Another aspect of the fénix: Lope as writer of autos

Hispanists have frequently lamented the loss of a large number of the comedias of Lope de Vega while, proportionately, there may be greater cause for regret in the case of his autos. Texts of only forty-odd of these are known today - a number quite different from the four hundred which Juan Pérez de Montalbán claimed that his friend had written.

ANOTHER ASPECT OF THE FENIX: LOPE AS WRITER OF AUTOS have frequently lamented of a large number of the come­de Vega while, proportionat­. be greater cause for regret of his autos. Texts of only of these are known today - a quite different from the four which Juan Perez de Montalban that his friend had written. Mon­estimate is certainly overly high, estimate of the number of Lope's . but it seems unlikely that he IUUme:d for his mentor over nine of autos actually com­Lope's fecundity and the towns' custom of commissioning annually, Jean-Louis Flecnia­that these plays are only d'une oeuvre qui a pu etre !leral:'le.» CAROLYN MORROW received even less attention. Fpur were included in the first edition of El peregri­no en su patria (1604); and then, as far as is known, no other efforts were made in their behalf. Verses in the Arte nuevo de hacer co­medias en este tiempo (1609) and the «Egloga a Claudio,» which was published posthumously, suggest that the playwright had less respect for the artistic achieve­ments of the auto than for those of the comedia. In both poems he disparages apariencias, the elaborate scenic effects which were a customary feature of the comedias de santos and the Corpus plays. The poem to Claudio begins with me­mories of Lope's youth - of Filis, Belisa, and the Invencible - and then turns into somewhat of a literary selfevaluation. Lope looks back affectionately on his many books of poetry and his novels and says proudly of his plays: «Debenme a m! de su principio el arte ... » 3 Nowhere in the poem, though, does he speak of his autos. That they were a significant part of his sacred writings seems to have been indicated only once - Montalban reports that Lope exclaimed on his deathbed: «que ... mucha parte de su vida habfa gastado en autos sacramentales, historias 93 sagradas, libros devotos, elogios de los santos y alabanzas de la Virgen Santisima y del Nino recien nacido ... »4 It is tempt­ing to see in his apparent indifference toward his autos one reason for the per­plexing problems of authenticity and chro­nology that accompany many of those that remain. Lope's role in the evolution of the auto sacramental might be compared to that of Corneille in classical tragedy. Both were instrumental in refining the themes and techniques of a new genre, but their achievements would soon be exceeded by others. Recognizing the mastery of Cai­der6n and Racine, one still finds much to admire in the works of their prede­cessors. There are in the best of Lope's autos, in my opinion, clear advances over those of most of his contemporaries -Ve­lez, Tirso, Mira, and Valdivielso. The cha­racters of the Fenix seem more appealing, their ~peech livelier and more natural, and tlieir moments of lyricism more touch­ing. In general he deals imaginatively with the familiar themes and conflicts that are the stock topics of sacramental drama turning often to popular lyric traditio~ as a source of material for exegesis. When he is at his best, the curious blend of 4octr~ne and tradition is quite effective, and, mcidentally, very much in harmony with the heterogeneous nature of Corpus Christi Day itself. La maya, one of the autos from El pe­regrino en su patria, concentrates on turn­ing a single folk custom to devotional purposes. Lope's allegory of the May Lady is perhaps his most intensive use of po­pular material. Behind the figure of the May Queen, as with the Maypole, there is a long vegetation tradition going back to the cult-legend of the Spring Festival and its associated rites. Both the Maypole and the May Lady have survived true to type in their essential features, in spite of the Beltane ceremonies having lost their earlier significance, becoming an oc­casion for merrymaking and the collection of gratuities. 