MIGUEL DE GUEVARA: BIOGRAPHY AND WORKS - ARTE - 2025

Miguel de Guevara (1585-1646) was a poet, philologist and friar from New Spain who belonged to the Order of San Agustín. There are few data on his life, however it is known that he was interested in the study of Native American languages.

The doctrinal art and general way to learn the Matlazinga language is among the most representative works written by the fray. Although his mastery of letters is known, for many years it has been questioned that he was the one who wrote the sonnet No me mover, mi Dios, para quererte, one of the most important of the sixteenth century.

The Crucified Christ by Diego Velázquez, based on the sonnet to Christ Crucified by Miguel de Guevara. Source: Diego Velázquez, via Wikimedia Commons

Fray Miguel de Guevara also dedicated himself to teaching the indigenous people of America about the Christian religion. Also during his work as a priest, he held important positions within the ecclesiastical institution, as well as dedicated himself to various missionary tasks.

Biography

Birth and family

The data on the life of Miguel de Guevara lack precision, perhaps because it has not been sufficiently studied. It is known that he was born in New Spain, specifically in the Mexican territory of Michoacán in 1585. His father was named Diego de Peredo Suárez, and he was a relative of Hernán Cortés.

Guevara's Education

Miguel de Guevara's years of educational training may have passed in his hometown, because it was his place of residence. Later, in his younger years, he entered the Order of Saint Augustine and was ordained as a friar between 1610 and 1611.

Offices held as ecclesiastical

After being ordained as an Augustinian friar, Guevara held several important positions within the Church. He was a councilor in the town of Tiripitío and later became in charge of the Charo monastery. He was also assigned to be an inspector of the town of San Nicolás Tolentino de Michoacán.

Guevara and his relationship with the indigenous community

Fray Miguel de Guevara became interested in the indigenous communities of New Spain. As a priest he could have carried out various missionary tasks, and he was also a student of the languages ​​of the Indians, such as Tarascan and Nahuatl. He also learned to speak Mexican and Matlatzinca.

Death of Fray Miguel de Guevara

Fray Miguel de Guevara was dedicated until the end of his days at the service of the Church and those most in need, taking his role as a religious very seriously. As for his death, it is known that it occurred in Michoacán, Mexico, in 1646, but no day or month has been specified.

Plays

With the works of Fray Miguel de Guevara, the same happened as with his life, the data are scarce. It is known that he wrote Doctrinal Art and General Way to Learn the Matlazinga Language (1638), and that there he included the sonnet Christ crucified. However said, the poem had already been circulating for years in other publications.

The sonnet To Christ Crucified was also known as It does not move me, my God, to love you. Some investigations affirmed that it could be written by Antonio de Rojas in his Life of the Spirit, since it appeared in Spain in 1628, ten years before the publication of Miguel de Guevara.

-Short description of his work

Doctrinal art and general way to learn the Matlazinga language

This work is the best known of Miguel de Guevara. Its content was based both on the teaching of the Matlazinga vocabulary and on topics related to devotion to Christ, the end of human life and the speed with which time passes.

The writing consisted of three poems of his authorship, and also six more whose author is not determined. Those verses that were believed to be anonymous were later assigned to various authors, including Spanish, New Spain, and Portuguese.

The titles of those anonymous poems were:

- “Did God die? Yeah true? True". It was a tenth that was published in 1619, in Madrid, by Bishop Juan de Horozco y Covarrubias.

- "Time flies like thought." Its author was Juan de Horozco y Covarrubias, it was published in the Spanish city of Segovia in 1589.

- "Ask me about myself, time counts." This poem became known in Portugal and Spain many years before Guevara published it in his central work.

- "It doesn't move me, my God, to love you."

- In relation to the remaining poems, scholars have argued that the form and style are not related to those of the Novo-Hispanic friar.

-Later publication

In 1859 Guevara's work was delivered to the Society of Geography and Statistics, and the institution was commissioned to publish it in 1862, but incompletely. Later, the Mexican researcher and professor Alberto María Carreño was in charge of bringing it to light based on the original.

Carreño's work left its mark within Mexican literature, especially in terms of the award of No me moves… The Mexican maintained that the poem was written by Guevara, and perhaps for that reason subsequent publications included it as if it were from its authorship.

Fragments of

"This heavenly crown, formed

of the supreme eternal wisdom

with which you are worthily crowned

Unsurpassed Virgin, Most Holy Mary, a soul that you have very obligated

with divine favors, he sends you

begging you that on the ground

you give him so much that he can see you in heaven ”.

"Already, my son, you are raised

although rough and labrador;

I could not raise you better, which is my very appraised flow ”.

“You are in great danger, dear son, of which you leave me with your misgivings, because you are going to imitate your wits

and to be a conqueror and a daring man ”.

-In relation to the sonnet "

Although this sonnet has been the subject of debate because of its authorship, several authors have incorporated it into their anthologies as if Miguel de Guevara were the author. Among some of them were: Antonio Castro Leal, Víctor Adib, Octavio Paz, Salvador Novo and Juan Domingo Argüelles.

Fragment

"It does not move me, my God, to love you

the sky that you have promised me

nor does hell move me so feared

to stop offending you.

You move me, Lord, move me to see you

nailed to a cross and mocked, move me to see your body so hurt, … Finally, move your love to me in such a way ”.

References

1. Miguel de Guevara. (2019). Spain: Wikipedia. Recovered from: es.wikipedia.org.
2. Right, Gabriel. (2017). The poetry of the manuscript of Fray Miguel de Guevara and the sonnet It does not move me, my God, to love you. Mexico: New Journal of Hispanic Philology. Recovered from: nrfh.colmex.mx.
3. Fray Miguel de Guevara. (2006). Mexico: Literature II. Recovered from: alo.com.mx, tripod.com.
4. Maura Ocampo, A. (1988). Dictionary of Mexican writers, 20th century: A-CH. Mexico: Books Google. Recovered from: books.google.com.ar.
5. Skinfill Nogal, B.; Gómez Bravo, E. (2002). The dimensions of emblematic art. (N / A): Books Google. Recovered from: books.google.com.ar.