The most famous of all Calderon's varied and romantic dramas, this seventeenth-century masterpiece by the great Spanish playwright explores the conflict between free will and predestination as it focuses on the life of Segismundo, a Polish prince imprisoned at birth by his father, the King. The monarch's heartless action, precipitated by astrologers who predict the boy will one day usurp the throne, paves the way for a series of events that turn the son against the father and lead to rebellion. Years later, following a revolution and the peasants' seizure of power, the grim prophecy uttered at the Prince's birth threatens to become a painful reality. For this edition, Stanley Appelbaum has written an informative introduction and an excellent new literal translation that appears on pages facing the Spanish original. A valuable text for students of Spanish language and literature, this volume will delight any reader interested in classics from Spain's Golden Age of drama.
Especially designed for the beginning student, this handy volume helps students learn Spanish by presenting simple, easy-to-read adaptations of classic Spanish stories and other material — with complete faithful English translations on the facing pages.The selections, by significant writers of the past and present (Don Juan Manuel, Luis Taboada, Juan José Milla, Eufronio Viscarra, Ricardo Palma, Lope de Rueda, Enrique Amorim, Juan José Arreola, and other noted writers), derive from the best and most genuine Hispanic tradition, and are revealing of the life and psychology of the Spanish-speaking peoples.The dual-language book will enable those readers with the most limited knowledge of the language to enjoy reading in the original Spanish from the very first day of instruction. Vocabularies and exercises are included as special aids for the student.
The passionate life and violent death of Federico Garcia Lorca (1898–1936) retain an enduring fascination for readers around the world. Murdered by Nationalists at the outset of the Spanish Civil War, Lorca died at the peak of his creative powers. He remains his country's most widely translated writer, surpassed only by Cervantes in terms of critical commentary.This selection includes 55 of the 68 poems that comprised Lorca's 1921 Libro de poemas, all of them in their entirety and in their original sequence. Imbued with the spirit and folklore of the poet's native Andalusia, these verses feature the most complex spiritual content of any of Lorca's works. Editor Stanley Appelbaum provides sensitive, accurate English translations on the pages facing the original Spanish, as well as an informative introduction to the author's life and oeuvre, plus notes on the individual poems. An outstanding resource for students and teachers of Spanish language and literature, this compilation will enchant any lover of poetry.