In the event of the recently published new edition of Cervantes’ Don Quixote in Maltese published by SKS, Mario Azzopardi takes a look at the grotesque 16th-century Spanish novel.
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The 16th-century picaresque adventure Miguel de Cervantes wrote in 1605 – about “an ingenious knight” who, on his travels comes across huge windmills and, imagining them to be giants, attacks them – is being published in poetic form by SKS.
Pawlu Montebello (1905-2005) set himself the challenge of this mammoth endeavour years ago, but at the time SKS decided to publish Montebello’s prose translation. However, the editor and journalist Anton Cassar (1924-2014) considered the poetic version a masterpiece that deserved to be published and enjoyed by a wide readership. In fact, the manuscript has now seen the light of day and the book will be on the market in the coming weeks.
Inspired by tales of medieval knights and chivalry, Cervantes’ alter ego perceives these monsters as enemies against whose threats he feels duty bound to defend his imaginary lady love, Dulcinea del Toboso. The parody also includes the knight of La Mancha’s sidekick, Sancho Panza, with his faithful donkey Rocinante.
Although illiterate, Sancho (also known as Sancho Zancas) is endowed with the wisdom of popular lore. This feeds into details about Spanish life and customs at the time. Dulcinea, the knight’s love interest, inspires all his “noble” deeds. Don Quixote dreams of crowning her queen of his soul. He also stirs up brawls to defend her honour. Another thing about Dulcinea, a fact Sancho helps the knight grasp, is that there is not a shred of aristocracy in this woman – her stature is almost masculine and she is built for physical work.
Malta now has a unique interpretation of Cervantes’ classic by veteran author Pawlu Montebello
This 16th-century adventure is replete with fantasy characters, colourful women, curious priests, fake poets, tavern keepers and aristocrats, all featured in a pastiche setting. Don Quixote sees himself as a superior hero and cautions his servant repeatedly that if he lacks the gumption to go into battle he should move aside. “If you’re afraid to look at what I’m doing, then move to the side, recite your orations and let me face these adversaries.”
Over time, Cervantes’ classic inspired various kinds of artistic interpretations. The period between 1690 and 1800 saw 21 operas based on Don Quixote being written in German-speaking territories. There are also other types of theatrical versions, such as librettos, which nowadays do not attract much attention.
Film has also helped in keeping Cervantes’ classic relevant. Six film versions of the novel were made between 1923 and 2010, others for television and an opera has been reworked as a ballet. The novel has inspired Gustave Doré’s (1832-1883) exquisite engravings of Don Quixote, which are being reproduced in the Maltese version by SKS.
In world literature, Cervantes’ novel is regarded as a cross-genre kind of work. It elides easily from the grotesque to the absurd, from medieval literary tropes to those used in chivalric romance, which were so popular in the period in which Cervantes was active.
Don Quixote’s identity is totally built on illusion, on a type of social folly, rather than metaphor. Contemporary critics draw parallels between Don Quixote and Christy in J.M. Synge’s The Playboy of the Western World. Just like Cervantes’ protagonist, Christy inhabits an uncertain space that reflects distorted and grotesque images of reality. Before he draws his last breath, the pseudo-knight ends with the epitaph “He who lives as a fool dies in wisdom”.
Through SKS Publishers Malta will now have a unique poetic interpretation of Cervantes’ classic by the veteran author Montebello, who was born in Qormi and died in Wales where he had lived for several years. The dynamics of how this version came to see the light of day is enlightening.
Montebello first interpreted Cervantes’ prose narrative as a long poem; however, at the time SKS chose to publish Montebello’s prose translation. Cassar considered the poetic version to be a masterpiece and he continued to insist that it should be published.
Cassar, who is also one of the author’s closest friends, would have been delighted to know that his wish has at last been realised with this publication, which is accompanied by an insightful introduction by Maria Simiana, who has just finished reading for a Master’s degree in Maltese under the guidance of Adrian Grima and Immanuel Mifsud.
The Hispanic Circle in Malta has already bestowed a posthumous honorary award, Premio Vicente Azzopardi, on Montebello for his inspiring translation project.