The Christmas Story From the Gospel of Luke in Spanish

The classic story of the first Christmas from the Gospel of Luke has enchanted readers for centuries. Here is that story from the traditional  Reina-Valera Spanish translation of the Bible, a translation whose cultural importance is comparable to that of the King James Version of the Bible in English and comes from the same era. Lukes Christmas account is one that many English readers will recognize as beginning with And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. Boldfaced words are explained in the vocabulary guide below. San Lucas 2:1-20 Acontecià ³ en aquellos dà ­as que salià ³ un edicto de parte de Cà ©sar Augusto, para levantar un censo de todo el mundo habitado. Este primer censo se realizà ³ mientras Cirenio era gobernador de Siria. Todos iban para inscribirse en el censo, cada uno a su ciudad. Entonces Josà © tambià ©n subià ³ desde Galilea, de la ciudad de Nazaret, a Judea, a la ciudad de David que se llama Belà ©n, porque à ©l era de la casa y de la familia de David, para inscribirse con Marà ­a, su esposa, quien estaba encinta. Acontecià ³ que, mientras ellos estaban allà ­, se cumplieron los dà ­as de su alumbramiento, y dio a luz a su hijo primogà ©nito. Le envolvià ³ en paà ±ales, y le acostà ³ en un pesebre, porque no habà ­a lugar para ellos en el mesà ³n. Habà ­a pastores en aquella regià ³n, que velaban y guardaban las vigilias de la noche sobre su rebaà ±o. Y un à ¡ngel del Seà ±or se presentà ³ ante ellos, y la gloria del Seà ±or los rodeà ³ resplandor; y temieron con gran temor. Pero el à ¡ngel les dijo: No temà ¡is, porque he aquà ­ os doy buenas nuevas de gran gozo, que serà ¡ para todo el pueblo: que hoy, en la ciudad de David, os ha nacido un Salvador, que es Cristo el Seà ±or. Y esto os servirà ¡ de seà ±al: Hallarà ©is al nià ±o envuelto en paà ±ales y acostado en un pesebre. De repente aparecià ³ con el à ¡ngel una multitud de las huestes celestiales, que alababan a Dios y decà ­an:  ¡Gloria a Dios en las alturas, y en la tierra paz entre los hombres de buena voluntad! Acontecià ³ que, cuando los à ¡ngeles se fueron de ellos al cielo, los pastores se decà ­an unos a otros: Pasemos ahora mismo hasta Belà ©n y veamos esto que ha sucedido, y que el Seà ±or nos ha dado a conocer. Fueron de prisa y hallaron a Marà ­a y a Josà ©, y al nià ±o acostado en el pesebre. Al verle, dieron a conocer lo que les habà ­a sido dicho acerca de este nià ±o. Todos los que oyeron se maravillaron de lo que los pastores les dijeron; pero Marà ­a guardaba todas estas cosas, medità ¡ndolas en su corazà ³n. Los pastores se volvieron, glorificando y alabando a Dios por todo lo que habà ­an oà ­do y visto, tal como les habà ­a ido dicho. Vocabulary and Grammar Notes Acontecer usually means to happen. It is found mostly in older literature; modern speakers would more likely use pasar, sucedir, or ocurrir. Aquellos is a demonstrative adjective meaning those. Aquellos suggests a more distant point in time than another demonstrative, esos, which also is used for those. By itself, parte is often the equivalent of part in the sense of portion. However, the phrase de parte de is used to indicate who something is coming from, somewhat like on the part of. Todo el mundo, literally all the world, is a common idiom usually translated as everybody. Realizar is usually better thought of as meaning to make real rather than to realize. It is a common  way of saying that something came to be. Iban and fueron are  forms of the verb ir, to go, which has a strongly irregular conjugation. Belà ©n refers to Bethlehem, one of many city names that are substantially different in English and Spanish. Alumbramiento can refer to either physical illumination or the delivery of a baby. Similarly, the idiom dar a luz (literally, to give light) means to give birth. Primogà ©nito is the equivalent of firstborn. Primo- is related to primero, the word for first, and -genito comes from the same root word as genetic. A pesebre is a manger. Although pastor can be the equivalent of pastor, here it refers to a shepherd. A rebaà ±o is a flock. Although Seà ±or here is the equivalent of Lord, it usually is used in modern Spanish as the equivalent of Mr. Se presentà ³ is an example of a reflexive verb usage, which is more common in Spanish than in English. A literal translation would be presented himself, although it could be more simply be translated as appeared. Pueblo here is a collective noun meaning people. It is grammatically singular but plural in meaning. De repente is an idiom meaning immediately. De prisa is an idiom meaning hurriedly. Al verle is an example of using al with an infinitive. Here the indirect object pronoun le is attached to the infinitive ver. Al in this type of construction is often translated as upon, so al verle means upon seeing him. Medità ¡ndolas is an example of attaching a direct object pronoun, las, to a gerund, meditando. Note that the addition of the pronoun requires the addition of an orthographic accent to the third syllable.