COMING BACK

 Certain activities will be back in September. We will keep you informed  here about ours,

VINCENT Vuelven los martes del Arte

Starry night

Los Martes Del Arte

Fascinating 

El Arte de Traducir

In Barcelona Don Quijote visits a book shop and shows a lot of interest in the art of translating from one language to another.
He uses this unusual analogy to explain how difficult it is to do justice to the original text:

'It is like someone who looks at Flemish tapestries from the back,'

'Es como quien mira los tapices flamencos por el revés.'

            

As fate would have it, a copy of Don Quixote of La Mancha came into my hands and I was delighted to discover that this beautifully translated book is as enjoyable as the original Castilian version and much easier to understand for the English speaker! Notice how much better the line above has been translated. 

Below is an extract from Page 979. Don Quijote wished to go for a stroll in the city without ceremony and on foot. He saw inscribed above a door in very large letters, ‘Books printed here’ which greatly pleased him. He went in and had this to say to 'a fine looking fellow of dignified appearance' who had translated an Italian book into the Castilian tongue. 

“Yes, I’ll dare swear that you are not appreciated by the world, which is forever loathe to reward intellect and merit. What abilities are lost here! What talents neglected! What virtues unappreciated!

 But yet, it seems to me that translating from one tongue into another unless it be from those queens of tongues, Greek or Latin, is like viewing Flemish tapestries from the wrong side, for although you see the pictures, they are covered with threads that obscure them so that the smoothness and the gloss of the fabric are lost, and translating from easy languages does not signify talent or power of words, any more than does transcribing or copying one paper from another.

 By that I do not wish to imply that this exercise of translation is not praiseworthy, for a man might be occupied in worse things and less profitable observations. I except from this observation two famous translators, the one, Doctor Cristóbal de Figueroa for his Pastor Fido and the other Don Juan  Jáuregui for his Aminta, for they leave you doubting which is the translation and which the original. But tell me, sir is the book printed on your own account or have you sold the copyright to a bookseller?”

The equally worthy translator of this edition, Walter Starkie, in the introduction tells us that the following  words  were said in the novel about  Don Quixote but that they were true of Cervantes himself:

"His was a gentle nature, and a lovable one and he numbered all that he knew among his friends."

A beautiful tribute indeed.

Don Quijote De La Mancha Segunda Parte

En la dedicatoria de la segunda parte del Quijote el autor anuncia al conde de Lemos que el gran emperador de la China, 'pues en lengua chinesca habrá un mes que me escribió una carta ....porque quería fundar un colegio donde se leyese la lengua castellana, y quería que el libro que se leyese fuese el de la historia de Don Quijote.'


The appeal of Don Quijote is universal. In  our family home we all loved the souvenirs my mother bought here in Spain of Don Quijote on horseback and by his side Sancho Panza on his donkey.
During confinement I decided to read the complete story to see if it stood up to the test of time. And it does. I really enjoyed escaping into the 16th and 17th century  with Cervantes and his noble protagonists as they  wander around looking for adventure and talking all the time.

A word of warning. If you read this magnificent book, have at hand some good manchego cheese and bread and maybe some wine. 

DON QUIJOTE DE LA MANCHA

There are fifty two chapters in Part One and seventy five chapters in Part Two. This breaks it up nicely and it would be a wonderful thing to have weekly shared readings at a library and hear the book read in the many accents of the Spanish speaking world.

Each chapter begins with an intriguing title

PRIMERA PARTE

Capítulo VIII. Del buen suceso que el valeroso don Quijote tuvo en la espantable y jamás imaginada aventura de los molinos de viento, con otros sucesos dignos de felice recordación

However one simply states:

SEGUNDA PARTE

Capítulo IX. Donde se cuenta lo que en él se verá.

