Escena V
León, Cesáreo, María, Don Rafael, después el Alcalde.
Cesáreo. (Fija la vista en el suelo, fatigado.) Soy justiciero.
María. No puede ser justiciero el que antes no sabe ser justo.
Cesáreo. (Aterrado por la voz y la presencia de María.) ¡María!
María. (Serena y grave.) Hermano querido: ni las acciones violentas ni las voces airadas valen conmigo. Con pocas palabras pondré yo fin a esta lucha, y haré que prevalezca sobre tu justicia egoísta y menguada, la verdadera justicia. ¿Decides matarle? Pues también a mí.
Cesáreo. (Vacilante, turbado.) Matar… matar no.
María. ¿Decides el tormento curial, legal, o como quieras llamarlo? Pues aquí estoy para compartirlo. (Aparece el Cura por la puerta del foro.)
Alcalde. (Entrando presuroso por el fondo.) Señor don Cesáreo, el maldito Cura pretende ganarnos la partida.
Cesáreo. (Alarmado.) ¿Qué hay?
León. (Que ha hablado con don Rafael.) Nada, que cuando la razón quiere vencer, emplea los medios más sencillos. Como es inquebrantable resolución de María compartir mi suerte…
Don Rafael. (Vivamente, adelantándose.) Y como no es decoroso que, al partir hoy los señores Marqueses, permanezca en Agramante su hija… soltera…
Cesáreo. Yo he determinado que parta con nosotros.
Don Rafael. Espérese un poco… yo he determinado casarla.
Cesáreo. ¡Oh burla villana, desprecio de mi nombre, de mi familia!
Alcalde. (Furioso.) Esto no puede ser. Yo mando que…
Don Rafael. Y yo desobedezco… No te canses en mandar cosa alguna. Aquí, señor Duque, aquí mismo les caso.
Cesáreo. ¡Pero se atreve…!
Don Rafael. ¡Que si me atrevo! Van a verlo. (Dirígese a la habitación del fondo; abre la puerta. Se ve que están improvisando una capilla. En la mesa delfondo han puesto ya un paño de altar y el Santo Cristo. Continúan preparando y adornando el altar.)
Alcalde. ¿Qué hacen ahí?
Don Rafael. Todo está bien dispuesto, y no faltará ningún requisito.
Cesáreo. (Airado.) ¿Pero no sabe usted que incurre en responsabilidad?
Don Rafael. Firme en mi conciencia, yo afronto esa responsabilidad.
Alcalde. Se le formará proceso…
Cesáreo. Le sentaremos la mano.
Don Rafael. Yo siento el pie sobre la cabeza del feudalismo… Cierto que no podré aplastarla; pero, por de pronto, hago rabiar al poderoso y le trastorno sus planes inicuos.
Alcalde. Se incoará el expediente.
Don Rafael. Ello será inútil… y tonto, porque yo caso a estos jóvenes, y a ver, caballeros, quién es el guapo que los descasa.
María. Hermano mío, si la crueldad y el odio prevalecen en ti, aquí nos tienes: somos dos almas para el sufrimiento.
Cesáreo. El odio no existe. Otro sentimiento me mueve ya. (Volviéndose hacia el Alcalde.) Mi hermana ha muerto… Muerta la lloraremos… Vámonos.
Don Rafael. En nombre de Cristo, yo le incito a usted a la concordia, a la mansedumbre, al amor. (Pausa.)
Cesáreo. (Vacilando, se pasa la mano por los ojos.) Quisiera… (Después de breve lucha interior.) No… imposible… imposible. (Para sí, consternado.) ¡Muerta Mariucha!… No puedo… no quiero verla… (Sale precipitadamente; tras él el Alcalde.)
Escena Última
María, León, Don Rafael.
Don Rafael. (Suspirando.) ¡Cómo ha de ser! (Dirígese a la habitación del fondo; se quita la esclavina.) ¿Está todo pronto? (Se ve que han puesto los candeleros. Encienden las velas. Cirila pone sobre el altar búcaros con flores. Don Rafael les da prisa; sacan las ropas, capa, estola, y las colocan sobre un sillón.)
María. (Afligida.) ¡Me lloran muerta!
León. (Estrechándole las manos.) Los muertos son ellos, vida mía.
