Góngora—for El Greco

By Scott Horton

Doménicos Theotokópoulos, El entierro del conde de Orgaz (1586–1588)(detail)

Esta en forma elegante, oh peregrino,

de pórfido luciente dura llave,

el pincel niega al mundo más süave,

que dio espíritu a leño, vida a lino.

Su nombre, aún de mayor aliento dino

que en los clarines de la Fama cabe,

el campo ilustra de ese mármol grave;

venéralo y prosigue tu camino.

Yace el Griego. Heredó Naturaleza

Arte; y el Arte, estudio. Iris, colores.

Febo, luces (si no sombras, Morfeo).

Tanta urna, a pesar de su dureza,

lágrimas beba, y cuantos suda olores

corteza funeral de árbol sabeo.

This in graceful form, oh pilgrim,

a solid key of porphyry gleaming brightly

denies the world the softest brush

which ever wood gave soul, or canvas gave life.

His name, deserving even greater breath

than Fame needs for her clarion fanfare,

this field of marble amplifies:

venerate it and be on your way.

Here lies the Greek. to Nature he bequeathed Art,

To Art, learning.

To the Rainbow, colors.

To Phoebus, the bright, to Morpheus his somber tones.

May this great urn, despite its hardness,

drink tears and all the odors in the sweat

of the funereal bark of the Arabian tree.

–Luís de Góngora, Inscripción para el sepulcro de Domínico Greco (1610)(S.H. transl.)