Comparing Translations
of Don Quixote de la Mancha

compiled by Larry Lynch

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This beautiful work is often considered the first modern novel and in any case is generally listed among the handful of all-time greatest novels. It's a shame that abridgments dispense with most of the "extraneous" stories Cervantes included; these, like the poignant and memorable tale of the shepherdess Marcela, parallel the "main" story of Don Quijote and his sidekick Sancho, add depth, contrast, and counterpoint, and should not be missed. Samuel Putnam's abridgment in The Portable Cervantes of his full translation (Viking Press) at least provides good summaries of the missing passages, but they are really not a substitute.

My latest addition is Edith Grossman's 2003 translation, published by Ecco/HarperCollins. I took this opportunity to revisit my own translations of a couple of the passages. I feel I took too many liberties with Marcela's tale. I changed "I am distant fire and the sword not at hand" to "Distant fire am I and sword poised afar," which I think is both more true to the original and more felicitous.

Likewise, I changed "Heaven made me so beautiful, you tell me, that my beauty forces you to love me even against your will. And because of the love you show me, you say that I am obligated to love you in return" to "Heaven made me, you say, beautiful, and in such a way that, without the power to do otherwise, my beauty moves you to love me, and because of the love you show me, you say - and even demand - that I am obligated to love you."

 

