The Song of the Cid (23 page)

aquí rreciben las fıjas del Campeador,
conpieçan a rrecebir lo que el Cid mandó;
quando son pagados a todo so sabor,
ya mandavan cargar iffantes de Carrión.
Grandes son las nuevas por Valencia la mayor,
todos prenden armas e cavalgan a vigor
porque escurren sus fıjas del Campeador a tierras de Carrión.
Ya quieren cavalgar, en espidimiento son;
amas ermanas don Elvira e doña Sol
fıncaron los inojos ant'el Cid Campeador:
“¡Merced vos pedimos, padre, sí vos vala el Criador!
Vós nos engendrastes, nuestra madre nos parió;
delant sodes amos, señora e señor.
Agora nos enviades a tierras de Carrión,
debdo nos es a cunplir lo que mandáredes vós.
Assí vos pedimos merced nós amas a dos
que ayades vuestros mensajes en tierras de Carrión.”
Abraçólas Mio Cid e saludólas amas a dos.

 

 

125

 

Él fızo aquesto, la madre lo doblava:
“Andad, fıjas, d'aquí el Criador vos vala,
de mí e de vuestro padre bien avedes nuestra gracia.
Id a Carrión dó sodes heredadas,
assí como yo tengo, bien vos he casadas.”
Al padre e a la madre las manos les besavan;
amos las bendixieron e diéronles su gracia.
Mio Cid e los otros de cavalgar pensavan
a grandes guarnimientos, a cavallos e armas.
Ya salién los ifantes de Valencia la clara
espi[
di
]endos' de las dueñas e de todas sus compañas.
Por la huerta de Valencia teniendo salién armas,
alegre va Mio Cid con todas sus compañas.

If you treat them well, you will be more than proud.”
The Carrión brothers agreed to everything.
And then my Cid's four married children
Were given what he had ordered for them.
When their hands received those things,
The Carrión brothers had them loaded.
Valencia was much excited by their going:
Men put on their armor and galloped out
To escort the travelers on their way.
They were ready. But before they could leave,
The sisters, Doña Elvira and Doña Sol,
Fell to their knees, in front of their father:
“Father, we ask a favor, in the name of the Lord!
You created us, our mother brought us into the world:
We kneel to you both, our mother and father.
You're sending us, now, to Carrión,
And it is our duty to do as you say.
But we ask the two of you
To send us messages, in that faraway land.”
My Cid agreed, and embraced them.

 

 

125

 

And then their mother said and did the same things:
“Go, daughters, and may God protect you as you leave!
You have your father's blessing, as well as mine.
Go to Carrión and enjoy your wedding gifts.
It seems to me you've married well.”
They kissed their father's hands, and their mother's.
My Cid and all the others rode out with them,
All dressed to the hilt, all armored.
Thus the Carrións left Valencia, that shining city,
Saying farewell to the ladies, and to all the men,
Riding, escorted, across the farmers' fields,
My Cid and everyone else immensely pleased.
He who first lifted his sword at just the right time

Violo en los avueros el que en buen ora cinxo espada
que estos casamientos non serién sin alguna tacha;
nos' puede rrepentir, que casadas las ha amas.

 

 

126

 

“¿Ó eres mio sobrino, tú, Félez Muñoz?
Primo eres de mis fıjas amas d'alma e de coraçón.
Mándot' que vayas con ellas fata dentro en Carrión,
verás las heredades que a mis fıjas dadas son,
con aquestas nuevas vernás al Campeador.”
Dixo Félez Muñoz: “Plazme d'alma e de coraçón.”
Minaya Álbar Fáñez ante Mio Cid se paró;
“Tornémosnos, Cid, a Valencia la mayor,
que si a Dios ploguiere e al padre Criador,
ir las hemos ver a tierras de Carrion.”
“A Dios vos acomendamos, don Elvira e doña Sol,
atales cosas fed que en plazer caya a nós.”
Rrespondién los yernos: “¡Assí lo mande Dios!”
Grandes fueron los duelos a la departición,
el padre con las fıjas lloran de coraçón,
assí fazían los cavalleros del Campeador.
“¡Oyas, sobrino, tú, Félez Muñoz!
Por Molina iredes, í yazredes una noch,
saludad a mio amigo el moro Avengalvón;
rreciba a mios yernos como él pudier mejor.
Dil' que enbío mis fıjas a tierras de Carrión,
de lo que ovieren huebos sírvalas a so sabor,
desí escúrralas fasta Medina por la mi amor;
de quanto él fıziere yol' dar[
é
] por ello buen galardón.”
Cuemo la uña de la carne ellos partidos son,
yas' tornó pora Valencia el que en buen ora nasció.
Piénsanse de ir los ifantes de Carrión,
por Sancta María d'Alvarrazín fazían la posada.
Aguijan quanto pueden ifantes de Carrión:
felos en Molina con el moro Avengalvón.
El moro, quando lo sopo, plógol' de coraçón,
Could see these marriages were far from perfect,
But he who had made them could not regret them.

