“To a man with a big nose”: a new translation

The famous Spanish poet Francisco de Quevedo y Villegas (Madrid, 1580 – Villanueva de los Infantes, 1645) studied humanities at the renowned University of Alcalá and later served as a courtier, holding various positions as diplomat and adviser to several powerful men in early seven-teenth century Spain.

The sonnet “A un hombre de gran nariz” is widely believed to be dedi-cated to his literary rival, poet Luis de Góngora, and is still regarded as one of the best examples of Quevedo’s prowess as a satirical poet. Quevedo, who, together with Gracián, led the literary movement known as Concepti-smo, authored other sonnets attacking Góngora, although no other poems focus on a physical trait.