6 Colloquial Expressions with the Word Love

1. For the Love of God! (¡Por amor de Dios!)

An exclamation used to express exasperation, pleading, or reproach.

For the love of God, be quiet once and for all and stop talking nonsense!

In the past, this expression was used as a formula when begging for alms. This is where the Spanish word pordiosero (“beggar,” literally “one who asks for God’s sake”) comes from.

2. With Great Pleasure (De mil amores)

An adverbial phrase meaning “with great pleasure.”

María has asked me to accompany her on the trip, and I will gladly go with her.

In this context, love represents something noble, elevated, and sublime.

3. In Love and Harmony (En amor y compañía)

Meaning “in harmony, together.” It is normally applied to couples.

There they are — I have never seen them apart. They are always together, in love and harmony.

4. Actions Speak Louder Than Words (Obras son amores)

In other words, what truly matters are actions, not words.

Don’t make me promises. Behave as you should and show me what you need to show me — actions speak louder than words.

This expression is the first part of a proverb:
“Obras son amores, que no buenas razones” (“Actions are love, not fine words”), quoted by authors such as Lope de Vega in La Dorotea (1632) and Baltasar Gracián in El Criticón (1651).

5. For the Love of Art (Por amor al arte)

Selflessly. For pleasure or enjoyment. Without receiving any benefit or payment.

Every afternoon I give guitar lessons to a group of students, but they don’t pay me — I do it for the love of art.

Throughout history, there have always been artists who, even knowing that their work did not guarantee their livelihood, continued their creative labour. This expression refers to them.

6. Platonic Love (Amor platónico)

A spiritual, intellectual, unattainable love — and therefore never physical.

Times change, and so do ideals of men and women. But a stunning woman like Sophia Loren was, is, and always will be my platonic love.

We are referring to the type of love described by Plato in his Dialogues and faithfully followed by Renaissance knights — to such an extent that anyone who crossed the boundary from the spiritual to the physical could pay with their life, like Calisto in La Celestina, for example.

Heartbreak in Times of Saint Valentine

What colloquial expressions are most commonly used to talk about heartbreak?

Ah, love! Dear readers, love has served as inspiration for many artists: novelists, playwrights, poets, musicians, painters… Both love and heartbreak have inspired humanity’s finest creations. The muses appear when we are happiest or when sadness overwhelms us. And what drives both happiness and sorrow? Love — although, more often than not, it is heartbreak that stirs our deepest emotions.

During the first half of February, hearts and the colour red fill the streets of every city and town. Shop windows dress in their finest displays and tempt customers to buy that special gift that will make love blossom once again in couples’ hearts.

But all that glitters is not gold, and many people find themselves facing the bitter experience of heartbreak. Perhaps they have just broken up with their partner — the one who pulled away from a kiss (hacer la cobra) after discovering that their partner had cheated on them (poner los cuernos), breaking their loving heart into a thousand tiny pieces.

Recovering from romantic disappointment is not always easy. I still remember the day my last partner stood me up (dar plantón) in the Plaza Mayor. I was waiting under the clock with a bouquet of flowers. We were going out to dinner to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Then came the fateful phone call in which they told me we needed to “take a break” (darse un tiempo).

What? They had just stood me up and now wanted time apart? At that moment, I thought I would die. I downloaded a dating app (ligar) — all I wanted was to make them jealous — but all I received were rejections (dar/recibir calabazas).

Finally, I spoke to my best friend — who is now my current partner. I told her everything I had suffered for love, and she replied that I shouldn’t worry because “there is always a lid for every pot” (siempre hay un roto para un descosido). At that moment, I didn’t quite know how to take that expression, but it did manage to bring a smile to my face and helped me forget that relationship forever.

What Do These Expressions Mean?

• All that glitters is not gold: not everything is what it seems.

• To break up with someone: to end a relationship.

• To pull away from a kiss (hacer la cobra).

• To cheat on someone (poner los cuernos).

• To break someone’s heart: romantic disappointment.

• To stand someone up: to miss a date.

