The Gueguence A Comedy Ballet in the Nahuatl-Spanish Dialect of Nicaragua Part 17

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_Don Am._ G.o.d bless me, Governor Tastuanes, I am ashamed to talk about the affairs of this old humbug, Gueguence, for he is only waiting until it is dark, to go from house to house, stealing whatever is in the kitchens, to keep him and his son, Don Forcico, alive. He says he has a chest of gold, and it is an old bird-basket; that he has a silken cot, and it is a dirty old mat; he says he has silk stockings, and they are old leggings, without lining; that he has golden shoes, and they are worn out slippers, without soles; that he has a golden gun, and it is only a wooden stock, because they took the barrel away from him.

_Gue._ Heavens! what an impudent boy, a babbler, a lying tongue!

Break his head, my boy, for no son of mine would slander me in that way.

_Don For._ Get out of here, you bad breed. Don't be shocked, Governor, to hear this babbler; for when I went with my father on the road to Mexico, when we came back my mother was big by another, and that is why this one is such a bad breed, Governor Tastuanes.

_Gue._ Governor Tastuanes, now are you not satisfied completely about us, by what Don Forcico told the Royal Court, that I have quant.i.ties of pretty and beautiful things?

_Gov._ No, not satisfied; the Royal Court would like to know it.

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_Gueguence._

No chiquimate mollule Sor. Gob^{or} Tastuanes: pues mayague amigo Cap^n Alg^l M^{or}, campamento Srs. princ.i.p.ales, sones, mudanzas, velancicos, necana y palparesia mo tinderia turna guiso mo Cabildo Real.

_Gobernador._

No pilse Cap^n Alg^l M^{or}, simocague campamento Sres. princ.i.p.ales, sones, mudanzas, velancicos, necana, y paltechua consolar sesule Gueguence(.) Eguan mo tinderia y paltechua consolar mo cabildo real.

_Alguacil._

Mascamayagua, Sor. Gob^{or} Tastuanes. Matateco Dio mispiales Sres.

princ.i.p.ales, sones, mudanzas, velancicos, necana y palparesia tinderia mo Cabildo Real.

Da vuelta el Gueguence y los muchachos bailando con la tienda, y habla el

_Gueguence._

Matateco Dio mispiales, Sor. Gob^{or} Tastuanes, asanega neme mo tinderia matamagueso mo Cabildo Real. Alzen muchachos, miren cuanta hermosura. En primer lugar cajoneria de oro, cajoneria de plata, guipil de pecho, guipil de pluma, medias de seda, zapatos de oro, sombrero de castor, estriberas de lazo de oro y de plata, muchintes hermosuras, Sor. Gob^{or} Tastuanes, asaneganeme ese lucero de la manana que relumbra del otro lado del mar, asanecaneme esa jeringuita de oro para ya remediar el Cabildo Real del Sor. Gob^{or} Tastuanes.

_Gobernador._

Para tu cuerpo, Gueguence.

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_Gue._ The clever Governor Tastuanes does not know it. Well, then, let friend Captain Chief Alguacil suspend in the quarters of the leading men the music, dances, songs, ballets and talk, and I will open my tent to the Royal Court.

_Gov._ My son, Captain Chief Alguacil, suspend in the quarters of the leading men the music, dances, songs, ballets and such like, to please this good-for-nothing Gueguence, and he will show his tent, to please the Royal Court.

_Alg._ At your service, Governor Tastuanes. I pray G.o.d to protect the leading men, [and they suspend] the music, dances, songs, ballets and talk, [to show] the tent to the Royal Court.

(Gueguence and the boys dance around the stage with the tent.)

_Gue._ I pray G.o.d to protect you, Governor Tastuanes. Let me offer you my tent, to show to the Royal Court. Heft it, boys. See what pretty things! In the first place, a chest of gold, a chest of silver, vests, feather skirts, silk stockings, golden shoes, a beaver hat, stirrup straps of lace of gold and silver, quant.i.ties of pretty things, Governor Tastuanes. Let me offer you this star of the morning, which s.h.i.+nes from the other side of the sea; let me offer you this syringe of gold, with which to medicate the Royal Court of the Governor Tastuanes.

_Gov._ May it be for your own body, Gueguence.

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_Gueguence._

Como este mi muchacho tiene tantos oficios, que hasta en las unas tiene encajados los oficios.

_Gobernador._

Seran de arena, Gueguence.

_Gueguence._

Pues mas ha sido escultor, fundidor, repicador, piloto de alturas de aquellos que se elevan hasta las nubes, Sor. Gob^{or} Tastuanes.

_Gobernador._

Esos no son oficios de continuo, Gueguence.

_Gueguence._

Pues mas ha sido carpintero, hacedor de yugos aunque sean de papayo, hacedor de arados, aunque sean de tecomajoche ya pachigue muyule Sor. Gob^{or} Tastuanes.

_Gobernador._

Ya pachiguete no pachiguete, pues Gueguence asanese palparesia mo Don Forcico timaguas y verdad tin oficios.

_Gueguence._

Pues si cana amigo Cap^n Alg^l M^{or}. Mayague nistipampa Sres.

princ.i.p.ales, sones, mudanzas, velancicos, necana y palparesia Don Forcico timaguas y verdad tin oficios.

_Alguacil._

Mascamayagua, Gueguence. Matateco Dio mispiales Sres. princ.i.p.ales, sones, mudanzas, velancicos, necana y palparesia D. Forcico mo Cabildo Real.

Vuelve el Alguacil a sacar a D. Forcico.

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_Gue._ It is wonderful how many trades this boy of mine has. He is deep in trades to his fingers' ends.

_Gov._ They are of no account, Gueguence.

_Gue._ Why, he has been a sculptor, a metal founder, a bell-ringer, and a pilot to the heights which rise above the clouds, Governor Tastuanes.

_Gov._ These are not permanent employments, Gueguence.