El buscón

European MasterpiecesCervantes & Co. Spanish Classics Nº 27

General Editor: Tom Lathrop

Francisco de Quevedo

La vida del buscónllamado don Pablos

edited by

Carolyn A. Nadeau

Copyright © 2007 by European MasterpiecesAn imprint of LinguaText, Ltd.270 Indian RoadNewark, Delaware 19711-5204 usa

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Table of Contents

Introduction to Students .........................................................................................xi

El buscón

Book I .................................................................................................................. 1 Book II .............................................................................................................49 Book III ............................................................................................................90

Spanish-English Glossary ..................................................................................... 157

For Chad and the four little pícaros we love

ix

Acknowledgments

I would first and foremost like to express my heartfelt appreciation to Chad Sanders for his encouragement, unconditional support, and valuable insights while preparing this manuscript and for the chapter sketches and back cover illustration he drew that capture the essence of crucial moments in the text.

I am also grateful to Carlos Tejero and Carmela Ferradáns who read over many chapters and offered insights that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. My warm thanks, too, to many colleagues and friends who helped with the thousands of challenges Quevedo presents in his work: Charles Ganelin, especially for his help with idiomatic expressions, Tina Isabelli for her insights into specific linguistic features; Diego Méndez-Carbajo, for deciphering financial terms and countless unheard of expressions; Julio Vélez, Jack Weiner, Sobeira Latorre, Mauricio Parra and César Valverde for helping with other oddities that fill Quevedo’s novel. I would also like to thank my parents, Colin and Rose Nadeau, for their interest in my project and for clarifying some of the liturgical terms with which I was less familiar. Several Illinois Wesleyan students also assisted in preparing the manuscript. Erica Mugnani did much of the initial scanning; Erin Cox, Cristina Muniz, and Brianna Welch collated most of the glossary; and Peter Gray masterfully sketched the images of men’s clothing in the introduction section. The students of Span 408 and Span 490 read different stages of the manuscript in progress and their comments helped me focus on which aspects of the novel needed clarification. To all of these students I am deeply appreciative for your valuable assistance.

Research for this critical edition was possible thanks to the financial sup-port of the Program for Cultural Cooperation Between Spain’s Ministry of Culture and United States Universities and Illinois Wesleyan University and thanks to the collegial support of Tom Lathrop who created this remarkable series that has been invaluable for teaching Spanish literature at the under-graduate level, invited me to write this critical edition, and assisted me along the way. Finally, to Mary Barnard, who so many years ago first showed me how amazing Quevedo is, I also extend my warmest thanks and admiration.

xi

Introduction to Students I. Francisco de QuevedoFrancisco de Quevedo Villegas is one of the best-known writers of Spanish literature and one of the most controversial. Arrested several times for politi-cal scandals; sworn enemy of Spain’s other great seventeenth-century poet, Luis de Góngora; and famous for his derisive attacks on almost every aspect of society, Quevedo enrages as much as he bewitches with his astounding rhetorical figures and command of poetic language. The third of six children, Quevedo is born in 1580, to Pedro Gómez de Quevedo and María de Santibáñez, both employed at court where he spent most of his youth and later, adult life. He studies with the Jesuits in Madrid and later graduates from the University of Alcalá where he studies both the arts and theology. In the early 1600s Quevedo begins to acquire certain fame and his first poems appear in Flores de poetas ilustres (1605) by Pedro de Espinosa. At this time he pens El buscón but it does not appear in published form until 1626. In the 1610s he travels to Italy with Pedro Téllez Girón, the third Duke of Osuna, viceroy of Sicily (1610) and later of Naples (1616). Quevedo is the duke’s trusted counselor and travels on diplomatic missions to Rome, Madrid and other cities. At this time he receives the title as Knight of the Military Order of Santiago. But, Osuna’s favor rapidly declines, and Quevedo is later sent into exile to the village Torre de Juan Abad and imprisoned in Uclés for his related dealings with the duke. By 1618 he returns definitively to Spain. In the early 1620s King Phillip III dies, his son, Phillip IV, inherits the throne and for the next two decades relies heavily on the advice of the Count Duke of Olivares. Quevedo is accepted at court once again. During this de-cade El buscón, Política de Dios, and other works appear. In the late 20s he is once again sent into exile, this time for supporting Saint James the Apostle as the sole patron saint of the country. In this decade he generally agrees with

Introductionxii

the politics of the Count-Duke of Olivares, and in 1629 writes El chitón de las tarabillas, supporting Olivares’ position. But the relationship between the two quickly sours and in the 30s Quevedo attacks the statesman and his politics in works such as, Execración contra los judíos (1633), a clearly anti-Semitic work. He also develops a friend-ship with Antonio Juan Luis de la Cerda, the duke of Medinaceli. In 1634 he marries Esperanza Mendoza but the two are separated only a few months later. His writing is prolific and, in spite of censorship by the Inquisition, he publishes Juguetes de la niñez, La cuna y la sepultura, De los remedios de cualquier fortuna, el Epicteto, Virtud militante, Las cuatro fantasmas, and La segunda parte de Política de Dios. At the end of 1639 Quevedo is detained and held at Saint Mark’s mon-astery in León until shortly after Olivares dies in 1643. At the end of his life he is still writing; La Rebelión de Barcelona and Providencia de Dios are pub-lished while imprisoned, Marco Bruto and La caída para levantarse in the subsequent years, and he is preparing an edition of his poetry which appears posthumously in 1648. Quevedo dies September 8, 1645.

II. The picaresque genreThe picaresque novel is a pseudo autobiographical narrative of a pícaro, a marginalized character, usually male, who survives life however he can. The critic Claudio Guillén explains that typically these novels emphasize sordid details of hunger, loss and pain as the pícaro travels from place to place, are sprinkled with scatological humor, and maintain an odyssey-like structure as the main character travels horizontally through space and vertically through society (cited in Curry 262). Criticism of social norms and institutions run deep in all picaresque novels. For example, in El buscón, the role of the “con-verso” (accepted term for a person of Jewish or Muslim descent whose ances-tor had converted to Christianity within the last two, three, sometimes four generations) or the corruption within the judicial system are two themes that surface throughout the novel. Structurally, most picaresque novels are episodic; begin with the roots of the main character; describe his education, his moments of confrontation and end with the question of whether or not the pícaro has overcome his plight in life (generally he has not). The loosely connected episodes are tied together by the chaotic world in which they take place.

El buscón xiii

Most agree that the top three Spanish picaresque novels are the anony-mous La Vida del Lazarillo de Tormes y de sus fortunas y adversidades (1554, the first), Mateo Alemán’s Guzmán de Alfarache (1599, 1604, the most de-veloped), and Quevedo’s El buscón (1626, the most linguistically complex) although several other titles appeared throughout the seventeenth century. Later, this genre went on to influence writers throughout Europe and be-yond. Although a definitive understanding of the characteristics of the pícaro antihero is widely debated among critics, most agree that the main character shows most of the following: he has no significant family roots he maintains an ambiguous, if any, relationship with his father he is responsible for his own well being at a very young age he survives, both physically and psychologically, day to day he experiences a rude awakening that defines the direction of his life he adapts to a series of different situations or different masters he lives in a hypocritical world that values certain ideals yet does not practice them his life alternates between good and evil

III. El buscón This picaresque novel, written shortly after the publication of Mateo Aleman’s Guzmán de Alfarache is a biographical narrative of Pablos of Segovia who traces his life from his childhood in Segovia to his education in Alcalá, to his failed attempts of bettering his social station in Madrid, to his life as an actor in Toledo and finally to his life of crime in Seville and decision to better his fortune in America. The novel is divided into three books. Book one details his family background and childhood education in Segovia after Pablos insists that his parents enroll him in school. Once there he gains the favor of schoolmaster and students alike. His school experiences culminate in an annual celebration in which Pablos plays el rey de gallos, an event that ends in a chaotic village food fight. Pablos, after befriending one schoolmate in particular, Diego de Coronel, is invited to accompany him as a servant at a local boarding school where the two suffer the abuses of the infa-mous schoolmaster Cabra. The two then head to university in Alcalá where Pablos learns the tricks of a buscón more than any class lessons. Book one