• To take a break: to pause a relationship temporarily.

• To flirt / to try to meet someone romantically (ligar).

• To give or receive the brush-off (dar/recibir calabazas).

• There is always a lid for every pot: there is someone out there for everyone.

But dear reader, I do not want today’s post to focus on heartbreak. Instead, I would like to take this opportunity to teach you some colloquial Spanish expressions that include the word love and form part of Spain’s popular heritage.

Before we begin, do you know the legend of Saint Valentine?

In the year 270 AD, Claudius II, Emperor of Rome, prohibited marriage because he believed married men made poor soldiers. In times of war, they would not want to leave their families.

If you would like to learn more about the legend of Saint Valentine, click on this link.

Dear reader, I hope love has knocked on your door, because when we are in love, we see everything through rose-coloured glasses¹.

So tell me — are you in love?

¹ To see everything through rose-coloured glasses: to be very optimistic. For you, there are no problems; everything is good, everything pleases you, everyone behaves kindly… You see everything in a positive light. Warm colours convey positive connotations, and the colour pink is associated with love and optimism.

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Instructions of Don Quijote de la Mancha in six quotations

Without any doubt Don Quijote de la Mancha, written by the most known Spanish author all times, Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, is one of the greatest creations of universal literature.  The work, which had a great influence on the European narrative, is not only considered as the first great modern novel, but as well as decisive for the consolidation of Spanish: not in vain in many occasions, when we talk about our language, we talk about the “language of Cervantes“. Great part of expressions and proverbs used in Spanish language nowadays can be found originally in Don Quijote de la Mancha.

But together with the folklore, represented in the character of Sancho Panza, the reflections found in don Quijote on human values, virtues and shortcomings, such as freedom, justice, honor, solidarity, love, fury, envy, etc., constitute authentic instructions which are still applicable nowadays.

Although the number of quotations we can give from  Don Quijote de la Mancha is enormous, we have chosen some of the most representative reflections, taken from the system of values Cervantes transmits us through El Caballero de la Triste Figura.

1.-Los nobles objetivos en la vida

“Unos van por el ancho campo de la ambición soberbia, otros por el de la adulación servil y baja, otros por el de la hipocresía engañosa, y algunos por el de la verdadera religión; pero yo, inclinado de mi estrella, voy por la angosta senda de la caballería andante, por cuyo ejercicio desprecio la hacienda, pero no la honra (…) Mis intenciones siempre las enderezo a buenos fines, que son de hacer bien a todos y mal a ninguno.”

(Capítulo XXXII)

2.-La libertad

“La libertad, Sancho, es uno de los más preciosos dones que a los hombres dieron los cielos; con ella no pueden igualarse los tesoros que encierra la tierra ni el mar encubre; por la libertad así como por la honra se puede y debe aventurar la vida, y, por el contrario, el cautiverio es el mayor mal que puede venir a los hombres.”

(Capítulo LVIII)

3.-La virtud

“Mira, Sancho: si tomas por medio a la virtud y te precias de hacer hechos virtuosos, no hay para qué tener envidia a los que padres y agüelos (1) tienen príncipes y señores, porque la sangre se hereda y la virtud se aquista (2), y la virtud vale por sí sola lo que la sangre no vale.”

(Capítulo XLII)

(1) abuelos

(2) conquista

4.-La belleza

“Advierte, Sancho –respondió don Quijote–, que hay dos maneras de hermosura: una del alma y otra del cuerpo; la del alma campea y se muestra en el entendimiento, en la honestidad, en el buen proceder, en la liberalidad y en la buena crianza, y todas estas partes caben y pueden estar en un hombre feo; y cuando se pone la mira en esta hermosura, y no en la del cuerpo, suele nacer el amor con ímpetu y con ventajas.” 