DON QUIJOTE   PART TWO

People in the seventeenth century were anxiously awaiting a sequel to Part One of Don Quijote De la Mancha. Its author Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra  explains right from the start that this is the authentic Part Two because other writers had jumped on the bandwagon and other stories were circulating by the time this one reached print. Cervantes weaves this very neatly into his story and tells us that our two heroes set out for Zaragoza so that Don Quijote could participate in the jostling tournaments there but they change their plans when our hero  discovers that the fake Don Quijote did exactly that. The authentic Don Quijote continues therefore on to Barcelona and does not set foot in Zaragoza.

The fame of the two travelling companions precedes them and soon they are actually the guests of a duke and duchess.  Here is the scathing description of another guest at the duke’s palace on the arrival of Don Quijote.

La duquesa y el duque salieron a la puerta de la sala a recibirle, y con ellos un grave eclesiástico de estos que gobiernan las casas de los príncipes; de estos que, como no nacen príncipes no aciertan a enseñar cómo lo han de ser los que lo son; de estos que quieren que la grandeza se mida con la estrechez de sus ánimos; de estos que queriendo mostrar a los que ellos gobiernan a ser limitados les hacen ser miserables.

Later Don Quijote dismisses the offense given him by the same clergyman saying,

Las armas de los togados son las mismas que las de la mujer, que son la lengua.

Reading Part Two is a voyage of discovery and a lesson in life but most of all it is a celebration of  true friendship.

 Don Quijote enjoys the good company and simplicity of Sancho Panza who delivers innumerable popular sayings much to his master’s disbelief and irritation. Sancho genuinely admires and declares his master’s bravery to all they meet. It is Sancho who names him Caballero de la Triste Figura and after the amazing adventure with the lions changes the title to Caballero de los Leones.

He learns that a knight errant has to master many disciplines: mathematics, astrology, laws of justice, theology, medicine especially herbal remedies, must know how to swim, how to shoe a horse, must guard the faith and defend the honour of his damsel.

The duke and duchess play act and make fun of their two guests with the help of their servants.

Sancho governs  the  ‘island’  that he has been given by the Duke with simplicity and prudence but  he lacks his master’s bravery. We will always find Sancho hiding up a tree or hiding  behind the Duchess when trouble arrives and it is not long until he leaves his new life to find his master and continue on their ventures. 

Sancho  never ceases to be amazed at Don Quijote's  knowledge and power with words, spinning fantasies so that  even his old friends the barber, the scholar and the cleric would all join him quite happily on his next proposed escapade which  occurs to him quite suddenly after he  resigns himself to laying down his arms. The new venture he proposes  is to lead the life of a shepherd in the mountains.  He paints such a beautiful idyllic picture of this life that the reader would happily join him too.

There are too many stories to make a résumé. It is very very funny still.

Here are some quotes from the first and most important novel ever written.

EL INGENIOSO HIDALGO DON QUIJOTE DE LA MANCHA

Los montes crían letrados y las cabañas de los pastores encierran filósofos.

 El clérigo

Dios bendijo la paz y maldijo las riñas.

Sancho

Con facilidad se piensa y se acomete una empresa; pero con dificultad las más veces se sale de ella.

Sansón Carrasco

La pluma es la lengua del alma.

Don Quijote

¿Leoncitos a mí? A mí leoncitos, y a tales horas?

Don Quijote

...porque lo que hablaba era concertado y elegante y bien dicho, y lo que hacía, disparatado, temerario,y tonto.
Diego de Miranda  Caballero de la Mancha 

La mejor salsa del mundo es el hambre
Don Quijote

Sobre un buen cimiento se puede levantar un edificio y el mejor cimiento y zanja del mundo es el dinero.

Sancho

….flor y nata y espuma de los caballeros andantes!¡Allá vas, valentón del mundo, corazón de acero, brazos de bronce!

Sancho

¿Qué importa? Todo es morir, y acabóse la obra.

Don Quijote

Donde hay música no puede haber cosa mala.

La música siempre es indicio de regocijos y de fiestas.

Sancho

Me parece duro hacer esclavos lo que Dios y Naturaleza hizo libres.
Don Quijote

Consejos de Don Quijote a Sancho Panza para gobernar su ínsula

Procura descubrir la verdad entre las promesas y dádivas del rico como por entre los sollozos e importunidades del pobre.

