Christovão Falcão
Encyclopedia
Christovão Falcão sometimes Christovão Falcão de Sousa or Christovão de Sousa Falcão, was a Portuguese
poet
, that came of a noble family settled at Portalegre in the Alentejo, which had originated with John Falcon or Falconet, one of the Englishmen
who went to Portugal in 1386 in the suite of Philippa of Lancaster
. His father, João Vaz de Almada Falcão, was an upright public servant who had held the captaincy of Elmina
on the West Africa
n coast, but died, as he had lived, a poor man.
There is a tradition that in boyhood Christovão fell in love with a beautiful child and rich heiress, D.
Maria Brandão, and in 1526 married her clandestinely, but parental opposition prevented the ratification of the marriage. Family pride, it is said, drove the father of Christovão to keep his son under strict surveillance in his own house for five years, while the lady's parents, objecting to the youth's small means, put her into the Cistercian convent of Lorvão
, and there endeavoured to wean her heart from him by the accusation that he coveted her fortune more than her person. Their arguments and the promise of a good match ultimately prevailed, and in 1534 D. Maria left the convent to marry D. Luís de Silva, captain of Tangier
, while the broken-hearted Christovão told his sad story in some beautiful lyrics and particularly in the eclogue Chrisfal.
He had been the disciple and friend of the poets Bernardim Ribeiro
and Francisco de Sá de Miranda
, and when his great disappointment came, Falcão laid aside poetry and entered on a diplomatic career. There is documentary evidence that he was employed at the Portuguese embassy in Rome
in 1542, but he soon returned to Portugal, and we find him at court again in 1548 and 1551. The date of his death, as of his birth, is uncertain.
Such is the story accepted by Teófilo Braga
, but Delfim Guimarães shows that the first part is doubtful, and, putting aside the testimony of a contemporary and grave writer, Diogo do Couto
, he even denies the title of poet to Christovão Falcão, arguing from internal and other evidence that Chrisfal is the work of Bernardim Ribeiro; his destructive criticism is, however, stronger than his constructive work. The eclogue, with its 1005 verses, is the very poem of saudade
, and its simple, direct language and chaste and tender feeling, enshrined in exquisitely sounding verses, has won for its author lasting fame and a unique position in Portuguese literature. Its influence on later poets has been very considerable, and Camões used several of the verses as proverbs.
The poetical works of Christovão Falcão were published anonymously, owing, it is supposed, to their personal nature and allusions, and, in part or in whole, they have been often reprinted. The is a critical edition of Chrisfal and A Carta (the letter) by Epiphandro da Silva Dias under the title Obras de Christovão Falcão, (Porto, 1893), and one of the Cantigas Esparsas by the same scholar appeared in the Revista Lusitana (vol. 4, pp. 142-f 79, Lisbon, 1896), under the name Fragmento de um Cancioneiro do Século XV. The Trovas de Chrisfal, in what appears to be the earliest known version, consists of 1015 verses. This text, though known earlier, was finally edited in 1995 (by Rip Cohen), all previous editions having been based on the edition of Ferrara
.
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, that came of a noble family settled at Portalegre in the Alentejo, which had originated with John Falcon or Falconet, one of the Englishmen
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
who went to Portugal in 1386 in the suite of Philippa of Lancaster
Philippa of Lancaster
Philippa of Lancaster, LG was a Queen consort of Portugal. Born into the royal family of England, her marriage with King John I secured the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance and produced several famous children who became known as the "Illustrious Generation" in Portugal...
. His father, João Vaz de Almada Falcão, was an upright public servant who had held the captaincy of Elmina
Elmina
Elmina, is a town in the Central Region, situated on a south-facing bay on the Atlantic Ocean coast of Ghana, about 12 km west of Cape Coast...
on the West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
n coast, but died, as he had lived, a poor man.
There is a tradition that in boyhood Christovão fell in love with a beautiful child and rich heiress, D.
Don (honorific)
Don, from Latin dominus, is an honorific in Spanish , Portuguese , and Italian . The female equivalent is Doña , Dona , and Donna , abbreviated "Dª" or simply "D."-Usage:...
