Spanish fiction -- Translations into English; Spanish poetry -- Translations into English
These and other like words the hapless shepherd uttered, accompanied
by sobs and tears so many that they moved to compassion as many as
heard him. But the cruel and loveless shepherdess did not therefore
cease to pursue her way, without wishing even to turn her eyes to
behold the shepherd, who, for her sake, was in such a state; whereat
all those who perceived her angry disdain were not a little astonished,
and it was so great that even the loveless Lenio thought ill of the
shepherdess's cruelty. And so he with the old Arsindo went up to ask
her to be so good as to turn and hear the plaints of the love-sick
youth, even though she should have no intention of healing them. But it
was not possible to change her from her purpose, rather she asked them
not to count her discourteous in not doing what they bade her; for her
intention was to be the mortal enemy of love and of all lovers, for
many reasons which moved her to it, and one of them was that from her
childhood she had dedicated herself to follow the pursuit of the chaste
Diana, adding to these so many reasons for not doing the bidding of the
shepherds that Arsindo held it for good to leave her and return. The
loveless Lenio did not do this, and when he saw that the shepherdess
was such an enemy of love as she seemed, and that she agreed so
completely with his loveless disposition, he determined to know who
she was, and to follow her company for some days; and so he told her
how he was the greatest enemy love and lovers had, begging her that
since they agreed so much in their opinions, she would be so kind as
not to be wearied with his company which would not be hers longer than
she pleased. The shepherdess rejoiced to learn Lenio's intention, and
permitted him to come with her to her village, which was two leagues
from Lenio's. Therewith Lenio took leave of Arsindo, begging him to
excuse him to all his friends and to tell them the reason that had
moved him to go with the shepherdess, and without waiting further, he
and Gelasia went away quickly and in a short while disappeared. When
Arsindo returned to tell what had passed with the shepherdess, he found
that all the shepherds had gone up to console the love-sick shepherd,
and that, as for the two of the three veiled shepherdesses, one had
fainted in the fair Galatea's lap, and the other was in the embrace of
the beauteous Rosaura, who likewise had her face covered. She who was
with Galatea was Teolinda, and the other her sister Leonarda, whose
hearts, as soon as they saw the despairing shepherd whom they found
with Gelasia, were overwhelmed with a jealous and love-sick faintness,
for Leonarda believed the shepherd was her beloved Galercio, and
Teolinda counted it truth that he was her enamoured Artidoro; and when
the two saw him so subdued and undone by the cruel Gelasia, they felt
such grief in soul that all senseless they fell fainting, one into
Galatea's lap, the other into Rosaura's arms. But a little while after
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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