| Ortografía original ~ Publicado en Nueva York, 1901 ~ [1]
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Capítulo Primero.
Era el domingo 20 de Octubre de 1805. El día se había ataviado de su más brillante esplendor. La muralla gualda que circunda á Cádiz, como un arco de oro, se hallaba llena de gentes que tendían sus miradas hacia la bahía; pero sus semblantes abatidos y sus labios silenciosos contrastaban con el alegre azul del cielo.
Las escuadras combinadas salían del puerto. Las velas hinchadas de esperanza y denuedo, los ligeros y gallardos pabellones, don precioso de la patria, que llevaban como penacho, hacía que se asemejasen estos buques á caballeros armados, marchando para un torneo con pasos lentos mesurados y orgullosos. El mar centelleaba con los vivos rayos del sol. Un viento fresco y ligero acariciaba como un niño su brillante superficie; el cielo estaba puro y sereno, como si jamás debiera estar manchado y turbado por la tempestad.
En el balcón de una de las casas del hermoso barrio de San Carlos, se hallaba una mujer con los ojos fijos en el mar surcado por los navíos. De tiempo en tiempo un cañonazo interrumpía el silencio de esta grandiosa escena, de estos solemnes momentos que preparaban á la historia una de sus más fúnebremente brillantes páginas. Las bocas de bronce decían ¡adiós! ¡Adiós, amada! a la joven que encerrada en su estancia torcía con angustia sus blancas manos. ¡Adiós, amigos y compatricios! á los que, reunidos para verlos salir, los seguían con sus miradas, sus votos y sus esperanzas, ¡Adiós, patria! á la tierra que quizás no volverían a pisar; y á aquella mujer solitaria é inmóvil en su balcón, le decían ¡adiós, Madre!!!
Á pesar de la apacibilidad del día, los expertos marinos españoles previeron la próxima tempestad. Los generales Gravina y Álava hicieron presentes sus observaciones al almirante francés Villeneuve, comandante en jefe de las escuadras combinadas.
"Todas las circunstancias lo resisten, — dice en el sermón que en las honras fúnebres del general Gravina predicó el doctor Ruíz y Román - todas las circunstancias lo resisten: Gravina las ve, pronostica un desastre, mil muertes se ofrecen á su vista, más excediendo á su propio juicio su obediencia, contesta cual otro Macabeo: Lejos de mí la fuga ni algún temor cobarde; si es llegado el término á mi vida, moriré con valor, y sin manchar mi gloria."
Villeneuve insistió. Sabía que iba á ser destituido por Bonaparte; pocos momentos le quedaban de mando, y quiso aprovecharlos para vencer ó morir.
¡Cuántas lágrimas y cuánta sangre costó ese desesperado proyecto! Proyecto heróico, si hubiese sido individual.
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Chapter I.
It was Sunday the 20th of October 1805. The day was adorned in its most brilliant splendor. The yellow wall which surrounded Cádiz — like a golden bow — was filled with people who steadfastly gazed in the direction of the bay, but their dejected looks and silent lips were in contrast with the joyful azure of the sky.
The combined fleets were sailing out of the harbor. The sails inflated with hope and courage, the light and graceful flags — the country's precious gift — which they carried like a plume, made these vessels appear like armed men, marching to a tournament with slow measured and proud steps. The sea scintillated with the bright rays of the sun. A cool and light breeze caressed its glistening surface as if it were a child; the sky was pure and serene as if it was never to be darkened and disturbed by tempests.
On the balcony of one of the houses, in the beautiful district of San Carlos, stood a woman with her eyes fixed upon the sea which was furrowed by the ships. From time to time the report of a cannon disturbed the silence of this splendid scene, of those solemn moments which were preparing for history one of its most sorrowfully brilliant pages. The brazen mouths exclaimed, "Farewell! Farewell! beloved!" to the young maiden who closeted in her room wrung her fair hands in agony. "Farewell friends and countrymen!" to those who, gathered together to see them depart, followed them with their gaze, their supplications and their hopes. "Farewell, dear Countiy!" to the land which they would perhaps not return to press, and to that mother, solitary and motionless on her balcony they cried out, "Farewell Mother!"