Introductionxiv

closes when Pablos receives a letter from his uncle explaining that his father had died and left him a considerable inheritance. In Book two as Pablos returns to Segovia he meets a series of characters that represent different aspects of Spanish society. He spends a drunken eve-ning with his uncle and friends and after receiving the money his father had left him, departs for Madrid and the court vowing to never return to Segovia again. On the road to Madrid he meets Don Toribio, a starving hidalgo who introduces Pablos to life at court. Here and in Book three, Pablos under-stands the importance of one’s appearance. In Book three Pablos meets a series of “gentlemen” that show him crafty ways to survive in the city, but eventually ends up in jail. This chapter offers the reader a glimpse into the judicial system in place in seventeenth-century Spain. He later attempts to marry into a higher social station, and is brutally deterred by his old schoolmate Diego de Coronel. After recovering, Pablos decides to leave the court in search of a better life and joins a group of trav-eling actors who spend time in Toledo. Finally, Pablos departs for Seville, meets up with a serious gang of ruffians, and gets into deep trouble with the law. The novel closes as Pablos, together with his newly found love, Grajales, departs for the Indies to seek out new adventures. Critics have often noted that Quevedo’s El buscón differs from other pi-caresque novels in its linguistic excellence and in its unabashed critique of the pícaro himself. Quevedo is best known for his amazing mastery of lan-guage. He is unprecedented in his use of rhetorical devices, plays on words, and conceptual witticisms. For example, to describe the facial features of a rogue swordsman, Quevedo uses qualities of the man’s profession to describe his facial hair: “la barba de ganchos, con unos bigotes de guardamano” (54). One could translate this phrase as “a long, hooked beard with a handlebar mustache,” but it does not capture the sophistication of Quevedo’s metaphor that includes gancho, today understood as a hook but in the day was an epee-like sword used by ruffians, and guardamano, the sword’s decorative handle that often looped around in swirls reminiscent of a handlebar moustache.

IV. Notes on seventeenth-century SpainMoneyIn early modern Spain, the monetary system was both complex and continu-ally fluctuating. What follows is a series of words related to money that will help the reader contextualize the references to money found throughout the novel.

El buscón xv

Coins were made from different material: vellón (billon, or “less than half silver”), used in daily transactions; plata (silver), used in legal transac-tions; and oro (gold), reserved for high-end commercial trades. Maravedí: a small monetary unit upon which other coins are measured. Blanca: worth 1/2 maravedíOchavo (de real): worth 2 maravedísCuarto (de real): worth 4 maravdísReal: The first real was introduced by King Pedro I (1333-69) at a value of 3

maravedís. This rate of exchange increased until 1497, when the real was fixed at a value of 34 maravedís. In 1642, two distinct reales were created, the real de plata and the real de vellón. The exchange rate between these two coins was set at 2 reales de vellón = 1 real de plata. The maravedí was tied to the real de vellón, causing the real de plata to be worth 68 maravedís. There were several coins based on the real. The real de a ocho (worth 8 reales), real de a cuatro, real de a tres, and real de a dos. There were also fractions of reales: 1∕2 real, 1∕4, 1/8 and 1/16.

Real de a ocho: This coin took on special significance as it was an accepted denomination throughout the world. In the New World this coin was called the peso.

Ducado (ducat) In 1497 the Catholic monarchs (los reyes católicos) intro-duce this gold coin; its value is equivalent to 374 maravedís or 11 Castilian reales.

Escudo: Carlos V introduces this coin (1535), also called the corona, and it replaces the ducado as the official gold coin. It begins at a value of 350 maravedís but, by 1566 it is valued at 400 maravedís and by the time Quevedo writes El buscón its value has increased to 440 maravedís.

Doblón: (dubloon) worth two escudos

Spanish coins Value in maravedísBlanca 1/2

Maravedí 1Ochavo 2Cuarto 4

Real 34Real de a ocho 272

Ducado 374 (11 reales)Escudo 442 (around the time El buscón is written)

Doblón 884

Introductionxvi

Clothing Clothing in early modern Spain revealed much about a person’s social status and occupation. As Pablos moves from son of a barber to student, “gentle-man”, feigned aristocrat, beggar, actor and finally to professional rogue, so too do his clothes change. Men’s fashion, including length and width of pants; type of shirt, vest and coat; and style of collar, revealed much about the in-dividual. What follows are some of the clothing items that require more de-tailed explanation and two pictures that show typical garments a poor man and a wealthy man would wear.

Calzas vs. calzonesCalzas pumpkin breeches. Today scholars have varying opinions on what cal-

zas actually were. Bernís explains that they first appeared in the 1540s and were made of various vertical slashes, a lining and a filling (relleno). Between 1590-1617 they are often only mentioned in wardrobes of digni-taries and nobles and disappear from fashion in 1622. During the second half of the sixteenth century and early seventeenth century, changes in volume, length and form occurred. The muslos de calzas (puffy shorts) and medias de calzas (stockings) signaled different directions in the de-velopment of this key article of clothing. One of the gentlemen Pablos meets in Madrid (III.1) has constructed something out of cardboard to resemble this type of breeches.

Calzones (breeches) are a type of legging that were not as fancy as calzas and were also worn by shepherds, laborers and people of humble origin. They could be long, like pants today, or to the knees, like shorts. Calzones were also referred to as zaragüelles, valones or gregüescos, all specific types of pants that, with time, took on more of a generic label for pants in gen-eral. Gregüescos, for example, appeared right before 1600 as a legging that got progressively wider toward the knee, but soon became interchange-able with calzones. Finally, polainas were very inexpensive breeches.

Cuellos: There existed a wide variety of collars among the upper class ranging from the flamboyant, multi-folded cuello de lechuguilla or cuello abierto to the flat, wide valona (Vandyke).

Coleto vs. jubón: Men often wore a series of coverings over their shirt that included a coleto (jerkin), a type of vest typically made of buckskin, wool, heavy linen or a quilted material; a jubón (doublet), a close-fitting jacket similar to a coleto that may or may not have sleeves or, at times, had op-tional sleeves that could hang by one’s side or be used. Additionally, men

El buscón xvii

may wear a ropilla, (vest), and a capa (cape) that could vary in length: arrebozo (short), herreruelo (mid-length), capuz (long).

Illustrations of clothes for a poor man and a rich man (sketches by Peter Gray).

Justice system One of the harshest social commentaries in El buscón focuses on the cor-ruption at all levels of the judicial system. Throughout the novel, but espe-cially in I.6, III.4 and III.5, Pablos comes face to face with a variety of law officials. The following descriptions help clarify what each position entailed.

Corregidor, magistrate of justice, is similar to the mayor and delegated by roy-al decree. This official hears denouncements and can order a person to be detained. In I.6 he is the object of one of Pablos’ many stings.

Introductionxviii

Alguacil, sergeant, carries out the judge’s or the tribunal’s orders. Typically the alguacil showed his power with a rod or staff, as Pablos points out in I.6.

Corchete, police officer, is subordinate to the alguacil and responsible for ar-resting delinquents. Pablos has two encounters with the local corchetes; he steals their swords in I.6 and partakes in a much more serious conflict in III.10.

Justicia can mean justice or policeAlcalde (alcaide) warden of jail or presiding judge Carcelero jailer. In III.4 the carcelero and alcalde are one in the same person. Escribano law clerk draws up reports; writes clients’ petitions, accusations

and testimony; gives written witness to court acts, serves as a judicial sec-retary. Pablos bribes this official in III.4 and has a close encounter with another in III.5-6. As Pablos reminds the reader in III.6, “no hay cosa que tanto crezca como culpa en poder de escribano.”

Relator judicial reporter A person authorized to write and issue official ac-counts of judicial or legislative proceedings. Pablos needs serious funds to bribe successfully this court official in III.4.

Oidor judge who would listen to lawsuits and other cases.

LanguageIt may take a chapter or two for the modern-day reader to get accustomed to the linguistic differences that exist between Spanish today and that spoken some 400 years ago. Some general notes may help facilitate the reading: In the sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Spanish, the object pronoun often

followed the conjugated verb instead of preceding it like it does today: dijome, sospechábase, probósele, contéle, etc. Also, after an infinitive, the -r is usually replaced with an -l-, cobralla instead of cobrarla.