 

 

126

 

“My nephew,” he called, “Félix Muñoz, where are you?
My daughters' first cousin, who loves them with all his soul!
Let me send you with them, as far as Carrión;
Look at the lands they've both received
As wedding gifts. Come back and tell me what you've seen.”
Félix Muñoz said, “With all my heart and soul.”
Minaya Alvar Fáñez then intervened:
“My Cid, our escorting is done, we ought to turn back.
If it pleases God and our Lord,
Later we'll see them once more in Carrión.”
And to the girls he said: “We commend you to God.
May good things come to you.”
Their husbands answered: “May God command it!”
At this point true departure began, and brought sorrow with it:
Father and daughters wept from deep in their hearts,
As did the Warrior's men.
“Hear me, my nephew, Félix Muñoz!
Go to Molina, spend the night,
And greet my friend, Abengalbón, the Moor;
Ask him to give my sons-in-law a friendly welcome.
Tell him I've sent my daughters to Carrión.
I'd like him to do whatever needs to be done for them:
Whatever he does, I'll pay him back, and more.”
Saying goodbye was like tearing flesh.
Then he who was born at the right time rode home.
The Carrións started off, planning to spend the night
At Santa María de Albarracín,
By riding as fast as they might.
Then they stopped at Molina, with the Moor, Abengalbón,
Who was pleased that they had come,
Receiving them with real affection.

saliólos rrecebir con grandes avorozes,
¡Dios, qué bien los sirvió a todo so sabor!
Otro día mañana con ellos cavalgó,
con dozientos cavalleros escurrirlos mandó;
ivan trocir los montes, los que dizen de Luzón.
A las fıjas del Cid el moro sus donas dio,
buenos seños cavallos a los ifantes de Carrión.
Trocieron Arbuxuelo e llegaron a Salón,
ó dizen el Ansarera ellos posados son.
Tod' esto les fızo el moro por el amor del Cid Campead[or].
Ellos veyén la rriqueza que el moro sacó,
entr'amos ermanos consejaron tración:
“Ya pues que a dexar avemos fıjas del Campeador,
si pudiéssemos matar el moro Avengalvón,
quanta rriquiza tiene aver la iemos nós.
Tan en salvo lo abremos como lo de Carrión,
nunqua avrié derecho de nós el Cid Campeador.”
Quando esta falsedad dizién los de Carrión,
un moro latinado bien ge lo entendió;
non tiene poridad, díxolo [
a
] Avengalvón:
“Acayaz, cúriate d'éstos, ca eres mio señor,
tu muert oí cossejar a los ifantes de Carrión.”

 

 

127

 

El moro Avengalvón mucho era buen barragán,
co[
n
] dozientos que tiene iva cavalgar,
armas iva teniendo, parós' ante los ifantes,
de lo que el moro dixo a los ifantes non plaze:
“¡Dezidme qué vos fız, ifantes de Carrión!
Yo sirviéndovos sin art e vós, pora mí, muert consejastes.
Si no lo dexás por Mio Cid el de Bivar,
tal cosa vos faría que por el mundo sonás
e luego levaría sus fıjas al Campeador leal;
vós nu[
n
]qua en Carrión entrariedes jamás.

Lord, he did all he could to delight them!
When they left, early the next morning,
He and two hundred horsemen went with them, as an escort;
They rode together, across the heights of Luzón.
The Moor gave each of my Cid's daughters a horse,
And one to each of the Carrión brothers.
They reached the shores of the Arbujuelo, then the Jalón,
And stopped for the night at Ansarera.
The Moor did these things for love of our Warrior.
But the Carrións saw what wealth the Moor
Possessed, and planned to betray him:
“We know we'll soon be rid of these girls.
If we can kill Abengalbón, this Moor,
Everything he owns will be ours:
That's as sure as what we own in Carrión.
Warrior Cid can't do anything to us.”
These treacherous words were overheard
By a Moor who understood Spanish,
Who went straight to Abengalbón:
“My lord, watch out for them:
These Carrión fellows are plotting your death.”

 

 

127

 

Abengalbón was sturdy, young, and bold,
Riding with two hundred men of his own,
Well-armored. He came to the Carrións,
And what he said was hardly music to their ears:
“Tell me, please, what I have done to you noblemen?
I've gone far out of my way—and you're planning my death?
Love for my Cid is all that keeps me
From doing things to you that would ring in the whole world's
ears!
And then I'd bring his daughters back to the Warrior.
You'd never see Carrión again!

