The Ballad of the White Horse — Page 1
Produced by Paul Bonner, and Martin Ward
Producido por Paul Bonner y Martin Ward
THE BALLAD OF THE WHITE HORSE
LA BALADA DEL CABALLO BLANCO
By G.K. Chesterton
Por G.K. Chesterton
Prefatory Note:
Nota preliminar:
This ballad needs no historical notes, for the simple reason that it does not profess to be historical.
Esta balada no necesita notas históricas, por la sencilla razón de que no pretende ser histórica.
All of it that is not frankly fictitious, as in any prose romance about the past, is meant to emphasize tradition rather than history.
Todo lo que no es abiertamente ficticio, como en cualquier novela en prosa sobre el pasado, tiene por objeto destacar la tradición más que la historia.
King Alfred is not a legend in the sense that King Arthur may be a legend; that is, in the sense that he may possibly be a lie.
El rey Alfredo no es una leyenda en el sentido en que el rey Arturo puede serlo; es decir, en el sentido de que podría ser una mentira.
But King Alfred is a legend in this broader and more human sense, that the legends are the most important things about him.
Pero el rey Alfredo es una leyenda en este sentido más amplio y más humano, en el sentido de que las leyendas son lo más importante de él.
The cult of Alfred was a popular cult, from the darkness of the ninth century to the deepening twilight of the twentieth.
El culto a Alfredo fue un culto popular, desde la oscuridad del siglo IX hasta el crepúsculo cada vez más profundo del siglo XX.
It is wholly as a popular legend that I deal with him here.
Es únicamente como leyenda popular que me ocupo de él aquí.
I write as one ignorant of everything, except that I have found the legend of a King of Wessex still alive in the land.
Escribo como quien lo ignora todo, salvo que he encontrado la leyenda de un rey de Wessex aún viva en la tierra.
I will give three curt cases of what I mean.
Daré tres ejemplos concisos de lo que quiero decir.
A tradition connects the ultimate victory of Alfred with the valley in Berkshire called the Vale of the White Horse.
Una tradición vincula la victoria definitiva de Alfredo con el valle de Berkshire llamado el Vale of the White Horse.
I have seen doubts of the tradition, which may be valid doubts.
He visto dudas sobre la tradición, que pueden ser dudas válidas.
I do not know when or where the story started; it is enough that it started somewhere and ended with me; for I only seek to write upon a hearsay, as the old balladists did.
No sé cuándo ni dónde comenzó la historia; basta con que haya comenzado en algún lugar y terminado conmigo; pues solo pretendo escribir a partir de un rumor, como hacían los antiguos balladistas.
Vocabulary
- Producido
- Created or made, past participle of producir
- por
- By or for, common preposition with many uses
- y
- And, basic coordinating conjunction
- LA
- The, feminine definite article
- BALADA
- A ballad, a narrative song or poem
- DEL
- Of the, contracted preposition and article
- CABALLO
- Horse, a large domesticated four-legged animal
- BLANCO
- White, the color of snow or milk
- Por
- By or for, common preposition with many uses
- Nota
- Note, a brief written remark or annotation
- preliminar
- Preliminary, introductory or preparatory in nature
- Esta
- This, feminine demonstrative adjective or pronoun
- balada
- A ballad, a narrative song or poem
- no
- No or not, basic negation word
- necesita
- Needs or requires something, third person singular
- notas
- Notes, brief written remarks or annotations
- históricas
- Historical, relating to history or past events
- la
- The, feminine singular definite article
- sencilla
- Simple or straightforward, not complicated or elaborate
- razón
- Reason, a cause or logical explanation for something
- de
- Of or from, very common Spanish preposition
- que
- That or which, common conjunction or relative pronoun
- pretende
- Claims or intends, third person singular of pretender
- ser
- To be, fundamental Spanish infinitive for identity
- histórica
- Historical, relating to history or the past
- Todo
- Everything or all, indicating totality or completeness
- lo
- It or the, neuter pronoun or masculine direct object
- es
- Is, third person singular present of ser
- abiertamente
- Openly or overtly, in a clear and frank manner
- ficticio
- Fictitious, invented or not based on real events
- como
- Like or as, used for comparisons and examples
- en
- In or on, very common Spanish preposition of location
- cualquier
- Any, indefinite adjective meaning whichever or any one
- novela
- Novel, a long fictional prose narrative
- prosa
- Prose, ordinary written language without verse structure
- sobre
- About or over, preposition indicating topic or position
- el
- The, masculine singular definite article
- pasado
- Past, time gone by or a previous period
- tiene
- Has, third person singular present of tener
- objeto
- Object or purpose, a thing or an aim
- destacar
- To highlight or stand out, to emphasize something
- tradición
- Tradition, a custom or belief passed down generations
- más
- More or but, comparative adverb or conjunction
- historia
- History or story, an account of past events
