maridos y mujeres, y consigo ahorcaban los hijos. Y por las crueldades de un español muy tirano (que yo conocí), se ahorcaron más de doscientos indios. Pereció desta manera infinita gente.
Oficial del rey hubo en esta isla que le dieron de repartimiento trescientos indios, y a cabo de tres meses había muerto en los trabajos de las minas los doscientos y setenta, que no le quedaron de todos sino treinta, que fue el diezmo. Después le dieron otros tantos y más, y también los mató, y dábanle y más mataba, hasta que se murió y el diablo le llevó el alma.
En tres o cuatro meses, estando yo presente, murieron de hambre, por llevarles los padres y las madres a las minas, más de siete mil niños. Otras cosas vi espantables.
Después acordaron de ir a montear los indios que estaban por los montes, donde hicieron estragos admirables, y así asolaron y despoblaron toda aquella isla, la cual vimos ahora poco ha y es una gran lástima y compasión verla yermada y hecha toda una soledad.
La Casas (1474?-1566): Very Brief Report
In the year 1511 they proceeded to the island of Cuba, which, as I said, is as long as the distance between Valladolid and Rome, and where there were great provinces of peoples; there they started and finished in the above-mentioned ways, but even more so, and more cruelly. Here very noteworthy things occurred. An Indian chief, a very prominent lord named Hatuey, who had moved from the island of Hispaniola to Cuba with many of his people to escape the disasters and inhuman doings of the Christians, being on that island of Cuba and hearing the report from certain Indians that the Christians were proceeding there, assembled many or all of his people and told them: "You already know it's said that the Christians are coming here, and you know by experience how Lords X, Y, and Z have ended up; and those people from Haiti [which is Hispaniola] are coming to do the same here. Do you know, perhaps, why they do it?" They replied: "No, unless it's because they're cruel and evil by nature." He said: "They don't do it for that reason alone, but because they have a god whom they worship and love dearly, and in order to get him from us to worship they strive to subdue us and they kill us." He had beside him a small basket filled with gold jewelry, and he said: "Here you see the god of the Christians; if you agree, let's perform areitos [which are ritual dances] and perhaps we'll please him and he'll order them not to harm us." They all shouted: "Good, good!" They danced in front of the gold until they all grew weary, and then Lord Hatuey said: "Look here: however it may be, if we keep it, they'll finally kill us in order to take it from us; let's throw it into this river." They all consented to do that, and so they threw it into a big river that was there.
This chief and lord kept on fleeing from the Christians after they arrived on that island of Cuba, since he knew them well, and he defended himself whenever he encountered them, but in the end they captured him. And merely because he fled from such unrighteous and cruel people, and fought against those who wanted to kill him and oppress to death both himself and all his people and kin, they burned him alive. While he was tied to the stake, a Franciscan friar who was there, a holy man, told him a few things about God and our religion that he had never heard, as much as he could in the very little time the executioners allowed him: if he were willing to believe his words, he'd go to heaven, where there was glory and eternal rest; otherwise, he'd go to hell to suffer everlasting torments and pains. He reflected for a while and then asked the friar whether Christians went to heaven. The friar replied that they did, but only the good ones. Then the chief, without pondering further, said he didn't want to go there, but to hell, to avoid being where they were and seeing such cruel people. Such is the reputation and honor that God and our religion have won through the Christians who have gone to the New World.
On one occasion, the Indians came out to welcome us with provisions and gifts ten leagues from a large town, and on our arrival there gave us a large quantity of fish, bread, food, and everything they could. Suddenly the devil got into the Christians, and in my presence (for no cause or reason) they put to the knife more than three thousand souls who were seated in front of us, men, women, and children. There I saw such great cruelties that no living man ever saw or thought to see the like.
Another time, a few days afterward, I sent messengers, assuring them they need have no fear, to all the lords of the province of Havana, because by report they trusted me: they were not to run away, but to come out and greet us, because no harm would be done to them (since the whole land was terrified by the preceding slaughters); and I did this with our captain's approval. When we reached the province, twenty-one lords and chiefs came out to meet us, and then the captain arrested them, violating the security I had given them, and was set on burning them alive the next day, saying it was the right thing to do because at some time they were sure to cause some trouble. I found myself involved in a very great effort to save them from the pyre, but they finally escaped it.
After all the Indians on the soil of this island had fallen into the same disastrous servitude as those on Hispaniola, all seeing themselves dying and perishing without any help for it, some began to flee to the hills, others to hang themselves in despair; husbands and wives would hang themselves and they'd hang their children at the same time. Because of the cruelties of a very tyrannical Spaniard (whom I knew) more than two hundred Indians hanged themselves. An infinite number of people perished in this way.
On this island there was an officer of the king to whom three hundred Indians were allotted as laborers, and at the end of three months two hundred seventy had died working in the mines; of all of them, he had only thirty left; that is, a tenth. Later he was given the same number and more, and he killed them, too; he was given more and he killed more, until he died and the devil made off with his soul.
In three or four months, in my presence, over seven thousand children died of hunger because their fathers and mothers had been taken to the mines. I saw other frightful things.