128

 

“Aquím' parto de vós como de malos e de traidores.
Iré con vuestra gracia, don Elvira e doña Sol,
poco precio las nuevas de los de Carrión.
Dios lo quiera e lo mande, que de tod' el mundo es señor,
d'aqueste casamiento que grade el Canpeador.”
Esto les ha dicho e el moro se tornó,
teniendo iva armas al trocir de Salón,
cuemo de buen seso a Molina se tornó.
Ya movieron del Ansarera los ifantes de Carrión,
acójense a andar de día e de noch,
a siniestro dexan Ati
en
za, una peña muy fuert,
la sierra de Miedes passáronla esto[
n
]z,
por los Montes Claros aguijan a espolón,
a siniestro dexan a Griza que Álamos pobló,
allí son caños dó a Elpha encerró,
a diestro dexan a Sant Estevan, más cae aluén.
Entrados son los ifantes al rrobredo de Corpes,
los montes son altos, las rramas pujan con las núes;
¡e las bestias fıeras que andan aderredor!
Fallaron un vergel con una linpia fuent,
mandan fıncar la tienda ifantes de Carrión,
con quantos que ellos traen í yazen essa noch,
con sus mugieres en braços demuéstranles amor,
¡mal ge lo cunplieron quando salié el sol!
Mandaron cargar las azémilas con grandes averes,
cogida han la tienda dó albergaron de noch,
adelant eran idos los de criazón,
assí lo mandaron los ifantes de Carrión
que non í fıncás ninguno, mugier nin varón,
sinon amas sus mugieres doña Elvira e doña Sol:
deportarse quieren con ellas a todo su sabor.
Todos eran idos, ellos
quatro
solos son,
tanto mal comidieron los ifantes de Carrión:
“Bien lo creades, don Elvira e doña Sol,

128

 

“I turn my back to you, here—you scum, you traitors.
With your permission, Doña Elvira and Doña Sol:
I think very little of these Carrión fellows!
May God, who rules the world, take care
That my Cid does not regret this marriage affair.”
He'd spoken his mind; the Moor swung around
And, riding sensibly and carefully,
He and his men returned to Molina.
The Carrións left Ansarera,
Not stopping by day or night,
Passing to the left of the Atienza cliff,
Over the Miedes mountains,
Dashing over the hills of Claros,
Riding to the left of Griza, built by Alamos—
In the caves where he left Elpha in chains—
Went hurriedly by San Esteban, to the right,
And came to the Corpes woods,
Where oaks grow so tall their branches almost scrape the sky,
And fierce wild beasts are everywhere.
They found a clearing, through which a spring went running,
And ordered a tent set up.
They slept there, that night, with all their men,
Often embracing their wives, and showing their love—
But how terribly they repaid it, after the sun came up!
They ordered their precious belongings loaded;
The tent they had slept in was folded,
Along with their personal things.
Then the Carrións ordered that no one stay,
Not one man or woman,
Except their wives, Doña Elvira and Doña Sol:
They wished to enjoy them, completely alone.
Everyone left, as they'd been commanded.
The Carrións' plan was a foul one:
“Pay close attention, Doña Elvira and Doña Sol:

aquí seredes escarnidas en estos fıeros montes.
Oy nos partiremos e dexadas seredes de nós,
non abredes part en tierras de Carrión.
Irán aquestos mandados al Cid Campeador,
nós vengaremos por aquésta la [
desondra
] del león.”
Allí les tuellen los mantos e los pelliçones,
páranlas en cuerpos e en camisas e en ciclatones.
Espuelas tienen calçadas los malos traidores,
en mano prenden las cinchas fuertes e duradores.
Quando esto vieron las dueñas, fablava doña Sol:
“¡Por Dios vos rrogamos, don Diego e don Ferrando!
Dos espadas tenedes fuertes e tajadores,
al una dizen Colada e al otra Tizón,
cortandos las cabeças, mártires seremos nós,
moros e cristianos departirán d'esta rrazón,
que por lo que nós merecemos no lo prendemos nós.
Atan malos ensienplos non fagades sobre nós;
si nós fuéremos majadas, abiltaredes a vós,
rretraer vos lo an en vistas o en cortes.”
Lo que rruegan las dueñas non les ha ningún pro,
essora les conpieçan a dar los ifantes de Carrión,
con las cinchas corredizas májanlas tan sin sabor,
con las espuelas agudas dón ellas an mal sabor
rronpién las camisas e las carnes a ellas amas a dos,
linpia salié la sangre sobre los ciclatones;
ya lo sienten ellas en los sos coraçones.
¡Quál ventura serié ésta, si ploguiesse al Criador,
que assomasse essora el Cid Campeador!
Tanto las majaron que sin cosimente son,
sangrientas en las camisas e todos los ciclatones.
Cansados son de ferir ellos amos a dos,
ensayandos' amos quál dará mejores colpes.
Ya non pueden fablar don Elvira e doña Sol;
por muertas las dexaron en el rrobredo de Corpes.