cuentos de barro - DSpace Universidad Don Bosco

el PaDre
La iglesia del pueblo era pesada,
musgosa y muda como una tumba.
Detrás estaba el convento, encerrado
entre tapiales, con su gran arboleda
sombría; con su corredor de ladrillo
colorado; de tejado bajero, sostenido
por un pilar, otro pilar, otro pilar...;
pilares sin esquinas, embasados 212 en
pie dra tallada y pintados de un antiguo
color.
El patio era de un barro blanco y barrido,
propicio a las hojas secas. Las sombras
y las luces de las hojas ponían agüita en
el suelo; en aquel suelo pelón lleno de
paz, por el cual pasaban, gritonas, las
gallinas gui neas
Largo era el corredor: la mesa, el
kinké 213 , una silla, un sofá, un barril, una
destiladera, un viejo camarín, unos
postes durmiendo; otra silla, la hamaca,
el cuadro bíblico; un cajón; un burro
con una montura; un freno colgado de
un clavo 216 y al final, ya para salir a las
gradas, unos manojos de pasto verde,
el picadero y la cutacha 217 . Después
212. RAE: embasamiento. (Del it. imbasamento).1. m. Arq. Basa larga y continuada sobre la que estriba
todo el edificio o parte de él.
213. RAE: quinqué. (Del fr. Quinquet, nombre del primer fabricante de esta clase de lámparas). 1. m.
Lámpara de mesa alimentada con petróleo y provista de un tubo de cristal que resguarda la llama.
214. A lamp using an Argand burner. The Encyclopædia Britannica defines it as “the first scientifically
constructed oil lamp, patented in 1784 in England by a Swiss, Aimé Argand. The first basic change in
lamps in thousands of years, it applied a principle that was later adapted to gas burners. The Argand
burner consisted of a cylindrical wick housed between two concentric metal tubes. The inner tube
provided a passage through which air rose into the centre to support combustion on the inner surface
of the cylindrical flame in addition to that on the outer surface. A glass chimney increased the draft,
allowing more complete burning of the oil.”
215. SpanishDict: Place behind an altar where the images are dressed, and the ornaments destined for
that purpose are kept.
216. RAE: freno. (Del lat. frēnum). 2. m. Instrumento de hierro que se compone de embocadura, camas y
barbada, y sirve para sujetar y gobernar las caballerías.
217. Machete o a veces es más corto.
128
THe PrIeST
The town’s church was heavy, mossy
and mute, like a tomb. The convent was
behind the church enclosed inside mudwalls
with shadowy trees, its corridors
of red bricks. A low roof was held up by
a pillar, and another pillar and another
pillar… pillars without corners, their
plinths were made of carved stone and
painted an ancient color.
The backyard, of white clay, was swept
often because it was susceptible to the
dry falling leaves. The shadows and the
lights of the leaves made it look as if
there was water on the ground; on that
bare ground full of peace pierced by
the noisy guinea hens passing by.
Placed in the long corridor were a
table, an Argand lamp 214 , a chair, a sofa,
a barrel, a vessel for distillation, an old
closet, 215 some sleeping posts; another
chair, a hammock, a bible stand; a chest;
a donkey with a saddle; a bit hanging
from a nail, and finally, on the way out
to the stairs, some bales of green hay, a
scythe and a machete. Just beyond, the