Lope de Vega

Soneto

A Baco pide Midas que se vuelva
oro cuanto tocare (¡ambición loca!);
vuélvese en oro cuanto mira y toca,
el labrado palacio y verde selva.

Adonde quiera que su cuerpo envuelva,
oro le ofende, y duerme en dura roca;
oro come, oro bebe, que la boca
quiere también que en oro se resuelva.

La Muerte, finalmente, su auricida,
triunfó de la ambición, y en oro envuelto,
se fue secando, hasta su fin postrero.

Así yo, triste, acabaré la vida,
pues tanto amor pedí, que, en amor vuelto
el sueño, el gusto, de abundancia muero.



Sonnet

Midas begs of Bacchus that whatever
he might touch become gold (mad desire!);
to gold is changed all that he sees and touches,
the well-wrought palace and the wood's green fold.

In whatever place his body lingers,
gold now assaults him, on hard stone he sleeps;
gold he eats, gold drinks: his very mouth
wants also that it all be turned to gold.

Death, at last, his mighty auricide,
ambition conquered, and all wrapped in gold,
up to his final breath, he slowly dried.

Thus I, so sad, will surely end my life,
since so much love I sought that, to love turned
my sleep and taste, all glutted now I die. 

                     (©Alix Ingber, 1995)

Mythology Links:
  1. Bacchus - See also Dionysus and Bullfinch's entry for Bacchus.
  2. Midas. See also Bullfinch's entry for Midas



E-mail your comments and questions to:

Alix Ingber
Professor of Spanish
Sweet Briar College

ingber@sbc.edu



Navigation