The Song of the Cid (8 page)

 

 

25

 

Estas ganancias allí eran juntadas.
Comidiós' Mio Cid, el que en buen ora fue nado,
e
l rrey Alfonso que llegarién sus compañas,
quel' buscarié mal con todas sus mesnadas.
Mandó partir tod' aqueste aver,
sos quiñoneros que ge los diessen por carta.
Sos cavalleros í an arribança,
a cada uno d'ellos caen
ciento
marcos de plata
e a los peones la meatad sin falla,
toda la quinta a Mio Cid fıncava.
Aquí non lo puede vender nin dar en presentaja,
nin cativos nin cativas non quiso traer en su conpaña.
Fabló con los de Castejón e envió a Fita e a Guadalfajara
esta quinta por quánto serié conprada,
aun de lo que diessen oviessen grand ganancia,
asmaron los moros
tres
mill marcos de plata;
plogo a Mio Cid d'aquesta presentaja,
a tercer día dados fueron sin falla.
Asmó Mio Cid con toda su conpaña
que en el castiello non í avrié morada,
e que serié rretenedor mas non í avrié agua:
“Moros en paz, ca escripta es la carta,
buscar nos ie el rrey Alfonso con toda su mesnada;
quitar quiero Castejón, ¡oíd, escuelas e Minyaya!

 

 

26

 

“Lo que yo dixier non lo tengades a mal,
en Castejón non podriemos fıncar,
cerca es el rrey Alfonso e buscarnos verná.
Mas el castiello non lo quiero ermar,
ciento moros e ciento moras quiero las quitar
porque lo pris d'ellos que de mí non digan mal.
Todos sodes pagados e ninguno por pagar,

 

 

25

 

They made a heap of everything they'd won.
Then he who'd been born at just the right time, my Cid,
Began to wonder if King Alfonso might be getting closer,
He and his armies hunting them down.
So he ordered those whose job it was
To quickly distribute this treasure, keeping careful records.
Each of his knights was rewarded
With a full hundred marks,
And every foot soldier got half that much;
One-fifth of the total was reserved for my Cid.
But what could be sold or given away, there in the mountains?
—And he wanted no captives with him, no men, no women.
So he spoke to the people of Castejón, sent messengers to Hita
And Guadalajara, asking what his share would be worth,
Since anything they offered him would be pure profit.
The Moors said three thousand marks
And my Cid cheerfully accepted.
Three days later, they paid the bill in full.
It was not wise, my Cid believed,
To remain in the Castejón castle:
They could defend it, yes, but there would be no water.
“Let's leave these Moors in peace: we've taken their money,
They've paid every penny—and King Alfonso's army
Could be coming. Hear me, Minaya and all my men: let's leave!

 

 

26

 

“No one should misunderstand what I've said:
We simply cannot stay in Castejón.
King Alfonso's army can't be far away, he's looking for us.
Nor do I wish to damage or destroy this castle:
I'll set free a hundred Moorish men and a hundred Moorish
women,
So they can't speak badly of my taking it from them.

cras a la mañana pensemos de cavalgar,
con Alfonso mio señor non querría lidiar.”
Lo que dixo el Cid a todos los otros plaz.
Del castiello que prisieron todos rricos se parten,
los moros e las moras bendiziéndol' están.
Vanse Fenares arriba quanto pueden andar,
trocen las Alcarias e ivan adelant,
por las Cuevas d'Anquita ellos passando van,
passaron las aguas, entraron al campo de Torancio,
por essas tierras ayuso quanto pueden andar.
Entre Fariza e Cetina Mio Cid iva albergar,
grandes son las ganancias que priso por la tierra dó va.
Non lo saben los moros el ardiment que an.
Otro día moviós' Mio Cid el de Bivar
e passó a Alfama, la Foz ayuso va,
passó a Bovierca e a Teca que es adelant
e sobre Alcocer Mio Cid iva posar
en un otero rredondo, fuerte e grand,
acerca corre Salón, agua nol' puedent vedar.
Mio Cid don Rrodrigo Alcocer cueda ganar.

 

 

27

 

Bien puebla el otero, fırme prende las posadas,
los unos contra la sierra e los otros contra la agua.
El buen Canpeador que en buen ora nasco
derredor del otero bien cerca del agua
a todos sos varones mandó fazer una cárcava
que de día nin de noch non les diessen arrebata,
que sopiessen que Mio Cid allí avié fıncança.

