The quotation is taken from Byron's "Don Juan," Canto IV, stanza 72, the
description of Haidée's tomb. I restore the first two words, omitted in
all previous editions, without which the passage is devoid of meaning.
The way in which this passage has been garbled was pointed out by
Piñeyro, "El Romanticismo en España," Paris, 1904.
=181. de luceros coronada=: this verse occurs also in Meléndez Valdés'
"Rosana en los fuegos." See Foulché-Delbosc, "Quelques Réminiscences
dans Espronceda," _Revue Hispanique_, XXI, p. 667.
=218. hoja tras hoja=, etc.: in the first part of "Faust," Margarete
pulls out one by one the petals of a daisy to determine whether or
not Faust loves her. Is this a reminiscence of Margarete's _Er liebt
mich--liebt mich nicht?_
=242. pasó=: translate by the English perfect tense. There are many
other cases in these poems where the preterit had best be rendered by
the perfect.
=245. miraran=: here and elsewhere the second (=-ra=) tense of the
imperfect subjunctive is equivalent to a simple past. This use of the
tense is frequent. At other times this tense is better rendered by a
pluperfect indicative, when the common subjunctive meaning does not
serve.
=268.= These verses are the most frequently quoted of the whole poem.
=268. juguete=: I retain, though with some doubt, the reading of the
original. Later editions have changed to juguetes.
=278.= The thought of these verses is that mean objects may present a
beautiful appearance when viewed through a telescope. "Distance lends
enchantment." So woman when viewed through the illusion of fancy is
better than the woman of reality. This thought is developed farther in
"A Teresa."
=298.= A frequently recurring thought in Espronceda, typical of Romantic
pessimism. Truth is man's greatest enemy, he holds. Illusion is
friendly.
=318.= In this and what follows, Elvira is plainly a copy of Ophelia.
The influence of Hamlet cannot be doubted. Churchman has pointed out
that Elvira is a composite of Goethe's Margarete, Shakespeare's Ophelia,
and the Haidée and Doña Julia of Lord Byron. See "Byron and Espronceda,"
_Revue Hispanique_, Vol. XX, p. 164.
=324. otra=: I retain the original reading. Later editions erroneously
read _otras_.
=347. Vaso de bendición=: `blessed vessel,' i.e. an individual
peculiarly favored with the divine blessing. The phrase _vaso de
elección_ is commoner, meaning one chosen for a particular mission or
appointed task. The latter term is frequently applied to the Apostle
Paul (Acts ix, 15).
=359. Mas despertó también de su locura=, etc.: Ophelia did not recover
her reason before dying. Likewise she was drowned, while Elvira dies of
love.
=364. El bien pasado y el dolor presente=: an obvious reminiscence of
Dante's:
Nessun maggior dolore
Che ricordarsi del tempo felice
Nella miseria.--"Inferno," Canto V, ll. 121-123.
There is no greater sorrow than to recall the happy time in the midst of
misery.
=371.= The letter which follows represents Espronceda's most important
borrowing from Byron. It is based upon Doña Julia's letter of adieu to
Don Juan: see "Don Juan," Canto I, stanzas 192-197. The circumstances
attending the writing of the two letters are entirely different. The
tone of Doña Julia's letter is cynical; she is a married woman whose sin
has been discovered and whose husband is forcing her to enter a convent.
Doña Elvira's letter, written with death in view, is tender and
pathetic. For details see Churchman, "Byron and Espronceda," _Revue
Hispanique_, Vol. XX, p. 161.