Don Quixote de la Mancha

DON QUIXOTE DE LA MANCHA

by Antonio C. Antonio

August 6, 2014

Literary critics argue that there are but a few novels in the class of “Huckleberry Finn” of Mark Twain and “The Three Musketeers” by Alexander Dumas.  Arguably, one such novel is Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra’s “El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha” (The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha).

“Don Quixote de la Mancha” is the fictional story of a man named Alonso Quixano who loved reading chivalry-related novels.  Totally influenced by the novels he read, he rode his horse, Rocinante, and together with a simple farmer named Sancho Panza, set out on a journey to save the world.  Wearing his armour and lance in hand, Don Quixote is best remembered for fighting windmills which he imagined were evil monsters.  Needless to say, their chivalrous exploits only brought Don Quixote and Sancho Panza tons of misfortunes and embarrassment to a point that they were even thought to be mentally impaired.

In the world of music, the novel Don Quixote de la Mancha inspired the making of the song “The Impossible Dream”.  Composed by Mitch Leigh with the lyrics written by Joe Darion, the song was easily the most popular song in the Broadway musical “Man of La Mancha.”  “The Impossible Dream” was also the theme song of the 1972 movie “Man of La Mancha”.  When Martial Law was declared in the Philippines in the same year (1972), “The Impossible Dream” became popular among the political opposition to the dictator, Ferdinand E. Marcos, including Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr.  Martial Law is likened to the Spanish Inquisition.  It will be noted that “The Impossible dream”, after the songs “Bayan Ko” and “Tie a Yellow Ribbon”, were the favourite songs commonly played during the EDSA Revolution in February 1986 and the many rallies that followed after the assassination of Ninoy Aquino on August 21, 1983 (leading up to the EDSA Revolution).

THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM (Mitch Leigh / Joe Darion)

To dream the impossible dream

To fight the unbeatable foe

To bear the unbearable sorrow

To run where the brave dare not go

To right the unrightable wrong

To love pure and chaste from afar

To try when your arms are too weary

To reach the unreachable star

This is my quest

To follow that star

No matter how hopeless

No matter how far

To fight for the right

Without question or pause

To be willing to march into hell

For a heavenly cause

And I know if I’ll only be true

To this glorious quest

That my heart will lie peaceful and calm

When I’m laid to my rest

And the world will be better for this

That one man, scorned and covered with scars

Still strove with his last ounce of courage

To reach the unreachable star

“The Impossible Dream” may well be the song for the environmentalists in our midst.  Their quest, seemingly impossible, can be likened to the trials and tribulations of Don Quixote de la Mancha.

Just my little thoughts…

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