Vos is the most common form of address between persons of equal rank in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Spain, somewhere between tú and usted today: confesábades (confesabáis). Vuestra merced ‘your grace’, is a more formal term like that of usted.

The future subjunctive is still in use (formed like the past subjunctive but with –re instead of –ra) as is an older form of the past subjunctive: estu-viéredes, hiciéredes.

Porque often means para que and is recognizable by the use of the subjunctive that follows.

El buscón xix

The diminutive (usually -ito/-ita or -ico/-ica) is used in a variety of ways throughout the text. Pablos is referred to as Pablicos both by the house-keeper as she names her thieving friend and by his master, Don Diego, when he admonishes his mischievousness. In I.6 Pablos describes the chickens as pollos grandecitos both to emphasize his desire for them and to describe their fairly big size. The diminuitive is also used as a deroga-tory suffix, for example Pablos refers to an agent of the Inquisition as a familiarcito. Finally, it is used to downplay the gravity of a situation as when Pablos refers to his mother’s jail sentence as prisioncilla.

V. Editions and TranslationsSpain’s National Library, La Biblioteca Nacional, lists over 250 entries for Quevedo’s El buscón! Although not published until 1626, critics believe that Quevedo first wrote the novel during or shortly after 1604, at the same time that Cervantes was writing Don Quixote, and that his work spread rapidly in manuscript form long before its publication. By the mid 1640s the novel had been published eleven different times in Spain. In Great Britain, the work was published three times in the seventeenth century, at least five times in the eighteenth century and three more times in the nineteenth century and it has been translated into many other languages, including Arabic and Chinese. Today only three original editions remain and are known as manuscripts E, M and Z. This edition stems from Domingo Ynduráin’s 1980 edition that is based on the E manuscript.

VI. About the In-Text GlossesLess-common words are glossed in the margin. In the text itself these words are shown with a degee sign following them [°]. If more than one word is glossed in the margin, the phrase begins with a smaller degree sign [˚]. If a phrase is too long to fit in the margin, it is listed in a footnote, and the first word to be glossed is given in boldface. Additional words are listed in the Spanish-English Glossary. VII. Selected bibliography While the list of scholarly works related to the picaresque genre and Quevedo’s El buscón is endless, included here are a few titles that readers might consult to understand better the text or for their own research projects.

Introductionxx

EditionsArellano, Ignacio. Historia de la vida del buscón. Madrid: Espasa-Calpe.

Colección Austral, 997. Cabo Aseguinolaza, Fernando. La vida del buscón. Barcelona: Crítica, 1993. Ife, B. W. La vida del buscón llamado don Pablos. Oxford: Pergamon, 1977. Iffland, James. El buscón. Newark: DE: Juan de la Cuesta, 1988.Lázaro Carreter, F. La vida del buscón llamado Don Pablos. Salamanca:

Universidad de Salamanca, 1965. Ynduráin, Domingo. El buscón. Madrid: Cátedra, 1980.

Scholarly worksThe following titles were either consulted while researching for this edition or are suggested for insights into Quevedo’s life, the picaresque genre and El buscón.

Bajo Pérez, Elena. “A propósito del ‘alcotín’ del buscón.” Anuario de estudios filológicos 17 (1994): 7-14.

Bernís, Carmen. El traje y los tipos sociales en El Quijote. Madrid: Ediciones El Viso, 2001.

Bjornson, Richard. “Moral Blindness in Quevedo’s El buscón.” Romanic Review 67 (1976): 50-59.

___. The Picaresque Hero in European Fiction. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1977.

Clamurro, William H., “Interpolated Discourse in the Buscón.” Revista de Estudios Hispanicos 15.3 (Oct. 1981): 443-458

___. “The Destabilized Sign: Word and Form in Quevedo’s Buscón.” Modern Language Notes 95 (1980): 295-311.

Cruz, Anne J. Discourses of Poverty: Social Reform and the Picaresque Novel in Early Modern Spain. Toronto, ON: U of Toronto P; 1999.

Curry, Richard. “La crítica y el valor estético del Buscón.” Revista de estudios hispáni-cos 18.2 (May 1984): 259-75.

Díaz Migoyo, Gonzalo. Estructura de la novela: anatomía de El buscón. Madrid: Fundamentos, 1978.

Dunn, Peter N. “Genre as Problem.” Spanish Picaresque Fiction. A New Literary History. Ithaca, NY: Cornell UP, 1993. 3-28.

___. “Problems of a Model for the Picaresque and the Case of Quevedo’s Buscón.” Bulletin of Hispanic Studies, LIX (1982): 95-105.

___. Spanish Picaresque Fiction. A New Literary History. Ithaca, NY: Cornell UP, 1993.

Eisenberg, Daniel. “Does the Picaresque Novel Exist?” Kentucky Romance Quarterly 26 (1979): 201-19.

El buscón xxi

Friedman, Edward. “The Picaresque as Autobiography: Story and History.” Autobiography in Early Modern Spain. Ed. Nicholas Spadaccini and Jenaro Talens. Hispanic Issues. Minneapolis: Prisma Institute, 1988. 119-128.

___. “Trials of Discourse: Narrative Space in Quevedo’s Buscón.” The Picaresque. Tradition and Displacement. Ed. Giancarlo Maiorino. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1996. 183-225.

Gasta, Chad M. “A Text for His Viewing Public: El Buscón as an Open and Enduring Source of Criticism.” Tropos 25 (Spring 1999) 25: 1-13.

Guillén, Claudio. “Toward a Definition of the Picaresque.” Literature as System: Essays Toward the Theory of Literary History. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1971.

Iffland, James. Quevedo and the Grotesque, London: Tamesis, 1978.Jauralde Pou, Pablo. Francisco de Quevedo (1580-1645). Madrid: Castalia, 1999.Kohn, Meir. “Bills of Exchange and the Money Market to 1600.” http://www.dart-

mouth.edu/~mkohn/Papers/99-04.pdf.Johnson, Carroll B. “El Buscón: d. Pablos, d. Diego y d. Francisco.” Hispanófila 51

(May 1974): 1-26.Lázaro, Carreter F. “Originalidad del Buscón,” Estilo barroco y personalidad creadora.

Madrid. Cátedra, 1974. 77-97. Llopis-Fuentes, Roger. “El personaje del ‘arbitrista’ según Cervantes y Quevedo.”

Cincinnati Romance Review 10 (1991): 111-22. Maiorino, Giancarlo, ed. The Picaresque. Tradition and Displacement. Minneapolis:

University of Minnesota Press, 1996.Molho, Maurice. “El pícaro de nuevo.” MLN 100.2 (Mar 1985): 199-222. Moore, Roger. “Quevedo: The Search for a Place to Stand.” Ingeniosa Invención:

Essays on Golden Age Spanish Literature for Geoffrey L. Stagg in Honor of His Eighty-Fifth Birthday. Ed. Ellen M. Anderson and Amy Williamsen. Newark, DE: Juan de la Cuesta, 1999. 101-21.

Pope, Randolph. “The Picaresque and Autobiography.” The Picaresque. A Symposium of the Rogue’s Tale. Ed. Carmen Benito-Vessels and Michael Zappala. Newark, DE: U Delaware Press, 1994. 69-78.

Reed, Helen H. “The Pleasure of the Picaresque.” Discurso: Revista de Estudios Iberoamericanos 11.1 (1993): 137-51.

Ricapito, Joseph V. “Quevedo’s Buscón—‘Libro de entretenimiento’ or ‘Libro de de-sengaño’: An Overview.” Romance Quarterly 32 .2 (1985): 153-164.

Rico, Francisco. The Spanish Picaresque Novel and the Point of View. Trans. Charles Davis. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1984.

Rubiés, Joan-Pau. “The Spanish Contribution to the Ethnology of Asia in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries.” Renaissance Studies 17.3 (2003): 418-48.

Schwartz, Lia. Metáfora y sátira en la obra de Quevedo. Madrid: Taurus, 1983.Sieber, Harry. “Apostophes in the Buscón: An Approach to Quevedo’s Narrative

Technique.” Modern Language Notes 83 (1968): 178-211.

Introductionxxii

Smith, Paul Julian. Quevedo. El buscón. London: Grant & Cutler in association with Tamesis Books, 1991.

