Pedro Lopez de Ayala

Pedro Lopez de Ayala Poems

Pedro Lopez de Ayala Biography

Don Pero (or Pedro) López de Ayala (1332–1407) was a Castilian statesman, historian, poet, chronicler, chancellor, and courtier. Ayala were one of the major aristocratic families of Castile; they were later claimed to be of the Jewish converso descent, but Pero's own father composed a genealogy tracing the family from Pyrenees Christian royalty. He was born in Vitoria, the son of Fernán Pérez de Ayala and Elvira de Cevallos. He was nephew to Cardinal Pedro Gómez Barroso, and was educated under this cleric. López de Ayala was a supporter of Pedro of Castile before switching sides in order to support the pretender to the Castilian throne, Henry of Trastamara. As alférez mayor del Pendón de la Banda (second lieutenant), he fought with Henry at the Battle of Nájera (1367) and was made a prisoner of the Black Prince but was later released. In 1378, he traveled to France in order to negotiate an alliance against the English and Portuguese. He subsequently served as a supporter of John I of Castile. He was captured by the Portuguese at the Battle of Aljubarrota (1385), and was jailed in a prison of iron. From his Portuguese prison, he wrote his Libro de la caza de las aves ("Book on hunting with birds of prey") and parts of his Rimado de Palacio. He was ransomed for 30,000 doubloons after many had interceded on his behalf, including his wife, doña Leonor de Guzmán, the Master of Calatrava, and the kings of both Castile and France. Upon his release in 1388 or 1389, he continued his diplomatic activities in France. He later returned to Castile and was named canciller mayor ("grand chancellor of the realm") by Henry III. He died at Calahorra at the age of 75. López de Ayala is best remembered for his satirical and didactic Libro Rimado de Palacio ("Palace Verse" or "Rhymes of the Court"), in which he acidly describes his contemporaries and their social, religious, and political values. His rhymed confession concerns the Ten Commandments, mortal sins, spiritual works, and the sins associated with the five senses, followed by an account of the evils afflicting the Church. The most famous couplets (424–719) concern "los fechos de Palaçio" ("palace deeds"), which detail the troubles of a courtier who is attempting to collect money that the king owes to him. In one of the first known literary references to chivalresque tales, López de Ayala, in his Rimado de Palacio, would regret a misspent youth: “ It pleased me, moreover, to hear, many times, Books of idle pursuit and proven fictions, Amadis and Lancelot and invented falsities, In which I wasted long hours of my time. ” In his Libro de la caza de las aves, López de Ayala attempted to compile all of the correct and available knowledge concerning falconry. In the prologue, López de Ayala explains that concerning "this art and science of the hunting with birds I heard and saw many uncertainties; such as on the plumage and characteristics and nature of the birds; such as in domesticating them and ordering them to hunt their prey; and also how to cure them when they suffer and are hurt. Of this I saw some writings that reasoned on it, but did not agree with others." He also wrote the chronicles for the reigns of Pedro I, Henry of Trastamara (Henry II of Castile), and John I, and a partial chronicle of the reign of Henry III of Castile, collected as History of the Kings of Castile. As a source, López de Ayala is considered to be generally reliable, as he was a witness to the events he describes. The first part of his chronicle, which covers only the reign of Pedro I, was printed at Seville in 1495. The first complete edition was printed in 1779-1780 in the collection of Crónicas Españolas, under the auspices of the Spanish Royal Academy of History. López de Ayala also translated the works of ancient authors, such as Titus Livy and Boethius. Around 1400, for example, he translated Livy's Decades (only books 1, 2 and 4) for Henry III of Castile, working from a French version by Pierre Bersuire. He also translated the works of contemporary authors, such as Boccaccio, and continued his father's Linaje de Ayala ("Lineage of Ayala"), a genealogy. The Castilian poet Pero Ferrús (fl. 1380) dedicated one of his cantigas to López de Ayala. Among his direct descendants are major Spanish poets and writers Inigo Lopez de Mendoza, Jorge Manrique and Diego Hurtado de Mendoza.)

The Best Poem Of Pedro Lopez de Ayala

Las Siete Obras De Misericordia

Acusar me yo puedo otrosí de maldat,
ca nunca yo conplí obras de pïedat;
e si non me acorre la tu noble bondat,
en grant ruido só, si vale la verdat.

El día del juïzio ternás cuenta, Señor,
cada uno cómo fizo, e quál es pecador;
e ¿quién será aquel día sin miedo e sin pavor,
si tu merçed non vale contra su grant error?