(Capítulo LVIII)

5.-El desagradecimiento

“Entre los pecados mayores que los hombres cometen, aunque algunos dicen que es la soberbia, yo digo que es el desagradecimiento, ateniéndome a lo que suele decirse: que de los desagradecidos está lleno el infierno. Este pecado, en cuanto me ha sido posible, he procurado yo huir desde el instante que tuve uso de razón; y si no puedo pagar las buenas obras que me hacen con otras obras, pongo en su lugar los deseos de hacerlas, y cuando éstos no bastan, las público; porque quien dice y publica las buenas obras que recibe, también las recompensara con otras.” 

(Capítulo LVIII)

6.-La humildad

“Haz gala, Sancho, de la humildad de tu linaje, y no te desprecies de decir que vienes de labradores, porque viendo que no te corres (1), ninguno se pondrá a correrte, y préciate más de ser humilde virtuoso que pecador soberbio. Innumerables son aquellos que de baja estirpe nacidos, han subido a la suma dignidad pontificia e imperatoria; y desta (1) verdad te pudiera traer tantos ejemplos, que te cansaran.” 

(Capítulo XLII)

(1) avergonzarse

(2) de esta

With these phrases and others you will be understand that El Quijote is a timeless book, that even though it was written in 1615, all its instructions can be applied nowadays.

Without any doubt, a book everyone should read at least once in a lifetime.

And you, have you read El Quijote?  We would love to know which chapter has been more interesting for you.

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As of from Today in the centre of the Plaza Mayor of Salamanca you can enjoy the exhibition “Rostros del olvido”, which reunites 22 faces of women who have been pioneers as students as the University of Salamanca and reached great achievements during the last century, in spite of the obstacles the society they were living in, imposed to the women.

With this exhibition, elaborated by female artists, Salamanca wishes to pay tribute to those women and all those who have been forgotten, and repair a historical unfairness, filling up in a symbolic way the 22 medallions of the Plaza Mayor which are still empty.

The Plaza, for many the most beautiful one in Spain, has, between the arches around the square, more than sixty medallions where you can see the busts of different important persons of the history of Spain and Salamanca: kings, saints, writers, etc.

LUCIA DE MEDRANO

Without any doubt the most famous one, she was an authentic pioneer when she became the first professor of the University in history. Lucía occupied the professorship of Classic Languages of the University of Salamanca in 1508, only 24 years old. Our admiration grows even more when reminding that the first female professorship of the Sorbonne was occupied by Marie Curie at the beginning of the 20th Century.

TERESA IGLESIAS RECIO

She was one of the pioneers in obtaining a university degree: she graduated Medicine in 1913, overcoming all difficulties women encountered those day to accede studies, especially those aimed towards men. As a mother of five children, she always worked as a doctor.  One of our children reminded that she was always prepared to help out with a labour or autopsy, no matter what time of the day it was.

MARIA ACISCLO TAPIA VICENTE

One of the women, of whose life  we do not know anything, represents the invisibility, imposed by society, of all those women, trained at the university, which have worked in all kind of disciplines, contributing with their intellectual capacity and achievements to the development of science, mathematics, law, humanity, art, business, etc.

What is your opinion on this beautiful tribute of Salamanca to the International Women’s day?

Leave your comment in our blog and tell us if your city has also organized some tribute for this important day.

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María Moliner “was able to realize a work as never before: she wrote it by herself, at home, hand-written, the most complete, most useful and most amusing dictionary of the Spanish Language”, defined this way by García Márquez himself. She wrote her Diccionario de Uso del Español “during her free time after her work as a librarian, and what she considered as her real profession: darning socks”.

María Moliner (Paniza, Zaragoza, 30th March 1900 – Madrid, 22th January 1981) starting writing the dictionary when her youngest son started his studies to be an industrial engineer, and finished when her children were raised in 1950: “When I was at home alone, I took a pencil, a sheet of paper and started working on a dictionary which I wanted to finish in a short time, in about six months, and finally it took me fifteen years”.

