Diego José Abad y García
Encyclopedia
Diego José Abad y García (June 1, 1727, La Lagunita, near Jiquilpan
(Michoacán
)—September 30, 1779, Bologna
, Italy) was a Jesuit poet and translator in New Spain
and Italy
.
In 1767, at the time of the expulsion of the Jesuits from New Spain, he was rector of the seminary of San Francisco Xavier in Querétaro. He left the colony for Italy. He lived initially in Ferrara, and later in Bologna.
. He translated part of the Aeneid
of Virgil
into Castilian verse, and also Virgil's eighth Eclogue. In 1775 he wrote Cursus philosophicus (Philosophical Course) (four volumes).
His most important work is the didactic poem De Deo heroica carmina, which was begun in Querétaro and finished in Italy. It is written in Latin hexameter, in a strong style. It is divided into two parts, a Suma theologica and a life of Christ. The poem was published under various titles, and the second edition at least, under a pseudonym. The first edition was published with 29 cantos at Cádiz in 1769, the second at Venice in 1773, and the third at Ferrera in 1775. The definitive edition, in 43 cantos, was published posthumously at Cesana in 1780. The poem found many admirers.
Benjamín Fernández Valenzuela translated the work into Spanish in 1974, under the title Poema heroico. He wrote "The Poema heroico is the song of a new man who scrutinizes his history... and finds in his own time a sign of eternity."
Other works of Abad y García include:
He died in 1779 in Bologna.
Jiquilpan
Jiquilpan is a municipality in the Mexican state of Michoacán...
(Michoacán
Michoacán
Michoacán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 113 municipalities and its capital city is Morelia...
)—September 30, 1779, Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
, Italy) was a Jesuit poet and translator in New Spain
New Spain
New Spain, formally called the Viceroyalty of New Spain , was a viceroyalty of the Spanish colonial empire, comprising primarily territories in what was known then as 'América Septentrional' or North America. Its capital was Mexico City, formerly Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Biography
Abad y García studied letters and philosophy at the College of San Ildefonso. In 1741 he entered the Company of Jesus (Jesuits), becoming a teacher of rhetoric, philosophy, canon law and civil law in seminaries of the order in Mexico City, Zacatecas and Querétaro.In 1767, at the time of the expulsion of the Jesuits from New Spain, he was rector of the seminary of San Francisco Xavier in Querétaro. He left the colony for Italy. He lived initially in Ferrara, and later in Bologna.
Works
In 1750 he wrote Rasgo descriptivo de la fábrica y grandezas del templo de la Compañía de Jesús en Zacatecas (Descriptive flourish of the fabrication and grandeur of the Church of the Company of Jesus in Zacatecas), in eight-line stanzas in the manner of Luis de GóngoraLuis de Góngora
Luis de Góngora y Argote was a Spanish Baroque lyric poet. Góngora and his lifelong rival, Francisco de Quevedo, are widely considered to be the most prominent Spanish poets of their age. His style is characterized by what was called culteranismo, also known as Gongorism...
. He translated part of the Aeneid
Aeneid
The Aeneid is a Latin epic poem, written by Virgil between 29 and 19 BC, that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Romans. It is composed of roughly 10,000 lines in dactylic hexameter...
of Virgil
Virgil
Publius Vergilius Maro, usually called Virgil or Vergil in English , was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He is known for three major works of Latin literature, the Eclogues , the Georgics, and the epic Aeneid...
into Castilian verse, and also Virgil's eighth Eclogue. In 1775 he wrote Cursus philosophicus (Philosophical Course) (four volumes).
His most important work is the didactic poem De Deo heroica carmina, which was begun in Querétaro and finished in Italy. It is written in Latin hexameter, in a strong style. It is divided into two parts, a Suma theologica and a life of Christ. The poem was published under various titles, and the second edition at least, under a pseudonym. The first edition was published with 29 cantos at Cádiz in 1769, the second at Venice in 1773, and the third at Ferrera in 1775. The definitive edition, in 43 cantos, was published posthumously at Cesana in 1780. The poem found many admirers.
Benjamín Fernández Valenzuela translated the work into Spanish in 1974, under the title Poema heroico. He wrote "The Poema heroico is the song of a new man who scrutinizes his history... and finds in his own time a sign of eternity."
Other works of Abad y García include:
- Compendio de álgebra
- Tratado del conocimiento de Dios (in Italian)
- Geografía hidrográfica (about notable rivers of the world)
- De Livino Meyer, el alma y su inclusión in the pequeñez del cuerpo
- El embrollado problema de las matemáticas resuelto
- Dissertación cómico seria acerca de la cultura Latina de los extranjeros
- Himnos del oficio de San Felipe de Jesús
He died in 1779 in Bologna.