Manuel Machado wrote “El Caballero de la Mano al Pecho”, which was inspired by the painting by El Greco.

I found it!

El Caballero de la Mano al Pecho

Este desconocido es un cristiano
de serio porte y negra vestidura,
donde brilla no más la empuñadura,
de su admirable estoque toledano.

Severa faz de palidez de lirio
surge de la golilla escarolada,
por la luz interior, iluminada,
de un macilento y religioso cirio.

Aunque sólo de Dios temores sabe,
porque el vitando hervor no le apasione
del mundano placer perecedero,

en un gesto piadoso, y noble, y grave,
la mano abierta sobre el pecho pone,
como una disciplina, el caballero.

I have to show this to my wife. I know she will like it.



>Interesting. It's also a painting by El Greco.
>
>
>>A sonnet I studied in 1964 has a title of, “El Caballero de la Mano al Pecho”.
>>
>>
>>>I don't think I've ever heard that.
>>>
>>>I can think of some exceptions to the rule....
>>>
>>>el agua..this is done so that you don't have two a's together. When it is plural, it becomes las aguas
>>>
>>>El Papa...is The Pope. la papa is a potato.
>>>
>>>Then, there are several that end in e
>>>madre, padre...but it's always la madre and el padre.
>>>
>>>>La mano comes to mind.
>>>>