In spite of the reductional image she had as a traditional housewife darning socks, raising her children and writing a dictionary during her free time, Moliner was trained to be and worked as a philologist and lexicographer and graduated at the Facultad de Filosofía y Letras de la Universidad de Zaragoza, with the highest qualifications and Extraordinary Reward.  After having passed an exam, when she was twenty-two years old, she started working in the team of registrars, librarians and archaeologist. After getting married and already with her children, she moved to Valencia during the years of the II República, where she would work as the director of the University Library of Valencia and the project of public libraries. She also collaborated with the Cossío School, inspired in the Free Institution of Education and especially for the organization of rural libraries. After the Civil War, as a consequence of the reprisals of the régime of Franco, eighteen jobs of the team of Registrars and Librarians were suspended and would be recuperated in 1958.

The high value of María Moliner and her Diccionario de Uso del Español, is that, using a simple and precise language, offer the reader not only the definition of each meaning of the word – normally included in any dictionary in general-, but also information on the its constructions with prepositions and its most usual complements, numerous examples, notes on the uses, numerous synonymous and related words, grammar and etymological indications, and even the frequency of the use of the words and its acceptance.

These few words have been written to show our admiration for this woman, thanks to her love for our language and a titanic effort (she used to get up at dawn and worked all morning without any beaks and after a small siesta she continued working until night), she was able to build the universe of words which nowadays are included in the indispensable Diccionario de Uso del Español.

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Discover the Carnaval del Toro in Ciudad Rodrigo

The Bull Carnival is considered one of the oldest celebrations in Spain, one of the places where the carnival is experienced with greatest intensity is in Ciudad Rodrigo.

The Ciudad Rodrigo Bull Carnival has been declared a Festival of National Tourist Interest.

Ciudad Rodrigo: History and Bullfighting Tradition

Ciudad Rodrigo, situated at 84 kms from Salamanca, is the centre of the region known as Campo Charro (Salamanca countryside), a wide extension of fields dedicated to cattle raising and especially the breeding of fighting bulls.  The fields, the “encinares and “plazas de tienta” have turned the landscape into something unmistakable.

The Bull: Protagonist of the Carnival

During the Carnivals in Ciudad Rodrigo, the bulls will be the protagonists of the festivities, together with the masks, disguises and brass bands (charangas) which cheer up the streets.  During four days there will be bull pens (encierros), bullfights with young bulls (capeas) and bullfights (corridas).

Since the time that Ernest Hemingway popularizes the bull pens of San Fermín in his work “Fiesta”, many foreigners connect this tradition with Pamplona, nevertheless many Spanish towns have bull pens.

The Origin of the Bull Runs

The bull runs originated as a way to transport fighting bulls from the pastures to the bullrings. In the past, these journeys were done across the countryside and ended in the main square, where bullfighting events were held. To ensure a fast and safe transfer, young men would run ahead of the bulls, catching their attention and guiding them into the ring. Although today the bulls arrive by truck, the tradition of bull runs remains alive in many Spanish towns.

Types of Bull Runs in Ciudad Rodrigo

In Ciudad Rodrigo two types of bull pens take place:

• One on horseback, which takes place on Sunday morning and done by expert horsemen who take the bulls from the farm to the village, carrying large sticks used to guide the animals.
• The other one is in the village and start on the outside of the city wall, crosses several streets of the historical centre and ends on its Plaza Mayor, turned into a bullfighting arena those days.  Once they have arrived to the Plaza, the bulls are taken to the bullpens below the Town Hall.

The “Campana Gorda”: The Sound of the Bull Run

One of the most characteristic elements of the bull run in Ciudad Rodrigo is the Town Hall bell, known as the “Campana Gorda”. Its ringing marks the start of the bull run, warning everyone that the bulls are on the streets, and it also signals the end when the animals have reached the ring.

Activities After the Bull Run

After the morning bull run, the festivities continue with the capea, where participants can showcase their skills by facing the bulls in the ring. In the afternoon, the bullfight takes place, a key event of the carnival.

If you want to experience one of Spain’s most authentic festivals up close, don’t miss the Bull Carnival!

