Unconscious Humor in Lope de Vega

 

Lope de Vega (d. 1635), one of the most prolific writers of all time, has been credited with as many as 1800 plays. He was also a considerable poet, and the songs in the traditional style from his plays have a quickness and grace equal to that of the songs of Shakespeare (and furthermore, there are more of them.)

 

Whether because of the haste with which he wrote or because of the subject matter and treatment, however, some of his poems do not read well today -- such as the sonnet below in the formal literary style of the time, which stressed ingenuity. A whistling shepherd Jesus with handsome feet turning the Cross into a shepherd's crook seems odd enough already, but from my secular twentieth-century point of view, the clever twist in the last line sounds far too much like a punchline.

 

Pastor que con tus silbos amorosos

me despertaste del profundo sueño;

tú, que hiciste cayado de ese leño

en que tiendes los brazos poderosos

 

vuelve los ojos a mi fe piadosos

pues te confieso por mi amor y dueño

y la palabra de seguirte empeño

tus dulces silbos y tus pies hermosos.

 

Oye, pastor, pues por amores mueres

no te espante el rigor de mis pecados

pues tan amigo de rendidos eres.

 

Espera, pues, y escucha mis cuidados....

Pero ¿cómo te digo que me esperes

si estás para esperar los pies clavados?

 

Rimas Sacras (1614, #XIV

 

Shepherd, who with your loving whistles awoke me from my deep sleep, and who made yourself a shepherd's crook from that tree upon which you stretch your powerful arms --

 

Turn your merciful eyes on me, for I confess you as my love and my lord, and pledge my word to follow you -- your sweet whistling and handsome feet.

 

Hear, shepherd, since you die for love -- do not shrink from my grievous sins, friend of the contrite that you are.

 

Stay, and hear my plea....but why do I ask you to stay?
 For I know you must  --  your feet are nailed down.

 

(Fernando Arenas has corrected my mistyped Spanish text. Corrections of the translation are also welcome).



 

|

 

All original material copyright John J. Emerson 

Return to Idiocentrism