Aquí hay algo que interesará a los católicos que leen el español:

El primero en asociar al mes de mayo la idea de María fue -según aparece- Alfonso X, rey de España (1239-1284), en pleno siglo XIII, tan exuberante de piedad mariana. Entre sus poesías tituladas Cantigas de Santa María hay una que empieza: ¡Bien venido mayo!... En ella el Rey Sabio exalta el retorno de mayo, porque con su serenidad y alegría nos invita a rogar a María con nuestros cánticos ante su altar para que nos libre del mal y nos colme de bienes. Parece, pues, que ya a fines del siglo XIII debía existir la costumbre de reunirse en el mes de mayo ante el altar de María para alabarla e invocarla. Poco después, en el siglo XIV, lo encontramos en el Beato Enrique Susón, O.P. (1365), el cual, entre las varias manifestaciones de su tierno amor a María, acostumbraba también a consagrarle la primavera, la estación de las flores. Cada vez esta hermosa práctica del mesa de mayo en honor de María fue extendiéndose más y más por el mundo entero, y hoy puede decirse que no hay iglesia de ciudad o de campo ni humilde capilla de colegio o de religiosas donde no se practique el ejercicio del mes de mayo en honor a María, rosa entre rosas, flor de las flores, virgen de vírgenes y amor de amores... (Esta información está tomada del libro La Virgen María, de Antonio Royo Marín, O.P., Biblioteca de Autores Cristianos.)

-- Enrique Ortiz (eaortiz@yahoo.com), May 19, 2002

Answers

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-- Enrique Ortiz (eaortiz@yahoo.com), May 19, 2002.

Hi, Enrique.

I wish I could of read your post. I bet it was something worthwhile reading! :-) God bless. David

-- David (David@excite.com), May 19, 2002.

Hi, David S.
Because Enrique is sometimes absent from the forum for several days, I will give this a try. I think that I know most of the words. (Enrique can fix my mistakes later.) JFG

"Here is something that will interest Catholics who read Spanish:

"The first person to associate the idea of Mary with the month of May was -- it seems -- Alfonso X, the king of Spain (1239-1294), in a thirteenth century so exhuberant in Marian piety. Among his poems entitled 'Canticles of Holy Mary' there is one that begins: 'Welcome, o May!' In it, the wise king exalts the return of May, because with its serenity and happiness, it invites us to pray to Mary with our canticles before her altar, so that she may free us from evil and fill us with good things.
"It seems, then, that by the end of the thirteenth century, there must have existed the custom of reuniting, in the month of May, before the Marian altar to praise and invoke her.
"A little later, in the fourteenth century, we encounter it in Blessed Enrique Susón, O.P. (1365), who, among the various manifestations of his tender love for Mary, had the custom of consecrating Spring, the season of flowers, to her. In time, this beautiful practice of the month of May in honor of Mary extended itself more and more through the entire world. And today it can be said that there is no church of city or country nor humble chapel of a college or of religious sisters wherein is not practiced the observance of the month of May in honor of Mary, rose among roses, flower of flowers, virgin of virgens, and love of loves ...
"(This information is taken from the book, 'The Virgin Mary,' by Antonio Royo Marín, O.P., Library of Christian Authors)."

-- (jfgecik@hotmail.com), May 19, 2002.

Thanks for taking the time, John. David

-- David (David@excite.com), May 20, 2002.

Muchas gracias; John, te admiro por la prontitud con que respondes a las peticiones de los foristas. Hice una traducción del mensaje citado por medio de un traductor electrónico, pero ¡qué bárbaro!; hay frases que de plano no se entienden o a veces hasta contradicen lo escrito. No cabe duda: es muy difícil para una máquina captar lo que llamamos el "espíritu" de la lengua. Esto hasta ahora una máquina no lo puede percibir. Doy un ejemplo: en Inglés se pregunta: WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU? El equivalente español es QUE TE PASA? Si yo tradujera literalmente CUAL ES LA MATERIA CONTIGO? nadie sabría qué estoy diciendo.

Enrique

-- Enrique Ortiz (eaortiz@yahoo.com), May 24, 2002.

Dear John: just out of curiousity I used an electronic translator for the text that introduced this forum and see what I got. Compare it with the fine translation you made and you'll see what I mean.

The first one in associating monthly from May the idea of María was - as appears- Alfonso X, king of Spain (1239-1284), in full century XIII, so exuberant of piety mariana. Among its titled poetry Cantigas of Holy María there is a that begins: ¡Well come May! ... In her the Wise King exalts the I return of May, because with its serenity and happiness invites us to beg to María with our cánticos before its altar so that free us of evil and fill us of goods. It seems, therefore, that already to end of the century XIII the custom should exist to be gathered in the month of May before the altar of María praising it and invoking it. Little later, in the century XIV, we find it in the Beato Enrique Susón, OR.P. (1365), which, among the several demonstrations of its tender love to María, became accustomed also to consecrate him the spring, the station of the flowers. Each time this beautiful practice of the table of May in honor of María went being extended more and more by the entire world, and today is able to be told that there is not church of city or of field neither humble chapel of school or of religious where themselves be not practiced the exercise of the month of May in honor to María, rose among roses, flower of the flowers, virgin of virgins and love. (This information is taken of the book The Virgin one María, of Antonio Royo Marín, OR.P., Christian Library of Authors.)

Enrique

-- Enrique Ortiz (eaortiz@yahoo.com), May 27, 2002.

Thanks, Enrique, for the compliment you paid me and for showing me how deficient automated translators are. (I have never tried to use one.)

There was one expression in your original Spanish statement that I did not know how to translate. Please help me to understand this: "en pleno siglo XIII." Clearly, "en el siglo XIII" means "in the Thirteenth Century." But what is the purpose of the word "pleno"?

God bless you.
John

-- (jfgecik@hotmail.com), May 27, 2002.

Dear John: your question about "pleno siglo XIII" proves what I said about the "espíritu" de la lengua.

PLENO has different meanings and uses:

- of course it means "full" in expressions like this: "él venía pleno de alegría"

- It means in the fulness of something : "en pleno día" means not the early morning nor the evening, but somehere around noon.

- "en pleno siglo..." indicates that: a) you wonder at things that are happening in our days: "Esto no debe pasar en pleno siglo XXI" b) or you are talking not at the beggining or at the end of the century but somewhere about the middle of the century.

Hope htis helps.

Enrique

-- Enrique Ortiz (eaortiz@yahoo.com), May 28, 2002.

Thanks, Enrique.
I should have trusted my "instincts." In my translation, I almost went ahead and wrote, "In the middle of the 13th century ..." -- but I lacked the courage to do so!
JFG

-- (jfgecik@hotmail.com), May 28, 2002.