Spitzer, Leo. “El arte de Quevedo en el Buscón.” Francisco de Quevedo: el escritor y la crítica. Ed. Gonzalo Sobejano. Madrid: Taurus, 1978. 123-84.

Williamson, Edwin. “The Conflict between Author and Protagonist in Quevedo’s Buscón.” Journal of Hispanic Philology 2 (1977-78): 45-60.

Zahareas, Anthony N. “The Historical Fiction of Art and Morality in Quevedo’s Buscón.” Bulletin of Hispanic Studies 61 (1984): 432-43.

Useful DictionariesDiccionario de Autoridades. Madrid: Gredos, 1990.Correas, Gonzalo. Vocabulario de refranes y frases proverbiales. Ed. Luis Combet.

Institut d’Études Ibériques et Ibéro-Américaines. Bourdeaux: Université de Bordeaux, 1967.

Covarrubias, Sebastián de. Tesoro de la lengua castellana o española. Madrid: Fundación Universitaria Española, 1978.

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Brother

knight, Holy Order

territory, kingdom

as a sign of gratitude,

imitator; witty

funny, praise

Chronicle, Order

the most sensible, crafty

oversights

de él (el libro)

even if it weren’t so

5

10

15

(Preliminares de la edición de Zaragoza, 1626)

A Don Frayº Juan Augustin de Funes,Caballeroº de la ˚Sagrada Religionº

de San Juan Bautista de Jerusalem,en la Castellaniaº de Amposta, del Reinoº de Aragon.

Hallándome lleno de obligaciones al favor1 que siempre he recebido de v.m.2 y siendo mi caudal limitado para pagarlas3 me ha parecido ˚en señal de agradecimientoº dedicarle este Libro. Emuloº de Guzmán de Alfarache4 (y aun no se si diga mayor)5 y tan agudoº y graciosoº como don Quixote, aplausoº general de todas las naciones. Y aunque v. m. merecía mayores asumptos por su generosa sangre, inge-nio lucido,6 pues la chronicaº de la Religionº de San Juan es hijo suyo (a quien podemos dezirle7 sin miedos, quails Pater, talis Filius)8 porque tal vez suele divertirse ˚el mas cuerdoº con los ˚descuidos maliciososº de Marcial, que con las sentencias de Seneca,9 le pongo en sus manos, para que se recree con sus agudezas.10 Su Autor delº es tan conocido, que lleva ganado de antemano deseos de verle,11 y ˚cuando no lo fuera,º

1 Hallándome… Because I am extremely grateful for the favors2 V.m. is an abbreviation for vuestra merced (Your Grace), today’s ver-

sion of usted. 3 Y siendo… and because my wealth is limited to repay them4 Guzmán de Alfarache (Part I 1599, Part II 1604) by Mateo Alemán,

together with the anonymous Lazarillo de Tormes (1554) and Quevedo’s El buscón, make up the three most famous novels of the picaresque tradition.

5 Y aún … and I don’t know if I’d say there’s any better6 Y aunque …And even though Your Grace is deserving of more impor-

tant topics because of your noble lineage and enlightened wit 7 Dezirle Le refers to hijo suyo (his son), a metaphor for the chronicle

Don Fray Juan Augustín de Funes has written.8 Quails Pater, talis Filius like father, like son9 Marcus Valerius Martialis or Martial (40-104) was a Roman poet fa-

mous for his brief, witty epigrams. Lucius Annaeus Seneca (4 BCE-65 CE) was a Roman philosopher whose book of sentences first appeared in Spanish in 1555. Both Latin writers were born in Spain. Quevedo juxtaposes the writers because the former is a model of satire and wit while the latter is a model of philosophy and morals.

10 Le pongo… I place this in your hands so that you can amuse yourself with its witticisms

11 Que lleva… he has already won (people’s) desire to see it

Francisco de Quevedoxxiv

5

con su proteccion de v.m. perdiera los recelos de atreverse en público, y yo quedare ufano, consiguiendo el general gusto que con el han de tener todos.12

Humilde criado de v. m.

Roberto Duport13

12 Perdiera … he will lose his fear of appearing in public and I will stand proud, having achieved the general satisfaction of all who have read it

13 Roberto Duport was one of the first editors of Quevedo’s satirical work. Some believe Quevedo personally gave him the Buscón manuscript for publication, others, that it was published without Quevedo’s permission.

El buscón xxv

5

10

15

20

eager, listener

funny things

swindling, roguery

idleness

trickery

it is more amusing

noble spirit

scroungers

=murmura criticizes,

stinginess

the Law, mooching,

round-faced

Al lector

Que deseoso° te considero Lector, o oidorº (que los ciegos no pueden leer) de registrar lo graciosoº de don Pablos Príncipe de la vida Buscona.º Aquí hallarás en todo género de Picardíaº (de que pienso que los mas gustan) sutilezas, engaños, invenciones, y modos,1 nacidos del ocioº para vivir a la droga,2 y no poco fruto podrás sacar dél si tienes atención al escarmiento; y cuando no lo hagas, aprovéchate de los sermones, 3 que dudo nadie compre libro de burlasº para apartarse de los incentivos de su natural depravado.4 Sea empero lo que quisieres,5 dale aplauso, que bien lo merece, y cuando te rías de sus chistes, alaba el ingenio de quien sabe conocer,6 que ˚tiene mas deleite,º saber vidas de Pícaros, descritas con gallardía,º que otras invenciones de mayor ponderación:7 Su Autor, ya le sabes, el precio del libro no le ignoras, pues ya le tienes en tu casa, sino es que en la del Librero le hojeas, cosa pesada para él, y que se había de quitar con mucho rigor,8 que hay gorronesº de libros, como de almuerzos; y hombre que saca cuento leyendo a pedazos, y en diversas vezes, y luego le zurze;9 y es gran lástima que tal se haga, porque éste mormuraº sin costarle dineros, poltronería bastarda,10 y miseriaº no hallada del Caballero de la Tenaza.11 Dios te guarde de mal libro, de Alguaziles,º y de muger rubia, pedigueña,º y cariredonda.º

1 Sutilezas… craftiness, deceits, fabrications and swindles2 Para vivir … to live a life of lies. Formerly droga meant embuste or lie. 3 Y no poco … and you will greatly benefit from it if you pay attention to

the big lesson; but if you don’t, at least enjoy the tales 4 Para apartarse… to avoid the inclinations of one’s own degenerate nature5 Sea… whatever it is you might want, nonetheless6 Alaba el ingenio… praise the ingeniousness of he who knows a lot (liter-

ally, knows how to know)7 Que otras… than other works of a more serious nature8 Su Autor… Its author, you already know; the price of the book, you are not

unaware of since you have it at home unless you are leafing through it at the book vendor’s store, a very annoying thing for him and that must be rigorously stopped

9 Leyendo a pedazos… reading it bit by bit and at different times and then, puts it all together

10 Poltronería bastarda lazy bastard11 Caballero de la Tenaza is a series of satirical prose letters in which Queve-

do instructs the new comer against the dangers of court life. The main character, el Caballero de la Tenaza (Sir Cheapskate) complains how women of the day would leech off men. These letters were very popular and Quevedo himself was commonly identified as Sir Cheapskate as is seen in the poem that follows.

Francisco de Quevedoxxvi

truths, deceits

cleverly

=hacéis, mischievous

5

10

A don Francisco de QuevedoLuciano1 Su Amigo

Don Francisco en igual peso Verasº y burlasº tratáis, Acertadoº aconsejáis,y a Don Pablo hazéisº travieso:ºCon la Tenaza confieso, que será Buscón de traza el llevarla no encabezapara su conservación, que fuera espurio Buscón si anduviera sin Tenaza2

1 Lucian of Samosata (120-190 CE) was a brilliant satirist whom Queve-do greatly admired. Quevedo’s imitation of Lucian is best seen in his work Los sueños. Here, he highlights his connection with him through the poem that Lucian has supposedly written for the publication of this novel.

