Resumen de Dimitrie Cantemir y Miguel de Cervantes. Retratos en espejo
- español
Los dos protagonistas, el principe-literato rumano Dimitrie Cantemir y el escritor español Miguel de Cervantes, representan figuras de primera importancia en sus respectivos países. Las autoridades se encargan, de forma más o menos sentida, de rendirles homenaje en fechas señaladas. El presente ensayo se aleja del mito oficial construido en torno a los personajes vistos como símbolos nacionales o como temas de estudio académico y se acerca a ellos en tanto que seres humanos, en un intento de destacar las coincidencias entre las dos biografías. Una empresa arriesgada, puesto que a priori, todo parece separar a nuestros escritores: la época, el país de nacimiento, la educación, el recorrido vital, la fama que les ha reservado la posteridad. A pesar de ello, un hilo común surge con fuerza, uniéndolos indefectiblemente: su profundo humanismo, su mirada compasiva hacia un mundo autodestructivo, su capacidad de superación, su tolerancia y su deseo de tender puentes de conocimiento y comprensión entre personas, culturas, sociedades y costumbres divergentes. A partir de ahí, nace y se va construyendo tímidamente esta breve presentación en espejo de Cantemir (al que pocos conocen, en España) y Cervantes (al que bastantes aún leen, en Rumanía). Entrar en las vidas excepcionales de estos dos modelos humanos ha constituido una experiencia interior apasionante.
Espero que los lectores compartan conmigo la alegría de este viaje especial
- English
Both the Romanian erudite-prince Dimitrie Cantemir and the Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes represent very important figures for their countries, with officials invoking their names on important dates or as part of official inaugurations. This essay goes beyond the cold, official myth built around the two characters, perceived as national symbols or as a topic for academic study, and attempts to get closer to them, analyzing them subjectively as people with feelings, failures, dares, aspirations. This essay attempts to show the commonalities in their trajectories. This is a risky venture as, a priori, the two writers could not seem more distinct: the eras they lived in, their nationalities, education, the trajectories of their lives and the fame that posterity had in store for them, were all different. Despite all these differences, however, theirs is a common path that inevitably unites them: a deep humanity, a sympathy for the self-destructive world in which they were forced to live, a capacity for self improvement, tolerance, and above all, their desire to build bridges of knowledge and communication among peoples, cultures, societies and customs with ostensibly no chance of reconciliation. This short presentation reflecting on Prince Cantemir (who few people know in Spain) and the writer Cervantes (who many people still read in Romania) is based on these fundamental commonalities. Investigating the exceptional lives of these two paradigms of humanity was a meaningful exercise for me; I hope to share with the readers the joy of this special journey
