VII. How Lazaro Went to Work for a Constable and Then What Happened to Him

Despedido del capellán, asenté por hombre de justicia con un alguacil; mas muy poco viví con él, por parecerme oficio peligroso. Mayormente que una noche nos corrieron a mí y a mi amo a pedradas y a palos unos retraídos. Y a mi amo, que esperó, trataron mal; mas a mí no me alcanzaron. Con esto renegué del trato.

After I left the chaplain I was taken on as bailiff by a constable. But I didn't stay with him very long: the job as too dangerous for me. That's what I decided after some escaped criminals chased me and my master with clubs and rocks. My master stood there and faced them, and they beat him up, but they never did catch me. So I quit that job.

Y pensando en qué modo de vivir haría mi asiento, por tener descanso y ganar algo para la vejez, quiso Dios alumbrarme y ponerme en camino y manera provechosa. Y con favor que tuve de amigos y señores, todos mis trabajos y fatigas hasta entonces pasados fueron pagados con alcanzar lo que procuré, que fue un oficio real, viendo que no hay nadie que medre, sino los que le tienen.

And while I was trying to think of what sort of a life I could lead so that I could have a little peace and quiet and save up something for my old age, God lit up my path and put me on the road to success. With the help of some friends and other people, all the trials and troubles I'd gone through up till then were finally compensated for, seeing as how I got what I wanted: a government job. And no one ever gets ahead without a job like that.

En el cual el día de hoy vivo y resido a servicio de Dios y de vuestra merced. Y es que tengo cargo de pregonar los vinos que en esta ciudad se venden, y en almonedas y cosas perdidas, acompañar los que padecen persecuciones por justicia y declarar a voces sus delitos: pregonero, hablando en buen romance.

And that's what I've been doing right up to now: I work in God's service--and yours, too. What I do is announce the wines that are being sold around the city. Then, too, I call out at auctions and whenever anything lost. And I go along with the people who are suffering for righteousness' sake and call out their crimes: I'm a town crier, to put it plainly.

Hame sucedido tan bien, y yo le he usado tan fácilmente, que casi todas las cosas al oficio tocantes pasan por mi mano, tanto que, en toda la ciudad, el que ha de echar vino a vender, o algo, si Lázaro de Tormes no entiende en ello, hacen cuenta de no sacar provecho.

It's been a good job, and I've done so well at it that almost all of this sort of work comes to me. In fact, it's gotten to the point where if someone in the city has wine or anything else to put up for sale, they know it won't come to anything unless Lazarillo of Tormes is in on it.

 

En este tiempo, viendo mi habilidad y buen vivir, teniendo noticia de mi persona el señor arcipreste de San Salvador, mi señor, y servidor y amigo de vuestra merced, porque le pregonaba sus vinos, procuró casarme con una criada suya. Y visto por mí que de tal persona no podía venir sino bien y favor, acordé de hacerlo. Y así, me casé con ella, y hasta agora no estoy arrepentido, porque, allende de ser buena hija y diligente servicial, tengo en mi señor arcipreste todo favor y ayuda.

About this time that gentleman, the Archpriest of San Salvador (your friend and servant), began to notice my abilities and how I was making a good living. He knew who I was because I'd been announcing his wines, and he said he wanted me to marry a maid of his. And I saw that only good, profitable things could come from a man like him, so I agreed to go along with it. So I married her, and I've never regretted it. Because besides the fact that she's a good woman and she's hardworking and helpful, through my lord, the archpriest, I have all the help and favors I need.

Y siempre en el año le da, en veces, al pie de una carga de trigo; por las Pascuas, su carne; y cuando el par de los bodigos, las calzas viejas que deja. E hízonos alquilar una casilla par de la suya; los domingos y fiestas casi todas las comíamos en su casa.

During the year he always gives her a few good- sized sacks of wheat, meat on the holidays, a couple loaves of bread sometimes, and his socks after he's through with them. He had us rent a little house right next to his, and on Sundays and almost every holiday we eat at his place.

Mas malas lenguas, que nunca faltaron ni faltarán, no nos dejan vivir, diciendo no sé qué y sí sé qué, de que ven a mi mujer irle a hacer la cama y guisalle de comer. Y mejor les ayude Dios, que ellos dicen la verdad.

But there have always been scandalmongers, and I guess there always will be, and they won't leave us in peace. They talk about I don't know what all--they say that they've seen my wife go and make up his bed and do his cooking for him. And God bless them, but they're a bunch of liars.

