The Song of the Cid (9 page)

 

 

33

 

Fincaron las tiendas e prendend las posadas,
crecen estos virtos ca yentes son sobejanas;
las arrobdas que los moros sacan

Were angry, and those of Calatayud, too.
They sent a message to the King of Valencia, a Moor:
“Someone who calls himself Cid, Ruy Díaz, from Vivar,
Angered King Alfonso, who banished him from Castile.
He set up a fortified camp, in front of Alcocer,
Set a trap for our people, and captured the castle.
If you don't get involved and don't help us, you'll lose Ateca,
Terrer and Calatayud, too: there is no other way to stop this.
And then everywhere along the Jalón will be lost,
And after that the Jiloca, on the opposite side.”
This message made King Tamín's heart feel heavy:
“Three Moorish kings are staying with me.
Two of you go, immediately,
With an army of three thousand, fully equipped.
Join with the Moors who have asked for our help.
Capture that man and bring him here, alive:
Invade my land, and you pay a price.”
Three thousand Moors galloped along at a good pace,
Arriving in Segorvé that night.
They headed off, next morning,
And stopped that night at Celfa;
From there they called the local troops to join them,
As they promptly did, flocking from all adjoining
Lands. Leaving Celfa (known as the Canal),
They rode straight on, not pausing to rest,
And as darkness fell, reached Calatayud, where they stopped for
the night.
Heralds were sent in all directions, calling for fighting
Men—who continued to come, assembling
A vast army for the two kings, Fáriz and Galvé,
Who quickly besieged my Cid, in Alcocer.

 

 

33

 

The Moors pitched their tents, taking up positions;
Their numbers increased to gigantic proportions.
They sent out patrols, by day and night,

de día | e de noch enbueltos andan en armas;
muchas son las arrobdas e grande es el almofalla,
a los de Mio Cid ya les tuellen el agua.
Mesnadas de Mio Cid exir querién a la batalla,
el que en buen ora nasco fırme ge lo vedava.
Toviérongela en cerca complidas tres semanas.

 

 

34

 

A cabo de tres semanas, la quarta querié e[n]trar,
Mio Cid con los sos tornós' a acordar:
“El agua nos an vedada, exir nos ha el pan,
que nos queramos ir de noch no nos lo consintrán;
grandes son los poderes por con ellos lidiar,
dezidme, cavalleros, cómo vos plaze de far.”
Primero fabló Minaya, un cavallero de prestar:
“De Castiella la gentil exidos somos acá,
si con moros non lidiáremos, no nos darán del pan.
Bien somos nós
seis
cientos, algunos ay de más,
en el no[
m
]bre del Criador, que non passe por ál;
vayámoslos ferir en aquel día de cras.”
Dixo el Campeador: “A mi guisa fablastes;
ondrástesvos, Minaya, ca aver vos lo iedes de far.”
Todos los moros e las moras de fuera los manda echar
que non sopiesse ninguno esta su poridad;
el día e la noche piénsanse de adobar.
Otro día mañana el sol querié apuntar,
armado es Mio Cid con quantos que él ha,
fablava Mio Cid como odredes contar:
“Todos iscamos fuera que nadi non rraste
sinon dos peones solos por la puerta guardar,
si nós muriéremos en campo, en castiello non entrarán,
si venciéremos la batalla, creçremos en rrictad;
e vós, Pero Vermúez, la mi seña tomad,
como sodes muy bueno, tener la edes sin art,
mas non aguijedes con ella si yo non vos lo mandar.”
Al Cid besó la mano, la seña va tomar.

Heavily armed, and ready to fight.
Their army had grown to tremendous might.
And then they managed to cut off my Cid's water supply.
His men were itching to open the gates and charge them,
But he who was born at a lucky time kept the gates barred.
The siege went on and on, for three whole weeks.

 

 

34

 

After three weeks, as the fourth began,
My Cid thought it was best to confer with his men:
“They've blocked our water supply; soon we'll be out of bread.
We can't sneak out at night;
They're terribly strong for us to fight them.
Tell me what you wish, my worthy knights.”
Brave Minaya was the first to speak:
“We've left sweet Castile behind us.
If we don't fight the Moors, they surely won't feed us.
We are six hundred strong, and maybe more:
In the name of God, our only choice is war.
Let's go out and fight them tomorrow.”
The Warrior replied: “I like what you've said.
Minaya, this honors you, and it's what I expected.”
Moorish men and women were ordered out of the city;
Their plans required secrecy,
And day and night they worked to make themselves ready.
The next day, before the morning light, just at dawn,
My Cid and his men were fully armed.
He addressed his men, and here are his words:
“We'll all go out, except for two foot soldiers, to guard
The gate. If we die in battle, they'll have it all.
But if we win, we'll earn ourselves far more.
And you, Pedro Bermúdez, will carry my banner to war—
A loyal follower, who deserves such honor.
But don't rush ahead, wait for my order.”
He kissed my Cid's hand, and lifted the banner.
They opened the gates and charged straight out.