2 Que será Buscón… it would be a Buscón (only) in appearance, without it (Tenaza=Quevedo’s name) at the beginning of any continuation; it would be a fake Buscón if it appeared without Tenaza (Quevedo)

El buscón xxvii

5

other people’s

(Dedicatoria preliminar de los manuscritos de Cordoba y Santander)

Carta Dedicatoria

Habiendo sabido el deseo que v. m.1 tiene de entender los varios discursos de mi vida, por no dar lugar a que otro (como en ajenosº ca-sos) mienta,2 he querido enviarle esta relación, que no le será pequeño alivio para los ratos tristes. Y porque pienso ser largo en contar cuán corto he sido de ventura, dejaré de serlo ahora.3

1 V.m. is an abbreviation for Vuestra Merced (Your Grace) which later developed into usted. In imitation of other picaresque novels like Lazarillo de Tormes, the narrator directs his autobiography to a specific reader here and throughout the text.

2 That others have written or will write about Pablos’ adventures—and so he must set the story straight—is a literary commonplace used by writers to justify their subject matter.

3 Y porque pienso… And because I plan to take a long time to tell how brief my happiness has been, I will stop (taking a long time) now

�

LIBRO PRIMERO

DE LA VIDA DELBUSCÓN

CAPÍTULO PRIMEROEn que cuenta quién es y de dónde.

Yo, señor, soy de Segovia. Mi padre se lla-mó Clemente Pablo, natural del mismo

pueblo; ˚Dios le tenga en el cielo.º Fue, tal como todos dicen, de oficio barbero;º aunque eran tan altos sus pensamientos, que ˚se corríaº de que le llamasen así, diciendo que él era tun-didor de mejillas y sastre de barbas.� Dicen que era de muy buena cepa, y, según él bebía es cosa para creer.�

Estuvo casado con Aldonza de San Pedro, hija de Diego de San Juan y nieta de Andrés de San Cristóbal. Sospechábase� en el pueblo que no era cristiana vieja,� aunque ella, por los nombres y sobrenombresº de sus pasados, quiso esforzar que era decendiente de la letanía.º Tuvo muy buen parecer,º y fue tan celebrada,º que, en el tiempo que ella vivió, casi todos los copleros de España hacían cosas sobre ella.�

Padecióº grandes trabajosº recién casada, y aun después, porque malas lenguas daban en decir que mi padre metía el dos de bastos para

� Tundidor… a sheerer of cheeks and tailor of beards� Era de… he came from very good stock and, considering how much he drank, it’s

believable. Cepa refers to the stock of the tree or, given the remark about his father’s drinking, the stock of the vine.

� Reflexive pronouns, as well as the other clitic pronouns, often attached to the end of the verb instead of preceding it as they do today.

� Old Christian refers to a family who has been Christian for at least three or four generations as opposed to a “new Christian” or recently converted Jew or Muslim, who endured intense social discrimination.

� Copleros are sellers or writers of coplas, brief poems generally sung. Here Quevedo makes a pun of poets who did things about her (wrote her songs) or on her (had relations with her). The choice of coplero and its affinity to copular (to copulate) does not go unnoticed either.

�

�0

��

�0

may he rest in peace

barber

he was embarrassed

nicknames

= legitimate Christian,

very good looking;

famous

she endured, hardships

�

sacar el as de oros.� Probóseleº que, a todos los que hacía la barba a navaja,º mientras les daba con agua, levantándoles la cara para el lavatorio,º un mi hermanico de siete años les sacaba muy a su salvo los tuétanos de las faldriqueras.� Murió el angelico de unos azotesº que le dieron en la cárcel. Sintiólo mucho mi padre, por ser tal que robaba a todos las voluntades.�

Por estas y otras niñerías,º estuvo preso;º aunque, según a mí me han dicho después, salió de la cárcel con tanta honra, que le acompa-ñaron docientos cardenales,� sino que a ninguno llamaban “señoría.”º Las damas dizº que salían por verle a las ventanas, que siempre pareció bien mi padre a pie y a caballo. No lo digo por vanagloria,º que bien saben todos ˚cuán ajeno soy della.º

Mi madre, pues, no tuvo calamidades.�0 Un día, alabándomelaº una vieja que me crió, decía que era tal su agrado,º que hechizaba�� a cuantos la trataban. Sólo diz que se dijo no sé qué de un cabrón�� y volar, lo cual la puso cerca de que la diesen plumas con que lo hiciese en público.�� Hubo fama que reedificaba doncellas, resucitaba cabellos encubriendo canas.�� Unos la llamaban ˚zurzidora de gustos;º otros, ˚algebrista de voluntades desconcertadas,º y por mal nombre alcagüe-ta.º Para unos era tercera, primera para otros, y flux para los dineros de todos.�� Ver, pues, con la cara de risa que ella oía esto de todos, era

� A Spanish deck of playing cards has four suits: bastos (clubs), oros (coins), espadas (swords), and copas (goblets). Here, Quevedo refers to Clemente’s pick-pocketing. Metió el dos de bastos (he would stick two fingers into his clients’ pockets) para sacar el as de oros (to pull out their coins).

� Les sacaba… he deftly robbed their money from their pockets � Por ser tal… because he stole the hearts of everyone � The word cardenales refers both to the religious figure and to a bruise. �0 No tuvo calamidades had no great hardships, said here ironically.�� Hechizaba means both bewitched, because of her beauty, and cast a spell on,

because of her ability in the dark arts.�� Besides its common meaning of cuckold, a man whose wife has extra mari-

tal relations, the Billy goat is a symbol of the Devil and commonly associated with witches.

�� Lo cual la puso… which almost got her (tarred and) feathered if she had done it (witch activity) in public

�� Hubo fama que… She was famous for rebuilding virginities, restoring hair and covering up grays

�� Para unos… For some she was a go-between, for others the best (lover) and she could flush out money from anyone. In this complex play on words Quevedo once again turns to card jargon. Primera, besides its reference to top-rate sex, was a card game. Tercera, refers both to a go-between and a three-card straight flush. Finally, with flux, a four-card flush (in the game primera) that trumped all and carried the pot, like Al-donza does with all her clients, one fully understands Quevedo’s rhetorical device and his genius of bringing sex and gambling together as ways of flushing out customers’

he tried it out on all

razor

wash basin

lashings

silly things, incarcerated

Your Honor

= se dice

boastfulness

how unlike me that

would be; was praising

her; charm

pleasure weaver

surgeon of broken

hearts; alcahueta pro-

curess

�

�0

��

�0

The narrator describes his parents’ fame

�

para dar mil gracias a Dios.No me detendré en decir la penitencia que hacía. Tenía su

aposentoº―donde sola ella entraba y algunas veces yo, que como era chico, podía―todo ˚rodeado de calaverasº que ella decía eran para memorias de la muerte y otros, por vituperarla que para voluntades de la vida.�� Su cama estaba armada sobre ˚sogas de ahorcado,º y de-cíame a mí, “¿Qué piensas? Estas tengo por reliquias, porque los más déstos se salvan.”��

Hubo grandes diferencias entre mis padres sobre a quién había de imitar en el oficio,º mas yo, que siempre tuve pensamientos de ca-ballero desde chiquito, nunca ˚me apliquéº a uno ni a otro. Decíame mi padre: “Hijo, esto de ser ladrón no es arte mecánica sino liberal.”�� Y de allí a un rato, habiendo suspirado,º decía de manos:�� “Quien no hurtaº en el mundo, no vive. ¿Por qué piensas que los alguacilesº y jueces nos aborrecenº tanto? Unas veces nos destierran,º otras nos azotanº y otras nos cuelgan, aunque nunca haya llegado el día de nuestro santo.�0 No lo puedo decir sin lágrimas,” lloraba como un niño el buen viejo, acordándose de las veces que le habían bataneadoº las costillas, “porque no querrían que, adonde están, hubiese otros la-drones sino ellos y sus ministros.º ˚Mas de todoº nos libró la buena astucia. En mi mocedad siempre andaba por las iglesias, y no de puro buen cristiano.�� Muchas veces me hubieran llorado en el asno, si hu-biera cantado en el potro.�� Nunca confesé sino cuando lo mandaba

money. For more on primera, see III.�n �.�� Y otros, por vituperarla… and others, harshly criticizing her, for the will of

those living�� Estas tengo… I think of them as relics because most of them (hanged men)

have been saved. Men caught cheating were often hanged, but, according to Aldonza, most were saved; thus, their nooses became sacred relics. Sogas de ahorcado were also used in casting love spells.