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In the Ancient Rome, halfway through February, the Lupercales were celebrated in honor of Luperco (God of fertility and agriculture) and of Juno Februata (Goddess of women and marriage). During the Lupercales, the priests (luperci) crossed the city beating the pedestrians, especially the women, with februas, a purification rite which guaranteed the fertility and made the labor easier. On the 14th February, festivity of Juno Februata, a curious pairing rite took place: the young Romans drew a paper from a jar with the name of a young girl, who would be his partner during the festivities.  These festivities had a high sexual component.
At a later stage the Church would christianize these festivities dedicating the 14th February to Saint Valentine, Christian priest who lived during the 3rd Century, in the time of the emperor Claudio II. The emperor prohibited the soldiers to get married, thinking that, if they would not have any family ties, they would fight with more bravery.  Valentine disobeyed this order, married secretly the young lovers which could have lead him to prison, martyrdom and later on he would be converted into the patron of the lovers.

In Spain the tradition of Valentine’s day is not as deep-rooted as in the United States or other countries and for many it is a merely commercial festivity.

Even though the habit to interchange gifts on Valentine’s day already existed in Great Britain and France during the Middle Ages, it was Esther A. Howland (1828-1904) who started decorating card with romantic motifs. Her father started selling these cards for a few cents in his library (Massachusetts).

La entrada Why do we celebrate Valentine’s day on 14th February? se publicó primero en Colegio de España.

A “disanto” is a religious festivity.

In Spain the month of February is one of the months that have more festive celebrations.  In this occasion we will focus on those which take place during the first week.  For the farmers, the weather during this month, especially during the first days, is very important, as it indicates what the hardest part of winter has already passed or will continue, which will determine, in part, the quality of the harvest.

The month starts with three festivities which combine aspects of Christianity with other of the cycle of nature.  The following saying also refers to these celebrations: “El primero brigidero, el segundo candelero, el tercero gargantero”.

– On the first we celebrate Santa Brígida (brigidero). During the night of the 31st January a curious ritual is done which is still preserved in some places: the youngsters peal the church bells  according to the rhythm of “Tente nube” (“Stop storm”), a spell which will liberate the village and its fields of the storms, especially the hail storms (piedra).

“Tente nube, tente tú,

que Dios puede más que tú

Si traes agua, ven acá

Si traes piedra, tente allá”

– On the second we celebrate La Candelaria (candelero), festivity dedicated to the Purification of the Virgin Mary and the Presentation of Jesus in the temple.  It is a “light” festivity (candles).  For some historians, the origin of this celebration can be found in the Ancient Rome, where the procession of the candles was part of the festivity of the “Lupercales”, and/or the Celtic world, where, during this time of the year, bonfires were made to honor the goddess Brigantia.

– On the third we celebrate San Blas, who, according to the legend, saved a child from dying when it was suffocating due to a fish bone stuck in his throat, and is therefore considered as the patron of any throat troubles (gargantero). In many places there is a tradition to bless the straps which people use as a necklace to protect one throughout the whole year of any diseases in their throats.  San Blas lived during the 3rd Century, he was a bishop and martyr.

Going back to the climatology during the month of February, one of the most popular proverbs in Spain is: “Por San Blas, la cigüeña verás y si no la vieres, año de nieves” and also: “Año de nieves, año de bienes” which refers to the benefits of snow for the fields.

The stork, a migratory bird, comes back from Africa when the hardest part of winter has passed, but if winter is especially cold, he will delay his return (“Si hiela por San Blas, treinta días más”).

– On the 5th we celebrate Santa Águeda (Sicily, 3rd Century), festivity with a great tradition in many places in Spain, but especially know for the one celebrated in Zamarramala (Segovia). Santa Águeda was a martyr and, among other terrible tortures, her breasts were cut, which converted her in the protector of all women and especially nursing mothers.

The most interesting of the celebration of Santa Águeda is that it is a festivity “which inverts the social order”, for many reminiscence of the ancient matriarchy, for others a connection to the solstice celebrations in Winter (Carnaval)).  On his part, Julio Caro Baroja relates this festivity with the Roman matronalia.

