My Translation of Oswald Spengler's Play "Montezuma" into English Part 1
I am currently translating Oswald Spengler’s play that he wrote at the precocious age of 17 about the Aztecs, entitled “Montezuma: A Tragedy.” Here are the first few pages so far:
Montezuma, A Tragedy
by Oswald Spengler
Characters
MONTEZUMA, Emperor of Mexico 1502-1520
CUITLAHAUC, his son
KAKAMA, the Emperor’s advisor, an 80 year old man
TEHUAS, a young cacique
FERDINAND KORTEZ, Conqueror of Mexico
AGUILAR, a monk, confessor of Cortez
SANDOVAL
Spanish captives in the army of Cortez
LEON
ALVARADO
Spanish soldiers
JOSE
FRANZISKO
MARINA, an Aztec scout in the service of the Spaniards
KAZIKEN (Aztec noble)
a servant of Montezuma
various Spanish and Aztec messengers and soldiers
The first part takes place in Veracruz, the rest in Mexico, Montezuma’s capital.
Act I.
Scene 1
The Spanish camp in Veracruz. The action takes place in Cortez’s tent. Aguilar enters.
Aguilar
My general! Montezuma’s messengers are waiting
for your answer.
Cortez
Fine, bring them in.
Aguilar (after a pause)
Do you still insist on this?
Should every warning be in vain?
Cortez
I’m not afraid, Aguilar.
Aguilar
O Cortez!
Cortez
Yes? I’m listening.
Aguilar
Abandon your defiance!
Just for once follow our advice.
What you want is impossible!
Do you think you’re actually going to overthrow
the throne of Montezuma
who’s never been conquered and whose every command
an army of hundreds of thousands obeys?
Cortez
My troops will have a safe head start.
Aguilar
Not with the Aztecs!
Cortez
They’re few, but Aguilar: they’re Spaniards!
Each one of them is worth
a thousand savages!
Aguilar
It’s true you can achieve much
with cunning and cleverness
but they won’t understand that.
With weapons in open combat
victory is impossible.
Cortez
Ah, but you’ve never seen battle with savages, Aguilar!
You have no idea how powerful and terrifying our weapons are to these people.
On this very voyage,
when we were anchored on an island,
I saw very well what we are capable of
and since that day I have believed in our invincibility.
The Indians rushed to the shore
and wild cries of victory
arose all around
when suddenly one of our guns was fired
and then the terror-stricken population scattered.
Not one of them remained.
Their weapons fell from their hands
and my army entered their city
and resistance disappeared.
They let everyone be murdered: men, women, children.
The Spaniards waded through them all, plundering
while fire blazed all around them.
One incident still lingers in my memory, though:
The soldiers were mowing them down
and I heard a woman cry for help.
At once, I ran into the house
through the flames
and dragged out a half-dead woman to safety.
And that is Marina,
our translator
who has been with us ever since.
Aguilar
You’re deceiving yourself.
Look at these cities
these temples, these streets and palaces
all the colorful splendor of these people
and you call them savages?
Don’t be so arrogant!
Cortez
Oh that’s not all!
No sooner had we landed
when messengers arrived from Montezuma:
the emperor was absolutely terrified by our arrival
which an old legend of theirs had foretold.
Aguilar
A legend?
You’ve actually heard that?
Cortez
Oh yes.
In ancient times
their god Qetzalcoatl
disappeared into the eastern ocean
with the rumor that he would
one day return
as a white god
bringing eternal happiness to the Aztecs.
Oh I'll finish it. I'm already halfway through it.
I've always wanted to see this work translated into English, hopefully you finish this project.