Complaining of her Lot

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz lived in Mexico City during the Baroque period of New Spain. Although a devout Catholic nun, many of her poems express her frustration with church expectations that confused artistic expression and the pursuit of beauty with materialistic egotism.

In hounding me, World, what do you gain?
How do I offend you, if I make my duty
To put things of beauty in my understanding
And not my understanding in things of beauty?

I hold no esteem for treasures or riches,
And thus, I find far greater pleasure
In putting treasure into all of my thoughts
And not my thoughts into winning treasure

I prize not comeliness which, once vanquished
Is made the plunder of the vulgar
Nor for me do traitorous riches please,

For I judge it better, and of a truth
To consume the vanities of life
Than consume one’s life in vanities.

Translated by Martin Boyd