White hands do not offend

White hands do not offend is a farce of courtly loves by Pedro Calderón de la Barca.
This work plays with the limits of disguise and love entanglement in a palatine context. The protagonist Lisarda becomes Don César and César becomes Celia. Both pursue their respective belongings at Ursina’s court. The play closes when the protagonist refuses to duel with his aggressor to wash the honor, justifies the title that the white hands, of the woman, do not offend.
This work was one of the author’s most famous. It is known that it had a large number of representations, also numerous editions during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The first of these is according to Hartzenbuch from around 1640.

Day one

(Lisarda and Nise come out with cloaks, and Patacón, dressed on the road.)

Lisarda: When does your lord leave?

Patacón: In an hour he will leave.

Lisarda: I won’t know where it’s going?

Patacón: Even if he risked fear
of his anger, he would say it,
Namely, I promise you,
or for not keeping secret
or by fearing in a
your always haughty condition
that I am afraid, and not in vain,
When this white hand aquest,
As white as it is, it knocks me down
two or three molars even,
as if I had
Guilt in whether he leaves or not.

Lisarda: After the first absence,
that even today I complain alive,
Second absence prevents?

Patacón: What should we do to him, if he has
ambulative spirit?
He cannot stand.

Nise: For watch it was good.

Patacón: And although I condemn it more,
is to see so inclined
that, just to see,
from one land to another it passes,
Always out of your home.

Nise: Bad was for women.

Patacón: Well, I ask you nothing,
shut up, Nise; which is in vain
love my plainsong
throw the counterpoint yourself.

Nise: Well, what do I say?

Lisarda: Let
the two so foolish porfía,
How to see you every day
Opposite; which is foolishness
unbearable; and tell me (oh heaven!)
Where is Federico
now?

Patacón: While it goes
arranging my wakefulness
suitcases and posts, he
Left; I don’t know where it has gone.

Lisarda Well, since I’ve come to see him
where my sorrow crüel,
if any relief leaves me,
In view of forgetfulness so much,
without me knowing what crying is,
He came to know what complaint is.
Look for her and tell her that here
am.

Patacón I will look for it,
well where it is I don’t know.
But Fabio, who comes there,
Maybe he will.

Lisarda Although Fabio
It didn’t matter that he saw me,
and avenge in him could
with a grievance another grievance,
All in all, in the gallery
that falls on the Po, I wait for you
withdrawal; that I don’t want
give to my misery
another witness.

Patacón Stop!

Lisarda Why?

Patacón Because in this part
hide today or cover yourself up
It has a big drawback.

Lisarda And what is it?

Fragment of the work