The Ballad of the White Horse — Page 3
It is enough for me to maintain two things: that they are popular traditions; and that without these popular traditions we should have bothered about Alfred about as much as we bother about Eadwig.
Me basta con mantener dos cosas: que son tradiciones populares; y que sin estas tradiciones populares nos habríamos preocupado por Alfredo más o menos lo mismo que nos preocupamos por Eadwig.
One other consideration needs a note.
Otra consideración merece una aclaración.
Alfred has come down to us in the best way (that is, by national legends) solely for the same reason as Arthur and Roland and the other giants of that darkness, because he fought for the Christian civilization against the heathen nihilism.
Alfredo ha llegado hasta nosotros de la mejor manera posible (es decir, a través de leyendas nacionales) únicamente por la misma razón que Arturo y Roldán y los demás gigantes de aquella oscuridad: porque luchó por la civilización cristiana contra el nihilismo pagano.
But since this work was really done by generation after generation, by the Romans before they withdrew, and by the Britons while they remained, I have summarised this first crusade in a triple symbol, and given to a fictitious Roman, Celt, and Saxon, a part in the glory of Ethandune.
Pero dado que esta labor fue llevada a cabo verdaderamente por generación tras generación, por los romanos antes de retirarse y por los britanos mientras permanecieron, he resumido esta primera cruzada en un triple símbolo, y he otorgado a un romano, un celta y un sajón ficticios una parte en la gloria de Ethandune.
I fancy that in fact Alfred's Wessex was of very mixed bloods; but in any case, it is the chief value of legend to mix up the centuries while preserving the sentiment; to see all ages in a sort of splendid foreshortening.
Me imagino que, en realidad, el Wessex de Alfredo era de sangre muy mezclada; pero en cualquier caso, el principal valor de la leyenda reside en mezclar los siglos preservando el sentimiento; en ver todas las épocas en una suerte de espléndido escorzo.
That is the use of tradition: it telescopes history.
Ese es el uso de la tradición: telescopiar la historia.
G.K.C.
G.K.C.
DEDICATION
DEDICATORIA
Of great limbs gone to chaos, A great face turned to night-- Why bend above a shapeless shroud Seeking in such archaic cloud Sight of strong lords and light?
De grandes miembros entregados al caos, un gran rostro vuelto hacia la noche— ¿Por qué inclinarse sobre un sudario informe buscando entre tan arcaica nube la visión de poderosos señores y de luz?
Where seven sunken Englands Lie buried one by one, Why should one idle spade, I wonder, Shake up the dust of thanes like thunder To smoke and choke the sun?
Donde siete Inglaterras hundidas yacen enterradas una a una, ¿por qué habría de remover una pala ociosa, me pregunto, el polvo de los thanes como el trueno, para ahumar y ahogar el sol?
Vocabulary
- Me
- Indirect object pronoun; me
- basta
- It is enough; sufficient
- con
- With; preposition indicating accompaniment
- mantener
- To maintain; to keep; to support
- dos
- Two; number
- cosas
- Things; objects; matters
- que
- That; which; what; relative pronoun
- son
- Are; third person plural of ser
- tradiciones
- Traditions; customs passed down through generations
- populares
- Popular; common among people; well-liked
- sin
- Without; lacking something
- estas
- These; feminine plural demonstrative pronoun
- nos
- Us; ourselves; indirect object pronoun
- habríamos
- We would have; conditional perfect tense
- preocupado
- Worried; concerned; troubled about something
- por
- For; by; through; because of
- más
- More; additional; greater quantity
- menos
- Less; fewer; minus; subtraction
- lo
- It; the; masculine singular article
- mismo
- Same; identical; very itself
- preocupamos
- We worry; we concern ourselves
- Otra
- Another; other; different one
- consideración
- Consideration; thought; respect; regard
- merece
- Deserves; merits; warrants attention
- una
- A; an; feminine singular article
- aclaración
- Clarification; explanation; clearing up doubts
- ha
- Has; third person singular present perfect
- llegado
- Arrived; reached; come to pass
- hasta
- Until; up to; as far as
- nosotros
- We; us; first person plural pronoun
- de
- Of; from; belonging to; made from
- la
- The; feminine singular definite article
- mejor
- Better; best; superior quality
- manera
- Manner; way; mode; method
- posible
- Possible; capable of happening; feasible
- es
- Is; third person singular present of ser
- decir
- To say; to tell; to speak
- través
- Through; across; by means of
- leyendas
- Legends; stories; folklore narratives
- nacionales
- National; relating to a nation
- únicamente
- Only; solely; exclusively just
- misma
- Same; identical; self; very
- razón
- Reason; cause; rationale explanation
- los
- The; masculine plural definite article
- demás
- The rest; others; remaining people
- gigantes
- Giants; enormous supernatural beings or people
- aquella
- That; yonder; distant feminine demonstrative
- oscuridad
- Darkness; obscurity; lack of light
- porque
- Because; for the reason that
- luchó
- Fought; struggled; battled against
- civilización
- Civilization; advanced culture society
- cristiana
- Christian; relating to Christianity faith
- contra
- Against; in opposition to something
- el
- The; masculine singular definite article
- nihilismo
- Nihilism; rejection of principles values
- pagano
- Pagan; non-Christian heathen person
- Pero
- But; however; yet; still
- dado
- Given; considering; past participle of dar
- esta
- This; feminine singular demonstrative pronoun
- labor
- Work; labor; task; effort
- fue
- Was; past tense of ser
- llevada
- Carried out; taken; conducted performed
- cabo
- Cape; end; carrying out completion
- verdaderamente
- Truly; genuinely; really in truth
- generación
- Generation; age group lineage succession
- tras
- After; behind; following succession
- romanos
- Romans; relating to Rome people
- antes
- Before; previously; earlier in time
- retirarse
- To withdraw; to retire; to retreat
- britanos
- Britons; inhabitants of Britain ancient
- mientras
- While; during; meantime; in between
- permanecieron
- Remained; stayed; continued existing there
- he
- Have; first person singular auxiliary
- resumido
- Summarized; condensed; abridged shortened version
- primera
- First; initial; earliest feminine
- cruzada
- Crusade; military religious campaign expedition
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