Notwithstanding the peacefulness of the day, the experienced Spanish sailors foresaw the approaching tempest. Generals Gravina and Álava stated their observations to the French Admiral Villeneuve —Commander-in-chief of the combined fleets.
"All the circumstances are opposed to it," says Doctor Ruíz y Román in the oration which he delivered at the funeral obsequies of General Gravina; "all the circumstances are opposed to it;" Gravina sees them, foretells a disaster; the vision of a thousand dead presents itself to him, but his obedience overcoming his own judgment, this other Maccabee replies: "Far from me be flight or cowardly fear; if my time to die is come, I shall die bravely and without blot on my name."
Villeneuve insisted. He knew that he was about to be dismissed by Bonaparte; few moments of command were left to him, and he wished to turn them to account by either conquering or dying.
How many tears and how much blood this desperate project cost! — a heroic project had it been confined to one individual.
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Notas ~ Notes
Había ataviado, had embellished.
La muralla gualda, the yellow wall.
Que tendían sus miradas hacia la bahía, who directed their glances towards the bay.
Pero sus semblantes abatidos, but their dejected looks.
Las velas hinchadas de esperanza y denuedo, the sails inflated with hope and courage.
Los ligeros y gallardos pabellones, the light and graceful colors (flags).
Don precioso de la patria, precious gifts from the father-land.
Que llevaban como penacho, which they carried as a plume.
Hacía que se asemejasen estos buques, made these vessels appear like.
Pasos lentos, mesurados y orgullosos, slow, measured and proud steps.
El mar centelleaba con los vivos rayos del sol, the sea sparkled with the bright rays of the sun.
Jamás debiera estar manchado y turbado por la tempestad, was never to be darkened and disturbed by the tempest.
Surcado por los navíos, ploughed (tracked) by the ships.
De tiempo en tiempo un cañonazo, from time to time a cannon shot. (The suffix azo, when applied to nouns such as bastón (cane) sable (sabre) cañón (cannon) etc., means a blow struck, as: from bastón, bastonazo; from sable, sablazo; from cañón, cañonazo, etc. Cortina's, Spanish in Twenty Lessons, page 217, note 3.
Que encerrada en su estancia torcía, who closeted in her room wrung (twisted).
Gravina. As a proof of how this distinguished General was thought of even by his enemies, we copy from The London Chronicle of March 15th, 1806, five months after that glorious battle:
"We regret to hear that the brave and gallant Admiral Gravina is dead. His friends had for a long time entertained the hope of his recovery, but, unfortunately, these hopes have met with disappointment."
"With Gravina, Spain loses the most expert commander of its navy, and a sailor under whom its fleets, though sometimes defeated, always fought in a manner which deserves the praise of its enemies."
The Paris "Journal de L'Empire," January 19th, 1806, says referring to Admiral Gravina, as follows:
It has not been decided to amputate his arm, that arm he knew how to use so well, for the honor of our flag, and as an example to our navy."
Don Ignacio Álava, born in Vitoria, Spain, in 1750, entered the Spanish Navy in 1766, and occupied different important offices, especially in Chili and the Philippines. When a general, he took part in the battle of Trafalgar, commanding the ship Santa Ana, where he was three times seriously wounded. He died in 1817, then an Admiral.
M. Pierre Charles de Villeneuve, French Rear-Admiral, born in 1763, distinguished himself, and in 1804 was chosen by Napoleón to prepare the expedition against England. He sailed from Toulon in 1805, and in Cádiz he joined the fleet of Gravina. Pursued by Nelson, he took refuge in Martinique. Hurriedly retuming from the West Indies, and not daring to direct himself to England, as he was ordered to do by the Emperor, he went to Cádiz, Spain. His conduct, which was judged in different ways, caused the plans of the Emperor to fail. Villeneuve, fearing punishment, and so as to regain favor, offered Nelson the fatal battle of Trafalgar, 1805, where he was taken prisoner. After gaining his liberty in 1806, he went sadly to Paris, but after reaching Rennes, he became despondent and rather than confront Napoleon, committed suicide.
Lejos de mí la fuga ni algún temor cobarde, far from me be flight or cowardly fear.
Y sin manchar, and without staining.