�� No es arte… it’s not manual labor but rather a liberal art. Notice how Cle-mente emphasizes the intelligent aspect of thievery with this reference to academic study of the seven liberal arts: the Trivium (grammar, rhetoric and dialectic) and the Quadrivium (music, arithmetic, geometry and astronomy).

�� Decía de manos he would put his hands together as if to pray�0 Otras nos cuelgan… other times they hang us, although it’s not our Saint Day.

A person’s Saint Day, the day the saint with an individual’s name is recognized, is a celebrated occasion similar to a birthday. It was often common “to hang” a gold chain or a ribbon around someone’s neck.

�� Often churches served as a refuge for those hiding from the law.�� Me hubieran llorado… they would have me crying on an ass, if I had “sung”

on the rack. Potro forms part of a play on words between animals (colt, in contrast to the ass) and forms of justice (torture rack). Likewise the play of cantar, slang for

room

surrounded by skulls

nooses of hanged men

trade

applied myself

sighed

steal, sergeants

hate, exile

whip

pummeled

subordinates, above all

�

�0

��

�0

Clemente speaks of his trade

�

la Santa Madre Iglesia. Y así, con esto y mi oficio, he sustentado a tu madre lo más honradamente que he podido.”

“¡Cómo a mí sustentado!”�� dijo ella con grande cólera, que le pe-saba que yo no me aplicase a brujo,�� “yo os he sustentado a vos,�� y sacá-doos de las cárceles con industria, y mantenídoos en ellas con dinero.�� Si no confesábades, ¿era por vuestro ánimoº o por las bebidas que yo os daba? ¡Gracias a mis botes!�� Y si no temiera que me habían de oír en la calle, yo dijera lo de cuando entré por la chimenea y os saqué por el tejado.”

Más dijera, según se había encolerizado, si con los golpes que daba no se le desensartara un rosario de muelas de difuntos que tenía.�� Metílos en paz, diciendo que yo quería aprender virtud resueltamen-te,�� y ir con mis buenos pensamientos adelante. Y así, que me pusiesen a la escuela, pues sin leer ni escribir, no se podía hacer nada. Parecióles bien lo que yo decía, aunque lo gruñeronº un rato entre los dos. Mi madre tornó a ocuparse en ensartarº las muelas y mi padre fue a raparº a uno―así lo dijo él―no sé si la barba o la bolsa. Yo me quedé solo, dando gracias a Dios porque me hizo hijo de padres tan hábilesº y ˚celosos de mi bien.º

confess, and the verb, confesar, that follows is also apparent.�� ¡Como a mí… What do you mean support me? �� Que le pesaba… because she regretted that I wasn’t going to become a warlock�� Aldonza addresses her husband with the vos form. Later, at school in Alcalá,

Pablos’ fellow students and the housekeeper will also address him with this informal form of you.

�� Sacádoos… skillfully got you out of jail and supported you with money on the inside

�� Botes refers to her bottles of potions. The following example of entering through the chimney and getting him out through the roof, refers to her magic.

�� Mas dijera… She would have said more, as she got madder and madder, had she not broken the rosary of dead people’s teeth with all her banging

�� Metílos en paz… I calmed them down saying that I was determined to learn to be virtuous

courage

grumbled

stringing, scalp

clever

concerned for my wel-

fare

�

�0

��

Aldonza reproaches Clemente

�

CAPÍTULO IIDe cómo fui a la escuela y lo que en ella me sucedió

A otro día, ya estaba comprada cartillaº y hablado el maestro. Fui, señor, a la escuela; recibióme muy alegre, diciendo que te-

nía cara de hombre agudoº y de buen entendimiento. Yo, con esto, por no desmentirle,º di muy bien la liciónº aquella mañana. Sentábame el maestro junto a sí, ganaba la palmatoria� los más días por venir antes, y íbame el postreroº por hacer al-gunos recadosº de “seño-ra,” que así llamábamos la mujer del maestro. Teníalos a todos con se-mejantes caricias obligados.� Favorecíanme demasiado, y con esto cre-ció la envidiaº en los demás niños. Llegábame, de todos, a los hijos de caballeros y personas principales,� y particularmente a un hijo de don Alonso Coronel de Zúñiga,� con el cual ˚juntaba meriendas.º Ibame a casa a jugar los días de fiesta, y acompañábale cada día. Los otros, o que porque no les hablaba o que porque les parecía ˚demasiado punto el mío,º siempre andaban poniéndome nombres tocantesº al oficio de mi padre. Unos me llamaban don Navaja, otros don Ventosa;� cuálº decía, por disculparº la invidia,º que me quería mal porque mi madre le había chupado dos hermanitas pequeñas,� de noche; otro decía que a mi padre le habían llevado a su casa para que la limpiase de rato-nes, por llamarle gato.º Unos me decían “zape”º cuando pasaba, y otros

� Palmeta schoolmaster’s cane. Pablos earned the privilege of administering punishment to other students with the cane.

� Teníalos… Everyone was obliged to me for doing similar favors for them� Llegábame… Out of everyone, I became close with sons of gentlemen and im-

portant people� Although portrayed here as a respected aristocratic family, Johnson has

shown that the Coronels from Segovia were descendents of conversos, thus putting into question Alonso’s, and his son’s, social legitimacy.

� Besides shaving beards with a razor (don Navaja), a barber would also offer medical procedures such as cupping (don Ventosa) which involved placing warm cups (ventosas) on the body to extract toxins. Furthermore, both navaja, that cuts, and ventosa, that absorbs, connote thieves’ livelihood.

� Le había chupado… had sucked (the blood) of his two little sisters

primer

sharp

contradict him

lección

last one

errands

envy

I would share snacks

I was too much, related

to; some

excuse, = envidia

burglar, scat

�

�0

��

�0

��

�

“miz.”º Cuál decía: “Yo le tiré dos berenjenasº a su madre cuando fue obispa.”�

Al fin, con todo cuanto andaban royéndome los zancajos, nun-ca me faltaron, gloria a Dios.� Y aunque yo me corría,º disimulábalo. Todo lo sufría,� hasta que un día un muchacho se atrevióº a decirme ˚a vocesº hijo de una puta y hechicera;º lo cual, como me lo dijo tan claro―que aún si lo dijera turbio no me pesara�0―agarréº una pie-dra y descalabréle.º Fuime a mi madre corriendo que me escondiese, y contéla el caso todo, a lo cual me dijo, “Muy bien hiciste: bien muestras quién eres; sólo anduviste errado en no preguntarle quién se lo dijo.” Cuando yo oí esto, como siempre tuve ˚altos pensamientos,º volvíme a ella y dije, “Ah, madre, pésame sólo de que ha sido más misa que pen-dencia la mía.”�� Preguntóme que por qué, y díjela que porque había te-nido dos evangelios.º Roguélaº que me declarase si le podía desmentir con verdad: o que me dijese si me había concebido ̊ a escoteº entre mu-chos, o si era hijo de mi padre. Rióse y dijo, “Ah, noramaza,º ¿eso sabes decir? No serás bobo: gracia tienes.�� Muy bien hiciste en ˚quebrarle la cabeza,º que esas cosas, aunque sean verdad, no se han de decir.” Yo, con esto, quedé como muerto, determinado de coger lo que pudiese en breves días, y salirme de casa de mi padre: tanto pudo conmigo la vergüenza.�� Disimulé, fue mi padre, curó al muchacho, apaciguólo�� y volvióme a la escuela, adonde el maestro me recibió con ira, hasta que, oyendo la causa de la riña,º se le aplacóº el enojo, considerando la razón que había tenido.

En todo esto, siempre me visitaba aquel hijo de don Alonso Zúñiga, que se llamaba don Diego, porque me quería bien natural-mente,�� que yo trocabaº con él los peonesº si eran mejores los míos, dábale de lo que almorzaba y no le pedía de lo que él comía, comprába-le estampas,º enseñábale a luchar, jugaba con él al toro, y entreteníale

� Those found guilty of witchcraft, among other crimes, were publicly paraded wearing a type of dunce cap that people ironically called a mitre or bishop’s hat, hence obispa. It was common for people to throw old vegetables at them as they passed by.