Mandaste Tú, Señor, al pobre acorrer;
si peresçiés' de fanbre, que l' diesen a comer;
al que sed padesçía, que l' diesen a bever;
al desnudo e lazrado, algunt bien le fazer.

Vesitar al enfermo, mucho le apïadar,
qual omne a sí querría a su cristiano dar,
con poco de su algo le podría pagar,
e podría el doliente de mucho mal sanar.

Otrosí vee omne cativo, encarçelado,
su próximo cristiano, que está aprisionado,
deve con caridat fazer le bien de grado
ca mucho es menester a aquel que es lazrado.

Si vieres algunt cuerpo muerto, por aventura,
que está en grant pobreza, sin aver sepoltura,
sotierra lo por Dios, e toma dello cura,
e Dios te acorrerá, do sintieres tristura.

Leemos que Tobías estas obras cunplió;
en captiverio estando nunca dello çesó;
a los pobres fartando, los muertos soterró,
e por ende de Dios muchas graçias tomó.

Con grant vergüença estó, Señor, delante Ti:
de todas estas cosas ninguna non conplí;
nin vesité enfermos, nin al fanbriento di
una pobre limosna, nin dar non comedí.

Si yo vi pobre muerto, dél muy poco curé
de le dar sepoltura, mas los ojos çerré
por no l' veer de enojo; muchas vezes dexé
pasar por la carrera do muerto lo fallé.

El cuitado enfermo, lazrado e doliente,
o de otra majadura de que fues' padesçiente,
aborresçí l' de ver de todo buen talente,
e gómito fazia, si me venía emiente.

Non ove pïedat del que vi en prisión,
nin le di mi esfuerço, nin la pobre raçión;
de le ver en cadena non ove conpasión,
mas olvidé lo sienpre con duro coraçón.

Con mi palabra sola pudiera l'yo acorrer
a algunt cuitado preso, non lo quise fazer,
e dexé lo así en cárcel, morir e podresçer
de fanbre e de frío; allá se fue perder.

Tenía muchos paños de mi cuerpo preçiados,
e de todos colores, senzillos e doblados,
los unos e los otros ricamente broslados,
e vi morir de frío pobres desanparados.

Con valor de mis paños a mill pobres vestiera,
e grant bien e grant pro de mi alma fiziera;
en mis tribulaçiones mejor cabdal toviera,
ca Dios me ayudara por quien lo yo partiera.

Sintiera yo muy poca mengua en mi fazienda,
si a los pobres lazrados fiziera alguna emienda,
e nunca se vería en tan mala contienda
quien lo así fiziere que Dios non lo defienda.

Mas ¿qué cunple a los pobres aquesto yo dezir,
e tan mal e tan tarde dello me arrepentir?
Por ende, mis señores, quien me quisier oír,
madrugue de mañana quien grant jornada ha de ir.

Verná Dios a jüizio aquel día de espanto,
tan grande e tan fuerte, e de tan grant quebranto,
que tremirá de miedo el omne que fuer santo
e ¿qué será mesquino de mí que pequé tanto?

Como justo jüez allí será el Señor:
dará a cada uno como es meresçedor
e de la su sentençia non avrá más clamor,
nin podrá apellar para ante otro mayor.

En quanto somos bivos e Dios nos da logar
de fazer buenas obras, nuestras almas salvar,
pongamos grant acuçia, non le demos vagar,
que quando non cuidáremos, nos verná a llamar.

Verná muy sin sospecha, así como ladrón,
aquel día espantable do no ha escusaçión
de ir al otro mundo: non sé quál coraçón
está sienpre seguro, si piensa en tal razón.

Si bien o mal fezimos, todo conusco irá;
si es prieta o blanca, allá paresçerá;
non ha lograr de emienda, ca çesado avrá
el tienpo que tenemos jamás non tornará.

Non fallaré allá ningunt encarçelado,
nin quien pida del pan, desnudo nin lazrado,
nin muerto sobre tierra, enfermo nin llagado:
cada uno estará o bien o mal pagado.

En esta corta vida conviene aperçebir
de fazer algunt bien e limosnas partir:
quando llegare el plazo que allá avemos de ir,
vamos aperçebidos, non nos puedan nuzir.

E vamos sin verguença las nuestras cuentas dar
a aquél que, sin engaño las sabrá bien tomar,
ca delante Él será muy çedo a declarar
cómo fizo cada uno no s' podrá ençelar.

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