Proverbia Mundi IV: The moral proverbs of Sem Tob (Proverbios Morales)
As a continuation of the last entry, we will visit another Ladino text from 14th century Spain. While not possessing the condensed magic of the Ladino refrains proper, these versified sayings were written by Sem Tob (full name Sem Tob ben Ishaq ibn Ardutiel; שם טוב בן יצחק אבן ארדוטיאל) in the middle of the 14th century. The original title given to these proverbs was «Consejos y documentos al rey don Pedro», [Counsels and documents destined for King Don Pedro], the title being a later addition by the 15th century politician and writer Marqués de Santillana.
Sem Tob’s work is noticeable influenced by the «Cuaderna vía» current of gnomic literature to come out of medieval Spain. As a literary genre, it is known as «Mester de clerecía» (Ministry of Clergy). Regarding the Spanish text, I have replaced j as a vowel with i, to aid readability. Constructions like «enel» have been separated as «en el», for the same reason. Each saying is numbered according to the standard order from the manuscript edition collected the CORDE, a Spanish language corpus database. As an added bonus, we have included a rimed verse translation, just to add some spice. This rounds off our tour of Sephardic sayings, I hope you got some enjoyment from them. See you next time!
I.
«por nasçer en espino[1], —non
val la rrosa çierto
menos nin el buen vjno —por salyr del sarmiento». [003]
Eng.
A rose born of the thorn is no less valid,
nor so is a fine wine born of the vine shoot.
Rimed version
It is a thing no less fine, a rose of ignoble root,
and much less so a good wine, though risen from the vine shoot.
and much less so a good wine, though risen from the vine shoot.
II.
«non vale el açor menos por salyr del mal nido
nin los enxenplos buenos por los dizer judío»[2]. [004]
Eng.
The goshawk is worth no less for
having hailed from a bad nest,
nor are praiseworthy examples, though
originating from Jewish culture.
Rimed version
The goshawk, no less a bird is he, though from a bad nest,
nor is the wise Jewish word, worth any less than the rest.
III.
«Commo la candela mesma, tal cosa es el omne
franco, que ella se quema por dar a otro lunbre». [76].
Eng.
Like the candle itself, such is the nature of a
blunt man; burning so as to give light to another.
Rimed version
A blunt man’s word leads to burn, like a candle in one’s hand,
giving light so one can learn, and
his own mind understand.
IV, V.
«Non puede omne[3] aver — en el mundo tal amjgo
commo el buen saber, —nin peor enemigo. [284].
«Que la su torpedat[4], —Que del torpe su saña
Más pesa en verdat —Que arena; e maña[5]», [285].
Eng.
One cannot have such a great friend in the world
as good knowledge; nor a worse enemy
as good knowledge; nor a worse enemy
Than own’s one barbarity, for a brutish man’s madness
truly weighs him down more than sand and a bundle of esparto.
Rimed version
What is one’s best acquaintance during our time on this earth,
is
without doubt sapience; nor
is there a greater dearth
in man, than his own daft crimes,
for the madness of his hand
often weighed him down at times, even more than wood or sand.
VI.
«Decir siempre verdat maguer que daño tenga,
et non la falsedad maguer pro della venga». [289].
Eng.
Speak the truth always, though it cause harm,
and not lies, though one should gain from it.
Rimed version
Always strive to speak the truth, even though it may cause pain.
Never speak a lie forsooth, though therein one may
find gain[6].
VII.
«Cosa que tanto cuenple para amigos ganar,
non ha como ser sienple e bien se rrazonar». [323].
Eng.
He possesses the quality to win over friends,
yet not the one for being simple and reasoning
well.
Rimed version
In the realm of the social, he can make many a friend,
but not in the logical, can he himself well defend.
VIII.
«No ha cosa más larga que lengua de mintroso,
nin çima más amarga a[7] comienço
sabroso». [350].
Eng.
There’s nothing longer than a liar’s tongue;
nor does a most bitter sprout taste sweet from the start.
Rimed version
there is nothing one can
tout longer than a liar’s tongue,
furthermore, a bitter sprout never tasted sweet when young.
IX.
«Non ha fuerte castillo más que la lealtad,
«Non ha fuerte castillo más que la lealtad,
nin
tan ancho portillo com la mala
verdat». [353].
Eng.
There’s no fortress stronger than loyalty,
nor passageway narrower than false truth.
Rimed version
There exists no edifice more solid than loyalty;
nor alley more venomous than to lack in honesty.
X.
El mundo la verdat de tres cosas mantyen:
juyzyo e verdat, e paz que dellos vyen. [359].
Eng.
The world is sustained by three things:
judgement, truth, and the peace that comes with
these first two.
Rimed version
All things in life are forsooth comprised of but these three things:
peace, judgment and of course truth; the
first two fly on its wings.
XI.
«E el juyzyo es la piedra çimental:
de todas estas tres, el es la que más val». [360].
Eng.
Good judgement is the building block:
of all these three [things], it has the most
worth.
Rimed version [6 syllables in this refrain]
and know that of these things it has been since time’s birth
and know that of these things it has been since time’s birth
judgement that most joy brings and which has the most worth.
XII.
«Nunca de una camisa amas non se vistieron,
Jamás de una devisa[8],
señores nunca fueron». [377].
Eng.
Never from one shirt did two ever dress
themselves;
Nor from a shared seigniory did two ever end up
as absolute lords.
Rimed version
By just one garment wearing, two men could never be dressed,
Nor by dominion sharing as
lords shall they be addressed.
XIII.
«Torna sin detenencia[9] la mar mansa muy brava,
e el mundo hoy desprecia al que ayer honraba»[10]. [382].
Eng.
A gentle sea turns turbulent without demurral,
and today’s world despises what it honoured
yesterday.