94 The custom of the maya as in Lope's time was described by ~""""U.I:J_· Caro in his Dias geniales 0 ludicos: Juntanse las muchachas en un rrio 0 calle, y de entre si la mas hermosa y agraciada que sea la Maya; ' aderezanla cos vestidos y tocados; con flores y con piezas de oro y ta, como reina; p6nenla un agua de olor en la mano; en un talamo 0 trono, donde sienta con mucha gracia y tad, fingiendo la chicuela mesura; las demas la ac()moaf sirven y obedecen, como a entreteniendola con cantares les, y suelenla llevar al corro. que pasan por donde la piden para hacer rica a la y a los que no Ie dan les ba de perro, que no tiene y otros oprobios a este tono 5. In the evening the money that collected was used to provide a all the girls. Like St. John' Eve, was an occasion for merrymaking court ladies as well as seamstress' bill from the time of records expenses for the costumes mayas reales. 6 There were those who extended vileges of the maya far beyond days of May. The 1734 edition of cionario de Autoridddes declared: to duran las Mayas como Mayo.» 7 number of celebrants, another concern, was . satirized by Benavente: No se por dande vaya que no tope una maya y otra Maya aqui, maya alli; idonoso Mayando estd en Madrid cualquier The patience of the authorities came to an end, and in 1777 issued a proclamation p mayas. The ceremonies persisted edict, but iess vigorousiy in Ma­in rural areas. part of Lope's drama is parody of the centuries­mayas. Surprisingly, per- --:~~.~;~ its material, the auto is a sensitive synthesis of po­sacred themes. It opens with complaining to Entendimiento strict regimen which Alma is follow. For his entertainment + to suggest that they enact a with Alma as their queen. ""'JL1L~,u"Ju:.ting the riches that they , happily exclaims: Ahora si que la venin, los galanes que pasean, y buen dia se daran. 9 verses here are among the many phrases which Lope has woven dialogue. the celebration, Regocijo, Con­Alegria, the musicians for the entertain Cuerpo with a lively a 10 divino: V ida bona, vida bona, vida, vamonos a la gloria. Si Dios dijo que era vida, camino y verdad notoria, ,que vida sera mas buena? Esta Maya tleva ia flor, que las otras no. Esta Maya tan hermosa, tan compuesta y tan graciosa, viene a ser de Cristo esposa, y la palabra Ie dio, que las otras no. Las otras, que en el pecado estan teas, no han llegado a tan alto desposado; y esta por limpia lleg6, que las otras no. The lyrics set forth in general terms the themes of the passage that follows, where Entendimiento explains the nature of mystical union and warns against moral evil. The folk refrain of the song, although frequently adapted for other purposes, probably originated in connection with the May festival. 10 Lope uses the formula in many songs and even works it into his dialogue on occ~sion. II The scene ends on a less successful note, unfortunately, with the musicians singing a piece distinct from primaveral lyric currents and of rather questionable taste. 12 Lope proceeds to the heart of the May ceremony after the entrance of -Mundo and Carne, sent by El Rey de las tinie­bIas to seek the hand of Alma. Using the ritual songs of the mayas the revelers greet each with request for gifts for their ~~ . Dad para la Maya, gentil caballero: mas vale la honra, que todo el dinero. Dad para la Maya, gentil mi senora: mas vale la tama que la hacienda sola. Mundo's offer of pleasure and riches is promptly rejected, and he is sent on his way with the slightly ribald: Corrido va el Abad, corrido va. Corrido va el Abad. 95 Corrido va et mundo de que no dio gusto, porque al Alma al justo s610 Dios Ie da; corrido va, corrido va el Abad. 13 Carne, after promising rare delights, is dismissed in similar fashion: Guarda el coco, nina, guarda, nina, el coco: guardad, Carne, aquesos motes, donde no haya resistencia, que estd aqui la Penitencia, y os dardn dos mil azotes: buscad otros marquesotes, que aqui vive Cristo solo. Guarda el coco, nina, guarda, nina, el coco. The verses of dismissal here are not the charasteristic oprobios recorded in other versions of the festival. Nevertheless, they are definitely modeled on folksongs and may be elaborations of verses that at some time figured in the celebration. It seems more likely, however, that they are Lope's additions to the tradition. Furious at his emissaries' failure, El Rey de las Tinieblas comes to threaten the celebrants. Now Lope expands one of the custolPary burlas for their reply: .'Y aunque cornados sin moneda de cruz que es cuarto fa Iso Pase el pelado, ... n.'