1.1.13
Don Quixote 1.1.13 · The unfinished adventure1.1.13The unfinished adventure
For all the wounds, he admires how the book of don Belianís ends, and is tempted to finish it himself.
· · ·
Pero1
PE·ro
But
, con2
con
evenwith
todo3
TO·do
soall
, alababa4
a·la·BA·ba
praised
en5
en
in
su6
su
its
autor7
au·TOR
author
aquel8
a·QUEL
that
acabar9
a·ca·BAR
endingfinishing
su10
su
his
libro11
LI·bro
book
con12
con
with
la13
la
the
promesa14
pro·ME·sa
promise
de15
de
of
aquella16
a·QUE·lla
that
inacabable17
i·na·ca·BA·ble
endlessunfinishable
aventura18
a·ven·TU·ra
adventure
, y19
y
and
muchas20
MU·chas
many
veces21
VE·ces
times
le23
le
himto him
vino24
VI·no
came
deseo22
de·SE·o
a desire
de25
de
toof
tomar26
to·MAR
to take up
la27
la
the
pluma28
PLU·ma
penfeather
y29
y
and
dalle30
DA·lle
give it
fin31
fin
an endingend
al32
al
at the
pie33
pie
foot
de34
de
of
la35
la
the
letra36
LE·tra
letter
, como37
CO·mo
as
allí38
a·LLÍ
there
se39
se
(is)
promete40
pro·ME·te
promisedpromises
; y41
y
and
sin42
sin
without
duda43
DU·da
doubt
alguna44
al·GU·na
anysome
lo45
lo
it
hiciera46
hi·CIE·ra
would have done
, y47
y
and
aun48
A·un
even
saliera49
sa·LIE·ra
would have pulledwould have come out
con50
con
offwith
ello51
E·llo
it
, si52
si
if
otros53
O·tros
other
mayores54
ma·YO·res
greater
y55
y
and
continuos56
con·TI·nuos
constantcontinual
pensamientos57
pen·sa·MIEN·tos
thoughts
no58
no
not
se59
se
him
lo60
lo
it
estorbaran61
es·tor·BA·ran
had preventedhad hindered
. But even so, he praised in its author that ending of his book with the promise of that endless adventure, and many times a desire came to him to take up the pen and give it an ending at the foot of the letter, as is promised there; and without any doubt he would have done it, and even pulled it off, if other greater and constant thoughts had not prevented him.
But even so, he praised in its author that ending of his book with the promise of that endless adventure, and many times a desire came to him to take up the pen and give it an ending at the foot of the letter, as is promised there; and without any doubt he would have done it, and even pulled it off, if other greater and constant thoughts had not prevented him.
Interpretation
Even so, he praised the author for ending his book with the promise of that endless adventure, and many times he felt the urge to take up the pen and finish it exactly as the book promised. No doubt he would have done it, and made a success of it too, if other, greater thoughts that never left him had not got in the way.
Cervantes plays on one verb here. The author is praised for his acabar, his way of finishing, and what he finishes with is an adventure that is inacabable, unfinishable. Romances of chivalry often closed by promising more to come, which kept readers buying the next volume, and the gentleman takes the promise as an invitation addressed to him.
The “greater thoughts” are an early warning of what is coming: he will soon stop writing adventures and start living them. Cervantes knew the trick well. He ended his own first part in 1605 with a hint of further adventures, and ten years later wrote them.
1.1.14
Don Quixote 1.1.14 · Arguments with the priest1.1.14Arguments with the priest
The gentleman’s reading spills into village life, in debates with the parish priest.
· · ·
He often had arguments with the priest of his village, who was a learned man, a graduate of Sigüenza, about which had been the better knight: Palmerín of England or Amadís of Gaul;