The Song of the Cid (16 page)

 

 

87

 

Adeliñó Mio Cid con ellas al alcáçar,
allá las subié en el más alto logar.
Ojos vellidos catan a todas partes,
miran Valencia cómo yaze la cibdad
e del otra parte a ojo han el mar,
miran la huerta, espessa es e grand;
alçan las manos por a Dios rrogar
d'esta ganancia cómo es buena e grand.
Mio Cid e sus compañas tan a grand sabor están.
El ivierno es exido, que el março quiere entrar.
Dezirvos quiero nuevas de allent partes del mar,
de aquel rrey Yúcef que en Marruecos está.

 

 

88

 

Pesól' al rrey de Marruecos de Mio Cid don Rrodrigo:
“Que en mis heredades fuertemie[
n
]tre es metido
e él non ge lo gradece sinon a Jesu Cristo.”
Aquel rrey de Marruecos ajuntava sus virtos,
con
cinquaenta
vezes mill de armas todos fueron conplidos,
entraron sobre mar, en las barcas son metidos,
van buscar a Valencia a Mio Cid don Rrodrigo;
arribado an las naves, fuera eran exidos.

 

 

89

 

Llegaron a Valencia, la que Mio Cid á conquista,
fıncaron las tiendas e posan las yentes descreídas.
Estas nuevas a Mio Cid eran venidas:

 

 

87

 

My Cid took them to the fortress,
And they followed him to the very top,
From which their lovely eyes could see everything,
The whole city spread out,
On one side the sea, and on the other
Fields and orchards, lush and green.
They raised their hands in prayer,
Thanking God for the immense goodness he had granted them.
My Cid and those who were with him lived in great gladness.
Winter was over, March and springtime were coming.
Now let me take you across the sea,
To King Yusuf, King of Morocco.

 

 

88

 

The King of Morocco was angry at my Cid, Don Ruy Díaz:
“He's swept like a storm over my lands,
Believing Jesus Christ puts strength in his hands!”
The King of Morocco gathered his forces,
Fifty thousand men in all,
And put them in ships and sent them to sea,
Sailing to Valencia, hunting my Cid, Don Ruy Díaz.
The ships reached Spain and the soldiers landed.

 

 

89

 

They marched to Valencia, conquered by my Cid,
And then these dishonored soldiers pitched their tents.
When my Cid was told, he said:

 

 

90

 

“¡Grado al Criador e a[
l
] padre espirital!
Todo el bien que yo he, todo lo tengo delant;
con afán gané a Valencia e éla por heredad,
a menos de muert no la puedo dexar;
grado al Criador e a Sancta María madre,
mis fıjas e mi mugier que las tengo acá.
Venídom' es delicio de tierras d'allent mar,
entraré en las armas, non lo podré dexar,
mis fıjas e mi mugier ver me an lidiar,
en estas tierras agenas verán las moradas cómo se fazen,
afarto verán por los ojos cómo se gana el pan.”
Su mugier e sus fıjas subiólas al alcáçar,
alçavan los ojos, tiendas vieron fıncadas:
“¿Qu'es esto, Cid? ¡sí el Criador vos salve!”
“¡Ya mugier ondrada, non ayades pesar!
Rriqueza es que nos acrece maravillosa e grand,
a poco que viniestes, presend vos quieren dar,
por casar son vuestras fıjas, adúzenvos axuvar.”
“A vós grado, Cid, e al padre spiritual.”
“Mugier, sed en este palacio, e si quisiéredes, en el alcáçar,
non ayades pavor porque me veades lidiar;
con la merced de Dios e de Sancta María madre,
crécem' el coraçón porque estades delant;
con Dios aquesta lid yo la he de arrancar.”

 

 

91

 

Fincadas son las tiendas e parecen los alvores,
a una grand priessa tañién los atamores;
alegravas' Mio Cid e dixo: “¡Tan buen día es oy!”
Miedo á su mugier e quiérel' quebrar el coraçón,
assí fazié a las dueñas e a sus fıjas amas a dos,
del día que nasquieran non vieran tal tremor.

