Cuentos De La Alhambra, De Washington Irving. Traducidos Por D. L. L. Libreria De Mallen Y Berard. 1833.
Tales of the Alhambra by Washington Irving. Translated by D. L. L. Mallen and Berard's Bookstore. 1833.
VERY RARE FIRST EDITION IN SPANISH OF WASHINGTON IRVING'S MAGNUM OPUS, THE ALHAMBRA
The Alhambra is a series of tales and sketches of the Moors and Spaniards which was first published in May 1832 in the United States by publishers Lea & Carey and simultaneously in England by Henry Colburn, and attributed to "Geoffrey Crayon".
In 1833, José Ferrer de Orga printed the first Spanish edition of Washington Irving's Tales of the Alhambra, translated by "D. L. L". There are three different variations of this first edition as noted bibliographically. Pedro Salvá y Mallén clarified these variations, attributing the translation to Luis Lamarca and mentioning financial involvement from Salvá's father.
The Spanish edition contains eight stories, translated by Lamarca, covering only 26% of Irving's original work. Lamarca's translation choices have sparked debate, with some critics alleging poor translation quality. Differences between Lamarca's version and other translations from French and English have been noted. Critics like John de Lancey Ferguson criticised Lamarca's alterations, viewing them as a departure from Irving's intent and sometimes a concession to local sentiments or personal preference.
While some critiques highlight Lamarca's omissions and alterations compared to the source text, others find his version acceptable within the context of Romantic translation practices. The Romantics often blurred the line between translation and creation, using translation as a means of literary expression. Editors of this era prioritised introducing foreign ideas and culture rather than strict fidelity to the original text, seeking charm and entertainment value rather than perfect accuracy. Lamarca's translation of The Alhambra aligns with this editorial approach, focusing on the appeal of the subject and narrative rather than strict fidelity to the source material.
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As stated by Villoria (1998: 237-239), the first variant reads: Tales from the Alhambra by Washington Irving, translated by DLL, Librería de Mallén y Berard, in front of San Martín. In another, the imprint reads: Imprenta de J. Ferrer de Orga, Valencia 1833. In the third variant, Cuentos de la Alhambra, Valencia, Librería de Mallén y Berard. And on a fourth French printed variant, Tales from the Alhambra, by Washington Irving, translated by DLL , Paris, Librería Hispano-Americana, Calle de Richelieu, no. 60, 1833.
The example we have here for sale is clearly the third variant with the title page imprint reading 'Cuentos de la Alhambra, Valencia, Libreria de Mallen y Berard.' It is very rare and we could not trace any auction records of this Spanish first edition.
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Provenance:
Ink ownership inscription signed, and dated 1841.
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Size: 80 x 116 x 16 mm (approx.)
Condition:
[frontis, engraved title page, half title, title, 3pp., 248pp.]
Spine lightly rubbed with wear to the tooled label. Both boards attached with rubbed joints and hinges starting. Boards with minor scuffing and rubbing. Shelf and edge wear. Very minor dulling to page edges. Pen inscription to the reverse of the frontispiece. Frontispiece and engraved title page foxed. Text block very clean with very sporadic very minor foxing. Collated as complete according to the copy held at the National Library of Spain [R/37794].
[OCLC 754825976; BDH R/37794].