Abrieron las puertas, fuera un salto dan,
viéronlo las arrobdas de los moros, al almofalla se van tornar.
¡Qué priessa va en los moros! e tornáronse a armar,
ante rroído de atamores la tierra querié quebrar;
veriedes armarse moros, apriessa entrar en az.
De parte de los moros dos señas ha cabdales,
e fızieron dos azes de peones mezclados, ¿quí los podrié contar?
La[s] azes de los moros yas' mueven adelant
por a Mio Cid e a los sos a manos los tomar.
“Quedas sed, me[
s
]nadas, aquí en este logar,
non derranche ninguno fata que yo lo mande.”
Aquel Pero Vermúez non lo pudo endurar,
la seña tiene en mano, conpeçó de espolonar:
“¡El Criador vos vala, Cid, Campeador leal!
Vo meter la vuestra seña en aquella mayor az;
los que el debdo avedes veremos cómo la acorredes.”
Dixo el Campeador: “¡Non sea, por caridad!”
Rrespuso Pero Vermúez: “¡Non rrastará por ál!”
Espolonó el cavallo e metiól' en el mayor az.
Moros le rreciben por la seña ganar,
danle grandes colpes mas nol' pueden falsar.
Dixo el Campeador: “¡Valelde, por caridad!”

 

 

35

 

Enbraçan los escudos delant los coraçones,
abaxan las lanças abue
l
tas de los pendones,
enclinaron las caras de suso de los arzones,
ívanlos ferir de fuertes coraçones.
A grandes vozes llama el que en buen ora nasco:
“¡Feridlos, cavalleros, por amor de caridad!
¡Yo só Rruy Díaz de Bivar, el Cid Campeador!”
Todos fıeren en el az dó está Pero Vermúez,
trezientas lanças son, todas tienen pendones;
seños moros mataron, todos de seños colpes;
a la tornada que fazen otros tantos [
muertos
] son.

The Moors' patrol bands saw them, and quickly retreated.
How the Moors began to scurry, to get themselves armed!
Their drums were beating hard enough to split the world.
You could see their soldiers rushing into battle lines.
Having two kings, the Moors carried two banners,
They formed as if two armies—and who could count them all?
And then they began to move forward,
Ready to meet my Cid and his men, sword against sword.
“Let them come to us,” said the Warrior. “Stay where you are.
No one take a single step until I order it.”
They obeyed. But Pedro Bermúdez could not wait;
Lifting the banner high, he spurred his horse:
“God shield you, O Cid, loyal Warrior!
I'll set your banner in the thickest line of Moors,
And then we'll see how these men of ours fight for it!”
“No!” cried my Cid. “Don't! In the name of honor, stop!”
Pedro Bermúdez replied, “I can't stay here—”
And galloped his horse straight at the Moors.
They welcomed him, trying to take the banner,
Their weapons hitting him hard, but unable to break his armor.
“Help him!” called my Cid. “In the name of honor!”

 

 

35

 

They raised their shields in front of their breasts,
Lowered their lances, all covered with flags,
Bent their faces down toward their saddle horns,
And attacked, their hearts as bold as their swords.
And he who'd been born at just the right time shouted,
“At them, knights! In the name of honor!
I am Ruy Díaz, the Cid, the Warrior!”
They smashed into the Moors' front line, alongside Pedro
Bermúdez,
Three hundred lances, the flags all fluttering,
And every blow brought death for a Moor.
They turned and charged once more, and more Moors died.

 

 

36

 

Veriedes tantas lanças premer e alçar,
tanta adágara foradar e passar,
tanta loriga falsa[
r
] [
e
] desmanchar,
tantos pendones blancos salir vermejos en sangre,
tantos buenos cavallos sin sos dueños andar.
Los moros llaman Mafómat e los cristianos Sancti Yagü[
e
];
cayén en un poco de logar moros muertos mill e [
trezientos
ya].