 

 

90

 

“Father in heaven, gracious Creator, I thank you!
Everything I have is here in front of me.
I fought for Valencia, it is my own:
Only death can take me from it.
And I thank you, Creator of the world, and your mother, Saint
Mary,
That my daughters and my wife are here with me!
A wonderful gift has come from across the sea:
I cannot win it except by fighting.
My wife and daughters will see me waging war,
They'll see how we make our homes, in these strange lands,
See with their own eyes how we earn our bread!”
He took his wife and his daughters to the top of the fortress,
They looked down, they saw the forest of tents.
“What is this, Cid? May God help us!”
“Ha, my honored wife, don't let it worry you!
These are great and wonderful riches they've come to bring us!
Look, you've just arrived, and they've already sent you presents!
This is your daughters' dowry, it will pay for their weddings!”
“My thanks, gracious Cid! And to our Father in heaven!”
“Wife, stay in this castle—in the tower, if you like.
Don't be frightened, seeing me fighting:
With God's good grace, and by holy Mother Mary,
My heart surges, knowing you're here!
With God's blessing this battle will be mine!”

 

 

91

 

The sun began to rise over the forest of tents,
Moorish drums started to thunder,
And my Cid was happy: “What a great day this is!”
His wife was afraid her heart would burst in incredible fright,
A fear the ladies in waiting shared, as did her daughters:
Never in all their lives had they been so terrified.

Prisos' a la barba el buen Cid Campeador:
“Non ayades miedo, ca todo es vuestra pro;
antes d'estos
quinze
días, si ploguiere a[
l
] Criador,
. . . . . . . . . aquellos atamores
a vós los pondrán delant e veredes quáles son,
desí an a ser del obispo don Jerónimo,
colgar los han en Sancta María madre del Criador.”
Vocación es que fızo el Cid Campeador.
Alegre[
s
] son las dueñas, perdiendo van el pavor.
Los moros de Marruecos cavalgan a vigor,
por las huertas adentro
ent
[
r
]an sines pavor.

 

 

92

 

Violo el atalaya e tanxo el esquila,
prestas son las mesnadas de las yentes cristianas,
adóbanse de coraçón e dan salto de la villa;
dós' fallan con los moros cometiénlos tan aína,
sácanlos de las huertas mucho a fea guisa,
quinientos mataron d'ellos conplidos en és día.

 

 

93

 

Bien fata las tiendas dura aqueste alcaz,
mucho avién fecho, piessan de cavalgar;
Álbar Salvadórez preso fıncó allá.
Tornados son a Mio Cid los que comién so pan,
él se lo vio con los ojos, cuéntangelo delant,
alegre es Mio Cid por quanto fecho han:
“¡Oídme, cavalleros, non rrastará por ál!
Oy es día bueno e mejor será cras:
por la mañana prieta todos armados seades,
dezir nos ha la missa e pensad de cavalgar,
el obispo do Jerónimo soltura nos dará,
ir los hemos ferir . . . . . . . .
en el nombre del Criador e del apóstol Sancti Yagüe;

My Cid tugged at his beard and told them: “Don't be afraid,
This is all for you. If God so wills, in less than two weeks those
drums
Will be ours, and I'll set them in front of you, and you'll see
what they really are.
Then they'll belong to Bishop Don Jerónimo,
And he'll hang them in Saint Mary's, to honor God's mother.”
This was what my Cid, mighty Warrior, promised he would do.
The ladies grew less afraid, and began to stop trembling.
The Moroccan Moors galloped fast and hard, fearless,
Dashing straight across the fields and vineyards.

 

 

92

 

The castle watchman saw them, and sounded the alarm;
The Christian knights were ready and waiting.
Their hearts high, they came out of the castle.
When they met the Moors, they attacked at once
And hitting hard, they drove the Moroccans back,
Killing five hundred before the end of the day.

 

 

93

 

They pushed the Moors all the way
To their tents, and then they returned,
Except for Alvar Salvadórez, who'd been made a prisoner.
When those who ate my Cid's bread came to their lord,
They told him all they'd accomplished, though he'd seen them
do it,
And he was happy with how much they'd done:
“Listen, my knights! We aren't stopping at this.
Today was a good day and tomorrow will be still better.
I want you armored and ready for battle well before dawn.
Bishop Don Jerónimo will have us all fully absolved,
We'll hear a mass, and then we'll ride.
We attack in the name of God and the apostle Saint James!
más vale que nós los vezcamos que ellos cojan el [p]an.”
Essora dixieron todos: “D'amor e de voluntad.”
Fablava Minaya, non lo quiso detardar:
“Pues esso queredes, Cid, a mí mand
e
des ál,
dadme
ciento
[
e
]
treínta
cavalleros pora huebos de lidiar,
quando vós los fuéredes ferir, entraré yo del otra part;
o de amas o del una Dios nos valdrá.”
Essora dixo el Cid: “De buena voluntad.”