� Con todo cuanto…with every single one (insults) they were gnawing at my bones, (but) they never got to me, thank God. Here we see for the first time, but not the last, Pablos’ capacity to endure insults and abuse.

� Todo lo sufría I put up with all of it�0 Que aún si… because if he had said it less clearly it wouldn’t have bothered me�� Pésame solo…I’m only sorry that mine was more like a mass than a quarrel�� No serás bobo… You’re no fool; you’re sharp�� Tanto pudo… that’s how embarrassed I was�� Disimulé… I hid (my feelings), my dad went, treated the boy, and calmed him

down�� Porque… because he really liked me, of course

psst, eggplants

I was embarrassed

dared

out loud, witch

grabbed

I split his head open

noble thoughts

gospels = truths, I

begged her; at random

enhoramala

splitting his head open

fight, appeased

swapped, spinning tops

picture cards

�

�0

��

�0

��

The narrator learns more about his mother

�

siempre. Así que, los más días, sus padres del caballerito,º viendo cuán-to le regocijabaº mi compañía, rogabanº a los míos que me dejasen con él a comer y cenar y aun a dormir los más días.

Sucedió, pues, uno de los primeros que hubo escuela por Navidad, que viniendo por la calle un hombre que se llamaba Poncio de Aguirre, el cual tenía fama de confeso,�� que el don Dieguito me dijo, “Hola, llámale Poncio Pilato�� y echa a correr.” Yo, por darle gusto a mi amigo, llaméle Poncio Pilato. Corrióse tanto el hombre, que dio a correr tras mí con un ˚cuchillo desnudoº para matarme, de suerte que fue forzo-so meterme huyendo en casa de mi maestro,�� dando gritos. Entró el hombre tras mí, y defendióme el maestro de que no me matase, ase-gurándole de castigarme. Y así luego―aunque señora le rogó por mí, movida de lo que yo la servía, no aprovechó��―mandóme desatacar,º y, azotándome, decía tras cada azote, “¿Diréis más Poncio Pilato?” Yo respondía, “No, señor;” y respondílo veinte veces, a otros tantos azotes que me dio. Quedé tan escarmentado�0 de decir Poncio Pilato, y con tal miedo, que, mandándome el día siguiente decir, ˚como solía,º las oraciones a los otros, llegando al Credoº―advierta v. m. la inocente malicia―al tiempo de decir “padeció so el poder de Poncio Pilato,”�� acordándome que no había de decir más Pilatos, dije, “padeció so el poder de Poncio Aguirre.” Diole al maestro tanta risa de oír mi simpli-cidad y de ver el miedo que le había tenido, que me abrazó y dio una firma en que me perdonaba los azotes las dos primeras veces que los mereciese.�� Con esto fui yo muy contento.

Llegó―por no enfadarº―el tiempo de las Carnestolendas,�� y, trazando el maestro de que holgasen sus muchachos, ordenó que hu-biese rey de gallos.�� Echamos suertes entre doce señalados por él, y

�� A confeso is a convert from Judaism, hence a new Christian.�� Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor of Judea who condemned Christ to

the cross. Even though he was not Jewish, his role in the Passion of Christ made him Jewish by association.

�� De suerte que… in such a way that as I was fleeing I was forced to slip into my teacher’s house

�� Aunque señora… even though his wife begged him on my behalf, moved by how I had helped her, to not go through with it

�0 Quedé tan escarmentado I learned my lesson so well�� Padeció so… “He suffered under Pontius Pilate”�� Dio una firma… he promised in writing to pardon my lashings the next two

times I deserved them�� Carnival The week preceding the beginning of Lent was, and still is, cel-

ebrated with festivities, like Mardi Gras in New Orleans. �� Trazando el maestro… As the teacher was planning for his boys to have some

fun, he arranged for us to have a “king of the roosters.” This activity consisted of one boy,

young gentleman

delighted, asked

open knife

drop my trousers

as he always did

Apostles’ Creed

tire (the reader)

�

�0

��

�0

��

The narrator insults Poncio de Aguirre

�

cúpome a mí.�� Avisé a mis padres que me buscasen galas.ºLlegó el día, y salí en un caballo ético y mustio, el cual, más de

manco que de bien criado, iba haciendo reverencias.�� Las ancasº eran de mona, muy sin cola;º el pescuezo,º de camelloº y más largo; tuertoº de un ojo y ciego del otro; en cuanto a edad, no le faltaba para cer-rar sino los ojos;�� al fin, él más parecía ˚caballete de tejadoº que ca-ballo, pues, a tener una guadaña,º pareciera la muerte de los rocines.º Demostraba abstinencia en su aspecto y echábansele de ver las peni-tencias y ayunos: sin duda ninguna, no había llegado a su noticia la cebada ni la paja.�� Lo que más le hacía ˚digno deº risa eran las muchas calvasº que tenía en el pellejo,º pues, a tener una cerradura pareciera un cofre vivo.��

Yendo, pues, en él, dando vuelcos a un lado y otro como fariseo en paso�0 y los demás niños todos aderezadosº tras mí―que, con suma majestad, iba a la jineta sobre el dicho pasadizo con pies��―pasamos por la plaza (aun de acordarme tengo miedo), y llegando cerca de las mesas de las verduras (˚Dios nos libreº), agarróº mi caballo un repolloº a una, y ni fue visto ni oído cuando lo despachó a las tripas,�� a las cua-les, como iba ˚rodando por el gaznate,º no llegó en mucho tiempo.

La berceraº―que siempre son desvergonzadasº―empezó a dar voces: llegáronse otras y, con ellas, pícaros, y alzando zanorias garrofa-les, nabos frisones, berenjenas y otras legumbres, empiezan a dar tras el pobre rey.�� Yo viendo que era batalla nabal y que no se había de hacer

the king, while on horseback, attempting to decapitate a strung-up rooster. �� Echamos suertes… Twelve of us that he’d chosen drew lots and I won�� Salí en… I rode out on a scrawny and wasted away horse that, due more to his

defects than to his politeness, went along bowing his head�� A horse’s age is often counted by its teeth. When he has them all, it is said

that he has closed (matured). Here Quevedo plays with his age and his approaching death cerrar los ojos.

�� Demostraba… His appearance showed he practiced abstinence and that he realized what penance and fasting were. Without a doubt news of barley and straw had not reached him

�� A tener una… if he had a lock, he’d be a living chest. Chests were often cov-ered in skin or leather, sometimes horsehide.

�0 Dando vuelcos… turning from one side to another like a Pharisee in the (Holy Week) procession

�� Que, con suma majestad… and I, with complete majesty, was horseback riding carelessly along said path

�� Lo despachó… he sent it off to his guts. Quevedo plays with the verb “des-pachar” as it is both the verb for serving customers (like vegetables vendors do) and the verb for polishing off food (like the horse did).

�� Alzando… picking up monumental carrots, huge turnips, eggplants and other vegetables, they began throwing them at the poor king

fancy clothes

haunches

tail, neck, camel, half-

blind

roof ridge

scythe, nags

worthy of

bald patches, skin

dressed up

heaven help us, grabbed,

cabbage

tumbling down his

throat; cabbage vendor,

shameless

�

�0

��

�0

The narrator describes the old nag in hyperboles

�

a caballo, �� comencé a apearme;º mas tal golpe me le dieron al caballo en la cara, que, yendo a empinarse, cayó conmigo en una―hablando con perdón―privada.�� Púseme cual v. m. puede imaginar. Ya mis mu-chachos se habían armado de piedras, y daban tras las revendederas,º y descalabraronº dos.

