The Song of the Cid (25 page)

saliólos a rrecebir de buena voluntad,
por amor de Mio Cid rrica cena les da.
Dent pora Valencia adeliñechos van;
al que en buen ora nasco llegava el mensaje,
privado cavalga, a rrecebirlos sale,
armas iva teniendo e grand gozo que faze,
Mio Cid a sus fıjas ívalas abraçar,
besándolas a amas, tornós' de sonrrisar:
“¡Venides, mis fıjas, Dios vos curie de mal!
Yo tomé el casamiento, mas non osé dezir ál.
Plega al Criador, que en cielo está,
que vos vea mejor casadas d'aquí en adelant.
¡De mios yernos de Carrión Dios me faga vengar!”
Besaron las manos las fıjas al padre.
Teniendo ivan armas, entráronse a la cibdad,
grand gozo fızo con ellas doña Ximena su madre.
El que en buen ora nasco non quiso tardar,
fablós' con los sos en su poridad,
al rrey Alfonso de Castiella pensó de enbiar:

 

 

133

 

“¿Ó eres, Muño Gustioz, mio vassallo de pro?
¡En buen ora te crié a ti en la mi cort!
Lieves el mandado a Castiella al rrey Alfonso,
por mí bésale la mano d'alma e de coraçón,
cuemo yo só su vassallo e él es mio señor,
d'esta desondra que me an fecha los ifantes de Carrión
quel' pese al buen rrey d'alma e de coraçón.
Él casó mis fıjas, ca non ge las di yo;
quando las han dexadas a grant desonor,
si desondra í cabe alguna contra nós,
la poca e la grant toda es de mio señor.
Mios averes se me an levado, que sobejanos son,
esso me puede pesar con la otra desonor.
Adúgamelos a vistas, o a juntas o a cortes
como aya derecho de ifantes de Carrión,
Out of love for my Cid, he gave them a great banquet.
The next day they rode straight to Valencia.
When he who was born at a lucky hour heard
They were close to the city, he galloped out
And welcomed them with a show of arms and great joy.
Smiling with pleasure, he kissed them both:
“You're here, my daughters? May God keep you from harm!
I did not dare refuse your marriage.
May God, high in his heaven, let me see you
Better married in days to come!
And may he grant me revenge on my Carrión sons-in-law!”
His daughters kissed their father's hands.
Everyone making a show of arms, they rode to the city;
How happy the girls were, seeing Doña Jimena, their mother!
And he who was born at just the right time held a secret
Conference, at once, with the best of his men,
Discussing how best to present their case to the king.

 

 

133

 

“So there you are, Muño Gustioz, one of my finest!
It was a fortunate hour, when I took you into my court!
Carry my message to Don Alfonso, King of Castile;
Kiss his hand for me, with all my heart and my soul,
For I am in his service, and he is my lord:
What the Carrións have done to me
Should sicken the king's heart and soul.
I did not give my daughters in marriage:
When they were dishonored and abandoned
What shame falls upon us is small,
Compared to that directed against my lord.
My sons-in-law have ridden off with vast sums of money,
Which seems to me yet another dishonor.
They must be called before an assembly, or court,
So justice can be done

ca tan grant es la rrencura dentro en mi coraçón.”
Muño Gustioz privado cavalgó,
con él dos cavalleros quel' sirvan a so sabor
e con él escuderos que son de criazón.
Salién de Valencia e andan quanto pueden,
nos' dan vagar los días e las noches;
al rrey en San Fagunt lo falló.
Rrey es de Castiella e rrey es de León
e de las Asturias bien a San Çalvador,
fasta dentro en Sancti Yaguo de todo es señor,
e llos condes gallizanos e él tienen por señor.
Assí como descavalga aquel Muño Gustioz,
omillós' a los santos e rrogó a[
l
] Criador;
adeliñó pora'l palacio dó estava la cort,
con él dos cavalleros quel' aguardan cum a señor.
Assí como entraron por medio de la cort,
violos el rrey e connosció a Muño Gustioz,
levantós' el rrey, tan bien los rrecibió.
Delant el rrey fıncó los inojos aquel Muño Gustioz,
besávale los pies aquel Muño Gustioz:
“¡Merced, rrey Alfonso, de largos rreinos a vós dizen señor!
Los pies e las manos vos besa el Campeador,
ele es vuestro vassallo e vós sodes so señor.
Casastes sus fıjas con ifantes de Carrión,
alto fue el casamien[
t
]o ca lo quisiestes vós.
Ya vós sabedes la ondra que es cuntida a nós,
cuemo nos han abiltados ifantes de Carrión:
mal majaron sus fıjas del Cid Campeador,
majadas e desnudas a grande desonor,
desenparadas las dexaron en el rrobredo de Corpes,
a las bestias fıeras e a las aves del mont.
Afelas sus fıjas en Valencia dó son.
Por esto vos besa las manos como vassallo a señor
que ge los levedes a vistas, o a juntas o a cortes;
tienes' por desondrado, mas la vuestra es mayor,
e que vos pese, rrey, como sodes sabidor;
que aya Mio Cid derecho de ifantes de Carrión.”
El rrey una grant ora calló e comidió:

For what has pierced and pained my heart.”
Muño Gustioz departed quickly,
Along with a pair of knights to assist him
And several servants of his own.
They left Valencia and rode
As fast as they could, by day and by night.
They found the king in Sahagún—
Don Alfonso, ruler of Castile and León,
Lord of Asturias, and the city of Oviedo,
And the land far as Santiago,
His lordship acknowledged by all the Galician counts.
When Muño Gustioz dismounted,
He prayed to God and his saints,
Then he and the men who rode with him
Went to the palace where the king held court.
From where he was sitting, King Alfonso
Saw them and recognized Muño Gustioz,
And at once arose and greeted them warmly.
Muño knelt in front of him
And kissed his feet, saying:
“A favor, King Alfonso, lord of many lands.
The Warrior kisses your feet and hands—
He who is in your service and acknowledges you his lord.
He gave his daughters to the Carrión heirs
Largely because you wanted the match.
You have heard what sort of honor they've done us,
Just how disgracefully
They've beaten the daughters of Warrior Cid,
Whipped them long and hard, and stripped them,
Then left them for dead in the Corpes forest,
Food for the wild beasts and birds of the mountains.
His daughters are now with the Warrior, in Valencia.
He kisses your hands—he in your service, you his lord—
And wishes the Carrións brought to an assembly or court.
You have been dishonored still more than my Cid,
And it is to you, wise king, on whom we call,
So my Cid can have justice against these Carrións!”
The king sat silent, thinking, for some time.

“Verdad te digo yo que me pesa de coraçón
e verdad dizes en esto, tú, Muño Gustioz,
ca yo casé sus fıjas con ifantes de Carrión;
fızlo por bien que fuesse a su pro.
¡Si quier el casamiento fecho non fuesse oy!
Entre yo e Mio Cid pésanos de coraçón,
ayudar le [
é
] a derecho, ¡sín' salve el Criador!
Lo que non cuidava fer de toda esta sazón,
andarán mios porteros por todo mio rreino,
pora dentro en Toledo pregonarán mi cort,
que allá me vayan cuendes e ifançones,
mandaré cómo í vayan ifantes de Carrión
e cómo den derecho a Mio Cid el Campeador,

 

 

134

 

“e que non aya rrencura podiendo yo vedallo.
Dezidle al Campeador, que en buen ora nasco,
que d'estas
siete
semanas adobes' con sus vassallos,
véngam' a Toledo, éstol' do de plazo.
Por amor de Mio Cid esta cort yo fago.
Saludádmelos a todos, entr'ellos aya espacio,
d'esto que les abino aún bien serán ondrados.”
Espidiós' Muño Gustioz, a Mio Cid es tornado.
Assí como lo dixo, suyo era el cuidado,
non lo detiene por nada Alfonso el castellano,
enbía sus cartas pora Léon e a Sancti Yaguo,
a los portogaleses e a galizianos
e a los de Carrión e a varones castellanos,
que cort fazié en Toledo aquel rrey ondrado,
a cabo de
siete
semanas que í fuessen juntados;
qui non viniesse a la cort non se toviesse por su vassallo.
Por todas sus tierras assí lo ivan pensando
que non falliessen de lo que el rrey avié mandado.
“You are right, I am heavy at heart,
And I tell you, Muño Gustioz, you are doubly right:
I did indeed make this marriage.
I did it, hoping to help your Warrior.
How I wish it had never been done!
My Cid and I are both heavy at heart.
I will help him have justice, in the name of God!
It has been a long time since I did this,
But now I will send my heralds through all of Castile,
Calling my nobles to court, in Toledo—
And every count, every man who has a title.
And I'll summon the Carrións to come
And do justice to my Cid, the Warrior:
He will not have suffered for nothing, if I can help it.

 

 

134

 

“Tell the Warrior, that man born in a good hour,
To be ready, he and his men, to come to Toledo
In seven weeks: that will be how long it takes.
I call this court for love of my Cid.
Greet them all for me, tell them to be patient:
This disaster they endured may yet be turned to honor!”
Muño Gustioz said his farewells, and returned to my Cid.
The king made sure that what he had said was exactly what was
done:
Alfonso, King of Castile, let nothing stand in his way.
He sent word to León and Santiago,
To the Portuguese and Galicians,
To the Carrións and his own Castilians,
Announcing their honored king was holding court in Toledo,
Where they should arrive in seven weeks, no later.
A nobleman who did not come no longer served Alfonso.
Every one of his subjects felt quite sure
The good king's notice should not be ignored.

