Garcilaso de la Vega

Egloga Tercera

    Egloga Tercera 129-144

  1. Estava figurada la hermosa Euridice,
  2. en el blanco pie mordida
  3. de la pequeña sierpe ponçoñosa,
  4. entre la yerva y flores escondida;
  5. descolorida estava como rosa
  6. que ha sido fuera de sazón cogida,
  7. y el ánima, los ojos ya bolviendo,
  8. de su hermosa carne despidiendo.
  9. Figurado se via estensamente
  10. el osado marido, que baxava
  11. al triste reyno de la escura gente
  12. y la muger perdida recobrava;
  13. y cómo, después desto, él, impaciente
  14. por mirarla de nuevo, la tornava
  15. a perder otra vez, y del tyrano
  16. se quexa al monte solitario en vano.

    Egloga Tercera 145-160

  1. Dinámene no menus artificio
  2. mostrava en la lavor que avia texido,
  3. pintando a Apollo en el robusto officio
  4. de la silvestre caça embevecido.
  5. Mudar presto le haze el exercicio
  6. la vengativa mano de Cupido,
  7. que hizo a Apollo consumirse en lloro
  8. después que le enclavó con punta d'oro.
  9. Daphne, con el cabello suelto al viento,
  10. sin perdonar al blanco pie corria
  11. por áspero camino tan sin tiento
  12. que Apollo en la pintura parecía
  13. que, porque'lla templasse el movimiento,
  14. con menos ligereza la seguía;
  15. él va siguiendo, y ella huye como
  16. quien siente al pecho el odioso plomo.

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Notes

  • The first tapestry shows separate episodes of the story of Orpheus and Eurydice; although the name of Orpheus is withheld and he is referred to as el osado marido. There is an assumption of familiarity with Orpheus. In this stanza the death of Eurydice is described.
  • ·descolorida The topic of premature death, here expressed through the image of the rose cut before its time and which has no colour, recurrs in the Egloga, in the fourth tapestry. From there it leads us to the Primera Egloga.
  • ·el osado marido The name of Orpheus is still witheld. The first part of this stanza dwells on Orpheus' descent to the underworld to recover Eurydice; then there is the loss and finally the story ends where it had begun, with the lament of Orpheus on the desolate mountain. The way that the familiar story is shaped into this circular pattern is interesting.
  • The second tapestry shows the story of Apollo and Daphne. Apollo is presented as the hunter, self-assured, occupied. Then there is the intervention of Cupid with two arrows, the golden arrow that inspires love and the leaden that creates indifference.
  • ·templasse This stanza conveys an awareness on Garcilaso's part of how in poetry he attempts to borrow the qualities of art. Through words he sets himself the test of conveying the impression of movement, here finely defined movement, for by pursuing Daphne less fast Apollo hopes to stay her headlong flight.