María. (Con efusión.) Yo vivo, sí; yo estoy viva. Vivo en mi conciencia, vivo en mis deberes, en las obligaciones de mi casa, de nuestra casa. Yo estoy viva. En mí rebosa la salud, estalla la alegría, y enciende el alma todas sus luces: la fe, la esperanza, el amor. Yo estoy viva. (Fijándose en el ventanal, ve que pasan sus padres por el exterior.) ¡Ah, León… míralos… mis padres…!
León. Sí… Van hacia la estación.
María. (Acercándose.) Véalos yo un instante. ¡Pobres padres míos! Van tristes, agobiados…
León. Como si asistieran a su propio entierro.
María. (Con viva compasión.) Ya se alejan… Cesáreo se une a ellos… les habla… les dice que he muerto. Mira, mira… lloran… ¡Pobrecitos de mi alma!
León. Lloran; pero siguen… Se van… Por vanas pompas abandonan los afectos más puros…
María. Aceleran el paso… Ya no les veo…
León. (Enlazándola por la cintura, la retira del ventanal.) Son la generación que fue, que ya vivió y pasa.
María. ¡Qué tristeza despedir a los que se van para siempre!
León. Consolémonos pensando en la eficacia de nuestro destino. Si una generación nos vuelve la espalda y desaparece, abramos nuestros brazos esperando a la que ha de venir.
María. Delante de nosotros hay mucha vida, afanes, alegrías…
León. El cuidado inmenso de las vidas presentes… de las vidas futuras… (Aparece don Rafael en la puerta del foro, dispuesto a revestirse; tras él, el sacristán le ofrecela capa pluvial; el monaguillo le alarga la estola.)
Don Rafael. (Les llama con cariñosa jovialidad.) ¡Juventud… aquí! (María y León, lanzando una exclamación de júbilo, corren hacia él.)
NOTES
ACTO PRIMERO
4. Displicente; the adjective is used, as often, where in English an adverb is better employed.
33. no lo son; lo acts as substitute for poderosos. It is invariable when the word referred to is an adjective or a noun in which the adjective sense predominates.
41. se ven y se desean para, they would give their eye-teeth to.
50. Por Cirila, referring to Cirila.
63-64. no es uno saco de paja… De menos nos hizo Dios, I'm not so bad. Men were created out of clay.
66. cualquiera me quitaba a mí esa niña; there are two idiomatic uses in this phrase: 1. cualquiera in an ironic sense = nadie (a frequent use); 2. quitaba = quitaría, a substitution of tense often found in the main clause of a contrary to fact, or less vivid future condition.
82. Hase; an enclitic object pronoun may be appended to the verb when it stands at the head of a sentence or phrase, and, less often, in other positions.
83. no se me escapa; compare the note above on quitaba. Here the desire for vivid expression has gone a step farther, and we have the present indicative replacing the perfect conditional.
137. las de González, the González ladies.
157. a eso voy, I'm coming to that.
241. ¡Qué paso lleva…! How fast he goes…!
248. no se dejará ahorcar por…: i.e., he would not stick at putting up a million pesetas if they were needed to save him from the gallows.
250. Hará; future of probability: I suppose he makes.
254. a retro; a legal term for a particular kind of conveyance, often used in Spain as a usurer's device, and best explained by an example. A house-owner wishes to raise money by giving a mortgage on his house. But if he is in straits, the lender may refuse to accept the mortgage as security, and demand a bill of sale of it, which contains a clause providing that the original owner may buy it back within a certain time (not over four years, unless more are stipulated in the deed, and never more than ten). This is called venta con pacto de retro, 'sale subject to redemption.' It saves the usurer the trouble of going to law to eject the borrower, and enables the former to charge enormous rates of interest under the guise of a sale. See Adolfo Posada, El derecho usual, p. 251.
259. Será; see note to Hará, line 250.
334-335. ¡Si está aquí, en el patio! Why, here she is, in the court! Observe the use of si, which has no connection with the word meaning 'yes'; this is the conjunction 'if,' and the main clause of the condition is not expressed. In the present case, it might be ¿por qué buscarla?
343. En el segundo patio; in Spain, large houses in the country are likely to have two patios, the first of which serves as the center of life for the owner's family, while the second, in the rear, and surrounded by the kitchen and servants' quarters, is the living room for the menials. In this case, the mansion has been converted into an apartment house, but the same distinction is preserved.
357. ¡Por cierto que pasé un susto…! I was surely startled! The que after cierto or por cierto is often not to be translated.
