Garcilaso de la Vega, Como la tierna madre que el doliente

Soneto
Como la tierna madre que el doliente
hijo le está con lágrimas pidiendo
alguna cosa, de la cual comiendo,
sabe que ha de doblarse el mal que siente,

y aquel piadoso amor no le consiente
que considere el daño que haciendo
lo que le pide hace, va corriendo,
y dobla el mal, y aplaca el acidente:

así a mi enfermo y loco pensamiento,
que en su daño os me pide, yo querría
quitar este mortal mantenimiento,

mas pídemelo, y llora cada día
tanto que cuanto quiere le consiento,
olvidando su muerte y aun la mía.

Sonnet
Just like the doting mother whose infirm
young child with bitter tears keeps begging for
some thing, which once he's done with eating it
she realizes will make him suffer more,

and her devoted love will not allow
her to consider that she will increase
the harm by doing it, and she gives in,
and more he suffers, though his tears do cease:

I likewise, when my fevered, witless mind,
which to its own harm begs for you, should want
to keep from it this fatal nourishment,

but still it begs, and every day is spent
in tears, so everything it wants I grant,
forgetting that both it and I will end.

                     (©Alix Ingber, 1995)

Revisions (including major changes to the tercets) contributed by Dr. William Ferguson, Clark University.

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E-mail your comments and questions to:

Alix Ingber
Professor of Spanish
Sweet Briar College

ingber@sbc.edu

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