- El
- The, masculine singular definite article
- rey
- King, a male monarch who rules a kingdom
- una
- A or one, feminine indefinite article
- leyenda
- Legend, a traditional story passed down through generations
- sentido
- Sense or meaning, also a direction or feeling
- puede
- Can or may, third person singular of poder
- serlo
- To be it, infinitive ser with attached pronoun lo
- decir
- To say or tell, common Spanish infinitive
- podría
- Could or might, conditional tense of poder
- mentira
- Lie or falsehood, something untrue said deliberately
- Pero
- But, conjunction expressing contrast or opposition
- este
- This, masculine singular demonstrative adjective
- amplio
- Broad or wide, describing large scope or extent
- humano
- Human, relating to people or human nature
- las
- The, feminine plural definite article
- leyendas
- Legends, traditional stories passed down through generations
- son
- Are, third person plural present of ser
- importante
- Important, of great significance or value
- él
- He, masculine third person singular subject pronoun
- culto
- Cult or worship, devoted following or reverence given
- a
- To or at, very common Spanish preposition
- fue
- Was or went, past tense of ser or ir
- un
- A or an, masculine singular indefinite article
- popular
- Popular, widely liked or known by many people
- desde
- From or since, preposition indicating origin or time
- oscuridad
- Darkness or obscurity, absence of light or recognition
- del
- Of the, contraction of de and el
- siglo
- Century, a period of one hundred years
- hasta
- Until or up to, preposition of limit or endpoint
- crepúsculo
- Twilight or dusk, dim light after sunset or before sunrise
- cada
- Each or every, distributive adjective indicating all members
- vez
- Time or instance, used in phrases like cada vez
- profundo
- Deep or profound, having great depth or intensity
- Es
- Is, third person singular present tense of ser
- únicamente
- Only or solely, exclusively without any other option
- me
- Me, first person singular reflexive or indirect pronoun
- ocupo
- I deal with or occupy myself, first person singular
- aquí
- Here, adverb indicating this place or location
- Escribo
- I write, first person singular present of escribir
- quien
- Who or whoever, relative pronoun referring to a person
- ignora
- Ignores or is unaware of, third person singular
- todo
- Everything or all, indicating totality or completeness
- salvo
- Except or save, preposition meaning with exception of
- he
- I have, first person singular of haber auxiliary
- encontrado
- Found, past participle of encontrar meaning to find
- aún
- Still or yet, adverb indicating continuation of state
- viva
- Alive or living, feminine adjective from vivo
- tierra
- Earth or land, soil or a region of ground
- Daré
- I will give, first person singular future of dar
- tres
- Three, the number between two and four
- ejemplos
- Examples, instances used to illustrate a point
- concisos
- Concise, brief and clearly expressed without excess words
- quiero
- I want or I love, first person singular of querer
- Una
- A or one, feminine indefinite article or numeral
- vincula
- Links or connects, third person singular of vincular
- victoria
- Victory, success achieved in a battle or competition
- definitiva
- Definitive, final and conclusive without possibility of change
- con
- With, preposition indicating accompaniment or association
- valle
- Valley, a low area between hills or mountains
- llamado
- Called or named, past participle of llamar
- He
- I have seen, first person singular present perfect
- visto
- Seen, past participle of ver meaning to see
- dudas
- Doubts, feelings of uncertainty about something
- pueden
- Can or may, third person plural of poder
- válidas
- Valid, acceptable or having legal and logical force
- No
- No or not, basic negation word
- sé
- I know, first person singular present of saber
- cuándo
- When, interrogative adverb asking about time
- ni
- Nor or neither, negative conjunction linking alternatives
- dónde
- Where, interrogative adverb asking about place
- comenzó
- Began or started, third person singular simple past
- basta
- Enough or it suffices, third person singular of bastar
- haya
- Has, present subjunctive of haber auxiliary verb
- comenzado
- Begun, past participle of comenzar meaning to begin
- algún
- Some or any, masculine singular indefinite adjective
- lugar
- Place or location, a specific spot or area
- terminado
- Finished or ended, past participle of terminar
- conmigo
- With me, prepositional phrase combining con and migo
- pues
- Well or since, conjunction or filler word in Spanish
- solo
- Only or alone, adjective or adverb indicating singularity
- pretendo
- I intend or claim, first person singular of pretender
- escribir
- To write, infinitive of the verb to write
- partir
- To leave or to start from, also to split something
- rumor
- Rumor, an unverified story or piece of information
- hacían
- Used to do or made, third person plural imperfect
- los
- The, masculine plural definite article
- antiguos
- Ancient or old, referring to people or things of old
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