358. me da por verlo todo; See Vocabulary under dar. When todo is the object of a verb, it is usually, but not always, accompanied by the object pronoun lo.
366. Si; see note to lines 334-335.
404-405. no sé si reírme; supply debo after si.
492. el año de la Revolución de Septiembre; i.e., 1868. The Revolution began on September 19, under the leadership of Generals Prim and Serrano, and Vice-Admiral Topete. It drove Queen Isabel II from the throne, and initiated a six-year period of violent change and innovation, which ended only with the accession of Isabel's son Alfonso XII, in December, 1874.
520. La verdad… no quisiéramos…, The truth is—we would rather not!
647. se piense; subjunctive in a time clause when the main verb is future.
662. te encuentro bien, you are looking well.
672. Indicando… It is worth observing that the stage directions are always to be taken as referring to the following speech, not the preceding.
680-681. Con piedra blanca marco esta coincidencia felicísima, such a fortunate coincidence makes this a red-letter day for me.
683-684. cómo no se pueden, how impossible it is.
717. dependerá; see note to Hará, line 250.
718. salve; although few grammars mention it, one of the uses of the present and imperfect subjunctive in an independent verb is when the verb is accompanied by some word meaning 'perhaps,' usually quizás or tal vez. One can supply an expression of possibility and que, but the fact remains that this is just as good a case of a subjunctive in a main clause as is Vaya usted con Dios. The subjunctive is not required with a 'perhaps' word, however; cf. quizás desea, line 773.
724. Antes que nosotros está la cortesía; courtesy is to be considered before ourselves.
773 Quizás desea; compare the note above on line 718. The use of the indicative implies less doubt in the mind of the speaker than the subjunctive.
851. acabe de hundirse, be completely ruined. Acabar here has its original meaning, not its common idiomatic one.
908. la verdad, to tell the truth.
959. Dice que no soy, he says I am not the one he knew.
997. Dios nos tenga de su mano, God sustain us.
998. vuelven de despedir, return from accompanying.
ACTO SEGUNDO
Stage Direction. al izquierdo; supply extremo.
52. tú te sientas; the present indicative is here practically equivalent to an imperative.
70. Me parece que voy bien, I think I am taking the right course.
86. la he hecho buena; see Vocabulary under hacer. The feminine la is used in a number of idioms in a true neuter sense; at least, no obvious noun can be supplied. Such idioms are: habérselas con 'to deal with'; me la pagarás 'you shall pay for it'; pegársela 'to deceive'; correrla 'to go on a spree,' etc.
194. pasaría; the conditional of probability, used for past time as the future is for present time. Translate, you must have suffered.
204. Somonte; an imaginary place-name, like Socartes, which in the novel Marianela is applied to a similar mining region.
257. Aquí de la expresión de usted, etc., Here comes in your phrase, which touches me very much.
288. cosa alguna; alguno often replaces ninguno as a negative indefinite adjective, especially when following a singular noun. Here the negative is contained in the privative prefix in- of incapaz.
314. alguna; here used with a singular noun in a plural sense.
390. considero muy bien las razones que usted me da; can be interpreted in either of two ways: 1. as equal to considero con mucha atención las razones; 2. as equal to considero muy buenas las razones. The second way seems better to the editor.
400-403. Aprovéchala;… vencerás; León uses the familiar form of the verb, the tú form, as he would not do if his words were intended to be heard by María.
432. Después de vestida = después de estar vestida, or después de haberme vestido.
449. hago lo [mismo] que usted.
465. Vicenta; there are numberless proofs in Galdós' writings that he does not stick to observed or possible happenings as a genuine realist should. Here, every woman will perceive the extreme unlikelihood that a tailor-made gown can be worn at once with success and without alteration by another woman than the one it was designed for.
480. algún; see note to line 314.
522-523. porque María se quite; when is porque followed by the subjunctive?
607. que no sea de los demás, let it not belong to others.
617-620. Es Dios que me dice, etc.; this passage and many others show how mistaken are those who see in Galdós a bitter opponent of all revealed religion. In reality his blows have been directed only against intolerance.
655. por malo, because you are bad.
657. todo el mundo usually means everybody, but sometimes the whole world.
ACTO TERCERO
26. Por cierto que; see note to I, 357.
38. ¿Ha lugar, muesama? Menga uses in her speech country dialect forms, many of them very old in the language.
