Author: CAMOES, Luis de
Biography:
CAMÕES, Luís de (c. 1524-80: DLB)
Little is known about the life of Portugal’s greatest poet, Luís de Camões, and attempts to extract biographical details from his verse are probably misguided. He was the son of Simão Vaz de Camões and his wife Ana de Sá who came from the village of Vilar de Nantes, Chaves, Portugal. He was probably born in Lisbon in 1524 and he may have studied at the University of Coimbra where his uncle was chancellor. He wrote at least one play while he was a student. In about 1542 he returned to Lisbon where one of his plays, El Rei-Seleuco, was performed. In 1549-51 he participated in a military expedition to North Africa where he was wounded and became blind in his right eye. Camões was subsequently imprisoned in Lisbon after he attacked an officer in the royal cavalry. Pardoned in 1553, he agreed to five years of service overseas. He served in Goa and Mozambique before returning to Lisbon in 1570. His most famous work, the epic poem Os Lusiadas, a celebration of Portugal, was first published in 1571. The translations by W. J. Mickle and Thomas Moore Musgrave (qq.v.) that are listed in this database are of Os Lusiadas. However Camões also wrote in a range of other poetic forms, including songs and sonnets, and selections from these were translated by Percy Clinton Smythe and John Adamson (qq.v.). In recognition of his national epic Camões was granted a pension by King Sebastião of Portugal but he lived in poverty. He died in Lisbon, possibly from bubonic plague, on 10 June 1580. (DLB 16 Apr. 2025; Wikipedia 16 Apr. 2025) SR
Other Names:
- Camoens
- Louis de Camoens
- Camoëns