An unpublished poem by Pedro Soto de Rojas: Alphaeus and Arethusa's fable

Abstract

In January 1920, Gerardo Diego wrote an essay –which would never be published– about a handwritten poem from the 17th century which he called Fábula de Alfeo y Aretusa. This long mythological fable –consisting of more than 900 lines– is very gongorine, as Gerardo Diego had already pointed out. It is a silva composed of magnificent lines, which indicates that the author is a great poet, fan of Góngora. Thanks to the utmost care of Elena Diego and to the efforts of Pureza Canelo, the essay and the copy came back, digitalized, to the place where Gerardo Diego read and transcribed them for the first time: the Menéndez y Pelayo Library. In the present paper, I tell this curious story, with a very happy ending; and outline, taking into consideration some of the evidences available, the argument that makes possible to prove clearly that Pedro Soto de Rojas is the author of this unknown lyrical narrative of the story of Aretusa.