Nine Centuries of Spanish Literature : Nueve siglos de literatura española : A Dual-Language Anthology

by Seymour Resnick, Jeanne Pasmantier

This rich sampling of Spanish poetry, prose, and drama includes more than seventy selections from the works of more than forty writers, from the anonymous author of the great medieval epic The Poem of the Cid to such 20th-century masters as Miguel de Unamuno. The original Spanish text of each work appears with an excellent English translation on the facing page.
The anthology begins with carefully selected passages from such medieval classics as The Book of Good Love by the Archpriest of Hita and Spain's first great prose work, the stories of Count Lucanor by Juan Manuel. Works by writers of the Spanish Renaissance follow, among them poems by the Marqués de Santillana and excerpts from the great dialogue novel La Celestina by Fernando de Rojas.
Spain's Golden age, ca. 1550-1650, an era which produced its great writers, is represented by the mystical poems of St. Teresa, passages from Cervantes' Don Quixote and scenes from Tirso de Molina's The Love-Rogue, the drama that introduced the character of Don Juan to the world, along with other well-known works of the period. A cavalcade of stirring poems, plays and prose selections represent Spain's rare literary achievements of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.
The translations were chosen for their accuracy and fidelity to the originals. Among the translators are Lord Byron, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Edward FitzGerald and John Masefield. As a treasury of masterly writing, as a guide for the student who wants to improve his or her language skills and as a compact survey of Spanish literature, this excellent anthology will provide hours of pleasure and fruitful study.

Genres: Spanish Literature

462 pages, Paperback

First published October 20, 1994

Reviews

[cc · Rating 1 out of 5]

hated it so glad i left this in like 2024

[Ariadna73 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is my review in my Spanish Blog: http://bit.ly/RiV4ji This is a book with a fine selection of the best fragments of Spanish literature between the Medieval Period and the Twentieth Century. I liked many of them; but one of the funniest was Tomas de Iriarte's

THE BEAR; THE MONKEY AND THE HOG
A Bear; with whom a Piedmontese
A wandering living made;
A dance he had not learn'd with ease;
On his two feet essay'd:

And; as he highly of it thought;
He to the Monkey cried;
How's that? who; being better taught;
''Tis very bad'; replied.

'I do believe'; rejoin'd the Bear;
'You little favour show:
For have I not a graceful air;
And step with ease to go?'

A Hog; that was beside them set;
Cried; 'Bravo! good!' said he;
'A better dancer never yet
I saw; and ne'er shall see.'

On this the Bear; as if he turn'd
His thoughts within his mind;
With modest gesture seeming learn'd
A lesson thence to find.

'When blamed the Monkey; it was cause
Enough for doubting sad;
But when I have the hog's applause;
It must be very bad!'

As treasured gift; let authors raise
This moral from my verse:
'Tis bad; when wise ones do not praise;
But when fools do; 'tis worse.