Porque allende de no ser ella mujer que se pague de estas burlas, mi señor me ha prometido lo que pienso cumplirá; que él me habló un día muy largo delante de ella y me dijo:

Because, besides the fact that she's the kind of woman who's hardly happy about these gibes, my master made me a promise, and I think he'll keep it. One day he talked to me for a long time in front of her, and he said to me:

-Lázaro de Tormes, quien ha de mirar a dichos de malas lenguas nunca medrará. Digo esto, porque no me maravillaría alguno, viendo entrar en mi casa a tu mujer y salir de ella. Ella entra muy a tu honra y suya. Y esto te lo prometo. Por tanto, no mires a lo que pueden decir, sino a lo que te toca, digo, a tu provecho.

"Lazaro of Tormes, anyone who pays attention to what gossips say will never get ahead. I'm telling you this because I wouldn't be at all surprised if someone did see your wife going in and out of my house. In fact, the reason she goes in is very much to your honor and to hers: and that's the truth. So forget what people say. Just think of how it concerns you--I mean, how it benefits you."

-Señor -le dije-, yo determiné de arrimarme a los buenos. Verdad es que algunos de mis amigos me han dicho algo de eso, y aun por más de tres veces me han certificado que, antes que comigo casase, había parido tres veces, hablando con reverencia de vuestra merced, porque está ella delante.

"Sir," I said, "I've decided to be on the side of good men. It is true that some of my friends have told me something of that. The truth is, they've sworn for a fact that my wife had three children before she married me, speaking with reverence to your grace since she's here with us."

Entonces mi mujer echó juramentos sobre sí, que yo pensé la casa se hundiera con nosotros. Y después tomóse a llorar y a echar maldiciones sobre quien comigo la había casado, en tal manera que quisiera ser muerto antes que se me hubiera soltado aquella palabra de la boca.

Then my wife began to scream and carry on so much that I thought the house with us in it was going to fall in. Then she took to crying, and she cursed the man who had married us. It got so bad that I'd rather I'd died than have let those words of mine slip out.

Mas yo de un cabo y mi señor de otro, tanto le dijimos y otorgamos que cesó su llanto, con juramento que le hice de nunca más en mi vida mentalle nada de aquello, y que yo holgaba y había por bien de que ella entrase y saliese de noche y de día, pues estaba bien seguro de su bondad. Y así quedamos todos tres bien conformes.

But with me on one side and my master on the other, we talked to her and begged her so much that she finally quit her crying. And I swore to her that as long as I lived I'd never mention another word about the business. And I told her I thought it was perfectly all right--in fact, that it made me happy--for her to go in and out of his house both day and night because I was so sure of her virtue. And so we were all three in complete agreement.

Hasta el día de hoy nunca nadie nos oyó sobre el caso; antes, cuando alguno siento que quiere decir algo de ella, le atajo y le digo:
-Mirad, si sois mi amigo, no me digáis cosa con que me pese, que no tengo por mi amigo al que me hace pesar, mayormente si me quieren meter mal con mi mujer, que es la cosa del mundo que yo más quiero, y la amo más que a mí, y me hace Dios con ella mil mercedes y más bien que yo merezco.

So, right up to today we've never said another word about the affair. In fact, when I see that someone wants to even start talking about it, I cut him short, and I tell him: "Look, if you're my friend, don't tell me something that will make me mad because anyone who does that isn't my friend at all. Especially if they're trying to cause trouble between me and my wife. There's nothing and nobody in the world that I love more than her. And because of her, God gives me all sorts of favors--many more than I deserve.

Que yo juraré sobre la hostia consagrada que es tan buena mujer como vive dentro de las puertas de Toledo. Quien otra cosa me dijere, yo me mataré con él.

So I'll swear to God that she's as good a woman as any here in Toledo, and if anyone tells me otherwise, I'm his enemy until I die."

De esta manera no me dicen nada, y yo tengo paz en mi casa. Esto fue el mismo año que nuestro victorioso Emperador en esta insigne ciudad de Toledo entró y tuvo en ella Cortes, y se hicieron grandes regocijos, como vuestra merced habrá oído. Pues en este tiempo estaba en mi prosperidad y en la cumbre de toda buena fortuna.

So no one ever says anything to me, and I keep peace in my house. That was the same year that our victorious emperor came to this illustrious city of Toledo and held his court here, and there were all sorts of celebrations and festivities, as you must have heard.