The light humor for a somber subject. It’s better to laugh than cry.

A note from 1663. I thought some may like to read this historic recount, so I share it here. It was transcribed & posted by the Portuguese academic & historian Miguel Castelo Branco, on his social media account. (As I've mentioned regarding other posts of his I've translated, though he speaks other languages he always makes it a point to publish on his social media account in his native tongue. I have his permission, but in any case, his posts are public, so there is no problem in them being shared). I also include the illustration he had placed. Here is my translation. In brackets, I will always add either a synonym to aid in terms of contextual meaning, any additional though optional word(s), or an alternative. ⤵️

Miguel Castelo Branco : Portugal in Persia

I have not leafed through it for almost ten years, but every time I return to it I am amazed by this beautiful text by Father Manuel Godinho, a Portuguese Jesuit priest who in 1663 made the trip from India to the Kingdom, touching (through) ...