Maria Brandão, and in 1526 married her clandestinely, but parental opposition prevented the ratification of the marriage. Family pride, it is said, drove the father of Christovão to keep his son under strict surveillance in his own house for five years, while the lady's parents, objecting to the youth's small means, put her into the Cistercian convent of Lorvão
Lorvão
Lorvão is a parish in Penacova Municipality, Portugal....
, and there endeavoured to wean her heart from him by the accusation that he coveted her fortune more than her person. Their arguments and the promise of a good match ultimately prevailed, and in 1534 D. Maria left the convent to marry D. Luís de Silva, captain of Tangier
Tangier
Tangier, also Tangiers is a city in northern Morocco with a population of about 700,000 . It lies on the North African coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel...
, while the broken-hearted Christovão told his sad story in some beautiful lyrics and particularly in the eclogue Chrisfal.
He had been the disciple and friend of the poets Bernardim Ribeiro
Bernardim Ribeiro
Bernardim Ribeiro was a Portuguese poet and writer. His father, Damião Ribeiro, was implicated in the conspiracy against John II of Portugal...
and Francisco de Sá de Miranda
Francisco de Sá de Miranda
Francisco de Sá de Miranda was a Portuguese poet of the Renaissance.-Life:Sá de Miranda was the son of a canon of Coimbra belonging to the ancient and noble family of Sa...
, and when his great disappointment came, Falcão laid aside poetry and entered on a diplomatic career. There is documentary evidence that he was employed at the Portuguese embassy in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in 1542, but he soon returned to Portugal, and we find him at court again in 1548 and 1551. The date of his death, as of his birth, is uncertain.
Such is the story accepted by Teófilo Braga
Teófilo Braga
Joaquim Teófilo Fernandes Braga ]] 24 February 1843 – 28 January 1924) was a Portuguese writer, playwright, politician and the leader of the Republican Provisional Government after the abdication of King Manuel II, as well as the second elected President of the First Portuguese Republic, following...
, but Delfim Guimarães shows that the first part is doubtful, and, putting aside the testimony of a contemporary and grave writer, Diogo do Couto
Diogo do Couto
Diogo de Couto was a portuguese historian.-Biography:He was born in Lisbon in 1542 and studied Latin and Rhetoric at Saint Antão College and philosophy at the convent at Benfica...
, he even denies the title of poet to Christovão Falcão, arguing from internal and other evidence that Chrisfal is the work of Bernardim Ribeiro; his destructive criticism is, however, stronger than his constructive work. The eclogue, with its 1005 verses, is the very poem of saudade
Saudade
Saudade ) is a unique Galician-Portuguese word that has no immediate translation in English. Saudade describes a deep emotional state of nostalgic longing for an absent something or someone that one loves. It often carries a repressed knowledge that the object of longing might never return...
, and its simple, direct language and chaste and tender feeling, enshrined in exquisitely sounding verses, has won for its author lasting fame and a unique position in Portuguese literature. Its influence on later poets has been very considerable, and Camões used several of the verses as proverbs.
The poetical works of Christovão Falcão were published anonymously, owing, it is supposed, to their personal nature and allusions, and, in part or in whole, they have been often reprinted. The is a critical edition of Chrisfal and A Carta (the letter) by Epiphandro da Silva Dias under the title Obras de Christovão Falcão, (Porto, 1893), and one of the Cantigas Esparsas by the same scholar appeared in the Revista Lusitana (vol. 4, pp. 142-f 79, Lisbon, 1896), under the name Fragmento de um Cancioneiro do Século XV. The Trovas de Chrisfal, in what appears to be the earliest known version, consists of 1015 verses. This text, though known earlier, was finally edited in 1995 (by Rip Cohen), all previous editions having been based on the edition of Ferrara
Ferrara
Ferrara is a city and comune in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital city of the Province of Ferrara. It is situated 50 km north-northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream of the Po River, located 5 km north...
.