Original text (Aguilar ed.)	My translation (fairly literal)	Samuel Putnam (Portable Cervantes, Viking,1949)	Walter Starkie (New American Library, 1957, 1964)	Dodd, Mead & Co. edition* (1962)	Edith Grossman (Ecco/HarperCollins, 2003)
En un lugar de la Mancha, de cuyo nombre no quiero acordarme, no ha mucho tiempo que vivia un hidalgo de los de lanza en astillero, adarga antigua, rocín flaco y galgo corredor. Una olla de algo mas vaca que carnero, salpicón las más noches, duelos y quebrantos los sabados, lantejas los viernes, algún palomino de añadidura los domingos, consumían las tres partes de su hacienda. Part I, Chap. I, p. 197	In a village of La Mancha, whose name I do not wish to recall, not long ago there lived a gentleman, one of those with a lance on the rack, an old leather shield, skinny horse, and racing greyhound. A stewpot with somewhat more beef than mutton in it, hash most nights, fried eggs and bacon on Saturdays, lentils on Fridays, and sometimes a young dove on Sundays for a special treat consumed three-fourths of the revenues from his estate.	In a village of La Mancha the name of which I have no desire to recall, there lived not so long ago one of those gentlemen who always have a lance in the rack, an ancient buckler, a skinny nag, and a greyhound for the chase. A stew with more beef than mutton in it, chopped meat for his evening meal, scraps for a Saturday, lentils on Friday, and a young pigeon as a special delicacy for Sunday, went to account for three-quarters of his income. p. 57	At a village of La Mancha, whose name I do not wish to remember, there lived a little while ago one of those gentlemen who are wont to keep a lance in the rack, an old buckler, a lean horse, and a swift greyhound. His stew had more beef than mutton in it and most nights he ate a hodge-podge, pickled and cold. Lentil soup on Fridays, "tripe and trouble" on Saturdays, and an occasional pigeon as an extra delicacy on Sundays consumed three-quarters of his income. pp. 56-57	Down in a village of La Mancha, the name of which I have no desire to recollect, there lived, not long ago, one of those gentlemen who usually keep a lance upon a rack, an old buckler, a lean horse, and a coursing grayhound. Soup, composed of somewhat more mutton than beef, the fragments served up cold on most nights, lentils on Fridays, collops and eggs on Saturdays, and a pigeon by way of addition on Sundays, consumed three-fourths of his income. p. 1	Somewhere in La Mancha, in a place whose name I do not care to remember, a gentleman lived not long ago, one of those who has a lance and ancient shield on a shelf and keeps a skinny nag and a greyhound for racing. An occasional stew, beef more often than lamb, hash most nights, eggs and abstinence on Saturdays, lentils on Fridays, sometimes squab as a treat on Sundays—these consumed three-fourths of his income. p. 19
...yo tengo a mi señor Don Quijote por loco rematado... II:XXXIII, 1200	...I consider my lord Don Quijote a raving lunatic...	...I look upon my master Don Quixote as stark mad... p. 542	...I consider my master, Don Quixote, to be stark raving mad... p. 767	...I take my master Don Quixote for a downright madman... p. 444	…I believe my master, Don Quixote, is completely crazy… p. 678
…pareció la pastora Marcela tan hermosa, que pasaba a su fama su hermosura I:XIV, 327	…appeared the shepherdess Marcela, so beautiful that her beauty exceeded even its fame.	…stood the shepherdess Marcela herself, more beautiful even than she was reputed to be. p. 148	…appeared the shepherdess Marcela looking even more beautiful than she had been described. p. 141	…appeared the shepherdess herself, so beautiful that her beauty even surpassed the fame of it. p. 58	…there came into view the shepherdess Marcela, whose beauty far surpassed her fame for beauty. p. 98
Yo nací libre, y para poder vivir libre escogí la soledad de los campos; los árboles destas montañas son mi compañía; las claras aguas destos arroyos son mis espejos; con los árboles y con las aguas comunico mis pensamientos y hermosura. Fuego soy apartado y espada puesta lejos. I:XIV, 329	I was born free, and to live free I chose the solitude of the countryside; the trees of the mountains are my companions; the clear waters of these brooks are my mirrors; with the trees and waters I communicate my thoughts and beauty. Distant fire am I and sword poised afar.	I was born a free being and in order to live freely I chose the solitude of the fields; these mountain trees are my company, the clear-running waters in these brooks are my mirror, and to the trees and waters I communicate my thoughts and lend them of my beauty. In short, I am that distant fire, that sharp-edged sword, that does not burn or cut. p. 150	I was born free, and to live free I chose the solitude of the fields. The trees of the mountains are my companions; the clear waters of these brooks are my mirrors; with the trees and the brooks I share my thoughts and my beauty. I am the hidden fire and the distant sword. p. 142-43	I was born free, and, that I might live free, I chose the solitude of these fields. The trees on these mountains are my companions; the clear waters of these brooks are my mirrors; to the trees and the waters I devote my meditations and my beauty. I am fire at a distance, and a sword afar off. p. 60	I was born free, and in order to live free I chose the solitude of the countryside. The trees of these mountains are my companions, the clear waters of these streams my mirrors; I communicate my thoughts and my beauty to the trees and to the waters. I am a distant fire and a far-off sword. p. 99
Hízome el cielo, según vosotros decís, hermosa, y de tal manera, que, sin ser poderosos a otra cosa, a que me améis os mueve mi hermosura, y por el amor que me mostráis, decís y aun queréis que esté yo obligada a amaros. I:XIV, 328	Heaven made me, you say, beautiful, and in such a way that, without the power to do otherwise, my beauty moves you to love me, and because of the love you show me, you say - and even demand - that I am obligated to love you.	Heaven made me beautiful, you say, so beautiful that you are compelled to love me whether you will or no; and in return for the love that you show me, you would have it that I am obliged to love you in return. p. 148	Heaven, you say, has made me so beautiful that without your being able to help it, my beauty compels you to fall in love with me, and in return for the love you show me, you say, and even claim, that I should be obliged to love you. p. 142	Heaven, as you say, made me handsome, and to such a degree that my beauty impels you involuntarily to love me; and in return for this passion, you pretend that I am bound to love you. p. 59	Heaven made me, as all of you say, so beautiful that you cannot resist my beauty and are compelled to love me, and because of the love you show me, you claim that I am obliged to love you in return. pp 98-99
En esto ya comenzaron a gorjear en los árboles mil suertes de pintados pajarillos, y en sus diversos y alegres cantos parecía que daban la norabuena y saludaban a la fresca aurora, que ya por las puertas y balcones del Oriente iba descubriendo la hermosura de su rostro, sacudiendo de sus cabellos un número infinito de líquidas perlas… II:XIV, 992	At this moment a thousand varieties of little painted birds began warbling in the trees, and in their diverse and joyful songs it seemed they greeted and saluted the freshening dawn, which was already revealing its beautiful face through the doorways and balconies of the East, shaking from its hair an infinite number of liquid pearls…	At that moment gay-colored birds of all sorts began warbling in the trees and with their merry and varied songs appeared to be greeting and welcoming the fresh-dawning day, which already at the gates and on the balconies of the east was revealing its beautiful face as it shook out from its hair an infinite number of liquid pearls. p. 470	And now a thousand kinds of little painted birds began to warble in the trees, and with their blithe and jocund notes they seemed to welcome and salute the fresh Aurora, who already was showing her beautiful countenance through the gates and balconies of the East, shaking from her tresses countless liquid pearls. p. 621	And now a thousand sorts of birds, glittering in their gay attire, began to chirp and warble in the trees, and in a variety of joyous notes, seemed to hail the blushing Aurora, who now displayed her rising beauties from the bright arcades and balconies of the east, and gently shook from her locks a shower of liquid pearls… pp. 350-51	By this time a thousand different kinds of brightly colored birds began to warble in the trees, and with their varied and joyous songs they seemed to welcome and greet the new dawn, who, through the doors and balconies of the Orient, was revealing the beauty of her face and shaking from her hair an infinite number of liquid pearls… p 543

*Translator and date of translation of the Dodd, Mead & Co. "Titan" edition are unspecified.