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The Annotated Edition

FROM THE SPANISH OF CALDERON. by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Summary, meaning, line-by-line analysis & FAQ.

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This is Shelley's English translation of a scene from *El mágico prodigioso* ("The Wonder-Working Magician"), a religious drama by the Spanish Golden Age playwright Pedro Calderón de la Barca.

Poet
Percy Bysshe Shelley
Themes
doubt, faith, identity
The PoemFull text

FROM THE SPANISH OF CALDERON.

Percy Bysshe Shelley

[Published by Mrs. Shelley, “Posthumous Poems”, 1824; dated March, 1822. There is a transcript of Scene 1 among the Hunt manuscripts, which has been collated by Mr. Buxton Forman.] SCENE 1: ENTER CYPRIAN, DRESSED AS A STUDENT;

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

This is Shelley's English translation of a scene from *El mágico prodigioso* ("The Wonder-Working Magician"), a religious drama by the Spanish Golden Age playwright Pedro Calderón de la Barca. In this scene, the scholar Cyprian grapples with profound philosophical questions about God and existence. Shelley completed this translation during the last months of his life, captivated by Calderón's mix of intellectual boldness and spiritual depth.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. ENTER CYPRIAN, DRESSED AS A STUDENT;

    Editor's note

    The stage direction introduces Cyprian as a student, a costume choice that clearly indicates he is more of a seeker of knowledge than a man of action. From the moment he appears, Calderón (followed by Shelley) sets up the drama as an intellectual quest.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone feels earnest and introspective. In this short opening stage direction, you can sense a mind at work—someone stepping onto the stage not just in body but in thought. Shelley's translation embodies the same restless intellectual spirit that characterizes his original poetry.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

Student's dress
Cyprian's costume identifies him as someone committed to learning and rational thought. It establishes the main conflict of the drama: can pure intellect bring a person closer to God, or does it lead them off course?
The stage itself
In Calderón's tradition, the theatrical stage represents the world — *el gran teatro del mundo* (the great theatre of the world). To step onto the stage is to step into the arena of life's moral and spiritual challenges.
Cyprian's name
The name references Saint Cyprian of Antioch, a famous sorcerer who embraced Christianity. This hints at the spiritual journey the character is about to embark on.

§06Historical context

Historical context

Pedro Calderón de la Barca wrote *El mágico prodigioso* in 1637, during Spain's Golden Age of drama. The play tells the story of Saint Cyprian of Antioch, a pagan scholar who strikes a deal with the Devil in his quest for knowledge and love, only to ultimately embrace Christianity. In March 1822, just months before his tragic drowning in the Gulf of Spezia, Shelley translated parts of it while living in Italy, where he was deeply immersed in European literature. He saw Calderón as a kindred spirit—a writer who passionately explored ideas and presented them with vibrant theatricality. Mary Shelley published the translation posthumously in *Posthumous Poems* (1824). Shelley had previously translated scenes from Calderón and regarded the Spanish playwright as one of the great dramatic minds in world literature, alongside Dante and Shakespeare.

§07FAQ

Questions readers ask

It's Shelley's English translation of the opening of *El mágico prodigioso* (*The Wonder-Working Magician*), a full-length play by Spanish playwright Pedro Calderón de la Barca, written in 1637. Shelley translated only some scenes, not the entire play.

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