….más resplandece y campea a nuestro ver el (atributo) de la misericordia que el de la Justicia.

Anda despacio; habla con reposo.

Come poco y cena más poco, que la salud de todo el cuerpo se fragua en la oficina del estómago.

Él que no madruga con el sol no goza del día.

Más sabe el necio en su casa que el cuerdo en la ajena.

Siempre favorece el Cielo los buenos deseos.

Sancho responde

…que yo no sé más de gobiernos de ínsulas que un buitre; y si imagina que por ser gobernador me ha de llevar el diablo, más me quiero ir Sancho al cielo que gobernador al infierno.

Don Quijote le responde
Por sólo estas últimas razones que has dicho juzgo que mereces ser gobernador de mil ínsulas.

En las galeras en Barcelona

Estas sí son verdaderamente cosas encantadas, y no las que mi amo dice. ¿Qué han hecho estos desdichados que ansí los azotan y cómo este hombre sólo, que  andar por aquí silbando, tiene atrevimiento para azotar a tanta gente? Ahora yo digo que esto es infierno, o, por lo menos, el purgatorio.

Sancho

…. he oído decir que esta que llaman por ahí Fortuna es una mujer borracha y antojadiza, y sobre todo ciega,  y así, no ve lo que hace ni sabe a quién derriba, ni a quién ensalza.

Sancho

Muy filósofo estás Sancho.

Muy a lo discreto hablas: no sé quién te lo enseña. Lo que te sé decir es que no hay Fortuna en el mundo…..que cada uno es artífice de su ventura.

Don Quijote

¿Qué tienen que ver los Panzas con los Quijotes?
Sancho


 'Para mí sola nació Don Quijote y yo para él.'
Cervantes   (Cide Hamete el prudentísimo autor del cuento.)

REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE

Our ideas to save the planet,

Reuse wine corks and use glass jars instead of plastics.

 Send us yours  to asedow@gmail.com

Little bird house

Glass jars

Black Lives Matter

Once again they are leading the way, they are showing us what has to change in our societies, they are saying no to racism, they are saying all lives matter including black lives.
They have always been a step ahead of us.  From their suffering they have created music. So much so that  blues, jazz, spirituals, soul, rap and hip hop are quintessentially the sound of  America.
Their music is probably the only weapon they have ever used,

THE JOYS OF SPRING

Lola has shared these gems from her walk around Sanse.

And Gloria has shared these. We are very privileged to have so much parkland in Sanse. You can walk cross country to the sports centre and see trees and flowers like the ones below.

More Wilde Flowers

True blue by the roadside

Wilde roses

Our Favourite Trees

This tree stands majestic in its solitude.

The beautiful photo is  by Luis Vioque.

Lola loves these ancient yew trees. 

Where will you find them?  In Sanabria. In Zamora.

It is a magic tree. El Tejo milenario.

Fabiola loves all trees indiscriminately and has sent us this stunning  picture.

                     Laura has sent us her favourite tree. It is the national tree of Venezuela.

                                             El Araguaney or Golden Trumpet tree

Pino canario

The trees have definitely benefitted from our confinement to flourish and bloom as you can see. 

Sweet smelling tree of paradise

Tree bows to reach us

Old tree and young friend   

The evergreen oak or encina

Our beautiful woodland

This woodland in San Sebastián De Los Reyes of pine trees and evergreen oaks is called La Dehesa Boyal

Una luz se apaga

Asociación Educativa Oscar Wilde
We deeply regret the loss of a dear friend and  the wife of our vice president José.
Rosa passed away on May  4^th 2020.

When we started out on this venture we were very lucky that our families tolerated our different escapades and even joined us at the occasional pub quiz and on the occasional walk, as Rosa did.

It seems that we Irish share a common bond of not taking life too seriously with our friends from Galicia.
We will miss you, Rosa.
May you rest in peace.

To forget time, to forget life, to be at peace…for love is always with you, and love is stronger than death is.

Oscar Wilde