def show_text(self, text):
        """A drawing operator that generates the shape from a string text,
        rendered according to the current
        font :meth:`face <set_font_face>`,
        font :meth:`size <set_font_size>`
        (font :meth:`matrix <set_font_matrix>`),
        and font :meth:`options <set_font_options>`.

        This method first computes a set of glyphs for the string of text.
        The first glyph is placed so that its origin is at the current point.
        The origin of each subsequent glyph
        is offset from that of the previous glyph
        by the advance values of the previous glyph.

        After this call the current point is moved
        to the origin of where the next glyph would be placed
        in this same progression.
        That is, the current point will be at
        the origin of the final glyph offset by its advance values.
        This allows for easy display of a single logical string
        with multiple calls to :meth:`show_text`.

        :param text: The text to show, as an Unicode or UTF-8 string.

        .. note::

            This method is part of
            what the cairo designers call the "toy" text API.
            It is convenient for short demos and simple programs,
            but it is not expected to be adequate
            for serious text-using applications.
            See :ref:`fonts` for details
            and :meth:`show_glyphs` for the "real" text display API in cairo.

        """
        cairo.cairo_show_text(self._pointer, _encode_string(text))
        self._check_status()