48. benditos riales; in the European countries where the metric system has been adopted, the illiterate classes still cling by preference to the old measures for currency, weight, and volume.
58. más sesenta; the original reads menos sesenta, but the sense requires más.
76. del quinto infierno; the hell of Dante and the medieval theologians contained nine separate circles. On Menga's lips, however, from the fifth hell means no more than 'from a very remote region,' 'from the North Pole.' Cf. la quinta esencia, 'quintessence.'
116. que; appears to have no more force than y in this type of phrase. Probably this use arose from the causal sense of que = porque.
140. todo el señorío, the subject of nos abonaremos, 'all we gentlefolk.'
189. Con ellas me va muy bien, I get along very well with them.
215. mantones de Manila; the gala ornament of the popular classes in Madrid and Andalusia. It is a large silk shawl, usually white or cream color, with florid embroidery in colors.
224-225. Saludo a María,… sabiduría; the words with which León jocularly greets Mariucha are taken from the Litany of the Blessed Virgin, commonly called the Litany of Loreto. The Latin phrases are—Stella matutina, Turris eburnea, Sedes sapientiae. Ora pro nobis is the response given by the congregation after each epithet.
226. ¡Cómo viene hoy! What good spirits to-day!
256. ¡Que si sabe! I should say she does!
295. loquinario; this word, like some others in this play (perchero, encajería), is not to be found in the very deficient dictionaries of the Castilian language. Its meaning is clear, however, and it occurs elsewhere in Galdós (Casandra, novela, pp. 78, 340).
308. con reflejos metálicos; having a thin iridescent metallic film technically called 'luster.' This particular kind of art pottery and tiles is a characteristic product of the Iberian peninsula. It has been traced back to the 12th century there, and is thought to have come originally from Persia. The best-known factory is at Manises, near Valencia, but others are in operation. On the Hispano-Moresque lustred ware one may consult Juan F. Riaño, Spanish Industrial Art, London, 1890, pp. 147-162; and Leonard Williams, The Arts and Crafts of Older Spain, London, 1907, II, 161-185.
317-318. partiditas… liquidacioncitas; doña Vicenta is fond of diminutives, which she uses with sarcastic intent in many cases.
371. Ya dije yo, that's what I thought!
585. ¡Ahora es ella! See note to II, 86. The neuter feminine is less common with the subject form of the pronoun; but examples are found. See Hanssen, Gramática histórica de la lengua castellana, § 502.
649. la tarántula; the tarantula is a kind of spider, taking its name from the city of Taranto in southern Italy. Tradition, which modern science cannot corroborate, has it that the bite of the tarantula produces a sort of sleeping sickness known as Tarantism. To rouse the sufferers a wild music (tarantella) was played, which caused them to dance till a profuse perspiration broke out, when the effects of the poison were thrown off.
659. por prometido = téngalo usted por prometido.
720. al don Cesáreo; the article is used here depreciatively: that fellow…!
777-778. como si lo viera, me le hacen a usted; the subject of viera is yo, me is the untranslated "ethical dative," and hacen is the indefinite third plural.
817. las [bromas] que yo gasto, what my jokes are like.
ACTO CUARTO
108-109. si fuera un coco de fea, if she were as homely as a hedge fence.
116. ella es grande; one cannot be quite sure whether this phrase means she is of high station, or she is a grandee. It has not been previously stated that the family of Alto-Rey enjoys the privileges of grandeeship. A grandee of Spain is allowed to keep his hat on in the king's presence, if a man; if a woman, to be seated before the queen (tomar la almohada).
141. Ya, para lo que falta…, To be sure, there's no need of saying more.
157-158. que no pueda yo…! to think I can't!
253-254. por agregarse notas = porque se agregan notas. In Spanish, a noun may be the subject of an infinitive introduced by a preposition.
478-479. que sacrifique su inclinación; the change to third person is probably to be explained by Filomena's turning to speak to Don Rafael.
533-534. Cesáreo, que vela por la familia; the son is jointly responsible with the father for the maintenance of the family and for the conduct and honor of the individual members. When the father is incapacitated, the son naturally assumes the entire burden.
548. a vivir por mí misma, to live my own life. The phrase sounds like Ibsen. For example, Nora's words, "I have just as sacred duties toward myself." (A Doll's House, last scene.)
