Spanish fiction -- Translations into English; Spanish poetry -- Translations into English
The shepherds did not think ill of Mireno's verses, but of the
occasion for which they had been made, considering with what rapidity
Silveria's fickleness had brought him to the pass of abandoning his
beloved country and dear friends, each one fearful lest, as the result
of his suit, the same thing might happen to him. Then, after they had
entered the village and come to where Daranio and Silveria were, the
festivities began with as much joy and merriment as had been seen for
a long time on the banks of the Tagus; for, as Daranio was one of the
richest shepherds of all that district, and Silveria one of the fairest
shepherdesses of all the river-side, all or most of the shepherds
of those parts assisted at their wedding. And so there was a fine
gathering of discreet shepherds and fair shepherdesses, and amongst
those who excelled the rest in many different qualities were the sad
Orompo, the jealous Orfenio, the absent Crisio, and the love-lorn
Marsilio, all youths and all in love, though oppressed by different
passions, for sad Orompo was tormented by the untimely death of his
beloved Listea, jealous Orfenio by the unbearable rage of jealousy,
being in love with the fair shepherdess Eandra, absent Crisio by seeing
himself parted from Claraura, a fair and discreet shepherdess, whom he
counted his only joy, and despairing Marsilio by the hatred against
him existing in Belisa's breast. They were all friends and from the
same village; each was not ignorant of the other's love, but, on the
contrary, in mournful rivalry they had ofttimes come together, each to
extol the cause of his torment, seeking each one to show, as best he
could, that his grief exceeded every other, counting it the highest
glory to be superior in pain; and all had such wit, or, to express it
better, suffered such grief, that, however they might indicate it,
they showed it was the greatest that could be imagined. Through these
disputes and rivalries they were famous and renowned on all the banks
of the Tagus, and had caused in Thyrsis and Damon desire to know them;
and, seeing them there together, they offered one another courteous and
pleasing greetings, all especially regarding with admiration the two
shepherds Thyrsis and Damon, up till then only known to them by repute.
At this moment came the rich shepherd Daranio, dressed in mountain
garb; he wore a high-necked smock with pleated collar, a frieze vest, a
green coat cut low at the neck, breeches of fine linen, blue gaiters,
round shoes, a studded belt, and a quartered bonnet the colour of the
coat. No less finely adorned came forth his bride Silveria, for she
came with skirt and bodice of fawn, bordered with white satin, a tucker
worked with blue and green, a neckerchief of yellow thread sprinkled
with silver embroidery, the contrivance of Galatea and Florisa, who
dressed her, a turquoise-coloured coif with fringes of red silk,
gilded pattens of cork, dainty close-fitting shoes, rich corals, a ring
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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