1.1.6
Don Quixote 1.1.6 · Quijada, Quesada or Quejana1.1.6Quijada, Quesada or Quejana
The narrator turns historian and weighs what the gentleman’s family name was.
· · ·
Quieren1
QUIE·ren
they likethey want
decir2
de·CIR
to say
que3
que
that
tenía4
te·NÍ·a
had
el5
el
the
sobrenombre6
so·bre·NOM·bre
surnameover-name
de7
de
of
Quijada8
qui·JA·da
Quijadajaw
, o9
o
or
Quesada10
que·SA·da
Quesada
, que11
que
for
en12
en
on
esto13
ES·to
this
hay14
hay
there is
alguna15
al·GU·na
some
diferencia16
di·fe·REN·cia
disagreementdifference
en17
en
amongin
los18
los
the
autores19
au·TO·res
authors
que20
que
who
deste22
DES·te
about thisof this
caso23
CA·so
case
escriben21
es·CRI·ben
write
; aunque24
AUN·que
though
, por25
por
by
conjeturas26
con·je·TU·ras
guesses
verosímiles27
ve·ro·SÍ·mi·les
likelytrue-seeming
, se28
se
(itself)
deja29
DE·ja
lets
entender30
en·ten·DER
be understoodto understand
que31
que
that
se32
se
(himself)
llamaba33
lla·MA·ba
was calledcalled himself
Quejana34
que·JA·na
Quejana
. Pero35
PE·ro
But
esto36
ES·to
this
importa37
im·POR·ta
matters
poco38
PO·co
little
a39
a
to
nuestro40
NUES·tro
our
cuento41
CUEN·to
storytale
; basta42
BAS·ta
is enough
que43
que
that
en44
en
in
la45
la
the
narración46
na·rra·CIÓN
tellingnarration
dél47
dél
of it
no48
no
not
se49
se
(itself)
salga50
SAL·ga
straysgoes out
un51
un
one
punto52
PUN·to
jotpoint
de53
de
from
la54
la
the
verdad55
ver·DAD
truth
. Some say that he had the surname of Quijada, or Quesada, for on this there is some disagreement among the authors who write about this case; though, by likely guesses, it can be gathered that he was called Quejana. But this matters little to our story; it is enough that in telling it one does not stray one jot from the truth.
Some say that he had the surname of Quijada, or Quesada, for on this there is some disagreement among the authors who write about this case; though, by likely guesses, it can be gathered that he was called Quejana. But this matters little to our story; it is enough that in telling it one does not stray one jot from the truth.
Interpretation
Some say his surname was Quijada, or Quesada, for the authors who write about this case disagree on the point, though likely guesses suggest he was called Quejana. But this matters little to our story; it is enough that the telling of it should not stray one jot from the truth.
The narrator now plays the historian. He cites "the authors who write about this case" as if the gentleman were a figure of record with rival chroniclers, the way the romances of chivalry claimed to be translations of old true histories. Then he promises strict truth, in a book about to fill with invention.
The three names sound like jokes. Quijada is a jaw, fitting a man thin in the face; Quesada recalls queso, cheese; Quejana echoes queja, a complaint. Before this chapter ends he chooses his own name, Quijote, and a quijote is the piece of armor that covers the thigh.
Adolph Schrödter, Don Quixote reading in his armchair (1834), Alte Nationalgalerie, Berlin · public domain
1.1.7
Don Quixote 1.1.7 · The reading begins1.1.7The reading begins
The gentleman fills his idle days with books of chivalry and lets everything else go.
· · ·
You must know, then, that this aforesaid gentleman, in the moments when he was idle, which were most of the year, gave himself to reading books of chivalry, with such passion and delight that he forgot almost entirely the practice of hunting, and even the running of his estate.