The Song of the Cid (26 page)

 

 

136

 

Pora Toledo el rrey tornada da,
essa noch Mio Cid Tajo non quiso passar:
“¡Merced, ya rrey, sí el Criador vos salve!
Pensad, señor, de entrar a la cibdad
e yo con los míos posaré a San Serván;
las mis compañas esta noche llegarán.
Terné vigilia en aqueste sancto logar,
cras mañana entraré a la cibdad
e iré a la cort enantes de yantar.”
Dixo el rrey: “Plazme de veluntad.”
El rrey don Alfonso a Toledo es entrado,

And with many others rode out to welcome
The man born at an hour so right.
My Cid came well prepared, with all his knights,
Men who were worthy of him, their lord; they knew how to fight.
Seeing Don Alfonso, his king,
Warrior Cid dismounted,
Intending to honor his noble lord.
But immediately the king forbade it:
“In the name of Saint Isidore, don't do that, today!
Keep riding, my Cid, or I'll be angry.
We'll greet each other only in our hearts and souls.
Your suffering presses hard on my heart:
May this court be led by God, and do you honor!”
“Amen!” replied my Cid, the Warrior,
Kissing the king's hands, and then his mouth.
“My lord,” he said, “I'm grateful to you for appearing here!
My humble greetings to you, and to Count Ramón,
And Don Enrique, and all those who are here.
God save our friends, and especially you, my lord!
Doña Jimena, my worthy wife,
Kisses your hands, and so do my daughters,
Since you have shared our misfortune, and felt its importance.”
“I do,” said the king. “By God, I do!”

 

 

136

 

The king then turned, intending to ride to Toledo.
But my Cid did not want to cross the Tagus that night.
“A favor, my king! May God give you salvation.
Proceed to Toledo, my lord,
And I and my men will rest at San Servando.
The rest of my men will meet us there,
And in that holy place we'll say our prayers together.
I plan to ride to Toledo, in the morning,
And go to the court before we eat.”
“I gladly consent,” said the king,
Who then proceeded to Toledo,
Mio Cid Rruy Díaz en San Serván posado.
Mandó fazer candelas e poner en el altar,
sabor á de velar en essa santidad,
al Criador rrogando e fablando en poridad.
Entre Minaya e los buenos que í ha
acordados fueron quando vino la man.
Matines e prima dixieron faza'l alba.

 

 

137

 

Suelta fue la missa antes que saliesse el sol
e su ofrenda han fecha muy buena e conplida.
“Vós, Minaya Álbar Fáñez, el mio braço mejor,
vós iredes comigo e el obispo don Jerónimo
e Pero Vermúez e aqueste Muño Gustioz
e Martín Antolínez, el burgalés de pro,
e Álbar Álbarez e Álbar Salvadórez
e Martín Muñoz, que en buen punto nació,
e mio sobrino Félez Muñoz;
comigo irá Mal Anda, que es bien sabidor,
e Galind Garcíez, el bueno d'Aragón;
con éstos cúnplanse ciento de los buenos que í son.
Velmezes vestidos por sufrir las guarnizones,
de suso las lorigas tan blancas como el sol;
sobre las lorigas armiños e pelliçones
e, que non parescan las armas, bien presos los cordones,
so los mantos las espadas dulces e tajadores;
d'aquesta guisa quiero ir a la cort
por demandar mios derechos e dezir mi rrazón.
Si desobra buscaren ifantes de Carrión,
dó tales ciento tovier, bien seré sin pavor.”
Rrespondieron todos: “Nós esso queremos, señor.”
Assí como lo á dicho, todos adobados son.
Nos' detiene por nada el que en buen ora nació:
calças de buen paño en sus camas metió,
sobr'ellas unos çapatos que a grant huebra son,
vistió camisa de rrançal tan blanca como el sol,

While Ruy Díaz, my Cid, remained in San Servando.
He had candles placed on the altar, in that holy place,
Meaning to spend the night praying,
Quietly begging God for his favor.
Minaya and my Cid's other good men
Were more than ready, when daylight came.

 

 

137

 

Mass and morning prayers had been said
Before the sun appeared.
They left many generous offerings.
“You, Minaya Alvar Fáñez,” said my Cid,
“You, my right arm, and Bishop Don Jerónimo, will come
with me,
And Pedro Bermúdez, and our Muño Gustioz,
And Martín Antolínez, that fine fellow from Burgos.
And Alvar Alvarez, and Alvar Salvadórez,
And Martín Muñoz, born at the right time,
And my nephew, Félix Muñoz.
I'll also take Mal Anda, a learnèd man of law,
And Galín García, from Aragon: a good man to have.
Fill up my hundred with other good men, and that will be all.
Wear padded vests under your armor,
And then your mail shirts, gleaming like the sun,
And over them your fur-lined capes—
To let your armor shine, tie them tight at the waist,
But hide your sweet sharp swords beneath them.
This is how I'll go to court
And ask for justice, stating my case.
If the Carrións look for trouble, I can't be afraid,
Followed by a hundred men this good!”
They shouted: “We'll do whatever you ask!”
Saying this, they got themselves ready.
He who was born at a fortunate hour didn't sit around waiting:
He pulled on a pair of well-woven stockings

