Leandro Fernández de Moratín. Sonnets and epigrams

Moratín Street, Madrid.

Leandro Fernández de Moratín was born in Madrid on a day like today 1760. In addition to being a poet, he was the greatest exponent in Spain of the neoclassical theater. Today I remember his most poetic figure and work by selecting some of his sonnets and epigrams.

Leandro Fernandez de Moratin

Son of Nicolas Fernandez de Moratin, studied in the Jesuits de Calatayud and was a student at the University of Valladolid. In 1779 the Royal Spanish Academy awarded his heroic romance in hendecasyllables The taking of Granada, and Moratín achieved fame as a poet.

He was a friend of Jovellanos and Godoy's protégé, and achieved his best and greatest successes in the theater. He tried to introduce in Spain the neoclassical structure of the French scene, that is, respect for the three units of time, place and action, in addition to the moralizing purpose, but he did not succeed in making it permeate among the public.

His first comedy was The old man and the girl that had hardly any repercussion. However, two years later he would succeed with The new comedy or the coffee.

The travel that he undertook for Europa in 1792, as it marked him in his personal and artistic experience. He experienced firsthand what had happened to the French Revolution en Paris, And in the United Kingdom came into contact with the work of Shakespeare, an author who was hardly known in Spain at the time. Then he was visiting the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and Italy, from where he returned. Translated Hamlet in 1798, which was the first direct Spanish version of English.

And that's it at the beginning of the XNUMXth century wrote his best comedies, where he perfectly managed the language, and in which he criticized the customs and social hypocrisy of the time. We have for example The Baron, The prude y The yes of the girls, considered his best work.

Then I select 3 of his sonnets and 3 of his epigrams of his poetic work.

Sonnets

The farewell

I was born of an honest mother: tell me Heaven
easy wit in thanks, tributary:
direct knew the innocent spirit
to virtue, paternal vigilance.

 With known study, indefatigable longing,
I was able to acquire crowns to my forehead:
the hamstring scene resounded in frequent
applause, taking flight from my name.

 Docile, truthful: of many offended,
of no offender, the beautiful Muses
my passion was, honor my guide.

 But if the laws run over like this,
if for you the merits have been
guilt; goodbye, my ungrateful homeland.

On the death of Joaquín Murat

The one that lies in the bloody sand
hideous mangled corpse
was intrepid dark servant sold [ado]
Chieftain of the Eagles of the Seine.

For him the great Madrid of horrors [full]
his zeal and his courage saw him punished
when minister of a fierce wicked
the knots of friendship turned into a chain.

King was called in Parthenope, his attempt
it was the Apostle's to overturn the chair
and achieve victory from the Caesars.

See him add a lesson to the world,
see how the sky humbles its pride
and confuses their memory with shame.

To Flerida, poet

Enough Cupid already, that to the divine
Nymph of the reverent Turia I adore:
nor do I expect freedom, nor do I implore relief,
and I happily yield to the star that bends me.

What new weapons does your rigor destine
against my life, if defense I ignore?
Yes, I already admire her among the castalio choir
the Greek and Latin pulsar zither.

Already, crowned with the Phoebe laurel,
in high verses full of sweetness,
I hear her voice, her elegant number.

For so much power weak trophy
you acquire; if only her beauty
it was enough to surrender my loving heart.

Epigrams

Here lies my wife

Here lies my wife

What happiness for both of us!

she went to see God,

and God has come to see me

To a hapless writer whose book nobody wanted to buy

On a poster I read,

that your trivial work

It is sold by Navamorcuende ...

You don't have to say that he sells it;

but it has it there.

To a bad bug

Do you see that disgusting creature,

flat, hairless, toothless, flat,

gnarly, and dirty, and one-eyed, and hunchbacked?

Well, the worst thing you have is the figure.


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