1.1.2
Don Quixote 1.1.2 · What he ate in a week1.1.2What he ate in a week
The narrator goes on drawing the gentleman by his things. Now it is his food, day by day through the week.
· · ·
Una1
U·na
A
olla2
O·lla
stewpot
de3
de
of
algo4
AL·go
rathersomething
más5
más
more
vaca6
VA·ca
beefcow
que7
que
than
carnero8
car·NE·ro
muttonram
, salpicón9
sal·pi·CÓN
cold chopped meat
las10
las
(the)
más11
más
most
noches12
NO·ches
nights
, duelos13
DUE·los
eggsgriefs
y14
y
and
quebrantos15
que·BRAN·tos
baconbreakages
los16
los
on
sábados17
SÁ·ba·dos
Saturdays
, lantejas18
lan·TE·jas
lentils
los19
los
on
viernes20
VIER·nes
Fridays
, algún21
al·GÚN
asome
palomino22
pa·lo·MI·no
squabyoung pigeon
de23
de
as
añadidura24
a·ña·di·DU·ra
an extraaddition
los25
los
on
domingos26
do·MIN·gos
Sundays
, consumían27
con·su·MÍ·an
used upconsumed
las28
las
(the)
tres29
tres
three
partes30
PAR·tes
quartersparts
de31
de
of
su32
su
his
hacienda33
ha·CIEN·da
incomeestate
. A stew of rather more beef than mutton, cold chopped meat most nights, eggs and bacon on Saturdays, lentils on Fridays, a squab as an extra on Sundays, used up three quarters of his income.
A stew of rather more beef than mutton, cold chopped meat most nights, eggs and bacon on Saturdays, lentils on Fridays, a squab as an extra on Sundays, used up three quarters of his income.
Interpretation
A stew with more beef in it than mutton, cold chopped meat most nights, eggs and bacon on Saturdays, lentils on Fridays and a young pigeon on Sundays as a treat: these ate up three quarters of his income.
The week is set by the Church calendar. Friday was a day without meat, so the pot holds lentils. In Castile, Saturday allowed only the lesser parts of an animal, such as bacon and innards, which is why the Saturday dish is so poor. Its name, duelos y quebrantos, "griefs and breakages", has puzzled editors for centuries, and no explanation has won.
Beef was cheaper than mutton, so even the stew says the house counts its coins. And this plain food eats up three quarters of what he has. Hacienda here is his whole means, the land and what it pays him.
1.1.3
Don Quixote 1.1.3 · His good clothes1.1.3His good clothes
The last quarter of the gentleman’s income goes on his clothes: holiday finery and a better suit for weekdays.
· · ·
The rest of it went on a coat of fine broadcloth, velvet breeches for holidays, with slippers to match, and on weekdays he honored himself in his homespun of the finest.