~""_ Cristo las almas principio suave y ya viene aqui desa la bolsa de su cos Vete pelado, pelado. que no llevas blanca And Satan an Gula depart ae:tealti next to the last stanza develops teresting play on words-blanca, and cuarto are all popular coins. A new suitor, El Principe de appears on the stage, and they final song of supplication: Echad mano a la bolsa, cara de rosa; echad mano al esquero, caballero. Rosa de rosa nacido, lirio entre espinas hallado, trigo blanco en cruz molido, del dedo de Dios sembrado: Echad mano a ese costado, y dad nos alguna cosa, cara de rosa. Echad mano, aunque cl a la cruz, que es bien que REGoclJo.-Pase el pelado., y aunque del clavo pas ada, que no lleva blanca ni cornado. no se os caiga la moneda: Pase el pelado. dadme una blanca que exceda Pase, pase el mal vecino, los tesoros y las joyas, que afrentar la Maya vino, cara de rosa. porque de Cristo divino .. . vio que era mesa y estrado. . Its estnbdlo IS another of the Pase el pelado pelado. tIonal songs of the mayas. The , > for Alma's faith is gracia and gloria, REY.- Gentil Maya, fea y fria, ~ ( tical or Eucharistic union with Cristo. no tendreis en todo el dia gives in pledge of the wedding the quien os de blanca, a fe mia. Sacraments and to the revelers he the Communion for their StCIIruU'Yi ALEGRfA.-Miente, senor licenciado, feast. The drama ends with a .LU.~l1':U 96 que no lie va blanca ni cornado. Pase el pelado, pelado. Blanca de gracia no tiene, apotheosis followed by the folk mium «Dio el novio a la ut:::>IJ\,}:>i:I,ua rales y zarcillos y patenas de plata.» NOTES p6stuma a la .vida y muerte del doc­Felix de Vega Carpio», Aguilar, El mercantil sevillano, 1884, pagi- Garcia Matos, Marius Scheider and Figueras, eds.: Cancionero popu­de Madrid (Barcelona, Con­de Investigaciones Cientificas, Angel Gonzalez Palencia and Eu­La maya: notas para su estudio (Madrid, Consejo Superior de Inves­Cientificas, 1944), pp. 69-70. in Entremeses, ed. Jose Blecua 1945), p. 16. de Vega, ed. Marcelino Me­( Madrid, Atlas, 1963), 43. Figueras, ed.: Cancionero mu­palacio (siglos XV-XVI) (Barcelona, Superior de Investigaciones Cientifi- III-A, 116. autos one finds songs beginning: es dulce vida, que las otras (La locura por la honra); "jOh, salud! I Esta si que es misa de misacantano); "Este es Rey y este / que los otros no» (La isla del sol). o~ the phrase that appear in the dia­his autos: " ... Este si I que es galan dar» (La maya); "Esta si que es per- + ia y piedra» (L/ margarita preclosa); "Esta sf que es dulce vida I llena de contento y gloria» and "Esto si que no es rigor I de tantos pre­ceptos hecho» (EI heredero del cielo). 12 To Gula's comments on the hard times ("Es caro el ano pariente I ... ») Regocijo ans­wers: "La carne es cosa cruel I pan y vino no es tan caro.» Then the musicians exalt the ( Eucharist: En arlO tan carD Dios hace barato. Quien compra en el mundo, carD compra el gusto, la carne es disgusto para muchos anos, Dios hace barato. Carne y sangre entrega hoy Cristo al que llega a su santa mesa, donde de su plato Dios lwce barato. 13 The same first verse and a similar flavor appear in a song in the collection of .folk lyrics of Damaso Alonso and Jose Blecua: Antologia de la poesia espanola: poesia de tipo tradicional (Madrid, Gredos, 1957), pp. 87-88: Corrido va el abad por el canaveral. EI abad de Oriejo, viendo que aparejo tiene la de Alejo para oir su mal por el canaveral, vase alla derecho en amor deshecho, Ie da de su pecho bastante senal por el canaveral. 97