Dom Casmurro 131.13 · 131.13

O adagio do mestre Povo

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As pessoas valem o que vale a affeição da gente, e é dahi que mestre Povo tirou aquelle adagio que quem o feio ama bonito lhe parece.

People are worth what one's affection for them is worth, and it is from that that Master People drew the old adage: to whoever loves, the ugly one seems fair.

Word by word

AsahsThepessoaspeh-SOH-ahspeoplevalemVAH-layngare worthooothequekeethat/whichvaleVAH-leeis worthaahtheaffeiçãoah-fay-SOWaffectiondadahof thegenteZHEN-cheeone,eeeandéehit isdahidah-EEthencequekeethat/whichmestreMES-treemasterPovoPOH-vooPeopletirouchee-ROHdrewaquelleah-KEH-leethatadagioah-DAH-zhee-ooadagequekeethat/whichquemkayngwhoeverooothefeioFAY-oougly oneamaAH-mahlovesbonitoboo-NEE-toohandsomelhelyeeto him/herparecepah-REH-seeseems.

The setting

People are worth what our affection makes them, whence the old adage: to one who loves, the ugly seems fair.

A note on this passage

A Machadian aphorism on love's optics — affection, not truth, sets the value of what we see, the very theme that makes Bento's testimony unreliable.

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Dom Casmurro 131.13 — The Great Library Project interlinear edition · greatlibraryproject.com/book/domcasmurro/131.13/