On the day of Santa Águeda women rule (las águedas) and, even though throughout the last years there has been a great progress in equality, this day continues to be to claim women’s rights: in many place, the mayor hands over his position to a “Águeda”, masses, banquets, dances are celebrated with only women.  Many put one for this occasion the typical clothes of their village or city.

Since 1227, Santa Águeda is celebrated in Zamarramala (Segovia) on the Sunday after the 5th of February: two “mayoresses” are elected, who will govern the village during two days.  After the procession and mass in honor of the Saint, the awards are announced: the “Matahombres de oro” (a gold pin is given to those persons or organizations who work in favor of women) and the “Home  bueno e leal” (title given to someone who or some organization which has shown interest for the village), the celebration ends burning a dummy, symbol of a man made fun of in popular songs and rimes.

– In the pictures: Stork and Mayoress of Zamarramala with the baton.

La entrada The Disantos- Culture and Traditions se publicó primero en Colegio de España.

When arriving to Segovia, and before visiting the city, we took a stroll along the  Alameda, on the right bank of the river Eresma,  where we can see the ancient Real House of Currency (Casa de la Moneda) and the Monastery of St. Mª del Parral (Monasterio del Parral). The Alameda is a place chosen by many inhabitants of Segovia to practice sport, walk their dogs or just take a stroll.

Once we arrive in the city, we are able to contemplate its impressive aqueduct, one of the most conserved of all those built in the immense territory occupied by the Roman Empire. It was built at the beginning of the 2nd Century, and throughout many centuries it conveyed the water from the Sierra de Guadarrama to the city. For its construction, 20,000 granite blocks were used with any other type of cement. The aqueduct has 166 arches.

According to the popular tradition, it says that not the Romans built the aqueduct but the devil. The legend tells that a young servant from Segovia had to go and get water every day for the household she was serving, this work meant a lot of time and effort, and one day she was especially tired she said:” I would give my soul to the devil if I would not have to go for more water”. Suddenly, the devil appeared and asked her if she really meant it and the young woman, who did not think about the seriousness of her offer, told him she did. Then the devil promised to build an aqueduct to solver her problem in return for her soul.  Nevertheless the girl warned him that the aqueduct should be finished that same night. When she was alone, she thought it over again and realized the tremendous mistake she had made, the only thing left for her was to cry and pray asking God for help; God, when he say the sincere repentance of the young woman, made the sun go up earlier than normal, whereupon the devil who was about to put the last stone, was not able to finish the aqueduct on time.  That way the young servant saved her soul and nowadays we can all enjoy the aqueduct.

We took a walk through the Ancient Quarter and were able to admire its noble palaces and houses, its Romanic churches, its Cathedral and its Jewish Quarter. On many of the houses in Segovia we can see the typical decoration (esgrafiado): a typical decoration of Mudejar origin based on geometrical and plant themes. At the Plaza Mayor, in 1474, Isabel “la Católica” was crowned as Queen of Castile.

Of course, we made a stop to have lunch and taste some of the most famous dishes in Segovia: big beans of the Granja, piglet (cochinillo or tostón) and those who like something sweet the delicious ponche segoviano (cake).

In the picture you can see the statue the city of Segovia has dedicated the famous cook Cándido, Mesonero Mayor de Castilla, representing the famous ritual to “cut” the piglet with a dish, a way to proved that it has reached its correct cooking point and it is tender. After the dish is thrown on the ground and at the same time it breaks, some praises are said to the roasted piglet. This tradition is done with a dish, because on one occasion was not able to find any knifes and therefore he used a dish, creating a tradition repeated in many restaurants throughout the city.

In the afternoon we visited the fortress Alcázar: alcázar is a Word from Arabic origin which means castle or fortress.  During the Middle Ages the Kings of Castile loved to spend long periods: the Alcázar was the residence for twenty-two kings.

On the way home, we made a stop in Ávila, where we could admire its magnificent city walls and we remembered the figure of Santa Teresa de Jesús.

Both Ávila and Segovia are Cities declared World Heritage.

Even though it was cold, we spend a great day and to all of you we wish that 2017 will be year full of marvelous trips.

