Bernardo de Balbuena (c. 1561 in Valdepeñas, Spain – October 1627, in San Juan, Puerto Rico) was a Spanish poet. He was the first of a long series of Latin American poets who extolled the special beauties of the New World.
Born in Valdepeñas, Spain around 1561, Balbuena came to the New World as a young adult and lived in Guadalajara, Jalisco and Mexico City, where he studied theology. In 1606 he returned to Spain and earned the degree of Doctor of Theology, and rose within the Church to become Abbot in Jamaica (1610) and one of the early Bishops of Puerto Rico (1620).[1] Despite his priestly duties, he found time to write long and elegant verses which are excellent examples of the Baroque tendency to heavily load (and sometimes overload) poetry with highly detailed descriptions.
Unfortunately, many of his manuscripts and his library were burned by Dutch pirates during a 1625 attack on Puerto Rico. He died two years later.
His workedit
Perhaps his best work is Grandeza mexicana (Mexico's Grandeur, published in 1604), in which he replies in elegant and lyrical verse to a nun who asked him for a description of the young Spanish city of Mexico. Balbuena takes advantage of this opportunity to present a detailed inventory of the complicated, luxurious and beautiful city as he knew it almost 100 years after the arrival of Hernán Cortés. The details he provides include physical geography, the climate, the surroundings, the architecture, the vegetation, the different human types, the animals, all in great detail. The poem is high-sounding, but at the same time simple; it is direct, but also contains complicated metaphors, word plays, majestic adjectives, and a rich catalog of the lexicon. Balbuena's works represent some of the best of the Baroque's love of color, detail, ornamentation and intellectual playfulness. It also stands as a monument to the pride in the New World that many transplanted Spaniards shared with the "criollo" (the Americans descended from Spanish or Portuguese families). A critical edition of Grandeza mexicana, prepared with introduction, notes and bibliography by Asima Saad Maura appeared in 2011 (); it takes into consideration the two different editions published during Balbuena's life, each one dedicated to a different person. Saad Maura's edition also includes Balbuena's treaty on poetry.
In 2007, well-known Spanish translator, Margaret Sayers Peden collected Mexican literature including that of Bernardo de Balbuena's in order to combine and edit the book Mexican Writers on Writing (Trinity University Press).
A sampler (fragment)edit
Mexico's Grandeur (1604) by Bernardo de Balbuena
Of the famous Mexico the seat, origin and grandeur of edifices horses, streets, treatment, complement, letters, virtues, variety of professions. gifts, occasions of contentment, immortal spring and its indications, illustrious government, religion, state, all in this speech is written. ... It is ordered that I write you some indication that I have arrived in this famous city, center of perfection, hinge of the world; its seat, its populous greatness, its rare things, its riches and its treatment, its illustrious people, its pompous labor. in all, a most perfect portrait you ask of Mexican Greatness, be it expensive, be it modest.
With most beautiful distant views, outings, recreations and country-feasts, orchards, farms, mills, and groves. malls, gardens, thickets of various plants and fruits in flower, in blossom, immature and ripe. There are not as many stars in the sky, as flowers in her garland nor as many virtues in it than her.
Referencesedit
^Gauchat, Patritius (Patrice) (1935). HIERARCHIA CATHOLICA MEDII ET RECENTIORIS AEVI Vol IV. Münster: Libraria Regensbergiana. p. 286. (in Latin)
Borzoi Anthology of Latin American Literature, Rodríguez Monegal, Emir, ed. New York: Knopf, 1988, pp. 83–90.
Child, Jack. Introduction to Latin American Literature: a Bilingual Anthology. Lanham: University Press of America, 1994, pp. 91–96.
Englekirk, John E. An Outline History of Spanish American Literature. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1965, pp. 25–26.
(in Spanish) Mujica, Bárbara. Texto y vida: introducción a la literatura hispanoamericana. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1992, p. 53.
Solé, Carlos A., (ed.) Latin American Writers. New York: Scribner’s, 1989, (three volumes), pp. 53–57.
