ALENCAR

O Guarani 2.9 · 2.9

Bound by the oath of nobility

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Portuguez de antiga tempera, fidalgo leal, entendia que estava preso ao rei de Portugal pelo juramento da nobreza, e que só a elle devia preito e menagem.

A Portuguese of the old temper, a loyal fidalgo, he held that he was bound to the king of Portugal by the oath of nobility, and that he owed homage and fealty to him alone.

Word by word

Portuguezpor-too-GEZHA Portuguesededeofantigaan-TEE-gaoldtemperaTEM-pe-ratemper,fidalgofee-DAHL-goonoblemanlealle-ALloyal,entendiaen-ten-DEE-ahe heldquekethatestavaesh-TA-vahe waspresoPRE-zooboundaoowto thereihaykingdedeofPortugalpeloPE-looby thejuramentozhoo-ra-MEN-toooathdadaof thenobrezano-BRE-zanobility,eeeandquekethatsawonlyaatoelleE-leehimdeviade-VEE-ahe owedpreitoPRAY-toohomageeeeandmenagemme-NA-zheinfealty.

The setting

His creed is stated plainly: a Portuguese of the old temper, a loyal fidalgo, he held that he was bound to the king of Portugal by the oath of nobility, and owed homage and fealty to him alone.

A note on this passage

Here is the man's whole soul in one sentence, and it is a legal document: his loyalty is not to a land or a people but to a person, the king, sworn by the oath of his rank. Alencar builds the trap with care — because the king Dom Antônio swore to is gone, and the crown now sits on a Spanish head he never promised anything.

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