Miguel de Cervantes

Ilan Stavans asks "Why Should You Read 'Don Quixote'?"

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In a recent Ted-Ed video, Ilan Stavans, Restless Books Publisher and noted Cervantes’ scholar, delves into the nature of character development and the continuing cultural importance of Cervantes’ masterpiece. Accompanied by endearing illustrations and animation, ‘Why Should You Read Don Quixote?’ explores the compelling personal growth of Don Quixote through his clumsy yet valiant antics with his steadfast companion Sancho Panza and the enduring popularity and relevance of what is widely considered to be the best-selling novel of all time. Ilan asks the perennial question: What makes this book so beloved? In exploring major themes and the relationship between Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, Stavans investigates underlying philosophical complexities in this tale of adventure, humor, love and friendship. Indeed, Cervantes’ work is not only considered by many to be the first modern novel, but it is also a “treatise on the power of creativity and individualism that has inspired art, literature, popular culture and even political revolution” that continues to resonate with readers on a global scale.

TED-Ed, an extension of TED, carefully curates educational videos with animations, many of which represent collaborations between talented educators and animators nominated through the TED-Ed website. TED-Ed, not unlike TED, is committed to creating lessons worth sharing and spreading great ideas. Watch the TED-Ed video to learn more about Don Quixote and check out the Restless Classics edition of Don Quixote with beautiful illustrations by Eko and an introduction by Ilan Stavans.



'Don Quixote' Translated (And Illustrated!) Across Cultures

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Have you ever wondered what Don Quixote looks like in Spanglish? What about Hebrew? Or, for you rare-linguists out there, how about Zapotec? As a corollary to our four-hundredth-anniversary deluxe interactive edition of Cervantes's masterpiece, we've begun to place the first chapter of these and other translations—French, German, Portuguese, and others—side by side, to compare the music of the language and the beauty of the script. Then we got Eko, the artist who's creating twenty original woodcut illustrations for our edition, to illustrate the opening lines from each language. Below we've excerpted the first paragraph of eight of these translations, along with Eko's artwork. There's more to come: We're even been doing an original translation in Newspeak. (George Orwell would be proud—or terrified.) Crazy? We prefer "quixotic." 

We've only got three days left in our Kickstarter campaign to fund our Quixote project, and we've nearly reached our goal! Please help us defeat the windmills. 

Spanish

En un lugar de la Mancha, de cuyo nombre no quiero acordarme, no ha mucho tiempo que vivía un hidalgo de los de lanza en astillero, adarga antigua, rocín flaco y galgo corredor. Una olla de algo más vaca que carnero, salpicón las más noches, duelos y quebrantos los sábados, lantejas los viernes, algún palomino de añadidura los domingos, consumían las tres partes de su hacienda. El resto della concluían sayo de velarte, calzas de velludo para las fiestas, con sus pantuflos de lo mesmo, y los días de entresemana se honraba con su vellorí de lo más fino. Tenía en su casa una ama que pasaba de los cuarenta, y una sobrina que no llegaba a los veinte, y un mozo de campo y plaza, que así ensillaba el rocín como tomaba la podadera. Frisaba la edad de nuestro hidalgo con los cincuenta años; era de complexión recia, seco de carnes, enjuto de rostro, gran madrugador y amigo de la caza. Quieren decir que tenía el sobrenombre de Quijada, o Quesada, que en esto hay alguna diferencia en los autores que deste caso escriben; aunque, por conjeturas verosímiles, se deja entender que se llamaba Quejana. Pero esto importa poco a nuestro cuento; basta que en la narración dél no se salga un punto de la verdad.

English

In a village of La Mancha, the name of which I have no desire to call to mind, there lived not long since one of those gentlemen that keep a lance in the lance-rack, an old buckler, a lean hack, and a greyhound for coursing. An olla of rather more beef than mutton, a salad on most nights, scraps on Saturdays, lentils on Fridays, and a pigeon or so extra on Sundays, made away with three-quarters of his income. The rest of it went in a doublet of fine cloth and velvet breeches and shoes to match for holidays, while on week-days he made a brave figure in his best homespun. He had in his house a housekeeper past forty, a niece under twenty, and a lad for the field and market-place, who used to saddle the hack as well as handle the bill-hook. The age of this gentleman of ours was bordering on fifty; he was of a hardy habit, spare, gaunt-featured, a very early riser and a great sportsman. They will have it his surname was Quixada or Quesada (for here there is some difference of opinion among the authors who write on the subject), although from reasonable conjectures it seems plain that he was called Quexana. This, however, is of but little importance to our tale; it will be enough not to stray a hair's breadth from the truth in the telling of it.