Rimed version
Like the way a tame sea runs without
a warning astray,
So too the world today shuns what
it honoured yesterday
XIV.
«El torpe bien andante, que con su gran
torpeza,
nol’ pasa por talante que puede aver pobreza». [406].
Eng.
The well-off dim-wit, who in his great
doltishness,
never entertained the thought that there could
be such a thing as poverty.
Rimed version
The very well-off dim-wit, through his own monstrosity,
not even the slightest bit, ever noticed poverty.
XV.
«Com el pez en el rrío, viçioso e rriyendu[11],
¡non sabe el sandio la red quel’ van teçiendo!». [409].
Eng.
Like a fish in a stream, lazy and smiling away,
the fool is unaware of the net they’re devising for him.
Rimed version
A fish swimming in a stream, without worries in this life,
A fish swimming in a stream, without worries in this life,
he is not able to glean that what awaits him is strife.
XVI.
«Quanto más cae de alto, tanto peor se fiere;
quanto más bien ha,
tantu más teme si’s perdiere». [415]
[I.e., cuanto más altos son, más dura la caída].
Eng.
The higher one falls from, the more damage is
done;
the more good things one possesses, the more one
fears losing it all.
Rimed version
With wealth, the greater the man, the
harder will be the fall;
the more hath he and his clan, more his fear losing it all.
[I.e, the bigger they are, the harder they
fall].
XVII.
«De una fabla conquista puede nascer e muerte;
e de una sola vista crescer grant amor fuerte».
[420].
[420].
Eng.
From one word can arise war and death;
and from just one gaze can a strong love be
forged.
Rimed version
Bad words can light life ablaze, strike
a deathblow from above;
and through just a single gaze, one may nurture a true love.
and through just a single gaze, one may nurture a true love.
XVIII.
«Pero lo que fablares, si en escrito non es,
si tú pro fallares, negarlo has después. [421].
Eng.
Yet that which you speak, if not in writing be,
and if you should find gain thereof, you’d best
deny it thereafter.
Rimed version
With regard to what you say, if it not be in writing,
and serves you in a great way, to deny is the right thing.
and serves you in a great way, to deny is the right thing.
XIX.
«Onça
de mejoría de lo espiritual[11]
conprar
no se podría con quanto el mundo val». [486].
Eng.
One ounce of spiritual improvement
could not be bought up with even the world’s
worth.
Rimed version
Not an ounce one could buy of progress for the spirit,
even though one may well try selling the world’s worth for it.
XX.
«En que come e beve semeja alimaña:
«En que come e beve semeja alimaña:
así muere e bive como bestia, sin falla. [494].
Eng.
With what he eats and drinks, he resembles an animal:
Thus, shall he live and die like a beast,
without exception.
Rimed version
In his style of drink and feast,
he lives like an animal;
And so shall he die a beast, in a
way most damnable.
XXI.
«En el entendimiento como el ángel es:
no ha despartimiento, si en cuerpo non
es». [495].
Eng.
In his wisdom he is as an angel:
yet not a difference will it make, if in body
he is not.
Rimed version
In his mind there is prudence, as if he were a seraph:
yet shall make no difference, if body
he cares not of.
XXII.
«mezura que levanta —
sympleza et cordura
et poder que quebranta —
sobervia et locura»
[605].
Eng.
A mixture which instils simplicity
and reason
and a power which defeats haughtiness and madness.
[I.e., desiderata for one to aspire to.
Imagine a tacit subject like “these qualities are to be desired:”].
Imagine a tacit subject like “these qualities are to be desired:”].
Rimed version
A mixture which can instil reason and simplicity,
and a power which can
kill smugness and insanity.
[1] «espino»: se entiende
mejor aquí como espina.
[2] Santillana’s
paraphrase reads thus: «No vale el açor menos / por nasçer en vil nído,/
ni los exemplos buenos /
por
los dezir judío». The fact that each final line contains 7 sílabas, it’s
probable that Santillana was correct in his reading of the saying. Also it is
possibe «dir», an medieval variant of «dezir» was the intention, but then the
verse would only have 6 syllables, instead of the expected 7.
[3] En
otras ediciones, figura como «otro».
[4] En otras ediciones
figura como «poridad», que no encajaría bien con el tema del refrán.
[5] «maña»: Manojo
pequeño, de lino, cáñamo, esparto.
[6] The 1st and 3rd verses of the
original only have 6 syllables (if «siempre» is not to be interpreted as
a diphthong, in which case it would have 7 syllables), rather than the expected
7. However, this is an exception, so I have kept to the standard 7 syllable
structure. It may even be a slip of the hand from the copyist. For example: «et
non dir la falsedad» (“and do not speak a falsehood”) would work, and
adds up nicely to 7 syllables. This is just my conjecture though.
[7] «a»: ha, eso es, tiene.
[8] «devisa» (Del lat. divīsa
'repartida'): Señorío solariego que se dividía entre hermanos coherederos
(DRAE).
[9] «detenencia»: detención.
[10] There is another versión which reads: «torna sin detenençia la mar muy buena brava / et el mundo
despreçia oy al que ayer honrrava»,
but the inclusión of oy [today] adds an extra syllable unnecessarily, which makes
this reading doubtful.
[11] «rriyendu»: riendo.
[12] Should probably be written «espiritüal», to indicate that the word has 5 syllables instead of 4, to add up to the desired 7.
[12] Should probably be written «espiritüal», to indicate that the word has 5 syllables instead of 4, to add up to the desired 7.
Galerie:
Antonio
Campi (Cremona, 1523-1587),
Portrait of Man Pointing
at a Hebrew Tablet.
The inscription reads “Torat Moshe Emet”, or
“The law of
Moses is truth”.
