Free The Song of the Cid by Anonymous Page A

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.
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    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.
    Â¡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.
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    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.
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    â€œÂ¡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.”
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    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.
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    Pedro Bermúdez rode up, bearing the