Portuguese

Num lugar da Mancha, de cujo nome não quero lembrar-me, vivia, não há muito, um fidalgo, dos de lança em cabido, adarga antiga, rocim fraco, e galgo corredor. Passadio, olha seu tanto mais de vaca do que de carneiro, as mais das ceias restos da carne picados com sua cebola e vinagre, aos sábados outros sobejos ainda somenos, lentilhas às sextas-feiras, algum pombito de crescença aos domingos, consumiam três quartos do seu haver. O remanescente, levavam-no saio de belarte, calças de veludo para as festas, com seus pantufos do mesmo; e para os dias de semana o seu bellori do mais fino. Tinha em casa uma ama que passava dos quarenta, uma sobrinha que não chegava aos vinte, e um moço da poisada e de porta a fora, tanto para o trato do rocim, como para o da fazenda. Orçava na idade o nosso fidalgo pelos cinqüenta anos. Era rijo de compleição, seco de carnes, enxuto de rosto, madrugador, e amigo da caça. Querem dizer que tinha o sobrenome de Quijada ou Quesada (que nisto discrepam algum tanto os autores que tratam da matéria), ainda que por conjecturas verossímeis se deixa entender que se chamava Quijana. Isto porém pouco faz para a nossa história; basta que, no que tivermos de contar, não nos desviemos da verdade nem um til.

Italian

Viveva, non ha molto, in una terra della Mancia, che non voglio ricordare come si chiami, un idalgo di quelli che tengono lance nella rastrelliera, targhe antiche, magro ronzino e cane da caccia. Egli consumava tre quarte parti della sua rendita per mangiare piuttosto bue che castrato, carne con salsa il più delle sere, il sabato minuzzoli di pecore mal capitate, lenti il venerdì, colla giunta di qualche piccioncino nelle domeniche. Consumava il resto per ornarsi nei giorni di festa con un saio di scelto panno di lana, calzoni di velluto e pantofole pur di velluto; e nel rimanente della settimana faceva il grazioso portando un vestito di rascia della più fina. Una serva d’oltre quarant’anni, ed una nipote che venti non ne compiva convivevano con esso lui, ed eziandio un servidore da città e da campagna, che sapeva così bene sellare il cavallo come potare le viti. Toccava l’età di cinquant’anni; forte di complessione, adusto, asciutto di viso; alzavasi di buon mattino, ed era amico della caccia. Vogliono alcuni che portasse il soprannome di Chisciada o Chesada, nel che discordano gli autori che trattarono delle sue imprese; ma per verisimili congetture si può presupporre che fosse denominato Chisciana; il che poco torna al nostro proposito; e basta soltanto che nella relazione delle sue gesta non ci scostiamo un punto dal vero.

French

Dans une bourgade de la Manche, dont je ne veux pas me rappeler le nom, vivait, il n’y a pas longtemps, un hidalgo, de ceux qui ont lance au râtelier, rondache antique, bidet maigre et lévrier de chasse. Un pot-au-feu, plus souvent de mouton que de bœuf, une vinaigrette presque tous les soirs, des abatis de bétail le samedi, le vendredi des lentilles, et le dimanche quelque pigeonneau outre l’ordinaire, consumaient les trois quarts de son revenu. Le reste se dépensait en un pourpoint de drap fin et des chausses de panne avec leurs pantoufles de même étoffe, pour les jours de fête, et un habit de la meilleure serge du pays, dont il se faisait honneur les jours de la semaine. Il avait chez lui une gouvernante qui passait les quarante ans, une nièce qui n’atteignait pas les vingt, et de plus un garçon de ville et de campagne, qui sellait le bidet aussi bien qu’il maniait la serpette. L’âge de notre hidalgo frisait la cinquantaine ; il était de complexion robuste, maigre de corps, sec de visage, fort matineux et grand ami de la chasse. On a dit qu’il avait le surnom de Quixada ou Quesada, car il y a sur ce point quelque divergence entre les auteurs qui en ont écrit, bien que les conjectures les plus vraisemblables fassent entendre qu’il s’appelait Quijana. Mais cela importe peu à notre histoire ; il suffit que, dans le récit des faits, on ne s’écarte pas d’un atome de la vérité.