 

 

28

 

Por todas essas tierras ivan los mandados
que el Campeador Mio Cid allí avié poblado,
venido es a moros, exido es de cristianos;
You've all been well paid, no one's purse is empty,
So tomorrow morning I want us to ride away.
Alfonso is still my king, I do not want to fight with him.”
No one disagreed with my Cid.
They'd conquered the castle as poor men; they left it rich;
And Moorish men and women blessed them.
They rode rapidly along the river Henares,
Crossed the Alcarria, passed the Anquita caves,
Then crossed the Tajuña and went through Campo Taranz:
It was a downward path, and they kept galloping on.
Finally, between Ariza and Cetina, they pitched their camp,
Having taken immense amounts of loot along the way.
The Moors had no idea where they were going.
The next day, my Cid, the Warrior from Vivar, moved on,
Passing Alhama, then La Hoz,
Then Bubierca and even Ateca, further along,
Making camp, at last, on a round hill, which looked down,
High and imposing, on the city of Alcocer.
The river Jalón ran past; their water supply was endless.
My Cid, Don Rodrigo, decided to capture Alcocer.

 

 

27

 

He built a sturdy campsite, fortified the position,
Setting some of his men near the hill, others along the river.
Then the Warrior, born in a lucky hour,
Ordered his men to dig a deep ditch, starting near the water
And running all around the hill;
No one could attack them, now, by night or day.
The message was clear: my Cid had come to stay.

 

 

28

 

The news was known through all the lands around.
The Warrior, my Cid, had settled down
Near Alcocer, exiled by Christians, come to the Moors:

en la su vezindad non se treven ganar tanto.
Aguardándose va Mio Cid con todos sus vassallos,
el castiello de Alcocer en paria va entrando.
Los de Alcocer a Mio Cid yal' dan parias de grado

 

 

29

 

e los de Teca e los de Ter
rer
la casa;
a los de Calataút, sabet, ma[
l
] les pesava.
Allí yogo Mio Cid complidas
quinze
semanas.
Quando vio Mio Cid que Alcocer non se le dava,
él fızo un art e non lo detardava:
dexa una tienda fıta e las otras levava,
cojó[
s
'] Salón ayuso, la su seña alçada,
las lorigas vestidas e cintas las espadas
a guisa de menbrado por sacarlos a celada.
Veyénlo los de Alcocer, ¡Dios, cómo se alabavan!
“Fallido á a Mio Cid el pan e la cevada;
las otras abés lieva, una tienda á dexada,
de guisa va Mio Cid como si escapasse de arrancada.
Demos salto a él e feremos grant ganancia
antes quel' prendan los de Ter
rer
, si non, non nos darán dent
nada;
la paria qu'él á presa tornar nos la ha doblada.”
Salieron de Alcocer a una priessa much estraña,
Mio Cid, quando los vio fuera, cogiós' como de arrancada,
cojós' Salón ayuso, con los sos abuelta
anda
.
Dizen los de Alcocer: “¡Ya se nos va la ganancia!”
Los grandes e los chicos fuera salto dan,
al sabor del prender de lo ál non piensan nada,
abiertas dexan las puertas que ninguno non las guarda.
El buen Campeador la su cara tornava,
vio que entr'ellos e el castiello mucho avié grand plaça,
mandó tornar la seña, apriessa espoloneavan:
“¡Firidlos, cavalleros, todos sines dubdança!
¡Con la merced del Criador nuestra es la ganancia!”
Bueltos son con ellos por medio de la llana.

Earning a living, with him close by, was hard,
He and all his men forever on guard.
And Alcocer was soon paying him tribute.

 

 

29

 

And the people of Teca, too, and also Terrer: all of them
Paid. And those in Calatayud, for sure, were worried sick.
My Cid stayed there, waiting, for all of fifteen weeks,
But saw that Alcocer would not surrender.
He thought of a simple trick,
And quickly tried it, taking down the tents, all but one,
Then riding down along the Jalón, banners flying,
His men in armor, their swords close-sheathed.
He thought this plan would draw them out. And it did.
All Alcocer watched—and God! how they rejoiced!
“Cid is running out of bread and fodder!
There's hardly a tent still standing—one out of ten—
Cid is running off, he sees he has no choice!
If we jump on him, now, we'll make ourselves rich,
But if we wait for the men of Terrer to attack, we won't get a bit.
We can get double what we've paid him!”
They fairly tumbled out their gates, running brainless.
My Cid saw them, and pretended to panic,
Galloping down the Jalón faster and faster.
The Moors shouted, “Look! Our gold is running away!”
Little and large, they came dashing through the gates,
Gold dust in their eyes and nothing else in their minds;
They left the wide-open gates, and no guards, behind them.
The great Warrior turned his head, looked back,
And saw how far from the fortress they'd run, to attack him.
He swung his banner around, ordered his knights to gallop at
them:
“Charge! Let no one hesitate!
With God's good grace, we'll smash them!”
They reached the Moors right on the level plain.