ACTO QUINTO
21-23. querían… valiéranse; this combination of tenses is unusual. We do not have here a contrary to fact condition, as might at first appear. If that were the case, the imperfect indicative could not be employed in the if-clause. This is a simple condition in past time, the irregularity being in the use of valiéranse, an archaic way of expressing a sort of imperative,—debieron valerse, or válganse. Translate, since they wished… they should have employed.
23. valiéranse de otros de mi oficio; earlier in his life Galdós was inclined to deal harshly with members of the priesthood of the type to which he alludes here, but the agreeable figure of Don Rafael reveals the writer's growing sympathy for the clergy.
88-89. la que se le viene encima, what he's in for; la is the neuter feminine; see note to II, 86.
265. que, and. See Ramsey, Text-book of Modern Spanish, § 1421.
314. Yo soy estoico, y no temo ningún castigo. The philosophy of stoicism is especially attractive to Galdós, and he plays with it in several of his works. Thus, Orozco, of Realidad, strives to attain stoic perfection; and the chief characters of other plays sometimes act like stoics (Paternoy, Los condenados, II, 14; Pantoja, Electra, IV, 10; Berenguer, La fiera, III, 5). That the stoicism of Seneca (a Spaniard) is the fundamental trait of Spanish character, is the contention brilliantly set forth by Ángel Ganivet in the first dozen pages of his Idearium español.
325. un arma; the feminine indefinite article is by some writers changed to un under the same conditions in which la becomes el. Cf. un hacha in line 333.
338. la razón que me asiste, the right which is on my side.
VOCABULARY
The vocabulary is intended to include the infinitives of all verbs found in the text, the masculine singular of adjectives, and the singular of nouns. Adverbs regularly formed from adjectives of corresponding meaning are omitted when those adjectives are present. Articles, personal pronouns, numerals up to twelve, and words identical in meaning and spelling with the English are also omitted.
A
a to, at, in, on; by, of, from; with, for; before;
—– que what will you bet that…;
¿A qué? Wherefore?
—– los diez minutos within ten minutes
abajo down, below, downstairs
abandonar abandon, yield
abatimiento m. dejection
aberración f. error, mistake
abismo m. abyss
ablandar soften
abnegación f. self-denial, spirit of sacrifice
abogado m. lawyer
abolir abolish
abonar credit with;
—se subscribe, take a season ticket
abovedado, -a arched, vaulted
abrasar burn, consume
abrazar embrace
abrazo m. embrace
abrigar cover, wrap
abrigo m. cover, shelter; overcoat, coat, wrap
abrir open
abrumador, -a oppressive
abrumar oppress, weigh down, crush
absoluto, -a absolute, utter
absolver absolve, acquit
absorto, -a absorbed
abstraído, -a distracted, absent-minded
absurdo, -a absurd, unreasonable
abuela f. grandmother;
—– de padre father's mother
abuelo m. grandfather;
—– de madre mother's father
abur good-bye
abyección f. abjectness, abject poverty
acá here
acabar finish, end; run out;
acabo de hacerlo I have just done it (this idiom is used only with the present and imperfect of
acabar);
acaba por rendirse in the end yields
acariciar caress
acaso perhaps, perchance;
por – by chance;
por si – in case of emergency, as a precaution
accesorio m. accessory
acción f. act, action;
en – de as an act of
acechar peep, spy, watch
acelerar hasten
acento m. accent
aceptación f. acceptance, sale
aceptar accept
acerca de about, concerning
acercarse a approach, come near
acero m. steel
acertar succeed; guess right, speak truly; happen
aciago, -a gloomy, ill-fated
aclarar clear up
acobardarse lose courage, quail
acoger receive
acólito m. acolyte, assistant in church service
acometer attack
acomodar arrange, place;
—se settle; adapt oneself; p.p. well off, well to do
acompañamiento m. accompaniment
acompañar accompany
aconsejar advise
acontecer happen
acontecimiento m. event
acopiar gather, heap together
acordar agree upon, arrange;
—se de remember
acostarse go to bed
acostumbrar accustom, have the custom, be wont;
—se accustom oneself, get used to; p.p. accustomed
actitud f. attitude;
en – de starting to
acto m. act
actual present, of present-day interest
acudir have recourse, respond; arrive, come up
adefesio m. ridiculous get-up, togs
adelantarse come forward
adelante forward, ahead, on;
¡–! come in! go on!