 

 

37

 

¡Quál lidia bien sobre exorado arzón
Mio Cid Rruy Díaz, el buen lidiador!
Minaya Álbar Fáñez, que Çorita mandó,
Martín Antolínez, el burgalés de pro,
Muño Gustioz, que fue so criado,
Martín Muñoz, el que mandó a Mont Mayor,
Álbar Álbarez e Álbar Salvadórez,
Galín García, el bueno de Aragón,
Félez Muñoz, so sobrino del Campeador.
Desí adelante, quantos que í son
acorren la seña e a Mio Cid el Canpeador.

 

 

38

 

A Minaya Álbar Fáñez matáronle el cavallo,
bien lo acorren mesnadas de cristianos.
La lança á quebrada, al espada metió mano,
maguer de pie buenos colpes va dando.
Violo Mio Cid Rruy Díaz el castellano,
acostós' a un aguazil que tenié buen cavallo,
diol' tal espadada con el so diestro braço
cortól' por la cintura, el medio echó en campo.

 

 

36

 

It was a sea of lances rising and falling,
Shields pierced through and broken open,
Body armor smashed,
Blood spattered all over white flags,
And many, many horses who had no rider.
The Moors cried, “Mohammad!” The Christians, “Saint James!”
In a moment, thirteen hundred Moors lay dead on the field.

 

 

37

 

How well he fought, bent over his gilded saddle horn,
My Cid, Ruy Díaz, that great Warrior!
And there was Minaya Alvar Fáñez, Zurita's lord,
And Martín Antolínez, that fine man from Burgos,
And Muño Gustioz, Cid's brother-in-law,
And Martín Muñoz, who ruled in Montemayor,
And Alvar Alvarez, Alvar Salvadórez,
Galín García, that good man from Aragon,
And Félix Muñoz, my Cid's nephew.
Everyone who was there, from that moment on,
Rushed toward the banner, and fought for my Cid, their great
Warrior.

 

 

38

 

The Moors succeeded in killing Minaya's horse,
And at once Christians came rushing to help him.
His lance had been broken, but he drew his sword
And, staying on his feet, fought furiously on.
My Cid, Ruy Díaz, seeing his problem,
Headed for one of the Moors, who rode a first-rate horse,
And gave him such a savage blow with his sword

A Minaya Álbar Fáñez íval' dar el cavallo:
“¡Cavalgad, Minaya, vós sodes el mio diestro braço!
Oy en este día de vós abré grand bando;
fırme[
s
] son los moros, aún nos' van del campo.”
Cavalgó Minaya, el espada en la mano,
por estas fuerças fuertemientre lidiando,
a los que alcança valos delibrando.
Mio Cid Rruy Díaz, el que en buen ora nasco,
al rrey Fáriz
tres
colpes le avié dado,
los dos le fallen e el únol' ha tomado;
por la loriga ayuso la sangre destella[
n
]do
bolvió la rrienda por írsele del campo.
Por aquel colpe rrancado es el fonsado.

 

 

39

 

Martín Antolínez un colpe dio a Galve,
las carbonclas del yelmo echógelas aparte,
cortól' el yelmo que llegó a la carne;
sabet, el otro non gel' osó esperar.
Arrancado es el rrey Fáriz e Galve.
¡Tan buen día por la cristiandad
ca fuyen los moros de la part!
Los de Mio Cid fıriendo en alcaz,
el rrey Fáriz en Ter
rer
se fue entrar
e a Galve nol' cogieron allá,
para Calatayu
t
, quanto puede, se va;
el Campeador íval' en alcaz,
fata Calatayu
t
duró el segudar.

That he cut him in half, at the waist; what was left of him fell to
the ground.
Then he rode to Minaya, leading the horse:
“Ride him, Minaya, my good right hand!
I'll be leaning on you for some heavy work today:
The Moors are fighting back, they still might beat us.”
Minaya galloped into action, swinging his sword,
Delivering heavy blows, driving through the Moorish horde;
Souls flew from the bodies of all who approached him.
My Cid, Ruy Díaz, born at a lucky hour,
Had swung at King Fáriz three times;
Twice he'd missed, but the third time he hit him,
And blood came gushing down the length of his mail shirt,
And the king swung his horse around, so he could run from the
battle.
That single blow broke his army's resistance.

 

 

39

 

Martín Antolínez struck at Galvé, the other king,
Smashing apart his helmet, at the neck,
Cutting through right into his flesh.
Believe me, he did not wait to be hit again.
King Fáriz and King Galvé were beaten, both had fled.
What a magnificent day for the Christians,
Seeing the Moors turn and run!
My Cid's followers chased after them:
King Fáriz took shelter in Terrer,
But Galvé took a different direction,
Running as fast as he could, all the way to Calatayud.
And that was as far as the Warrior pursued him,
Not riding any farther than Calatayud.