Yo, a todo esto, después que caí en la privada, era la persona más necesaria�� de la riña. Vino la justicia, comenzó a ˚hacer información,º prendióº a berceras y muchachos, mirando a todos qué armas tenían y quitándoselas, porque habían sacado algunos dagas de las que traían por gala, y otros espadas pequeñas. Llegó a mí, y viendo que no tenía ningunas, porque me las habían quitado y metídolas en una casa a secar con la capa y sombrero, pidióme como digo las armas, al cual respondí, todo sucio, que, si no eran ofensivas contra las narices, que yo no tenía otras. Y de paso quiero confesar a v. m. que, cuando me empezaron a tirar las berenjenas, nabos, etcétera, que, como yo llevaba plumas en el sombrero, entendí que me habían tenido por mi madre y que la tiraban, como habían hecho otras veces;�� y así, como necioº y muchacho, empecé a decir, “Hermanas, aunque llevo plumas, no soy Aldonza de San Pedro, mi madre,” como si ellas no lo echaran de ver por el talleº y rostro.º El miedo me disculpa la ignorancia, y el suceder-me la desgracia tan de repente.��

Pero, volviendo al alguacil, ˚quísome llevarº a la cárcel, y no me llevó porque no hallaba por dónde asirme:º tal me había puesto del lodo.�� Unos se fueron por una parte y otros por otra, y yo me vine a mi casa desde la plaza, martirizando cuantas narices topaba en el cami-no.�0 Entré en ella, conté a mis padres el suceso, y corriéronse tanto de verme de la manera que venía, que me quisieron maltratar.�� Yo echaba

�� Nabal refers both to the turnips themselves and to the grand naval battles. Hence, Pablos could not continue the battle on horseback.

�� Mas tal golpe… they hit my horse so hard in the face that he reared up and fell, along with me on a pile of, excuse my language, shit

�� Quevedo plays with two meanings of necesaria: necessary and letrine. Pablos describes himself as both the most essential and the “crappiest” fighter.

�� Pablos’ feathers are part of his king costume; his mother’s were a result of being tarred and feathered for being a witch (even though earlier he had said she’d never been tarred and feathered).

�� El miedo… Fear and the fact that the disaster happened so suddenly can excuse my ignorance

�� Lodo mud. Poner de lodo also meant to offend someone with slander.�0 Martirizando… torturing as many noses as I came across along the way�� Y corriéronse… they were so embarrassed to see me in the state I was in, they

wanted to hit me

get down

market vendors

brained

investigate

apprehended

stupid

size, face

he tried to take me

to grab onto me

�

�0

��

�0

��

Chaos erupts in the carnival celebration

�0

la culpa a las dos leguas de rocín esprimido que me dieron.�� Procuraba satisfacerlos,º y, viendo que no bastaba, salíme de su casa y fuime a ver a mi amigo don Diego, al cual hallé en la suya descalabrado,º y a sus padres resueltos por ello de no le inviarº más a la escuela. Allí tuve nuevas de cómo mi rocín, viéndose en aprieto, se esforzó a tirar dos coces, y, de puro flaco, se le desgajaron las ancas, y se quedó en el lodo bien cerca de acabar.��

Viéndome, pues, con una fiesta revuelta,º un pueblo escandaliza-do, los padres corridos, mi amigo descalabrado y el caballo muerto, determinéme de no volver más a la escuela ni a casa de mis padres, sino de quedarme a servir a don Diego o, por mejor decir, en su compañía, y esto con gran gusto de sus padres, por el que daba mi amistad al niño. Escribí a mi casa que yo no había menesterº más ir a la escuela porque, aunque no sabía bien escribir, para mi intento de ser caballero lo que se requería era escribir mal�� y que así, desde luego, renunciaba la escuela por no darles gasto, y su casa para ahorrarlos de pesadumbre.�� Avisé de dónde y cómo quedaba, y que hasta que ˚me diesen licenciaº no los vería.

�� Yo echaba la culpa… I blamed the huge waste of a hack they’d given me�� Viéndose… finding himself in a bind, gave a couple of kicks, and because he was

so skinny, he dislocated his haunches and collapsed in the mud, very close to death�� Many writers of the day poked fun at aristocrats who barely knew how to

write.�� Desde luego… of course I was giving up school to save them the expense and

giving up their house to save them the worry

to calm them down

wounded in the head

= enviar

ruined

need

they gave me permission

�

�0

��

The narrator becomes Don Diego’s servant

157

Spanish-English Glossary

abadesa [III.9] abbessabanico [III.4] fanabogacía [I.3] legal positionaborrecer [I.1] to detest, to loatheabrigado [III.1] dressedabultar [I.3] to puff outacabamiento [III.8] endingacaso [si] [I.5] maybeacatarrado [I.5] having a coldacechador [III.10] spy aceptar [II.3] to accept acertar [prel, I.5] to be rightacetar [III.2] [III.5] aceptarachaque [I.3] aches and pains acogerse [III.2] to take refugeacogotar [I.6] to kill with a blow to the

back of the neckacólito [III.7] altar boyacometer [II.1] to attack aconsejar [prel.] to advise acosado [III.7] nagged acotar [III.5] to mark acreedor [III.2] creditoracusar [I.6] to chargeadelantado [III.4] provincial governor

aderezar [I.2, II.3, III.7] to prepare, to set up

adestrador [III.2] instructoradmirado [I.4] amazedadobar [III.8] to fixadrede [I.5] [III.5] on purposeadular [III.8] to flatteradvertir [I.3] to notice afeites [III.8] cosmetics afligido [III.2] [III.4] upset afligir [I.3, I.4, I.6, II.2] to distress, to

upset aforro [I.3] lining, stuffingafrenta [I.6] affrontafrentar [I.5] to embarrass agarrar [I.2] [III.9] to graspagora = ahora agotar [III.2] to exhaustagradecer [II.2] to be grateful foragrado [I.I] charm agravio [II.3] [III.2] insult agrillado [III.4] shackledaguardar [I.5, II.3, II.6, III.2, III.7] to

wait foragudezas [prel.] witticisms

Spanish-English Glossary158

agudo [prel.] [I.2] witty, sharpagüelo =abuelo [I.4]aguila [I.7] a real professionalagujerear [I.3] to make holesagujero [I.3] hole agujeta [II.5] strap, fastenerahorcado [I.1] hanged ahormasar [I.4] to pry openajeno [prel.] belonging to another

personalabanza [I.3] [II.3] praise alabar [I.I] [II.2 ] [II.3] to boast, to

praisealarde [I.5] flaunt, boast alarido [III.10] shriekalbarda [II.1] pack mulealbillo [II.3] sweet grapealborotado [I.6] [II.3] worked up,

agitatedalcagüeta = alcahueta [I.6] [III.8]

procuressalcaide [III.4] wardenalcorza [I.4] sweet, candyalcotín [III.2] dried fig breadalegar [II.1] to quote alfanje [III.10] scimitar alférez [II.3] [III.1] ensign, second

lieutenant alfiler [III.5] [III.7] pinalgebrista [I.1] algebristalguacil [prel.] [I.1] [I.2][III.3] [III.4]

[III.8] sergeantallegado [I.7] [III.1] closealmendrada [I.4] sweet almond milk almidonado [II.6] starchedalmirez [I.4] mortar handlealmoneda [III.6] second hand shop almuerço = almuerzo [I.I] lunch, mealaloque [III.4] rosé coloredalzar [I.2] to raise, to lift alzarse [III.4] to increaseama [I.6] mistress, housekeeper

amancebada [III.8] living in sinamistad [II.3] friendshipamo [I.3] [I.6] masterampararse [III.10] to take shelteranca [I.2] haunch andadera [III.9] messenger andrajos [II.6] [III.4] rags, tattersánima [II.3] [III.8] soul in Purgatory ánimo [I.1] willantemano [I.1] in advance, beforehand apacible [II.5] mild, calmapaciguar [I.2] to pacify, appease apadrinar [I.4] to look afteraparejar [III.7] to prepareapartarse [I.5] [II.1] to move awayapearse [I.2] [I.4] [II.1] [II.3] [III.1] to

get down, to dismountapenas [I.5] barelyaplacar [I.2] to appeaseaplausar [prel.] to praise aplicarse [I.I] to apply oneselfaposento [I.3] [I.4] bedroom apremiar [II.3] to have the power to

summonapretadísimo [I.4] very tight or strongapretar [I.5] to encourage; to press

downaprieto [I.2] [III.7] tight spotaprovecharse [I.I] [III.2] to take advan-

tage of araña [I.3] spider arbitrio [II.1] [III.8] political reform

plan, schemearbórbola [III.4] shouts of joy arca [III.7] trunk arrebatar [I.6] to snatcharrebozo [III.1] little cape, shawl arremeter [I.3] [II.3] [III.2] to attack,

to charge arrendamiento [II.1] rent arrepentido [II.3] regretful arriedro [I.4] back