 

 

135

 

Ya les va pesando a los ifantes de Carrión
porque en Toledo el rrey fazié cort;
miedo han que í verná Mio Cid el Campeador.
Prenden so consejo assí parientes como son,
rruegan al rrey que los quite d'esta cort.
Dixo el rrey: “No lo feré, ¡sín' salve Dios!
Ca í verná Mio Cid el Campeador;
dar le [
e
]des derecho, ca rrencura ha de vós.
Qui lo fer non quisiesse o no ir a mi cort,
quite mio rreino, ca d'él non he sabor.”
Ya lo vieron que es a fer los ifantes de Carrión,
prenden consejo parientes como son;
el conde don García en estas nuevas fue,
enemigo de Mio Cid que mal siémprel' buscó,
aquéste consejó los ifantes de Carrión.
Llegava el plazo, querién ir a la cort,
en los primeros va el buen rrey don Alfonso,
el conde don Anrrich e el conde don Rremond,
aquéste fue padre del buen enperador,
el conde don F
r
uella e el conde don Beltrán.
Fueron í de su rreino otros muchos sabidores,
de toda Castiella todos los mejores.
El conde don García con ifantes de Carrión
e As[
s
]ur Gonçález e Gonçalo Assúrez,
e Diego e Ferrando í son amos a dos,
e con ellos grand bando que aduxieron a la cort:
e[
n
]baírle cuidan a Mio Cid el Campeador.
De todas partes allí juntados son.
Aún non era llegado el que en buen ora nació,
porque se tarda el rrey non ha sabor.
Al quinto día venido es Mio Cid el Campeador,
[
a
] Álbar Fáñez adelántel' enbió
que besasse las manos al rrey so señor:
bien lo sopiesse que í serié essa noch.
Quando lo oyó el rrey, plógol' de coraçón,

135

 

How it troubled the Carrións,
The king calling this court in Toledo!
They were afraid my Cid, the Warrior, would come.
The whole family discussed the problem,
Then begged the king to exempt them.
He replied: “I will do no such thing!
My Cid, the Warrior, is coming,
And needs to have justice for what you've done.
Whoever does not attend
Had better leave this land, for he loses my favor.”
The Carrións saw it was going to happen;
The entire family discussed the problem.
Count Don García Ordóñez took part—
My Cid's enemy, always trying to hurt him—
And gave the Carrións his advice.
The time came, they had to attend.
Among the first to arrive were King Alfonso,
Count Don Enrique, and Count Don Ramón—
Count Ramón was the good emperor's father—
Count Don Fruela, and Count Don Beltrán.
Many deeply learned men attended the court,
The best of all there were, from all Castile.
Count Don García was there, along with the Carrións,
And Ansur González, Suero González,
And Diego and Fernando, our pair of Carrión brothers,
And with them a horde, their men and others,
Assembled for assaulting my Cid, the Warrior.
Members of the court had come from all over,
But he who was born at a fortunate hour
Was late, and the king was annoyed.
On the fifth day my Cid, the Warrior, appeared;
He had sent Alvar Fáñez in advance,
To show respect for the king, his lord, and to kiss his hands
And say he was coming that night.
Hearing this, the king was delighted,
con grandes yentes el rrey cavalgó
e iva rrecebir al que en buen ora nació.
Bien aguisado viene el Cid con todos los sos,
buenas conpañas que assí an tal señor.
Quando lo ovo a ojo el buen rrey don Alfonso,
fıriós' a tierra Mio Cid el Campeador,
biltarse quiere e ondrar a so señor.
Quando lo oyó el rrey por nada non tardó:
“¡Par Sant Esidro verdad non será oy!
Cavalgad, Cid, si non, non avría de[
n
]d sabor,
saludar nos hemos d'alma e de coraçón.
De lo que a vós pesa a mí duele el coraçón,
¡Dios lo mande que por vós se ondre oy la cort!”
“Amen,” dixo Mio Cid el Campeador,
besóle la mano e después le saludó:
“Grado a Dios quando vos veo, señor.
Omíllom' a vós e al conde do Rremond
e al conde don A[
n
]rrich e a quantos que í son,
¡Dios salve a nuestros amigos e a vós más, señor!
Mi mugier doña Ximena, dueña es de pro,
bésavos las manos, e mis fıjas amas a dos,
d'esto que nos abino que vos pese, señor.”
Rrespondió el rrey: “Sí fago, ¡sín' salve Dios!”