Comedia Haiku

To James Parr and Elizabeth Wright

Haiku is a Japanese poetic form that features three verses of five, seven, and five syllables, respectively. Each the twenty-five poems here attempts to capture the essence and the distinct qualities of the comedia under scrutiny.

Miguel de Cervantes, La Numancia

Numantines besieged.Romans taste triumph, yet whois there to vanquish?

Miguel de Cervantes, Pedro de Urdemalas

Protean playerand gypsy noblewomanlearn to be themselves.

Miguel de Cervantes, El laberinto de amor

Three women, in charge,invent plots, craft roles, confuse.Baffling world-as-stage.

Lope de Vega, Fuentovejuna

People up in arms.Traitor to king and village.Slaying justified.

Lope de Vega, El caballero de Olmedo

Schemes with go-between.Man disposed to die for love.Acute metaphor.

Lope de Vega, La dama boba

Smart sister, smart menoutwitted by challenged lass.Love illuminates.

Lope de Vega, El castigo sin venganza

Father trusts son, who errs.Bride and youth doomed to harsh death.Defense: semantics.

Guillén de Castro, Las mocedades del Cid

Lovers’ dilemma:he kills her father. Then, rage.Hero, love prevail.

Juan Ruiz de Alarcón, La verdad sospechosa

Truth be told, rarely.Liar, liar, pants on fire.Irony is truth.

Juan Ruiz de Alarcón, Mudarse por mejorarse

Aunt nice, niece nicer.Trading up’s the thing to do.Love object trades up.

Antonio Mira de Amescua, El esclavo del demonio

Treason, scandal, crimes,pact with devil, repentance.Angel to rescue.

Luis Vélez de Guevara, Reinar después de morir

Tragic love, harsh death,belated coronation.Once mistress, now queen.

Tirso de Molina, El burlador de Sevilla

Sin for its own sake.Seducer, abandonermeets a fiery end.

Tirso de Molina, El condenado por desconfiado

Sinner repentant,saintly one scammed by devil.Fate inverts the script.

Tirso de Molina, Don Gil de las Calzas Verdes

Feigned character real?Performance art out of hand.What’s in a name? Much.

Juan Pérez de Montalbán, Los amantes de Teruel

Love should be enough.Honorable pair miss date.Timing’s everything.

María de Zayas, La traición en la amistad

Women form a team,combat male establishment.Community wins.

Ana Caro, Valor, agravio y mujer

Woman cross-dresses,fights hard, masters male psyche.Clothes make the woman.

Pedro Calderón de la Barca, La vida es sueño

Lady dishonored,prince in tower put to test.Love, faith conquer all.

Pedro Calderón de la Barca, El médico de su honra

Woman innocent, deemed guilty.Aggrieved husband finds doctorto cure lost honor.

Pedro Calderón de la Barca, La dama duende

Honor jeopardized.Ghostly apparitions rise.Ladies make their play.

Francisco de Rojas Zorrilla, Del rey abajo, ninguno

Man in quandary:cannot kill king; others, yes.Revenge bittersweet.

Francisco de Rojas Zorrilla, Entre bobos anda el juego

Outrageous but rich,gent seek bride, but suave cousintakes home cherished prize.

Agustín Moreto, El desdén con el desdén

Disdainful ladycaught by clever gentlemanaffecting disdain.

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Los empeños de una casa

Courtship rituals,mix-ups, ploys, ladies’ choices.All’s well. … Well, mostly.