¡Dios, qué bueno es el gozo por aquesta mañana!
Mio Cid e Álbar Fáñez adelant aguijavan,
tienen buenos cavallos, sabet, a su guisa les andan,
entr'ellos e el castiello en essora entravan.
Los vassallos de Mio Cid sin piedad les davan,
en un ora e un poco de logar
trezientos
moros matan.
Dando grandes alaridos los que están en la celada,
dexando van los delant, por el castiello se tornavan,
las espadas desnudas a la puerta se paravan.
Luego llegavan los sos, ca fecha es el arrancada.
Mio Cid gañó a Alcocer, sabet, por esta maña.

 

 

30

 

Vino Pero Vermúez, que la seña tiene en mano,
metióla en somo, en todo lo más alto.
Fabló Mio Cid Rruy Díaz, el que en buen ora fue nado:
“Grado a Dios del cielo e a todos los sos sanctos,
ya mejoraremos posadas a dueños e a cavallos.

 

 

31

 

“¡Oíd a mí, Álbar Fáñez e todos los cavalleros!
En este castiello grand aver avemos preso,
los moros yazen muertos, de bivos pocos veo;
los moros e la[s] moras vender non los podremos,
que los descabecemos nada non ganaremos,
cojámoslos de dentro ca el señorío tenemos,
posaremos en sus casas e d'ellos nos serviremos.”

 

 

32

 

Mio Cid con esta ganancia en Alcocer está,
fızo enbiar por la tienda que dexara allá.
Mucho pesa a los de Teca e a los de Ter
rer
non plaze

God, what a gorgeous morning, what a wonderful day!
My Cid and Alvar Fáñez spurred their fine horses,
Which went, of course, as fast as anyone wanted,
And got between the Moors and the fortress.
My Cid's men showed no mercy,
Killing three hundred Moors in an hour, in that tiny space.
Those who were trapped were screaming away
As my Cid and his fast-riding men ran to the gates
And stood on guard, their sword blades naked.
The fighting was over, the others came to them.
And that, please understand, is how my Cid conquered Alcocer.

 

 

30

 

Pedro Bermúdez rode up, bearing the banner.
He planted it high above the walls.
Then my Cid, Ruy Díaz, born at a fortunate hour, declared:
“With the grace of God on high, and all his saints,
We've gotten better lodgings for both men and horses.

 

 

31

 

“Now listen to me, Alvar Fáñez and all you knights!
Winning this castle has earned us a very great prize.
Many of the Moors are dead, not many are still alive.
But how could we sell these captives, men or women?
How would we be better off if we killed them?
Let them come back, because we'll be in charge:
We'll live in their houses, and be their lords.”

 

 

32

 

My Cid lived in Alcocer, rich as a lord.
But, still, he took down the last of his tents, and stored it.
The Moors of Ateca were deeply concerned; those of Terrer

e a los de Calatayut non plaze;
al rrey de Valencia enbiaron con mensaje
que a uno que dizién Mio Cid Rruy Díaz de Bivar:
“Airólo el rrey Alfonso, de tierra echado lo ha,
vino posar sobre Alcocer en un tan fuerte logar,
sacólos a celada, el castiello ganado á.
Si non das consejo, a Teca e a Ter
rer
perderás,
perderás Calatayut, que non puede escapar,
rribera de Salón toda irá a mal,
assí ferá lo de Siloca, que es del otra part.”
Quando lo oyó el rrey Tamín por cuer le pesó mal:
“Tres rreyes veo de moros derredor de mí estar,
non lo detardedes, los dos id pora allá,
tres mill moros levedes con armas de lidiar,
con los de la frontera que vos ayudarán
prendétmelo a vida, aduzídmelo deland,
porque se me entró en mi tierra derecho me avrá a dar.”
Tres mill moros cavalgan e piensan de andar,
ellos vinieron a la noch en Sogorve posar.
Otro día mañana piensan de cavalgar,
vinieron a la noch a Celfa posar;
por los de la frontera piensan de enviar,
non lo detienen, vienen de todas partes.
Ixieron de Celfa, la que dizen de Canal,
andidieron todo'l día que vagar non se dan,
vinieron essa noche en Calatayu[
t
] posar.
Por todas essas tierras los pregones dan,
gentes se ajuntaron sobejanas de grandes
con aquestos dos rreyes que dizen Fáriz e Galve;
al bueno de Mio Cid en Alcocer le van cercar.