1.1.15
Don Quixote 1.1.15 · The barber’s verdict1.1.15The barber’s verdict
The village barber joins the argument and backs a knight of his own.
· · ·
mas1
mas
but
maese2
ma·E·se
Master
Nicolás3
ni·co·LÁS
Nicolás
, barbero4
bar·BE·ro
the barber
del5
del
of the
mesmo6
MES·mo
same
pueblo7
PUE·blo
villagetown
, decía8
de·CÍ·a
said
que9
que
that
ninguno10
nin·GU·no
noneno one
llegaba11
lle·GA·ba
came nearreached
al12
al
theto the
Caballero13
ca·ba·LLE·ro
Knight
del14
del
of the
Febo15
FE·bo
SunPhoebus
, y16
y
and
que17
que
that
si18
si
if
alguno19
al·GU·no
anyonesomeone
se20
se
(be)
le21
le
himto him
podía22
po·DÍ·a
could
comparar23
com·pa·RAR
comparedto compare
, era24
E·ra
was
don25
don
don
Galaor26
ga·la·OR
Galaor
, hermano27
her·MA·no
brother
de28
de
of
Amadís29
a·ma·DÍS
Amadís
de30
de
of
Gaula31
GAU·la
Gaul
, porque32
POR·que
because
tenía33
te·NÍ·a
had
muy34
muy
very
acomodada35
a·co·mo·DA·da
adaptablesuited
condición36
con·di·CIÓN
naturecondition
para37
PA·ra
for
todo38
TO·do
everythingall
; que39
que
forthat
no40
no
not
era41
E·ra
was
caballero42
ca·ba·LLE·ro
a knight
melindroso43
me·lin·DRO·so
fussyfinicky
, ni44
ni
nor
tan45
tan
so
llorón46
llo·RÓN
weepycrybaby
como47
CO·mo
as
su48
su
his
hermano49
her·MA·no
brother
, y50
y
and
que51
que
that
en52
en
in
lo53
lo
mattersthe
de54
de
of
la55
la
(the)
valentía56
va·len·TÍ·a
couragebravery
no57
no
not
le58
le
him
iba59
I·ba
waswent
en60
en
in
zaga61
ZA·ga
behindthe rear
. but Master Nicolás, the barber of the same village, said that none came near to the Knight of the Sun, and that if anyone could be compared with him, it was don Galaor, brother of Amadís of Gaul, because he had a very adaptable nature for everything; for he was not a fussy knight, nor so weepy as his brother, and that in matters of courage he was not behind him.
but Master Nicolás, the barber of the same village, said that none came near to the Knight of the Sun, and that if anyone could be compared with him, it was don Galaor, brother of Amadís of Gaul, because he had a very adaptable nature for everything; for he was not a fussy knight, nor so weepy as his brother, and that in matters of courage he was not behind him.
Interpretation
but Master Nicolás, the barber of the same village, said that none came near the Knight of the Sun, and that if any could be compared with him it was don Galaor, brother of Amadís of Gaul, because he had a nature that suited him to anything: he was no fussy knight, nor such a crybaby as his brother, and in courage he was every bit his equal.
The barber’s champion, the Knight of the Sun, is the hero of Espejo de príncipes y caballeros by Diego Ortúñez de Calahorra, printed in 1555. His second choice is a sly one. In Amadís de Gaula, Amadís is the perfect faithful lover and weeps often for his lady Oriana; when she sends him away, he retires in despair to a barren rock as a hermit called Beltenebros. His brother Galaor is just as brave and goes from lady to lady without a tear.
So muy acomodada condición para todo, a nature ready for anything, carries a wink: Galaor was ready for more than battles. The priest and the barber, Master Nicolás, are the gentleman’s two friends in the village, and they will be the ones who try to cure him.
Gustave Doré, a world of disorderly notions crowds into his imagination (1863) · public domain
1.1.16
Don Quixote 1.1.16 · His brain dried up1.1.16His brain dried up
The gentleman has been buying and reading romances of chivalry. Now the reading takes over his nights and days.
· · ·
In short, he buried himself so deeply in his reading that the nights went by for him reading all night long, and the days from dawn to dusk; and so, from too little sleep and too much reading, his brain dried up, so that he came to lose his mind.