1.1.19
Don Quixote 1.1.19 · Bernardo, Roland and the giant Morgante1.1.19Bernardo, Roland and the giant Morgante
He goes on ranking the heroes of the romances and the old ballads, with his reasons.
· · ·
Mejor1
me·JOR
fonderbetter
estaba2
es·TA·ba
was
con3
con
ofwith
Bernardo4
ber·NAR·do
Bernardo
del5
del
delof the
Carpio6
CAR·pio
Carpio
, porque7
POR·que
because
en8
en
at
Roncesvalles9
ron·ces·VA·lles
Roncesvalles
había10
ha·BÍ·a
had
muerto11
MUER·to
killeddied
a12
a
(personal a)
Roldán13
rol·DÁN
Roland
el14
el
the
encantado15
en·can·TA·do
Enchanted
, valiéndose16
va·LIÉN·do·se
usingavailing himself
de17
de
of
la18
la
the
industria19
in·DUS·tria
trickingenuity
de20
de
of
Hércules21
HÉR·cu·les
Hercules
, cuando22
CUAN·do
when
ahogó23
a·ho·GÓ
strangledsmothered
a24
a
(personal a)
Anteo25
an·TE·o
Antaeus
, el26
el
the
hijo27
HI·jo
son
de28
de
of
la29
la
the
Tierra30
TIE·rra
Earth
, entre31
EN·tre
inbetween
los32
los
histhe
brazos33
BRA·zos
arms
. Decía34
de·CÍ·a
spokesaid
mucho35
MU·cho
verymuch
bien36
bien
well
del37
del
of the
gigante38
gi·GAN·te
giant
Morgante39
mor·GAN·te
Morgante
, porque40
POR·que
because
, con41
con
thoughwith
ser42
ser
being
de43
de
of
aquella44
a·QUE·lla
that
generación45
ge·ne·ra·CIÓN
racegeneration
gigantea46
gi·gan·TE·a
of giantsgigantic
, que47
que
whothat
todos48
TO·dos
all
son49
son
are
soberbios50
so·BER·bios
proudhaughty
y51
y
and
descomedidos52
des·co·me·DI·dos
rudeill-mannered
, él53
él
he
solo54
SO·lo
alone
era55
E·ra
was
afable56
a·FA·ble
friendlyaffable
y57
y
and
bien58
bien
well
criado59
CRIA·do
manneredraised
. He was fonder of Bernardo del Carpio, because at Roncesvalles he had killed Roland the Enchanted, using the trick of Hercules when he strangled Antaeus, the son of the Earth, in his arms. He spoke very well of the giant Morgante, because, though he was of that race of giants, who are all proud and rude, he alone was friendly and well-mannered.
He was fonder of Bernardo del Carpio, because at Roncesvalles he had killed Roland the Enchanted, using the trick of Hercules when he strangled Antaeus, the son of the Earth, in his arms. He spoke very well of the giant Morgante, because, though he was of that race of giants, who are all proud and rude, he alone was friendly and well-mannered.
Interpretation
He thought better of Bernardo del Carpio, because at Roncesvalles he had killed Roland the Enchanted by borrowing the trick of Hercules, who crushed Antaeus, the son of the Earth, in his arms. He spoke very well of the giant Morgante, because, though he came from that race of giants who are all proud and insolent, he alone was gentle and well brought up.
Bernardo del Carpio is the Spanish answer to the French Roland. In the French Chanson de Roland, Roland dies at the pass of Roncesvalles in the Pyrenees, where Charlemagne's rearguard was destroyed in 778. Spanish chronicles and ballads gave the victory to a hero of their own, Bernardo. Since the romances made Roland encantado, proof against any blade, Bernardo had to squeeze him to death, the way Hercules killed Antaeus, the giant who drew new strength every time he touched his mother, the Earth.
Morgante comes from Italy, from Luigi Pulci's comic poem Morgante (1483), where Roland converts the giant and Morgante becomes his loyal companion.
1.1.20
Don Quixote 1.1.20 · Reinaldos de Montalbán, his favorite1.1.20Reinaldos de Montalbán, his favorite
Of all the heroes, he likes best the one who robs travelers and steals a golden idol.
· · ·
But, above all, he was fond of Reinaldos de Montalbán, and most of all when he saw him ride out of his castle and rob all those he met, and when over the sea he stole that idol of Muhammad that was all of gold, as his story says.