External links and additional sourcesedit
Cheney, David M. "Archdiocese of San Juan de Puerto Rico". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. Retrieved June 14, 2018. (for Chronology of Bishops) [self-published]
Chow, Gabriel. "Metropolitan Archdiocese of San Juan de Puerto Rico". GCatholic.org. Retrieved June 14, 2018. (for Chronology of Bishops) [self-published]
bernardo, balbuena, this, article, includes, list, general, references, lacks, sufficient, corresponding, inline, citations, please, help, improve, this, article, introducing, more, precise, citations, august, 2010, learn, when, remove, this, template, message. This article includes a list of general references but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations August 2010 Learn how and when to remove this template message Bernardo de Balbuena c 1561 in Valdepenas Spain October 1627 in San Juan Puerto Rico was a Spanish poet He was the first of a long series of Latin American poets who extolled the special beauties of the New World Bernardo de Balbuena Contents 1 Life 2 His work 3 A sampler fragment 4 References 5 External links and additional sourcesLife editBorn in Valdepenas Spain around 1561 Balbuena came to the New World as a young adult and lived in Guadalajara Jalisco and Mexico City where he studied theology In 1606 he returned to Spain and earned the degree of Doctor of Theology and rose within the Church to become Abbot in Jamaica 1610 and one of the early Bishops of Puerto Rico 1620 1 Despite his priestly duties he found time to write long and elegant verses which are excellent examples of the Baroque tendency to heavily load and sometimes overload poetry with highly detailed descriptions Unfortunately many of his manuscripts and his library were burned by Dutch pirates during a 1625 attack on Puerto Rico He died two years later His work editPerhaps his best work is Grandeza mexicana Mexico s Grandeur published in 1604 in which he replies in elegant and lyrical verse to a nun who asked him for a description of the young Spanish city of Mexico Balbuena takes advantage of this opportunity to present a detailed inventory of the complicated luxurious and beautiful city as he knew it almost 100 years after the arrival of Hernan Cortes The details he provides include physical geography the climate the surroundings the architecture the vegetation the different human types the animals all in great detail The poem is high sounding but at the same time simple it is direct but also contains complicated metaphors word plays majestic adjectives and a rich catalog of the lexicon Balbuena s works represent some of the best of the Baroque s love of color detail ornamentation and intellectual playfulness It also stands as a monument to the pride in the New World that many transplanted Spaniards shared with the criollo the Americans descended from Spanish or Portuguese families A critical edition of Grandeza mexicana prepared with introduction notes and bibliography by Asima Saad Maura appeared in 2011 Madrid Catedra it takes into consideration the two different editions published during Balbuena s life each one dedicated to a different person Saad Maura s edition also includes Balbuena s treaty on poetry In 2007 well known Spanish translator Margaret Sayers Peden collected Mexican literature including that of Bernardo de Balbuena s in order to combine and edit the book Mexican Writers on Writing Trinity University Press A sampler fragment editMexico s Grandeur 1604 by Bernardo de BalbuenaOf the famous Mexico the seat origin and grandeur of edifices horses streets treatment complement letters virtues variety of professions gifts occasions of contentment immortal spring and its indications illustrious government religion state all in this speech is written It is ordered that I write you some indication that I have arrived in this famous city center of perfection hinge of the world its seat its populous greatness its rare things its riches and its treatment its illustrious people its pompous labor in all a most perfect portrait you ask of Mexican Greatness be it expensive be it modest With most beautiful distant views outings recreations and country feasts orchards farms mills and groves malls gardens thickets of various plants and fruits in flower in blossom immature and ripe There are not as many stars in the sky as flowers in her garland nor as many virtues in it than her References edit Gauchat Patritius Patrice 1935 HIERARCHIA CATHOLICA MEDII ET RECENTIORIS AEVI Vol IV Munster Libraria Regensbergiana p 286 in Latin Grandeza mexicana Saad Maura Asima ed Madrid Catedra 2011 Borzoi Anthology of Latin American Literature Rodriguez Monegal Emir ed New York Knopf 1988 pp 83 90 Child Jack Introduction to Latin American Literature a Bilingual Anthology Lanham University Press of America 1994 pp 91 96 Englekirk John E An Outline History of Spanish American Literature New York Appleton Century Crofts 1965 pp 25 26 in Spanish Mujica Barbara Texto y vida introduccion a la literatura hispanoamericana New York Harcourt Brace Jovanovich 1992 p 53 Sole Carlos A ed Latin American Writers New York Scribner s 1989 three volumes pp 53 57 External links and additional sources editCheney David M Archdiocese of San Juan de Puerto Rico Catholic Hierarchy org Retrieved June 14 2018 for Chronology of Bishops self published Chow Gabriel Metropolitan Archdiocese of San Juan de Puerto Rico GCatholic org Retrieved June 14 2018 for Chronology of Bishops self published Grandeza mexicana Saad Maura Asima ed Madrid Catedra 2011 Catholic Encyclopedia ArticleReligious titlesPreceded byPedro de Solier y Vargas Bishop of Puerto Rico1620 1627 Succeeded byJuan Lopez de Agurto de la MataPortals nbsp Biography nbsp Catholicism nbsp Spain nbsp Puerto Rico Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bernardo de Balbuena amp oldid 1086486950, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