en – thenceforward
adelanto m. progress, state of advancement
ademán m. gesture
además besides;
—– de beside, in addition to
adiós good-bye, farewell
adivinar guess
adjetivo m. adjective
admiración f. admiration
admirador m. admirer
admirar admire
admitir admit
adoptar adopt
adoración f. adoration
adorar adore
adornar adorn
adorno m. ornament
adquirir acquire
adulación f. flattery
adular flatter
adusto, -a gloomy, sullen
adversidad f. adversity
advertencia f. warning
advertir warn, inform; observe, notice
afán m. anxiety, eagerness; trial
afectación f. affectation, ostentation
afectar affect; feign
afecto m. affection
afectuoso, -a affectionate
afirmar assert
afirmativo, -a affirmative
aflicción f. distress, sorrow
afligir afflict; cause sorrow;
—se worry
afrenta f. shame, disgrace
afrentoso, -a ignominious, disgraceful
afrontar face
agitar agitate; wave
agobiar oppress, crush, overwork
agonía f. suffering
agradar please
agradecer be grateful for, thank; p.p. grateful
agradecimiento m. gratitude
Agramante fictitious town in Spain
agramantino, -a of Agramante
agregar add;
—se join
agrícola farming
agricultura f. agriculture
agua f. water; pl. waterworks
aguardar(se) wait, wait for, await
agudeza f. shrewdness
agudo, -a keen, sharp; (of sound) high
ahí there;
por – around here, around there, something like that
ahogar stifle
ahogo m. oppression, anguish
ahora now;
—– bien well, then;
—– mismo this very minute
ahorcar hang
ahorrillos m. pl. small savings
ahorros m. pl. savings
airado, -a angry, wrathful
aire m. air, breeze, draft; pl. climate
ajeno, -a of others, another's
ajustar adjust, settle
Aladino m. Aladdin
alargar extend, hand over
alarmante alarming
alarmar alarm
alberca f. pond, reservoir
alborada f. singing in the open air at dawn, carol
alcalde m. mayor
alcaldesa f. mayor's wife
alcanzar attain to, obtain, comprehend;
no se me alcanza I don't understand
aldeana f. village girl, country woman
aleccionar teach, give a lesson to
alegar allege, declare the existence of
alegrar gladden;
—se rejoice, be glad
alegre gay, light-hearted, bright
alegría f. joy, happiness
alejar drive away;
—se go away
alelado, -a stupid, stupefied
aleluya m. and f. Mother Goose rimes
Alemania f. Germany
Alemañas =
Alemania (a confusion with
alimaña animal)
alentar draw breath, come to life; encourage
alfarería f. pottery
algo something; somewhat
alguien some one
alguno, -a some, a few, any (after a singular noun in a negative sentence = ninguno)
alimentación f. food, nourishment
alimentar feed;
—se feed, live on
alma f. soul;
con – with all my heart and soul;
de mi – my dear
almacén m. storeroom, warehouse, yard
alojarse lodge
alquilador m. renter
alquilar rent, hire
alquiler m. (also pl.) rent
altanero, -a, proud
alternativamente alternately
alto, -a tall, high; important; upper;
—o,
en voz —a aloud
¡alto! halt! stop!
