Francisco de Quevedo

Dificulta el retratar una grande hermosura,
que se lo había mandado, y enseña el modo
que sólo alcanza para que fuese posible


Si quien ha de pintaros ha de veros,
y no es posible sin cegar miraros,
¿Quién será poderoso a retrataros,
sin ofender su vista y ofenderos?

En nieve y rosas quise floreceros;
mas fuera honrar las rosas y agraviaros;
dos luceros por ojos quise daros;
mas ¿cuándo lo soñaron los luceros?

Conocí el imposible en el bosquejo;
mas vuestro espejo a vuestra lumbre propia
aseguró el acierto en su reflejo.

Podráos él retratar sin luz impropia,
siendo vos de vos propria, en el espejo,
original, pintor, pincel y copia.



Painting a great beauty, which he was asked to do,
is hard, and he shows the only way
it might be possible


If he who is to paint you is to see you,
but cannot look at you and not go blind,
who then will have the skill to paint your portrait
with no offense to both you and his sight?

I sought to make you bloom in snow and roses;
but this would flatter roses and slight you;
two morning stars for eyes I sought to give you;
but how could stars hope that this could be true?

The sketch told me that it could not be done;
but then your mirror, catching your own glow,
assured it was exact in its reflection.

It renders you without unfitting light;
since you're from you yourself, the mirror holds
original, painter, brush and your perfection. 

                     (©Alix Ingber, 1995)



 E-mail your comments and questions to:

Alix Ingber
Professor of Spanish
Sweet Briar College

ingber@sbc.edu



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