German

An einem Orte der Mancha, an dessen Namen ich mich nicht erinnern will, lebte vor nicht langer Zeit ein Junker, einer von jenen, die einen Speer im Lanzengestell, eine alte Tartsche, einen hagern Gaul und einen Windhund zum Jagen haben. Eine Schüssel Suppe mit etwas mehr Kuh- als Hammelfleisch darin, die meisten Abende Fleischkuchen aus den Überbleibseln vom Mittag, jämmerliche Knochenreste am Samstag, Linsen am Freitag, ein Täubchen als Zugabe am Sonntag - das verzehrte volle Dreiviertel seines Einkommens; der Rest ging drauf für ein Wams von Plüsch, Hosen von Samt für die Feiertage mit zugehörigen Pantoffeln vom selben Stoff, und die Wochentage schätzte er sich's zur Ehre, sein einheimisches Bauerntuch zu tragen - aber vom feinsten! Er hatte bei sich eine Haushälterin, die über die Vierzig hinaus war, und eine Nichte, die noch nicht an die Zwanzig reichte; auch einen Diener für Feld und Haus, der ebensowohl den Gaul sattelte als die Gartenschere zur Hand nahm. Es streifte das Alter unsres Junkers an die fünfzig Jahre; er war von kräftiger Körperbeschaffenheit, hager am Leibe, dürr im Gesichte, ein eifriger Frühaufsteher und Freund der Jagd. Man behauptete, er habe den Zunamen Quijada oder Quesada geführt - denn hierin waltet einige Verschiedenheit in den Autoren, die über diesen Kasus schreiben -, wiewohl aus wahrscheinlichen Vermutungen sich annehmen läßt, daß er Quijano hieß. Aber dies ist von geringer Bedeutung für unsre Geschichte; genug, daß in deren Erzählung nicht um einen Punkt von der Wahrheit abgewichen wird.

Hebrew DQ.jpg

Hebrew

Hebrew 1st 'graph DQ.jpg

Zapotec

Ndaani’ ti guidxi huiini’ nuu lu ca layú sti’ La Mancha, guidxi qui ganda guietenala’dxe’ la, raca cadi xadxí di’ guleza ti binni la’dxiró’ ni ma qui runi dxiiña’, ni ma xadxí zucá si yagaguezaguiiba’ sti’, ma nándasi guriá yoo xubaguidi sti’, ma nuu si qui runi gasti’ mani chuga dxiiña’ sti’.  Ti guisu beela yuze ni huaxié’ risaca robe huadxí ne laaca beela di’ guidxaa góxhibe, dxita nucha’ xiixa beelazá robe sábadu, bizaa ca viernes, guugu huiini guirá’ domingu, ma ngasi nga rugaanda laabe sibe guibani nebe. Sti ndaa bidxichi riaana laabe riquiiñebe laa lu ca ni rácube, ti neza lari luguiá’ nanaande’ nacahui ne xaguete’ ti réndasi casi racu gunaa, lari ma gudi’di’ xhí, chupa ndaa lari dxaa nabumbu ruchii ca ñeebe ni rindá ruseegu’ xco’re’ be, ca ñeebe ricá guelaguidilari nadxaa, ne lade dxi lu gadxe gubidxa rácube ti lari té stuudxi risaca. Ti gunaa ma gula, napa didihuiini’ chupa late gande iza, runi dxiiña’ ra lídxibe, laaca nabeza nebe ti xhiágabe ca’ru’ gusaa gande iza, ti nguiiu laaca nápabe ra lídxibe, ni rucaabe guni nitiicasi caquiiñebe. Binni la’dxiró’ di’ ma ze’ gusaabe chupalategandechii iza. Naguidxiru’ rihuinnibe, neca laabe nabídxibe, nabidxi lube, nacándaru’ riásabe ne nabé riuula’dxibe guuze’gui’xhi’. Nuu tu ná la? rabi cabe laabe Quijada, pacaa Quesada (rarí’ la? quipe zie’nu’ ca ni bicaa xquendanabánibe), pa caañe huiininu huaxa zannanu gudxi cabe laabe Quijana; pa gudxi cabe laabe zacá, pa co’, nga huaxa qui risaca lu xquiaapadiidxa’ di’, ni risaca nga guininu ni bizaaca dxichi be, cadi gusiguiinu.

Translation credits:

John Ormsby (English)

Antónion Feliciano de Castilho (Portuguese)

Bartolomeo Gamba (Italian)

Louis Viardot (French)

Ludwig Braunfels (German)

Haim Nachman Bialik (Hebrew)

Victor Terán (Zapotec)