Alto-Rey Alto-Rey
altura f. height;
en las —s on high
alucinarse delude oneself
alumno, -a m. and f. pupil
alza f. advance, rise in price;
en – rising, going up
alzar raise;
—se rise
allá there;
—– usted that's your own business;
más – beyond, further
allegadora f. collector, gatherer of odds and ends
allí there
amabilidad f. amiability
amable amiable, kind, delightful
amago m. symptom
amansar tame
amar love
amargo, -a bitter
amargura f. bitterness
amasar knead
amasijo m. kneaded dough; mass, quantity
ambos, -as both
amenaza f. threat
americano, -a American
amigo, -a m. and f. friend; adj. friendly, fond of
amiguita f. dear friend
amistad f. friendship
amo m. master; pl. master and mistress
amor m. love; sweetheart; pl. love affair
amoroso, -a loving
amparo m. protection
anciano, -a old
ancho, -a wide; ample;
a sus -as with complete freedom
andar go, go on, walk; be; n.m. going, progress
anemia f. anemia
anfitrionisa f. hostess
ángel m. angel, darling
angelico m. little angel, cherub
ángulo m. angle, corner
angustia f. anguish, affliction
angustiado, -a distressed
angustioso, -a full of anguish, painful
anhelar desire
anhelo m. desire, longing
anillo m. ring
animación f. animation
animar encourage;
—se take heart, grow excited
ánimo m. courage, spirit, intention
animoso, -a spirited
aniquilar annihilate
anonadar annihilate, stun
ansiedad f. anxiety
ansioso, -a anxious
antaño long ago
ante before, in the face of
antecedentes m. pl. past history
antes first, before, previously, formerly;
– de,
– que before;
– bien rather, on the other hand;
– de (las veinticuatro horas) within
anticipar tell first;
—se take the lead, be the first, get ahead of
anticuado, -a out of date, old-fashioned
antiguo, -a ancient, former;
de -o, of old
antipatía f. dislike
antipático, -a displeasing, disagreeable
antojarse (a uno) desire, feel a whim for
Antonio m. Anthony
anunciar announce, relate
añadir add
año m. year
apacible pleasant
apañadico, -a dim. of
apañado
apañar dress
aparecer appear
aparentar put on airs of, make a false show of
apartar push aside;
—se go to one side; leave
aparte aside; separate;
– de distinct from
apelar appeal
apenas scarcely, barely; no sooner
apetito m. appetite
apilar pile up
aplastar crush
aplicado, -a studious, industrious
aplicar apply;
– el oído listen intently
aplomado, -a self-possessed
apodado, -a nicknamed, alias
apoyar support, rest;
—se lean
apoyo m. support
apreciar judge; esteem
aprender learn
aprestarse make ready
apretar squeeze, press tight, clench
aprobar approve
aprovechamiento m. using up, employing
aprovechar make use of, profit by, do good to
aproximarse approach
aptitud f. capability
apuesta f. bet, wager
apuntación f. taking notes; memorandum
apunte m. memorandum
aquel, -lla that, the former;
aquél, aquélla, aquello that one that; the former; I, 13
el aquél that matter
aquí here
arbitrio m. scheme
árbol m. tree
arbusto m. shrub
arca f. chest
arder burn
ardid m. stratagem
aristocracia f. aristocracy
arma f. weapon
armario m. wardrobe
armónico, -a harmonious
armonizar harmonize
arranque m. start, first steps; outburst, impulsiveness
arrasar raze, level to the ground
arrastrar drag
¡arre! get up! (said to horses, etc.)
arrebatar snatch
arrebato m. attack, rush, impulse
arreglar arrange, set in order; I, 539 make over;
—se get along, find a way
arreglo m. making over, remodeling; setting in order
arrendar rent
arriba above, up;
monte — uphill
arriesgarse run the risk
arrimar put close; join, fasten oneself to;
—se lean against, get close
arrimo m. support, protector
arrogante arrogant
arrojar cast, cast out, drive out; throw, throw away
arruinar ruin
arte m. and f. art
artesonado m. ceiling of carved wooden rafters
artículo m. article
artificio m. trick, device
asaltar assail
ascendente rising, sloping up
ascua f. hot coal
asedio m. siege; attentions
asegurar assure; declare
asentir acquiesce, agree
asesinar murder
asesinato m. murder
así thus, in that way, so, just so; II, 442 of this kind;
—, – a little that way
asiento m. seat
asistir be present at; assist
asociarse form a partnership
asolación f. devastation
asomar appear; put forth; present;
—se look out, peep in
asombrado, -a amazed
asombrarse be amazed
asombro m. amazement
aspaviento m. exaggerated wonder, display
aspecto m. aspect, appearance
áspero, -a rough
aspiración f. aspiration
asunto m. business, affair
asustadizo, -a timid
asustar frighten, terrify;
—se be afraid, frightened, shocked
atacar attack, rush at
ataque m. attack
atar tie, bind
atavío m. attire
atención f. attention
atender attend, heed
atento, -a attentive, intent, thoughtful
atenuar attenuate, condone
aterrado, -a filled with terror
átomo m. atom
atónito, -a amazed
atormentarse torment oneself, worry
atrás backward
atravesar cross, stick (cross-wise)
atreverse a dare
atrevido, -a bold
atrevimiento m. boldness, audacity
atribulado, -a in trouble
atropelladamente confusedly, all at the same time
atropello m. crushing, outraging
aturdimiento m. bewilderment
aumentar(se) increase
aun even
aún yet, still
aunque although
ausencia f. absence
autoridad f. authority