Celestina by Fernando de Rojas

Author:Fernando de Rojas
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Group US

‘I live in great danger;

death comes quickly,

whatever desires order

my hope will deny.’

‘Listen to that, Sempronio: our master is troubadouring.’

‘Some blasted troubadour! The great poet Ovid improvised and rhyming reason flowed from his mouth. He knew how! The devil’s the troubadour now. He’s raving in his sleep.’

‘My heart, how you beat

with sadness and grief,

so quick was your defeat

by love for Melibea.’

‘Did I say he was rhyming?’

‘Who’s that down there? Lads!’ Calisto shouted suddenly.

‘Master.’

‘Is it late at night, Pármeno? Is it time to go to bed?’

‘It’s very late even to be getting up, master.’

‘What, you fool? Has night been and gone?’

‘And a good slice of the day too.’

‘Tell me, Sempronio, is this idiot lying when he tries to make me believe it’s day-time?’

‘Master, forget Melibea for a moment and you might see the light. You keep thinking of her figure and don’t see the flame, like a moth round the candle.’

‘I believe him now. They’re ringing for mass. Get me my clothes. I’ll go to Mary Magdalene and pray for God to guide Celestina and remind Melibea to remedy my heart or I’ll soon be putting an end to my days.’

‘Don’t insist so. Don’t want everything within the hour. It’s not so very clever to desire frantically what might end so sadly. If you always want to do a year’s work in a day, your life will fizzle out in no time.’

‘You mean I’ll shoot my bolt?’

‘Heaven forbid I should say such a thing, my master. Besides, I know how you reward my good advice, and you’ll punish me if I speak out of turn. Although they say receiving praise for services given is not the same as getting lambasted and then grieving over what’s said out of turn.’

‘I can’t think, Sempronio, who taught you so much philosophy. ’

‘Master, not everything is white that isn’t black and not everything yellow and shiny is gold. Reason doesn’t temper your desires and that makes my advice much clearer. Yesterday after the first exchange you wanted Melibea trapped and wrapped in her cord and delivered to you, as if you’d ordered a piece of merchandise from the market, and it was just a matter of going, paying and picking up. Don’t weary your heart so, my master. Great happiness never comes quickly. A single blow from an axe won’t fell the oak. A little thought and patience, if you don’t mind. It’s better to be chary. A little forethought can help resist the fiercest onslaughts. ’

‘Well enough, if the nature of my sickness would only follow suit.’

‘Master, what’s the point of your brain if desire wins out over reason?’

‘You fool! A healthy man can glibly tell the sick: “God give you good health.” But I don’t want your advice or more argument. You only fan the flames of my desire. I’ll go to mass by myself and won’t be back until you bring me good news about my future happiness and favourable words from Celestina. I won’t eat till then, even though Phoebe’s horses may already be grazing in Elysean fields, as they usually are at the end of the day.

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