Poem of My Cid (Selections) / Poema de Mio Cid (Selección)

A Dual-Language Book

Stanley Appelbaum

• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN: 9780486440163
• eBook ISBN: 9780486120072
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Spanish Language
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

Early in the eighth century, Berbers from Morocco invaded Spain and quickly gained control of almost the entire peninsula. During the centuries-long struggle to reconquer their country, Christian warlords carved out small territories from the Moors, including the kingdom of Castile. Rodrigo Diaz, a Castilian knight who reclaimed much of Islamic Spain, ultimately achieved legendary status, and his exploits were celebrated in ballads, songs, and stories — most famously, in the twelfth-century epic, Poema de Mio Cid.
One of the few Christian heroes of the Spanish Reconquest to be known familiarly by a Muslin title (from the Spanish Arabic al-sid, or "lord"), the Cid is presented as a hero perfectly suited to medieval Spain. Valiant in battle and loyal to his king, he is portrayed as an exemplary hero and vassal. His legend is embodied in the Poema de Mio Cid — the only Castilian epic poem that has endured in its essentially original form. This dual-language edition features a new translation of two-thirds of the Poema, with full English summaries of the omitted sections.

[Tiradas 1–10 (versos 1–190):]

1. De los sos ojos tan fuertemientre llorando,

tornava la cabeça i estávalos catando.

Vío puertas abiertas e uços sin cañados,

alcándaras vázias sin pielles e sin mantos

e sin falcones e sin adtores mudados.

Sospiró mio Çid, ca mucho avié grandes cuidados.

Fabló mio Çid bien e tan mesurado:

“¡grado a tí, señor padre, que estás en alto!

”Esto me an buolto mios enemigos malos.”

2. Allí pienssan de aguijar, allí sueltan las riendas.

Ala exida de Bivar ovieron la corneja diestra,

e entrando a Burgos oviéronla siniestra.

Meçió mio Çid los ombros y engrameó la tiesta:

“¡albricia, Alvar Fáñez, ca echados somos de tierra!

”mas a grand ondra tornaremos a Castiella”.

3. Mio Çid Roy Díaz por Burgos entróve,

En sue conpaña sessaenta pendones;

exién lo veer mugieres e varones,

burgeses e burgesas, por las finiestras sone,

plorando de los ojos, tanto avién el dolore.

De las sus bocas todos dizían una razóne:

“¡Dios, qué buen vassallo, si oviesse buen señore!”

4. Conbidar le ien de grado, mas ninguno non osava:

el rey don Alfonsso tanto avié le grand saña.

Antes de la noche en Burgos dél entró su carta,

con grand recabdo e fuertemientre seellada:

que a mio Çid Roy Díaz que nadi nol diessen posada,

[Strophes 1–10 (verses 1–190):]¹

1. With tears streaming down his face,

he looked back and kept gazing at them.

He saw open entrances and doors without locks,

empty perches without pelisses or coverings,

without falcons, without goshawks that had already moulted.

My Cid sighed, for he had very great worries.

My Cid spoke, well and most prudently:

“My thanks to you, Lord and Father in heaven!

This was contrived for me by my bitter enemies.”

2. Then they made ready to ride out, giving their steeds free rein.

As they departed from Vivar, the crow² was on their right;

as they entered Burgos, it was on their left.

My Cid shrugged his shoulders and shook his head:

“Good news, Álvar Fáñez, for we are exiled!

But we shall return to Castile in great honor.”

3. My Cid Ruy Díaz entered Burgos,

with sixty mounted followers;

women and men left their houses to see him,

townsfolk male and female, and looked out their windows,

tears in their eyes because of their deep sorrow.

On their lips they all had the same words:

“God, what a good vassal, if only he had a good overlord!”

4. They would gladly have asked him in, but no one dared to:

so great was King Alfonso’s rage against him.

The king’s decree had reached Burgos the night before,

with many precautions,³ heavily sealed:

no one was to offer lodgings to My Cid Ruy Díaz,

---

1. Since the first MS folio (which could have contained 50 verses) is missing, and the -los (“them”) in verse 2 seems to demand an antecedent (the Cid’s retainers or his buildings), most editors assume that the poem began with an announcement of the Cid’s exile, and possibly the reasons for it; elaborate reconstructions have been proposed.

2. Or: “scops owl.”

3. Or: “with harsh instructions.”

e aquel que gela diesse sopiesse vera palabra

que perderié los averes e más los ojos de la cara,

e aun demás los cuerpos e las almas.

Grande duelo avién las yentes cristianas;

ascóndense de mio Çid, ca nol osan dezir nada.

El Campeador adeliñó a su posada;

así commo llegó á la puorta, fallóla bien çerrada,

por miedo del rey Alfons, que assí lo pararan:

que si non la quebrantás, que non gela abriessen por nada.

Los de mio Çid a altas vozes llaman,

los de dentro non les querién tornar palabra.

Aguijó mio Çid, a la puerta se llegaua,

sacó el pie del estribera, una ferídal dava;

non se abre la puerta, ca bien era çerrada.

Una niña de nuef años a ojo se parava:

“¡Ya Campeador, en buena çinxiestes espada!

”El rey lo ha vedado, anoch dél entró su carta,

”con grant recabdo e fuertemientre seellada.

”Non vos osariemos abrir nin coger por nada;

”si non, perderiemos los averes e las casas,

”e aun demás los ojos de las caras.

ӂid, en el nuestro mal vos non ganades nada;

”mas el Criador vos vala con todas sus vertudes santas.”

Esto la niña dixo e tornós pora su casa.

Ya lo vede el Çid que del rey non avié graçia.

Partiós dela puerta, por Burgos aguijaua,

llegó a Santa María, luego descavalga;

fincó los inojos, de coraçón rogava.

La oraçión fecha, luego cavalgava;

salió por la puerta e Arlançón passava.

Cabo Burgos essa villa en la glera posava,

fincava la tienda e luego descavalgava.

Mio Çid Roy Díaz, el que en buena çinxo espada,

posó en la glera quando nol coge nadi en casa;

derredor dél una buena conpaña.

Assí posó mio Çid commo si fosse en montaña.

Vedada l’an conpra dentro en Burgos la casa

de todas cosas quantas son de vianda;

nol osarién vender al menos dinarada.

and anyone who did so might be assured

of losing his property and, what’s more, the eyes in his head,

and furthermore his body and soul.

The Christian folk were greatly saddened;

they conce...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Introduction
• Tiradas