Later they decided to hunt the Indians who were in the hills; there they carried out amazing massacres, and thus they devastated and depopulated that entire island, which we saw recently, and it's a great pity and heartache to see it laid waste and made one unbroken solitude.
CHAPTER 2Montemayor (1519?-1561): La Diana
Con muy gran contentamiento caminaban las hermosas ninfas con su compañía por medio de un espeso bosque, ya que el sol se quería poner salieron a un muy hermoso valle, por medio del cual iba un impetuoso arroyo, de una parte y otra adornado de muy espesos salces y alisos, entre los cuales había otros muchos géneros de árboles más pequeños que, enredándose a los mayores, entretejéndose las doradas flores de los unos por entre las verdes ramas de los otros, daban con su vista gran contentamiento.
Las ninfas y pastores tomaron una senda que por entre el arroyo y la hermosa arboleda se hacía, y no anduvieron mucho espacio cuando llegaron a un verde prado muy espacioso adonde estaba un muy hermoso estanque de agua, del cual procedía el arroyo que por el valle con grande ímpetu corría. En medio del estanque estaba una pequeña isleta adonde había algunos árboles, por entre los cuales se devisaba una choza de pastores; alrededor della andaba un rebaño de ovejas paciendo la verde yerba.
Pues como a las ninfas pareciese aquel lugar aparejado para pasar la noche que ya muy cerca venía, por unas piedras que del prado a la isleta estaban por medio del estanque puestas en orden, pasaron todas, y se fueron derechas a la choza que en la isla parecía. Y como Polydora, entrando primero dentro, se adelantase un poco, aún no hubo entrado cuando con gran priesa volvió a salir y, volviendo el rostro a su compañía, puso un dedo encima de su hermosa boca haciéndoles señas que entrasen sin ruido. Como aquello viesen las ninfas y los pastores, con el menor rumor que pudieron entraron en la choza y mirando a una parte y a otra, vieron a un rincón un lecho, no de otra cosa sino de los ramos de aquellos salces que en torno de la choza estaban y de la verde yerba que junto al estanque se criaba. Encima de la cual vieron una pastora durmiendo, cuya hermosura no menos admiración les puso que si la hermosa Diana vieran delante de sus ojos. Tenía una saya azul clara, un jubón de una tela tan delicada que mostraba la perfección y compás del blanco pecho, porque el sayuelo que del mismo color de la saya era, le tenía suelto de manera que aquel gracioso bulto se podía bien divisar. Tenía los cabellos que más rubios que el sol parecían, sueltos y sin orden alguna, mas nunca orden tanto adornó hermosura como la desorden que ellos tenían; y con el descuido del sueño, el blanco pie descalzo, fuera de la saya se le parecía, mas no tanto que a los ojos de los que lo miraban pareciese deshonesto. Y según parecía por muchas lágrimas que aun durmiendo por sus hermosas mejillas derramaba, no le debía el sueño impedir sus tristes imaginaciones.
Montemayor (1519?-1561): Diana
With very great pleasure the lovely nymphs and their companions were walking in the heart of a dense forest; when the sun was about to set, they emerged into a very beautiful valley, in the midst of which a rapid stream flowed, adorned on either bank by very dense willows and alders, among which were many other types of smaller plants, which, twining around the larger ones, and with the golden flowers of some interweaving with the green boughs of the others, presented a very pleasant view.
The nymphs and shepherds followed a path that opened between the stream and the beautiful copse; they hadn't gone very far when they reached a very spacious green meadow in which stood a very lovely pool of water, the source of the stream that flowed very rapidly through the valley. In the center of the pool there was a tiny island on which were some trees, amid which could be glimpsed a shepherd's hut; around it, moved a flock of sheep grazing the green grass.
Since that spot seemed suitable to the nymphs for spending the night, which would soon fall, by way of certain stones which had been placed in a row and which led across the pond from the meadow to the islet, they all crossed and headed straight for the hut they had seen on the island. And after Polydora entered it first, a little ahead of the rest, no sooner had she gone in than she came out again in great haste; turning her face toward her companions, she placed a finger on her lovely lips, signaling to them to come in silently. When the nymphs and shepherds saw that, they made the least noise possible on entering the hut; looking all around, they saw in one corner a bed fashioned merely from the boughs of the willows that surrounded the hut and from the green grass that grew beside the pool. On it they saw a sleeping shepherdess whose beauty caused them no less amazement than if they had seen beautiful Diana before their eyes. She had on a light-blue skirt and a bodice of a fabric so fine that it showed the perfection and measure of her white bosom, because her tunic, which was the same color as her skirt, was open and allowed her graceful form to be clearly glimpsed. Her hair seemed yellower than the sun, loose and in disarray, but no hairdo ever adorned beauty as much as that disorder did; in the carelessness of sleep, her bare white foot showed outside her skirt, but not so much as to seem improper in the eyes of those who beheld it. And to judge by the many tears which, even in her sleep, trickled down her lovely cheeks, her slumber must have failed to inhibit her sorrowful thoughts.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from A Second Spanish Reader by STANLEY APPELBAUM. Copyright © 2009 Dover Publications, Inc.. Excerpted by permission of Dover Publications, Inc..
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