 

 

94

 

És día es salido e la noch es entrada,
nos' detardan de adobasse essas yentes cristianas.
A los mediados gallos, antes de la mañana,
el obispo don Jerónimo la missa les cantava;
la missa dicha, grant sultura les dava:
“El que aquí muriere lidiando de cara
préndol' yo los pecados e Dios le abrá el alma.
A vós, Cid don Rrodrigo, en buen ora cinxiestes espada,
yo vos canté la missa por aquesta mañana;
pídovos un don e séam' presentado,
las feridas primeras que las aya yo otorgadas.”
Dixo el Campeador: “Desaquí vos sean mandadas.”

 

 

95

 

Salidos son todos armados por las torres de Va[le]ncia,
Mio Cid a los sos vassallos tan bien los acordando;
dexan a las puertas omnes de grant rrecabdo.
Dio salto Mio Cid en Bavieca el so cavallo,
de todas guarnizones muy bien es adobado.
La seña sacan fuera, de Valencia dieron salto,
quatro mill menos
treínta
con Mio Cid van a cabo,
a los cinquaenta mill van los ferir de grado;

I like defeating them better than letting them steal our bread!”
His men all said: “With all our will and all our heart!”
Unable to hold back, Minaya declared:
“Since this is what you want, Cid, let me ask for something:
Give me a hundred and thirty knights, ready for a fight.
When you attack from one side, I'll come in from the other,
And God will reward one of us, or both.”
Then my Cid answered: “Gladly.”

 

 

94

 

Daylight left, night settled down.
We can't say these Christians were lazy, getting ready for
tomorrow!
Not long before dawn,
Bishop Don Jerónimo sang a mass,
Then offered the very fullest of absolutions:
“Those of you who die, fighting face to face,
I forgive you your sins and God will accept your souls.
To you, my Cid, Don Ruy Díaz—who took up arms at so good
an hour—
I've said mass for you, this morning:
Allow me to strike the first blows.”
The Warrior said: “I grant you that privilege.”
Armed and ready, they left the fortress of Valencia.

 

 

95

 

As they poured through the gates, my Cid
Was giving final instructions.
Then he mounted his horse, Babieca,
All wrapped in its splendid armor and ready for battle.
Their banner came first, as they left Valencia—
Just thirty less than four thousand, in all, and my Cid their
leader,
Happy to be attacking fifty thousand Moors.

Álvar Álvarez e Álvar Salvadórez
e Minaya Álvar Fáñez | entráronles del otro cabo.
Plogo al Criador e ovieron de arrancarlos.
Mio Cid enpleó la lança, al espada metió mano,
atantos mata de moros que non fueron contados,
por el cobdo ayuso la sangre destellando.
Al rrey Yúcef tres colpes le ovo dados,
saliós'le de so'l espada ca múchol' andido el cavallo,
metiós'le en Gujera, un castiello palaciano,
Mio Cid el de Bivar fasta allí llegó en alcaz
con otros quel' consiguen de sus buenos vassallos.
Desd' allí se tornó el que en buen ora nasco,
mucho era alegre de lo que an caçado.
Allí preció a Bavieca de la cabeça fasta a cabo.
Toda esta ganancia en su mano á rrastado.
Los
cinquaenta
mill por cuenta fuero[
n
] notados,
non escaparon más de ciento e quatro.
Mesnadas de Mio Cid rrobado an el canpo,
entre oro e plata fallaron tres mill marcos,
las otras ganancias non avía rrecabdo.
Alegre era Mio Cid e todos sos vassallos
que Dios les ovo merced que vencieron el campo.
Quando al rrey de Marruecos assí lo an arrancado,
dexó [
a
] Álbar Fáñez por saber todo rrecabdo;
con
ciento
cavalleros a Valencia es entrado,
fronzida trahe la cara, que era desarmado,
assí entró sobre Bavieca, el espada en la mano.
Rrecibiénlo las dueñas que lo están esperando;
Mio Cid fıncó ant'ellas, tovo la rrienda al cavallo:
“A vós me omillo, dueñas, grant prez vos he gañado,
vós teniendo Valencia e yo vencí el campo;
esto Dios se lo quiso con todos los sos santos
quando en vuestra venida tal ganancia nos an dada.
¿Vedes el espada sangrienta e sudiento el cavallo?
—con tal cum esto se vencen moros del campo.
Rrogand al Criador que vos biva algunt año,
entraredes en prez e besarán vuestras manos.”
Esto dixo Mio Cid, diciendo del cavallo.