La entrada Trip to Segovia- Ávila. Leyends and some of its history. se publicó primero en Colegio de España.

As a rabid pacifist, she uses words, humor and love as the only possible weapons against war or any violent manifestation, against any type of injustice and as the best medicine to cure any spiritual harm a human might suffer.

The Civil War left her an indelible memory.  The anti-militarism and the protest against the absurd of the civilization appear in her poetry categorically.  As she herself says, «without the tragedy of the war I would never have written poetry ».  As a sequence of the military experience, the work of Gloria Fuertes is characterized by the irony she uses to deal with issues as universal such as love, pain, death or loneliness.

All this embellished with curious metaphors and linguistic games, together with enchantment, freshness and simplicity, give her poems a great musicality and rhythm, closet to the oral language. Spontaneous, entertaining, ironic, nonsensical, transgressor, tender, affective, surrealist, simple, common, genuine and always committed… her person, as well as her poetry, is unique.  Gloria, without any doubt, is as she writes and writes as she is. She always talks in a confidential and friendly way, she makes it all simple and daily, but with the greatness of a spirit able to achieve an immense astonishment before life.

En el árbol de mi pecho​

hay un pájaro encarnado.

Cuando te veo se asusta,​

aletea, lanza saltos.

En el árbol de mi pecho​

hay un pájaro encarnado.

Cuando te veo se asusta,​

¡eres un espantapájaros!

In the compilation of her poems, Historia de Gloria: amor, humor y desamor, she herself reveals, starting with the title, the way she is in the world, as well as the characteristics why her Works are unique.  In the short prologue we can read: “Esto no es un libro, es una mujer”.  She talks about her life, her youth and the difficulties she experiences, the “uncivil” war, that first love that will leave us unforgettable memories; she talks about maturity, when she gives love and receives indifference in return. But Gloria Fuertes does not feel comfortable with the suffering. She knows how to overcome thanks to her healthy and versatile humor, which she uses to deal with the hard problems of life and the world.  For her, the world is a circus, and the human-poet a clown. She would have liked to have been the Charlot of Spanish poetry, even though that behind the smile of the clown, tender tears are hidden.

Soy alta;​

en la guerra​

llegué a pesar cuarenta kilos.​

He estado al borde de la tuberculosis,​

al borde de la cárcel,​

al borde de la amistad,​

al borde del arte,​

al borde del suicidio,​

al borde de la misericordia,​

al borde de la envidia,​

al borde de la fama,​

al borde del amor,​

al borde de la playa,​

y, poco a poco, me fue dando sueño,​

y aquí estoy durmiendo al borde,​

al borde de despertar.

Gloria Fuertes, the author with a husky voice and deliberately mannish aspect, for whom “nothing human is unaware” was more than just an author of children’s books. Nevertheless, her personality, as that of many other native artists, is very highly appreciated and reknown outside Spain, especially in the United States, where several important critics have investigated her work, her poems have been translated, including them in important anthologies. Over more as a tribute to the centenary of her birth, the flight company Norwegian has decides to name of its aircrafts after Gloria Fuertes, more precisely, a Boeing 737-800, and place a big picture on the tail.  That way, Gloria Fuertes has been converted into the fourth historical Spanish person to receive this acknowledgement together with other relevant persons such as Miguel de Cervantes, Cristóbal Colón and Juan Sebastián Elcano.

Marinero sin tierra​

náufrago sin velamen​

huérfano de puerto​

nave sin timón.​

Rodeado de agua y sediento​

rodeado de pescado y hambriento​

rodeado de olas y sin saludos​

rodeado de dólares y desnudo.

The commercial success of her children’s’ books and the attention in the media she received, in some way hid the literary value of her poetry.  In fact, many of those who know her for her tales or poems for children do not know the importance she had on literature during the previous century.  We sincerely hope that the celebration of the centenary of her birth will serve to rediscover and situate her poetry for adults in the place it corresponds.

La entrada Gloria Fuertes, mujer de verso en pecho se publicó primero en Colegio de España.