con oro e con plata todas las presas son,
al puño bien están, ca él se lo mandó;
sobr'ella un brial primo de ciclatón,
obrado es con oro, parecen por ó son;
sobr'esto una piel vermeja, las bandas d'oro son,
siempre la viste Mio Cid el Campeador;
una cofıa sobre los pelos d'un escarín de pro,
con oro es obrada, fecha por rrazón,
que non le contal[
l
]assen los pelos al buen Cid Canpeador;
la barba avié luenga e prísola con el cordón,
por tal lo faze esto que rrecabdar quiere todo lo suyo;
de suso cubrió un manto, que es de grant valor.
En él abrién que ver quantos que í son.
Con aquestos ciento que adobar mandó
apriessa cavalga, de San Serván salió;
assí iva Mio Cid adobado a lla cort.
A la puerta de fuera descavalga a sabor,
cuerdamientr
e
entra Mio Cid con todos los sos:
él va en medio e los ciento aderredor.
Quando lo vieron entrar al que en buen ora nació,
levantós' en pie el buen rrey don Alfonso
e el conde don Anrrich e el conde don Rremont
e desí adelant, sabet, todos los otros;
a grant ondra lo rreciben al que en buen ora nació.
Nos' quiso levantar el Crespo de Grañón,
nin todos los del bando de ifantes de Carrión.
El rrey dixo al Cid: “Venid acá ser, Campeador,
en aqueste escaño quem' diestes vós en don;
maguer que [
a
] algunos pesa, mejor sodes que nós.”
Essora dixo muchas mercedes el que Valencia gañó:
“Sed en vuestro escaño como rrey e señor,
acá posaré con todos aquestos míos.”
Lo que dixo el Cid al rrey plogo de coraçón.
En un escaño torniño essora Mio Cid posó,
los ciento quel' aguardan posan aderredor.
Catando están a Mio Cid quantos ha en la cort,
a la barba que avié luenga e presa con el cordón,
en sos aguisamientos bien semeja varón,

And handsomely crafted shoes;
His linen shirt was white as the sun,
With cuff links of silver and gold,
Made to his instructions,
And over it a tunic of the finest silk,
Brocaded with gold, and glittering.
Over this he wore a coat, lined with purple fur—
And this was how my Cid, the Warrior, always dressed.
His head was crowned by a linen cap,
Gold-brocaded, meant to ensure
No one could pull his hair.
His great long beard was tied and shortened by a cord,
So whoever might want to pull his beard couldn't.
And over all the rest he wore a costly cloak
Which caught the eye of anyone who saw it.
With the hundred men he'd summoned
He galloped away from San Servando:
My Cid had readied himself for court.
At the outer gate, he dismounted,
With him in the middle, his men all around him,
He went in, carefully surrounded.
At the sight of this man born at a fortunate hour,
Good King Don Alfonso rose,
And so did Count Don Enrique, and Count Don Ramón.
And, let me tell you, almost everyone else.
He who was born at the right time was given high honors.
But Count Don García Ordóñez did not feel like standing,
Nor did the Carrións or any of their men.
“Come sit with me, Warrior,” said the king,
“On this bench of mine, a gift from you.
No matter who thinks different, you're better than us all!”
He who had conquered Valencia answered, most politely:
“Stay where you are, seated as king and my lord;
I'll sit over there, with my men.”
The king took deep pleasure in this reply.
So my Cid seated himself on a well-made bench,
And his hundred warriors sat around him.
Everyone there was staring at him,

nol' pueden catar de vergüença ifantes de Carrión.
Essora se levó en pie el buen rrey don Alfonso:
“¡Oíd, mesnadas, sí vos vala el Criador!
Yo, de que fu rrey, non fız más de dos cortes,
la una fue en Burgos e la otra en Carrión;
esta tercera a Toledo la vin fer oy
por el amor de Mio Cid, el que en buen ora nació,
que rreciba derecho de ifantes de Carrión.
Grande tuerto le han tenido, sabémoslo todos nós;
alcaldes sean d'esto el conde don Anrrich e el conde don
Rremond
e estos otros condes que del vando non sodes.
Todos meted í mientes, ca sodes coñoscedores,
por escoger el derecho, ca tuerto non mando yo.
D'ella e d'ella part en paz seamos oy:
juro par Sant Esidro, el que bolviere mi cort
quitar me á el rreino, perderá mi amor.
Con el que toviere derecho yo d'essa parte me só.
Agora demande Mio Cid el Campeador;
sabremos qué rresponden ifantes de Carrión.”
Mio Cid la mano besó al rrey e en pie se levantó:
“Mucho vos lo gradesco como a rrey e a señor
por quanto esta cort fıziestes por mi amor.
Esto les demando a ifantes de Carrión:
por mis fıjas quem' dexaron yo non he desonor,
ca vós las casastes, rrey, sabredes qué fer oy;
mas quando sacaron mis fıjas de Valencia la mayor,
yo bien l
o
s quería d'alma e de coraçón,
diles dos espadas a Colada e a Tizón,
éstas yo las gané a guisa de varón,
ques' ondrassen con ellas e sirviessen a vós;
quando dexaron mis fıjas en el rrobredo de Corpes
comigo non quisieron aver nada e perdieron mi amor;
denme mis espadas quando mios yernos non son.”
Atorgan los alcaldes: “Tod' esto es rrazón.”
Dixo el conde don García: “A esto fablemos nós.”
Essora salién aparte iffantes de Carrión
con todos sus parientes e el vando que í son,

And at his long beard, tied up by a cord:
He was every inch a man!
The Carrións were too ashamed to look.
Then good King Alfonso rose:
“Hear me, gentlemen, in the name of God!
Since I've been king, I've called only two courts,
One in Burgos, and one in Carrión.
This third one has been called, here in Toledo,
For love of my Cid, he who was born at a blessèd time,
To give him justice against the Carrión heirs.
We all know the immense wrongs they have done him.
The judges, here, will be Count Don Enrique and Count Don
Ramón,
Along with counts who are not allied to the accused.
Pay close attention, and as the learnèd men you are
Determine what is proper, for I do not enforce malice.
Let everyone be peaceful, today,
For I swear by Saint Isidore that he who disrupts this court
Will be sent into exile, and will lose my favor.
I am on whichever side is proven right.
My Cid, the Warrior, will present his claim,
And then we'll hear what the Carrións say.”
My Cid kissed the king's hands, and rose to his feet:
“I am deeply grateful to you, my king and lord,
For your concern in calling this court.
Here is what I ask of the Carrión heirs:
Deserting my daughters brings no dishonor to me,
Because it was you who gave them away, my king; you will do as
you please.
But when you Carrións took my daughters away—
And I acted with love, from my heart and my soul—
I gave you two swords, Colada and Tizón,
Precious swords that I won
In battle, hoping they'd win more honor with you.
By abandoning my daughters, in the Corpes forest,
You broke all connection with me, and my love was lost:
Give back my swords, since you're no longer my sons-in-law!”
The judges agreed: “This is completely just.”

apriessa lo ivan trayendo e acuerdan la rrazón:
“Aún grand amor nos faze el Cid Campeador
quando desondra de sus fıjas no nos demanda oy,
bien nos abendremos con el rrey don Alfonso.
Démosle sus espadas quando assí fınca la boz,
e quando las toviere partir se á la cort;
ya más non avrá derecho de nós el Cid Canpeador.”
Con aquesta fabla tornaron a la cort:
“¡Merced, ya rrey don Alfonso, sodes nuestro señor!
No lo podemos negar ca dos espadas nos dio,
quando las demanda e d'ellas ha sabor
dárgelas queremos delant estando vós.”
Sacaron las espadas Colada e Tizón,
pusiéronlas en mano del rrey so señor,
saca las espadas e rrelumbra toda la cort,
las maçanas e los arriazes todos d'oro son.
Maravíllanse d'ellas todos los omnes buenos de la cort.
Rrecibió [
el Cid
] las espadas, las manos le besó,
tornós' al escaño dón se levantó,
en las manos las tiene e amas las cató,
nos' le pueden camear ca el Cid bien las connosce,
alegrós'le tod' el cuerpo, sonrrisós' de coraçón,
alçava la mano, a la barba se tomó:
“¡Par aquesta barba que nadi non' messó,
assís' irán vengando don Elvira e doña Sol!”
A so sobrino por nónbrel' llamó,
tendió el braço, la espada Tizón le dio:
“Prendetla, sobrino, ca mejora en señor.”
A Martín Antolínez, el burgalés de pro,
tendió el braço, el espada Coládal' dio:
“Martín Antolínez, mio vassallo de pro,
prended a Colada, ganéla de buen señor,
del conde d
o
Rremont Verenguel de Barcilona la mayor.
Por esso vos la do que la bien curiedes vós;
sé que si vos acaeciere . . . . . . .
con ella ganaredes grand prez e grand valor.”
Besóle la mano, el espada tomó e rrecibió.
Luego se levantó Mio Cid el Campeador: