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The Song of the Cid (Penguin Classics) A Dual-Language Edition with Parallel Text
From a legendary a magnificent new rendering of Spain's national epic
Venture into the heart of Islamic Spain in this vibrant, rollicking new translation of The Song of the Cid , the only surviving epic from medieval Spain. Banished from the court of King Alfonso, the noble warrior Rodrigo Diaz, know as the Cid, sets out from Castile to restore his name. In a series of battles, he earns wealth and honor for his men and his king, as well as fame and admiration for himself. But it is in rescuing his daughters from their ill-suited marriages that the Cid faces the ultimate challenge to the medieval heroic ideal.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
Venture into the heart of Islamic Spain in this vibrant, rollicking new translation of The Song of the Cid , the only surviving epic from medieval Spain. Banished from the court of King Alfonso, the noble warrior Rodrigo Diaz, know as the Cid, sets out from Castile to restore his name. In a series of battles, he earns wealth and honor for his men and his king, as well as fame and admiration for himself. But it is in rescuing his daughters from their ill-suited marriages that the Cid faces the ultimate challenge to the medieval heroic ideal.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
254 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1110
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 853 reviews
February 21, 2022
El cantar de mío Cid es un clásico español que nos lleva al mundo caballeresco de la edad media.
Las tres estrellas no es porque me haya gustado, sino que para ser un escrito con tanto peso de antigüedad se ha dejado leer muy bien, ya que he podido seguir el hilo de la historia y nunca me ha aburrido. Y aunque tampoco es que me haya interesado mucho ese contexto histórico, creo que su valor reside en que es un escrito (aunque al principio se transmitió oralmente) que deja entrever en sus letras las tradiciones, comportamientos y moralidad de la época medieval. Donde el feudalismo era lo que primaba y había una pirámide conformada por la nobleza, el clérigo y la gente del pueblo, que se veían en la necesidad de convertirse en vasallos por beneficios y protección. Además, recorre ese fuerte teocentrismo en el que Dios era el centro de todo. Y donde el honor de un caballero debía restaurarse ganando batallas y venciendo a los moros que habitaban ciertos territorios, cosa que les valía para ganar botines y riquezas a la par que tierras y personas que convertir a su religión bajo la lupa de lo que ellos consideraban un ser civilizado. Así que como un estudio de época está bien, permite documentarse bastante bien. Por el otro lado, de mi parte no resulta tan interesante porque no me llama tanto la atención el mundo caballeresco pero es un libro muy accesible.
Las tres estrellas no es porque me haya gustado, sino que para ser un escrito con tanto peso de antigüedad se ha dejado leer muy bien, ya que he podido seguir el hilo de la historia y nunca me ha aburrido. Y aunque tampoco es que me haya interesado mucho ese contexto histórico, creo que su valor reside en que es un escrito (aunque al principio se transmitió oralmente) que deja entrever en sus letras las tradiciones, comportamientos y moralidad de la época medieval. Donde el feudalismo era lo que primaba y había una pirámide conformada por la nobleza, el clérigo y la gente del pueblo, que se veían en la necesidad de convertirse en vasallos por beneficios y protección. Además, recorre ese fuerte teocentrismo en el que Dios era el centro de todo. Y donde el honor de un caballero debía restaurarse ganando batallas y venciendo a los moros que habitaban ciertos territorios, cosa que les valía para ganar botines y riquezas a la par que tierras y personas que convertir a su religión bajo la lupa de lo que ellos consideraban un ser civilizado. Así que como un estudio de época está bien, permite documentarse bastante bien. Por el otro lado, de mi parte no resulta tan interesante porque no me llama tanto la atención el mundo caballeresco pero es un libro muy accesible.
June 15, 2011
¡Ah! ¡El Cantar del buen Cid! ¿A quién se le pudo ocurrir obligar a un niñato de 14 a digerir esta joya? ¡No tiene ni boca ni sesos para hacerlo!
Ahora a mis 32 en cambio, he sonreido y sonreido, acariciando la misma copia de páginas amarillentas que compre alla en 1993 so pena de Rojo en la libreta... A diferencia de mis años mozos (o mozárabes), no he sido infiel o indiferente al texto esta vez; al contrario, he apreciado el terruño de historia que nos ha reconquistado del ya olvidado brevario escolar; los colorescos panoramas y curiosas costumbres de la Edad Media, y de la Reconquista específicamente. ¿Quién imaginaria que los duchos y lóbregos caballeros médiévales se besaban en la boca como muestra de afecto? Además del cúmulo de costumbres y raíces idiosincraticas de la madre España que aún ahora retumban en los modos y las mentes de los Peninsulares (y también en las ex-colonias de la América Latina). Tambien esta la convivencia pacífica (bueno, casi) entre Moros y Cristianos; interacción interesante de ver a estas "alturas" de la Historia.
Si, El Cid es para disfrutarlo en madurez, como a un vino; especialmente cuando degustamos del lenguaje; arcaico pero robusto y de fácil compresión (por lo menos en la edición que yo poseo)
Cabe recalcar que también es sumamente entretenido, a diferencia de "El Cantar de Roland" Francés que no supo agradarme en su día.
Definitivamente recomendado a aquellos que aman la literatura en Castellano; El Cid bienhadado no defraudara, y seguro que os regalara uno que otro refrán como regalo para que practiqueis cuando convenga.
Ahora a mis 32 en cambio, he sonreido y sonreido, acariciando la misma copia de páginas amarillentas que compre alla en 1993 so pena de Rojo en la libreta... A diferencia de mis años mozos (o mozárabes), no he sido infiel o indiferente al texto esta vez; al contrario, he apreciado el terruño de historia que nos ha reconquistado del ya olvidado brevario escolar; los colorescos panoramas y curiosas costumbres de la Edad Media, y de la Reconquista específicamente. ¿Quién imaginaria que los duchos y lóbregos caballeros médiévales se besaban en la boca como muestra de afecto? Además del cúmulo de costumbres y raíces idiosincraticas de la madre España que aún ahora retumban en los modos y las mentes de los Peninsulares (y también en las ex-colonias de la América Latina). Tambien esta la convivencia pacífica (bueno, casi) entre Moros y Cristianos; interacción interesante de ver a estas "alturas" de la Historia.
Si, El Cid es para disfrutarlo en madurez, como a un vino; especialmente cuando degustamos del lenguaje; arcaico pero robusto y de fácil compresión (por lo menos en la edición que yo poseo)
Cabe recalcar que también es sumamente entretenido, a diferencia de "El Cantar de Roland" Francés que no supo agradarme en su día.
Definitivamente recomendado a aquellos que aman la literatura en Castellano; El Cid bienhadado no defraudara, y seguro que os regalara uno que otro refrán como regalo para que practiqueis cuando convenga.
April 17, 2019
The Poem of the Cid, the first great work of Spanish literature, tells the story of the 11th century military leader Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, his unjust exile, his rehabilitation through military conquest and tribute, and his search for justice following the humiliation and abuse of his two daughters at the hands of their husbands.
I wanted to like this better than I did. After all, it is the first known production of a great nation, the heroic expression of a people, and I had prepared myself to love it and embrace as I do The Iliad, Beowulf, and The Song of Roland.
Perhaps the fault is with the translation. I chose Paul Blackburn because I have always admired his plain colloquial language and his spare imagery, and I like the fact that he produced a translation to be read aloud. But although there was dignity and poignancy here, there was no real majesty or epic darkness. Later, I picked up the W.S. Merwin for comparison. I found more dignity and more poignancy in Merwin’s verse, but less joy, less narrative purity. And the majesty and epic darkness eluded me here as well.
I came to see The Poem of the Cid not so much as an epic, but as a series of something akin to three very long ballads, similar to the “Robin Hood Cycle” of English tradition: the first ballad is about the Cid’s exile and early victories, the second about his conquests and rehabilitation, the third about his search for justice and the restoration of honor.
One I got used to The Poem not being an epic—at least according to my definition—I began to see that it possessed compensatory virtues. Since it dispenses with the supernatural machinery usually found in the epic, it concentrates instead on a realistic portrait of the time, an innocent delight in battle strategy, the bravery of warfare, the magnificence of treasure won on the field, the clear imperatives of honor.
I recommend it. No, it’s not Homer. But it has down-to-earth enthusiasm and a narrative purity all its own.
July 13, 2020
Visto con los ojos actuales, que riqueza de matices tiene este poema épico. Fiel reflejo de la mentalidad medieval.
Read
September 26, 2022Penguin parallel text edition, tr. Burton Raffel, intro. María Rosa Menocal
An ancient epic of war.
I was repeatedly struck by how Bronze Age the style of fighting seemed - or is that because that's the oldest warfare I've read about in any detail? And this sort of strategic raiding has doubtless been part of human conduct for far longer, even if towns could not have been besieged before there were towns. El Cid is the warrior exiled from society by his king, who then proceeds to conquer neighbouring territory from mutual enemies, echoing the process by which it's thought young Yamnaya men made inroads into Europe. Likewise, as Menocal notes, there is "the vast gift economy of the poem, and to the ways in which the acquisition and distribution of wealth are intimately tied to other thematic concerns, especially the preoccupations with social morality and nobility" - this, as hospitality culture is similarly in evidence in Homer, and the importance of host-guest relationships and gifting appears to have been connected with Indo-European herding societies as common ancestor. But again, is it also older and more universal? Reading this, it felt in some ways as if the Romans had never happened, that Christianity had merely been added to what went before.
Like other martial epics, it occasionally surprises with its graphic descriptions of the sort that were absent from old-to-us history books, i.e. from the 19th-mid 20th century. In particular jousting, often so romanticised by medievals and Victorians alike. Yes I'd thought before, "what if a lance actually went right through someone?" but certainly never read a contemporary description of it happening, bits of fabric and metal sticking out, as they logically would (stanza 152).
Curious to the English reader is the complete absence of archery, bows and arrows from the story, when these were such a great part of medieval warfare in our part of the world - though, without investigation, this may simply be because they were not quite considered noble weapons, and the heroic knight fought in close combat with bladed weapons, not at the distance bows could allow.
Despite the difference in weapons, he is also reminiscent of Robin Hood, head of a martial band with his status of being simultaneously outlawed yet loyal to the king, absurdly deferential, even, through the eyes of the contemporary reader - and one of those legends to which further elements and characters were added over centuries, especially during the Early Modern period.
The poem's values, on religion and the convivencia, seem neither as 100% liberal as recent commentators like Menocal imply - but also far less bigoted than some might assume. I suspect that whichever way your opinion is weighted when you start reading, you will notice points to contradict it. Menocal: says that it is "assumed to be openly anti-Muslim and a glorification of a bigoted Christian worldview, a work held up for so long as emblematic of the Franco era’s repressive values. But these preconceptions are largely unjust and, at times, deeply ironic, given the centrality of the question of Christian-Muslim relations not just in Spain but also throughout the world in the twenty-first century." I would say that "largely" is doing a bit of work. The references are occasional, and there is clear friendship and alliance between El Cid and some Moorish rulers and communities, but you can certainly see the beginnings of the intolerance that would, in 400 years, mutate into Ferdinand & Isabella's Catholic fundamentalist colonial rule. One of El Cid's first acts in the surviving text is to swindle Jewish moneylenders to kickstart his campaign funding; a couple of times cleanliness and Christianity are connected, and the martial Bishop Jerome is undoubtedly interested in religious warfare and Christianising previously Muslim territory. This 90s essay says that "the notion of a Christian holy war" in Spain first emerged during the reign of Alfonso VII, the Castilian king in this poem.
The experiences of El Cid's daughters, on top of the absolute normality of, usually mutual, domestic violence in the Decameron made me want to look at Christine de Pizan's work. (Though I can't imagine ever reading all of it, as I used to have one of her books and I just don't find medieval non-fiction court prose interesting enough to read cover to cover.) How did medieval girls and women think about marriage? (And I assume and hope Pizan noted different attitudes, such as those who were critical like herself, and others who did not question or think outside the status quo, because there are always such people.) Was there any expectation that there would or could be no violence or what we would call abuse? Or to most would that have been like contemporary people looking for employers who let them take time off on full pay as much and as often as they feel like? (i.e. most people don't even think about it because it doesn't exist and is not really thought of outside a few online socialist circles). Were convents a possibility in 11th-century Spain? I am sure Spanish feminist historians must have written about all this in the context of the poem and the culture of its time and place.
Similarly, I would like to know more about the possible textual history connected with the Carrións and the daughters: this episode seems a surprising thing to put in a heroic tale, and that gives it an instinctive ring of truth. So who did it happen to, if it wasn't to El Cid's family? I feel sure it was real for someone, but where did it come from? Is what happens in the poem a plausible fate for all concerned? Again, I'm sure there are works of history in Spanish that address this.
Raffel's is a very readable free-verse translation but the lack of rhyme and traditional structure does detract somewhat from the sense of ancient-ness and of the poem having emerged from, or been heavily influenced by, the oral tradition. The extent of rhyme and regularity in the original is obvious in the parallel text. (Which is also fascinating for observing spelling and usage changes if you know modern Spanish.) Compared with the Blackburn translation (which I would also like to read, and which in some quarters is considered the best), there is less attention in the Penguin version to information from chronicles on what the events may have been during gaps in the text of the poem itself, and having looked at the Blackburn, that made the Penguin seem a little lacking. But all in all it is very approachable as you would hope from the most widely available modern version, a quick read (half of 247 pages as it's a parallel text) and benefits from an introduction from one of the most important historians of medieval Spain.
An ancient epic of war.
I was repeatedly struck by how Bronze Age the style of fighting seemed - or is that because that's the oldest warfare I've read about in any detail? And this sort of strategic raiding has doubtless been part of human conduct for far longer, even if towns could not have been besieged before there were towns. El Cid is the warrior exiled from society by his king, who then proceeds to conquer neighbouring territory from mutual enemies, echoing the process by which it's thought young Yamnaya men made inroads into Europe. Likewise, as Menocal notes, there is "the vast gift economy of the poem, and to the ways in which the acquisition and distribution of wealth are intimately tied to other thematic concerns, especially the preoccupations with social morality and nobility" - this, as hospitality culture is similarly in evidence in Homer, and the importance of host-guest relationships and gifting appears to have been connected with Indo-European herding societies as common ancestor. But again, is it also older and more universal? Reading this, it felt in some ways as if the Romans had never happened, that Christianity had merely been added to what went before.
Like other martial epics, it occasionally surprises with its graphic descriptions of the sort that were absent from old-to-us history books, i.e. from the 19th-mid 20th century. In particular jousting, often so romanticised by medievals and Victorians alike. Yes I'd thought before, "what if a lance actually went right through someone?" but certainly never read a contemporary description of it happening, bits of fabric and metal sticking out, as they logically would (stanza 152).
Curious to the English reader is the complete absence of archery, bows and arrows from the story, when these were such a great part of medieval warfare in our part of the world - though, without investigation, this may simply be because they were not quite considered noble weapons, and the heroic knight fought in close combat with bladed weapons, not at the distance bows could allow.
Despite the difference in weapons, he is also reminiscent of Robin Hood, head of a martial band with his status of being simultaneously outlawed yet loyal to the king, absurdly deferential, even, through the eyes of the contemporary reader - and one of those legends to which further elements and characters were added over centuries, especially during the Early Modern period.
The poem's values, on religion and the convivencia, seem neither as 100% liberal as recent commentators like Menocal imply - but also far less bigoted than some might assume. I suspect that whichever way your opinion is weighted when you start reading, you will notice points to contradict it. Menocal: says that it is "assumed to be openly anti-Muslim and a glorification of a bigoted Christian worldview, a work held up for so long as emblematic of the Franco era’s repressive values. But these preconceptions are largely unjust and, at times, deeply ironic, given the centrality of the question of Christian-Muslim relations not just in Spain but also throughout the world in the twenty-first century." I would say that "largely" is doing a bit of work. The references are occasional, and there is clear friendship and alliance between El Cid and some Moorish rulers and communities, but you can certainly see the beginnings of the intolerance that would, in 400 years, mutate into Ferdinand & Isabella's Catholic fundamentalist colonial rule. One of El Cid's first acts in the surviving text is to swindle Jewish moneylenders to kickstart his campaign funding; a couple of times cleanliness and Christianity are connected, and the martial Bishop Jerome is undoubtedly interested in religious warfare and Christianising previously Muslim territory. This 90s essay says that "the notion of a Christian holy war" in Spain first emerged during the reign of Alfonso VII, the Castilian king in this poem.
The experiences of El Cid's daughters, on top of the absolute normality of, usually mutual, domestic violence in the Decameron made me want to look at Christine de Pizan's work. (Though I can't imagine ever reading all of it, as I used to have one of her books and I just don't find medieval non-fiction court prose interesting enough to read cover to cover.) How did medieval girls and women think about marriage? (And I assume and hope Pizan noted different attitudes, such as those who were critical like herself, and others who did not question or think outside the status quo, because there are always such people.) Was there any expectation that there would or could be no violence or what we would call abuse? Or to most would that have been like contemporary people looking for employers who let them take time off on full pay as much and as often as they feel like? (i.e. most people don't even think about it because it doesn't exist and is not really thought of outside a few online socialist circles). Were convents a possibility in 11th-century Spain? I am sure Spanish feminist historians must have written about all this in the context of the poem and the culture of its time and place.
Similarly, I would like to know more about the possible textual history connected with the Carrións and the daughters: this episode seems a surprising thing to put in a heroic tale, and that gives it an instinctive ring of truth. So who did it happen to, if it wasn't to El Cid's family? I feel sure it was real for someone, but where did it come from? Is what happens in the poem a plausible fate for all concerned? Again, I'm sure there are works of history in Spanish that address this.
Raffel's is a very readable free-verse translation but the lack of rhyme and traditional structure does detract somewhat from the sense of ancient-ness and of the poem having emerged from, or been heavily influenced by, the oral tradition. The extent of rhyme and regularity in the original is obvious in the parallel text. (Which is also fascinating for observing spelling and usage changes if you know modern Spanish.) Compared with the Blackburn translation (which I would also like to read, and which in some quarters is considered the best), there is less attention in the Penguin version to information from chronicles on what the events may have been during gaps in the text of the poem itself, and having looked at the Blackburn, that made the Penguin seem a little lacking. But all in all it is very approachable as you would hope from the most widely available modern version, a quick read (half of 247 pages as it's a parallel text) and benefits from an introduction from one of the most important historians of medieval Spain.
June 7, 2016
This book has been sitting around my bookshelves for a long time, ever since a friend from college gave it to me on a whim; and because of my impending trip to Spain, I finally decided to pick it up. It is a quick and light read; and I was pleased to find out that this is the oldest extant epic poem in Castilian, and a foundational work of Spanish literature. So I’ve done my homework.
The poem tells the story of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (1043 – 1099), a medieval Spanish nobleman and military leader of great skill. (By the way, the honorific title “Cid” is a Spanish loan word from the Arabic sîdi, meaning “lord.”) Perhaps unsurprisingly, the poem has mythologized El Campeador’s life considerably. (“Campeador” is another honorific for the man, meaning “battlefield master." I’m getting all this from Wikipedia, by the way.) In this story, after being exiled by King Alfonso, the Cid spends his time conquering and slaying Muslims, bringing glory to his king and to Christendom. In reality, the Cid spent this period fighting for Muslim rulers, and even defeated several Christian forces. Nevertheless, it is quite true that he was a military leader of great skill and success.
This poem displays all of the earmarks of an oral poem: a repetitive structure, formulaic expressions and epithets, “flat” and extraverted characters, a simple and straightforward narrative. It was committed to paper several generations after the Cid’s death; and before being written down, it benefitted from being told and retold at public gatherings. The first two of the three cantars mainly concern the Cid’s heroic deeds, his triumphs in battle over all who opposed him. The third departs from this and tells of the mistreatment of the Cid’s daughters and the resulting negotiations and trial by combat.
Although I admit I found the poem a bit dull, it does provide a fascinating glimpse into medieval Spain. Quite interesting to me was the heavy value placed on winning booty. (I mean “booty” in the pirate, not in the hip-hop sense.) After every one of the Cid’s victories, it is emphasized again and again how much money he gained. He constantly promises his followers riches and finery and wealth; and this martial pursuit of lucre seems to be regarded by all as honorable and right, a fit pursuit for God-fearing men.
Also instructive was the glimpse into the medieval justice system. After the Cid’s two daughters are literally beaten and left for dead by their husbands, the Cid seems more concerned with his damaged honor than by the fact that his daughters were almost savagely murdered. And even though the perpetrators were obviously guilty and in the wrong, a trial by combat is held—during which the Cid doesn’t even fight—to decide the question of honor and shame. To me, the whole proceeding seemed to miss the point, but of course that’s neither here not there.
The poem tells the story of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (1043 – 1099), a medieval Spanish nobleman and military leader of great skill. (By the way, the honorific title “Cid” is a Spanish loan word from the Arabic sîdi, meaning “lord.”) Perhaps unsurprisingly, the poem has mythologized El Campeador’s life considerably. (“Campeador” is another honorific for the man, meaning “battlefield master." I’m getting all this from Wikipedia, by the way.) In this story, after being exiled by King Alfonso, the Cid spends his time conquering and slaying Muslims, bringing glory to his king and to Christendom. In reality, the Cid spent this period fighting for Muslim rulers, and even defeated several Christian forces. Nevertheless, it is quite true that he was a military leader of great skill and success.
This poem displays all of the earmarks of an oral poem: a repetitive structure, formulaic expressions and epithets, “flat” and extraverted characters, a simple and straightforward narrative. It was committed to paper several generations after the Cid’s death; and before being written down, it benefitted from being told and retold at public gatherings. The first two of the three cantars mainly concern the Cid’s heroic deeds, his triumphs in battle over all who opposed him. The third departs from this and tells of the mistreatment of the Cid’s daughters and the resulting negotiations and trial by combat.
Although I admit I found the poem a bit dull, it does provide a fascinating glimpse into medieval Spain. Quite interesting to me was the heavy value placed on winning booty. (I mean “booty” in the pirate, not in the hip-hop sense.) After every one of the Cid’s victories, it is emphasized again and again how much money he gained. He constantly promises his followers riches and finery and wealth; and this martial pursuit of lucre seems to be regarded by all as honorable and right, a fit pursuit for God-fearing men.
Also instructive was the glimpse into the medieval justice system. After the Cid’s two daughters are literally beaten and left for dead by their husbands, the Cid seems more concerned with his damaged honor than by the fact that his daughters were almost savagely murdered. And even though the perpetrators were obviously guilty and in the wrong, a trial by combat is held—during which the Cid doesn’t even fight—to decide the question of honor and shame. To me, the whole proceeding seemed to miss the point, but of course that’s neither here not there.
October 2, 2021
i am going to dnf this because is torture.
i don't understand why this is obligatory (on my career, it's so fucking forced to read, lmao).
i regret reading this and spent 2 bucks on it
everyone here is so annoying as hell
i don't understand why this is obligatory (on my career, it's so fucking forced to read, lmao).
i regret reading this and spent 2 bucks on it
everyone here is so annoying as hell
August 16, 2024
Es una obra de gran importancia para la literatura española; nos habla sobre una época que fue trascendental para la historia no solo de España, sino del mundo entero; sin embargo, pese a que reconozco el gran valor de esta obra, no le doy cinco estrellas porque no me gusta la forma en la que está escrita.
September 26, 2023
“Songs of My Lord” or leader or chief, is a saga in three parts of the Spanish knight Ruy (Rodrigo) Diaz. He was a supposedly loyal vassal to Christian King Alfonso of Castile who unjustly exiles him, and keeps his wife and daughters hostage. In his exile, El Cid, also called Campeador (Champion) in the narrative, builds a reputation as a fearless warrior, noble and loyal, who befriends all, including Muslims he vanquishes. (The Iberian peninsula at the time of the action, about 1100 AD, was split into Muslim and Christian sections.) He defeats Valencia after a long siege and makes it his new base. He reaches out to King Alfonso and pays him all kinds of tribute, and they reconcile. It’s a strange relationship and seems atypical for feudal king and knight, and it may be here that makes El Cid such a hero in the Spanish cultural mythos.
The three parts or songs of the book are The Exile, The Wedding, and The Outrage (which actually includes a trial conducted like no other I’ve ever read). In all three, El Cid always comes up smelling like roses, loved by all, and vanquishes every enemy. Nice fairytale and legendary not-quite-history. (There was a real Ruy Diaz, vassal to Alfonso and chief of Valencia.)
The three parts or songs of the book are The Exile, The Wedding, and The Outrage (which actually includes a trial conducted like no other I’ve ever read). In all three, El Cid always comes up smelling like roses, loved by all, and vanquishes every enemy. Nice fairytale and legendary not-quite-history. (There was a real Ruy Diaz, vassal to Alfonso and chief of Valencia.)
November 19, 2021
Alguien escriba una adaptación de este libro que se enfoque en la claaaara tensión sexual entre Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar y Minaya Albar Fáñez, por favor, graciaaaaaaaas.
February 8, 2017
From a modern American perspective, The Cid seems an odd choice for a national hero. He was a highly successful battle commander, but half his career was spent as a raider. He lived off the lands of Moors who had done him no wrong and lived under the protection of christian nobles. So in one of The Poem of The Cid's most dramatic moments, the 'arrogant' Count of Barcelona challenges The Cid regarding the injustice of his plundering ways. The Cid's response is pure practicality; 'I need it for my men, who share my pauperdom. We keep alive by taking from you and from others. And while it pleases our heavenly Father, we shall continue thus.'
Now, the reason for The Cid's pauperdom has nothing to do with the Count of Barcelona or his Moorish protectorates. The Cid is destitute because he has been denounced by his King at the behest of court schemers; schemers jealous of The Cid's honor and battlefield accomplishments. This hardly seams fair for the Cid's battlefield victims, but using the logic of his time and place; it's his only choice. The Cid must feed his loyal soldiers and he will not betray his King, even though his King betrayed him.
But for all the Cid's medieval virtues; courage in the face of overwhelming odds, unswerving loyalty, practical and clever decision-making, his life hangs by a thread throughout the story. If he had lost even one of his many battles, he was likely finished since he had no allies to fall back upon.
Most of history's great military commanders are great conquerors. Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Napoleon, etc, all turned military success into mighty empires. The Cid's record in battle could stand up to any of them, yet his great prize was merely to reacquire his King's esteem; a curious prize to modern eyes.
Edited 1-21-2017
Now, the reason for The Cid's pauperdom has nothing to do with the Count of Barcelona or his Moorish protectorates. The Cid is destitute because he has been denounced by his King at the behest of court schemers; schemers jealous of The Cid's honor and battlefield accomplishments. This hardly seams fair for the Cid's battlefield victims, but using the logic of his time and place; it's his only choice. The Cid must feed his loyal soldiers and he will not betray his King, even though his King betrayed him.
But for all the Cid's medieval virtues; courage in the face of overwhelming odds, unswerving loyalty, practical and clever decision-making, his life hangs by a thread throughout the story. If he had lost even one of his many battles, he was likely finished since he had no allies to fall back upon.
Most of history's great military commanders are great conquerors. Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Napoleon, etc, all turned military success into mighty empires. The Cid's record in battle could stand up to any of them, yet his great prize was merely to reacquire his King's esteem; a curious prize to modern eyes.
Edited 1-21-2017
August 25, 2009
This book has it all! Swords! Dancing! And beards! All tangled up in an epic "historic" poem. The Cid--a gallantly bearded knight banished by his king for crimes he did not commit--goes smiting and smashing all over Spain, killing Moors like flies and creating a kingdom of his own by the sweat of his beard. And oh what a beard it is! The Beard of The Cid manages to become arguably one of the greatest sidekicks of all time. I myself am growing my own beard in solidarity with the Beard of the Cid. And, someday I hope to clutch my beard, giving it a dramatic shake, when ere I speak. But, until then I must content myself with brushing it three times daily and allowing plenty of rest and sunshine. But someday! Oh! I shall read the whole of the Song of the Cid aloud, beard in hand, and then I shalt know happiness in full.
May 6, 2020
La historia es muy entretenida, la vida de Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, más conocido como el Cid, guerrero español de gran valor que fue la defensa contra los moros.
Es una historia que enseña muchas cosas como el honor, el valor, la caballerosidad, la lealtad a un ideal o concepto que sería el rey de España, que lleva a el Cid a batirse hasta el día de su muerte.
Acompañado además de riñas, amores y desamores es una gran historia que enseña mucho de la vida de aquella Europa medieval.
Es una historia que enseña muchas cosas como el honor, el valor, la caballerosidad, la lealtad a un ideal o concepto que sería el rey de España, que lleva a el Cid a batirse hasta el día de su muerte.
Acompañado además de riñas, amores y desamores es una gran historia que enseña mucho de la vida de aquella Europa medieval.
Read
November 26, 2020Sería muy humans of late capitalism que yo le pusiera al cid estrellas y una nota tipo: ¿por qué a nadie le sorprende que haya un león en Valencia?
March 9, 2017
Another ‘well, no wonder it’s a classic’ from my project of reading from Philip Ward’s A Lifetime's Reading: Five Hundred Great Books to be Enjoyed over 50 Years.
But Poem of the Cid can be two different types of experience. I read two translation side by side. I started with Paul Blackburn’s modern verse translation, when I found it at the library book store. I had just read Blackburn’s translations of troubadour poetry and liked them very much, so I thought I’d continue. But then, once in and discovering that Blackburn’s version no doubt employed his artistry in bringing the poem forward in time, I found that I wanted to see the original medieval Spanish. Blackburn being of the ‘it won’t help you so we’re not printing it’ school, I plucked the TBR ratty paperback copy of W.S. Merwin’s translation of the same poem from my shelves. It’s got the original en face.
Merwin chose to hew more closely to the original. He couldn’t hope to reproduce the exact music of the original if he kept the meaning, so he chose the latter. However, he did stick to the simple declarative style and line length of the poem, with caesurae indicated by spacing. It works well, but leaves more to the reader to imagine. Originally the poem would have been recited by a jongleur, so the rhythm would have been managed by someone who knew the poem intimately. This version preserves the medieval feel of the poem, and is well done.
Blackburn chose to imbue his poem with more explicit evocation of the sarcasm, humor, action, and comradely slang. It comes to life, albeit a modern American life. I don’t think he mangles or alters the poem materially, rather he renders it in a way the events would be conveyed by a good storyteller if they happened last week. In his forword he is emphatic that it is meant to be read aloud. Line lengths vary greatly, with enjambment replacing the caesura as a tool. Thus Blackburn’s has an onward momentum that the more regular original makes up for with traditional rhythm.
An example:
Part One, verse 35
Merwin:
Blackburn:
(nice ‘Moor’/‘more’ at the end of both translations)(note: Goodreads makes it really clunky to HTML the mid-line caesura in the Spanish and Merwin, so insert it in the logical place).
It should be noted here that even though this particular battle is against the Moors, their is no Crusader zeal in evidence. This poem is all about booty. King Alfonso of Leon has thrown the Cid out of his kingdom, and the guy needs a constant stream of income to feed his entourage. It just so happens that all the land to the south, where the Cid can be out of reach, is held by the Moors. The land they travel through is pretty barren, so after every victory they need to move on to find a green pasture. A pasture that happens to belong to the Moors. Thus, many lively battle scenes.
Once ownership is settled, he’s perfectly happy to make friends, live and let live. He’s also generous, spreading the captured wealth with the gang, and sending some back to Alfonso in hopes of making peace. Finally they take Valencia, and the Cid figures he’s rich enough. The Cid has Moorish allies, and he doesn't hesitate to attack Christians who offend him. Of course the Moors aren’t happy and the ruler in Morrocco tries twice to retake Valencia. Fifty thousand Moors to four thousand of the Cid’s men: no problem: “only 104 [Moors] escaped". Eventually he gives enough to Alfonso to win forgiveness, but he stays in Valencia; it probably seems safer to keep an eye on the Moors than risk the politics of the Spanish court. And the climate is nice.
The second half of the book is quite different, although still, in form, holding to Medieval models. There is a romance thread, great swords, long journeys with carefully articulated routes, and a tournament. But they are just the structure for wonderful character studies of the brave and clever Cid, the incredibly stupid and cowardly braggart aristocratic brothers who wed his daughters, and the enigmatic Alfonso. The highlight is the trial, in which the Cid hornswoggles the brothers and their clan by deceptively feinting his full intentions, step by step.
Underlying the whole book, however, is the powerful force of honor. Everyone is quick to take offense, and adamant about defending his honor. This can become highly ridiculous, to us. During the trial scene, for example, the Cid has tied up his long beard so no one can pull it, which would be a great dishonor. Through all my reading in subsequent Spanish literature honor stays foremost, a great waste of energy and a dibilitating preoccupation for a country, it seems to me.
So, as far as which translation, I come down on the side of Blackburn. Plus there are his occasional tongue in cheek notes. At one point the Cid’s strategy rests on attacking as the enemy comes downhill, with their cinches loose and riding a different form of saddle than the Cid’s men use. The Cid’s men rout them of course. Blackburn, in the notes at the end: “It was those low cantles on the Catalan horses. Always use a Galician saddle.”
And finally a line which I bet has become common in Spanish. The Cid has set up the cowardly brothers and their dastardly uncle; they to have to do combat with three of his trusty knights, over an insult to his family. He entreats his men to fight well (he won’t be at the tournament). One of them replies:
But Poem of the Cid can be two different types of experience. I read two translation side by side. I started with Paul Blackburn’s modern verse translation, when I found it at the library book store. I had just read Blackburn’s translations of troubadour poetry and liked them very much, so I thought I’d continue. But then, once in and discovering that Blackburn’s version no doubt employed his artistry in bringing the poem forward in time, I found that I wanted to see the original medieval Spanish. Blackburn being of the ‘it won’t help you so we’re not printing it’ school, I plucked the TBR ratty paperback copy of W.S. Merwin’s translation of the same poem from my shelves. It’s got the original en face.
Merwin chose to hew more closely to the original. He couldn’t hope to reproduce the exact music of the original if he kept the meaning, so he chose the latter. However, he did stick to the simple declarative style and line length of the poem, with caesurae indicated by spacing. It works well, but leaves more to the reader to imagine. Originally the poem would have been recited by a jongleur, so the rhythm would have been managed by someone who knew the poem intimately. This version preserves the medieval feel of the poem, and is well done.
Blackburn chose to imbue his poem with more explicit evocation of the sarcasm, humor, action, and comradely slang. It comes to life, albeit a modern American life. I don’t think he mangles or alters the poem materially, rather he renders it in a way the events would be conveyed by a good storyteller if they happened last week. In his forword he is emphatic that it is meant to be read aloud. Line lengths vary greatly, with enjambment replacing the caesura as a tool. Thus Blackburn’s has an onward momentum that the more regular original makes up for with traditional rhythm.
An example:
Part One, verse 35
Enbraçan los ecudoes delante los coraçones
abaxan las lanças abueltas de los pendones,
enclinaron las caras de suso de los razones,
ívanlos ferir de fuertes coraçones.
A grandes vozes llama el que en buen ora naçió:
“!feridlos, cavaliers, por amor del Criador!
Yo so Roy Díaz, el Çid de Bivar Campeador!”
Todos fireman en el az do esta Per Vermudoz.
Trezientas lanças son, todas tienan pendores;
señor moros mataron, todos de señas golpes;
a la tornada que fazen otros tantos muertos son.
Merwin:
They clasp their shields over their hearts,
they lower their lances swathed in their pennons,
they bowed their faces over their saddletrees,
with strong hearts they charged to attack them.
He who in good hour was born cried with a great voice:
“Attack them, knights, for the love of the Creator!
I am Ruy Diaz, the Çid, the Campeador of Bivar!”
All rushed at the rank where Pedro Bermudez was.
They were three hundred spears each with its pennon;
all struck blows and killed as many Moors;
on the second charge they killed three hundred more.
Blackburn:
They bring their shields in front of their chests
lower their lances into position flying their pennons, bend
their heads low over the fronts of their saddles and
charge to the fight, their hearts bursting with courage.In a great voice, he who was born in a good hour cried:
“Cut them down, gentlemen, for the Creator’s love! I
am Ruy Diaz de Bivar, the Cid Campeador!”
They charge into the column where Pedro Bermudez is,
300
lances, each with its pennon,each struck through its mark,each took a Moor with it.
Rode out, turned and charged again,
300 m0re were dead.
(nice ‘Moor’/‘more’ at the end of both translations)(note: Goodreads makes it really clunky to HTML the mid-line caesura in the Spanish and Merwin, so insert it in the logical place).
It should be noted here that even though this particular battle is against the Moors, their is no Crusader zeal in evidence. This poem is all about booty. King Alfonso of Leon has thrown the Cid out of his kingdom, and the guy needs a constant stream of income to feed his entourage. It just so happens that all the land to the south, where the Cid can be out of reach, is held by the Moors. The land they travel through is pretty barren, so after every victory they need to move on to find a green pasture. A pasture that happens to belong to the Moors. Thus, many lively battle scenes.
Once ownership is settled, he’s perfectly happy to make friends, live and let live. He’s also generous, spreading the captured wealth with the gang, and sending some back to Alfonso in hopes of making peace. Finally they take Valencia, and the Cid figures he’s rich enough. The Cid has Moorish allies, and he doesn't hesitate to attack Christians who offend him. Of course the Moors aren’t happy and the ruler in Morrocco tries twice to retake Valencia. Fifty thousand Moors to four thousand of the Cid’s men: no problem: “only 104 [Moors] escaped". Eventually he gives enough to Alfonso to win forgiveness, but he stays in Valencia; it probably seems safer to keep an eye on the Moors than risk the politics of the Spanish court. And the climate is nice.
The second half of the book is quite different, although still, in form, holding to Medieval models. There is a romance thread, great swords, long journeys with carefully articulated routes, and a tournament. But they are just the structure for wonderful character studies of the brave and clever Cid, the incredibly stupid and cowardly braggart aristocratic brothers who wed his daughters, and the enigmatic Alfonso. The highlight is the trial, in which the Cid hornswoggles the brothers and their clan by deceptively feinting his full intentions, step by step.
Underlying the whole book, however, is the powerful force of honor. Everyone is quick to take offense, and adamant about defending his honor. This can become highly ridiculous, to us. During the trial scene, for example, the Cid has tied up his long beard so no one can pull it, which would be a great dishonor. Through all my reading in subsequent Spanish literature honor stays foremost, a great waste of energy and a dibilitating preoccupation for a country, it seems to me.
So, as far as which translation, I come down on the side of Blackburn. Plus there are his occasional tongue in cheek notes. At one point the Cid’s strategy rests on attacking as the enemy comes downhill, with their cinches loose and riding a different form of saddle than the Cid’s men use. The Cid’s men rout them of course. Blackburn, in the notes at the end: “It was those low cantles on the Catalan horses. Always use a Galician saddle.”
And finally a line which I bet has become common in Spanish. The Cid has set up the cowardly brothers and their dastardly uncle; they to have to do combat with three of his trusty knights, over an insult to his family. He entreats his men to fight well (he won’t be at the tournament). One of them replies:
Dixo Martín Antolínez: “Por qué lo dezides, señor!
Preso avemos el debdo e a passar es por nos;
podedes odir de muertos çde vencidos no.”
Martín Antolínez said, “Why do you say this, lord?
We have accepted the charge, it is for us to carry it out;
you may hear of dead men but not of vanquished.”
Read
May 6, 2025What I learned of the Cid is that he (1) was born at a good hour; (2) girded on sword at a good hour; (3) had a fantastic beard.
The King, marveling at him during dinner, “looked a long while at his beard / which had grown so long.”
“I swear by this beard which no one has ever torn,” says the Cid, when it comes time to get to swearing.
Upon hearing vicious slander about his daughters, the Cid says,
“Thanks be to God
who rules heaven and earth,
my beard is long
because it grew as its own pleasure.
What have you, Count
to throw in my beard?
It has grown at its own pleasure
since it began”
(if you’re asking what this has to do with his daughters, I’m afraid I can’t say).
Let that be a lesson to you smooth-shaven folks.
*I read W. S. Merwin's great translation.
The King, marveling at him during dinner, “looked a long while at his beard / which had grown so long.”
“I swear by this beard which no one has ever torn,” says the Cid, when it comes time to get to swearing.
Upon hearing vicious slander about his daughters, the Cid says,
“Thanks be to God
who rules heaven and earth,
my beard is long
because it grew as its own pleasure.
What have you, Count
to throw in my beard?
It has grown at its own pleasure
since it began”
(if you’re asking what this has to do with his daughters, I’m afraid I can’t say).
Let that be a lesson to you smooth-shaven folks.
*I read W. S. Merwin's great translation.
March 13, 2021
En youtube mis comentarios: https://youtu.be/0MNkJap3TsU
El interés en el libro no es solo por ser un clásico de la literatura. Personalmente me resultó entretenido y educativo. Porque las gestas del caballero modelaron el imaginario de la época medieval en España y los conquistadores de América; porque muestra los elementos históricos de la constitución de las monarquías heredado de Carlomagno por el respeto a la ley y al rey; y en la edición de Penguin, por el uso de la lengua que deja volar la imaginación con las pausas del poema y las notas explicativas.
Recomiendo leer el libro por su valor histórico y literario. Un libro para emprendedores que valoran la motivación de historias de éxito.
El interés en el libro no es solo por ser un clásico de la literatura. Personalmente me resultó entretenido y educativo. Porque las gestas del caballero modelaron el imaginario de la época medieval en España y los conquistadores de América; porque muestra los elementos históricos de la constitución de las monarquías heredado de Carlomagno por el respeto a la ley y al rey; y en la edición de Penguin, por el uso de la lengua que deja volar la imaginación con las pausas del poema y las notas explicativas.
Recomiendo leer el libro por su valor histórico y literario. Un libro para emprendedores que valoran la motivación de historias de éxito.
October 30, 2024
Another hero that I discovered once free of the non-academic fetters of West Point life. I enjoyed reading it in Spanish while at Sam Houston State. A quiet little college where I would daily attend class, spend hours at the small but barely sufficient library, run 3 or 4 miles down country roads or play 2 hours of handball with Gilbert Gregorczyk, go on dates with beautiful Texas girls, come back to the dorm, spend a few minutes on homework and read some new book I checked out of the library. U.S. Army Reserve meetings every Monday night--no prob.
October 12, 2021
2 🌟 ➡ 3.5 🌟
Estoy igual de shockeado que ustedes... ¿A mí gustándome el Cid? ¿A mí gustándome literatura medieval? Sí, amigos. Los milagros ocurren.
Lo que fue un plus para mí esta vuelta fueron dos motivos: tenía más tiempo para leerlo más activamente (cosa que durante la cursada no lo pude hacer porque no entendía un culo el castellano antiguo y me puso de malhumor) y, luego de haber leído toda la bibliografía relacionada a la Edad Media, tenía mucho más fresco el contexto de la época. Esto último fue lo decisivo para mí porque me ayudó a empatizar más con lo que leía y a entender mejor el por qué de las cosas.
No lo volvería a leer y detesto a los profesores por hacerme leer en español antiguo (pero los entiendo).
Nada más para decir al respecto.
Estoy igual de shockeado que ustedes... ¿A mí gustándome el Cid? ¿A mí gustándome literatura medieval? Sí, amigos. Los milagros ocurren.
Lo que fue un plus para mí esta vuelta fueron dos motivos: tenía más tiempo para leerlo más activamente (cosa que durante la cursada no lo pude hacer porque no entendía un culo el castellano antiguo y me puso de malhumor) y, luego de haber leído toda la bibliografía relacionada a la Edad Media, tenía mucho más fresco el contexto de la época. Esto último fue lo decisivo para mí porque me ayudó a empatizar más con lo que leía y a entender mejor el por qué de las cosas.
No lo volvería a leer y detesto a los profesores por hacerme leer en español antiguo (pero los entiendo).
Nada más para decir al respecto.
July 8, 2022
Tras sufrir el destierro impuesto por el rey Alfonso, Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar abandona su tierra convencido de que podrá restituir su honor a ojos del rey, ganándose su confianza a prueba de conquistas y de riquezas obtenidas. Con un séquito creciente a medida que sus hazañas le hacen más conocido, el Cid confía en su fe y en la figura del monarca para obtener la victoria en cualquier disputa.
Distribuido a lo largo tres partes, este cantar de gesta es un largo poema que detalla las hazañas desde Cid desde su destierro hasta que logra casar a dos sus hijas con nobles que le unen a este estamento. La historia es constantemente épica, si bien ensalza solo parte de la historia del caballero que en verdad existió e incluye varios episodios ficticios que bien sirven a componer un traje a la talla del ensalzamiento de la figura. Lógicamente, se ha de tener en cuenta que la literatura medieval no va a ahondar en la psicología de sus protagonistas y que las descripciones son más bien escuetas, movidas por la sumisión al fin que marcan. Como dicen algunos estudiosos, la épica castellana se diferencia de otras naciones en que no trata de elementos mágicos ni sobrenaturales, ahondando más en la geografía y en la descripción realista (que no siempre real) de los sucesos.
Para mi gusto, el primer cantar y la mayor parte del segundo resultan reiterativos, ciñiéndose sobre todo a las conquistas sin que en ellas haya ningún atisbo de que pueda salir mal la batalla y a la vanagloria de las riquezas a consecuencia del nuevo territorio. En bastantes momentos estos pasajes se hacen tediosos. Cuando la historia pasa a enfocarse en la afrenta de Corpes a las hijas del Cid, el relato olvida la gesta y pasa a dibujar un entorno más humano que resulta interesante por contraposición a todo lo previo. Habida cuenta de la separación temporal y lingüística, diría que además no es un género que me cautive en esencia, si bien no se le puede negar una gran calidad.
Distribuido a lo largo tres partes, este cantar de gesta es un largo poema que detalla las hazañas desde Cid desde su destierro hasta que logra casar a dos sus hijas con nobles que le unen a este estamento. La historia es constantemente épica, si bien ensalza solo parte de la historia del caballero que en verdad existió e incluye varios episodios ficticios que bien sirven a componer un traje a la talla del ensalzamiento de la figura. Lógicamente, se ha de tener en cuenta que la literatura medieval no va a ahondar en la psicología de sus protagonistas y que las descripciones son más bien escuetas, movidas por la sumisión al fin que marcan. Como dicen algunos estudiosos, la épica castellana se diferencia de otras naciones en que no trata de elementos mágicos ni sobrenaturales, ahondando más en la geografía y en la descripción realista (que no siempre real) de los sucesos.
Para mi gusto, el primer cantar y la mayor parte del segundo resultan reiterativos, ciñiéndose sobre todo a las conquistas sin que en ellas haya ningún atisbo de que pueda salir mal la batalla y a la vanagloria de las riquezas a consecuencia del nuevo territorio. En bastantes momentos estos pasajes se hacen tediosos. Cuando la historia pasa a enfocarse en la afrenta de Corpes a las hijas del Cid, el relato olvida la gesta y pasa a dibujar un entorno más humano que resulta interesante por contraposición a todo lo previo. Habida cuenta de la separación temporal y lingüística, diría que además no es un género que me cautive en esencia, si bien no se le puede negar una gran calidad.
August 4, 2016
Sí, este poema es tan importante, y lo tengo muy presente. Como muchas cosas de su tiempo, no solo narra un "cuento", sino que también un suceso histórico aunque, por supuesto, un poco adornado y exageradillo por los juglares de la época o bien, por sus necesidades comerciales, jijiji (muy comprensible).
Por eso, el Mio Cid tiene varios momentos que son discutibles. Como que sus huestes (ejércitos) sean capaces de ganar con posibilidades tan bajas, porque muchas veces son muy pocos contra muchos. O que nuestro héroe sea capaz de amansar a un león solo con tocarlo. También es curioso el odio a los moros, aunque se entiende históricamente, porque era algo de la época y quizá medianamente útil para reforzar la incipiente noción de nación, entendiéndola como lo que NO eran (moros).
Sin embargo, no es de mis obras favoritas. No sé por qué. O tal vez sí. Puede ser, primero, que no soy tan asidua a la sangre o, sobre todo, a las matanzas en pos de un "bien mayor", en especial cuando tal bien es sospechoso. O, segundo, aquellas largas, largas letanías. Tanta afición a Dios, en especial a un Dios sectorial, me pareció sospechosa. Sé que es común a la época (y, bueno, también a veces hoy en día), pero eso de que Dios favorezca a un lado u otro, huácala. O tercero, el amor a la nobleza y etcéra, que es un poco derivado a lo anterior. ¿Por qué tenían los nobles que ser seres superiores? Sí, sé que es por un anhelo de protección y por ende, de sobrevivencia (aunque Ruy Díaz es un tipo especial), y sé que la sed de sangre, en realidad, no es más que sed de sobreviviencia, pero... me choca, la verdad.
Tal vez no es mi obra favorita por una combinación de todos los factores anteriores y que también lo encuentro un poquitín tedioso. Jejeje, lo dije. Tampoco es un poema MALO, o sea, puede leerse, pero... creo que, aunque algunos sinceramente lo aman, se lee porque TIENE que hacerse, por su calidad histórica, su importancia en el contexto, y no por su real valor literario o el maravilloso mensaje que sus personajes entreguen. Porque igual son unos bravucones, que por mucho que busquen el bien común (supuestamente) se sienten mejor a todo el mundo, y lo único que al final buscan es "el honor", y no tienen reparos en mentir para lograrlo.
Creo yo. No me linchen, porfis. O bueno, háganlo si quieren.
Por eso, el Mio Cid tiene varios momentos que son discutibles. Como que sus huestes (ejércitos) sean capaces de ganar con posibilidades tan bajas, porque muchas veces son muy pocos contra muchos. O que nuestro héroe sea capaz de amansar a un león solo con tocarlo. También es curioso el odio a los moros, aunque se entiende históricamente, porque era algo de la época y quizá medianamente útil para reforzar la incipiente noción de nación, entendiéndola como lo que NO eran (moros).
Sin embargo, no es de mis obras favoritas. No sé por qué. O tal vez sí. Puede ser, primero, que no soy tan asidua a la sangre o, sobre todo, a las matanzas en pos de un "bien mayor", en especial cuando tal bien es sospechoso. O, segundo, aquellas largas, largas letanías. Tanta afición a Dios, en especial a un Dios sectorial, me pareció sospechosa. Sé que es común a la época (y, bueno, también a veces hoy en día), pero eso de que Dios favorezca a un lado u otro, huácala. O tercero, el amor a la nobleza y etcéra, que es un poco derivado a lo anterior. ¿Por qué tenían los nobles que ser seres superiores? Sí, sé que es por un anhelo de protección y por ende, de sobrevivencia (aunque Ruy Díaz es un tipo especial), y sé que la sed de sangre, en realidad, no es más que sed de sobreviviencia, pero... me choca, la verdad.
Tal vez no es mi obra favorita por una combinación de todos los factores anteriores y que también lo encuentro un poquitín tedioso. Jejeje, lo dije. Tampoco es un poema MALO, o sea, puede leerse, pero... creo que, aunque algunos sinceramente lo aman, se lee porque TIENE que hacerse, por su calidad histórica, su importancia en el contexto, y no por su real valor literario o el maravilloso mensaje que sus personajes entreguen. Porque igual son unos bravucones, que por mucho que busquen el bien común (supuestamente) se sienten mejor a todo el mundo, y lo único que al final buscan es "el honor", y no tienen reparos en mentir para lograrlo.
Creo yo. No me linchen, porfis. O bueno, háganlo si quieren.
December 29, 2015
I've wanted to read The Song of My Cid since the age of 16, when I visited Toledo, Spain, and saw El Cid's (alleged) sword Tizona on display. Our local tour guide told us of Toledo's place in the story, but it was the memory of Tizona that stuck with me, and I told myself that one day I'd read the epic. I can't believe it has taken me sixteen years (literally half my lifetime), but I finally got around to reading it. The experience was well worth the wait. In fact, I'm glad I waited and had a chance to read most of the other major medieval epics just so I could realize how great this one is in comparison. Also, I'm at a point in my life where I'm beginning to take an interest in my Spanish heritage. (My mother's side of the family comes from the Spanish Canary Islands, and before that, the Extremadura region just west of the setting for El Cid.)
While the beginning seems like merely a list of battles and riches won, the middle section soon turns into a surprisingly emotional account of a just, unselfish knight who regains his honor. The truly great part of the epic, however, is the final courtroom climax in Toledo. It was surprising to me, given that I hadn't read anything remotely like it in medieval literature. (Granted, my knowledge of medieval lit is limited.) It added a sense of rising tension and realism to the final duel. In those final 30 pages I was as enthralled as if I were reading a modern legal thriller. Ultimately, this epic was a wonderful mix of legend, history, political machinations, and bloody battles. A great read!
While the beginning seems like merely a list of battles and riches won, the middle section soon turns into a surprisingly emotional account of a just, unselfish knight who regains his honor. The truly great part of the epic, however, is the final courtroom climax in Toledo. It was surprising to me, given that I hadn't read anything remotely like it in medieval literature. (Granted, my knowledge of medieval lit is limited.) It added a sense of rising tension and realism to the final duel. In those final 30 pages I was as enthralled as if I were reading a modern legal thriller. Ultimately, this epic was a wonderful mix of legend, history, political machinations, and bloody battles. A great read!
February 21, 2022
jope, qué chulo. sinceramente, empecé la lectura con un poco de miedo, pero me había propuesto acercarme más a la literatura española más como historiador que otra cosa y no quería echarme atrás nada más empezar. y ha sido un acierto. es cierto que hay partes más aburridas (las conquistas del cid durante el destierro hasta que llega a valencia no me podrían haber interesado menos), pero en general me ha gustado mucho mirar a la edad media desde esta ventana idealizada: las cortes de toledo, las relaciones feudovasállaticas, los duelos, las relaciones entre judíos, cristianos y musulmanes (a veces tensas, a veces no, pese a que se nos quiera vender una reconquista cruenta de durante 700 años). todo ello se ve desde otra perspectiva que no dan los manuales o los libros de texto. y el poema, por lo menos en mi edición al castellano actual, está muy conseguido (el ritmo, la rima...). en fin, que muy chulo.
April 1, 2011
Aunque me sienta culpable, ya que creo que estoy siendo muy injusta con la primera obra literaria conocida escrita en castellano, me siento incapaz de otorgarle algo más que una estrella.
En mi opinión, antivalórica (para los valores de hoy en día, eso sí) y hasta estúpida. No me gusto la "poesía" ni tampoco el estilo.
Y me da lo mismo si es una obra maestra para la época. Me cargó.
Y, honestamente, no veo el valor de la obra. Talvez podría ser valor histórico, pero en ese caso el Ministerio no obligaría a miles de niños a sufrir con ésto y más encima adquirir un resentimiento con la literatura. Si el valor fuera histórico, se podría hacer un resumén de lo que El Mio Cid nos enseña sobre la Edad Media. Porque, reitero, no creo que tenga valor literario alguno.
Puaj.
En mi opinión, antivalórica (para los valores de hoy en día, eso sí) y hasta estúpida. No me gusto la "poesía" ni tampoco el estilo.
Y me da lo mismo si es una obra maestra para la época. Me cargó.
Y, honestamente, no veo el valor de la obra. Talvez podría ser valor histórico, pero en ese caso el Ministerio no obligaría a miles de niños a sufrir con ésto y más encima adquirir un resentimiento con la literatura. Si el valor fuera histórico, se podría hacer un resumén de lo que El Mio Cid nos enseña sobre la Edad Media. Porque, reitero, no creo que tenga valor literario alguno.
Puaj.
March 23, 2017
The Song of the Cid, like The Song of Roland, is a story from the Spanish frontier, set amidst the wars between Christians and Moors. The opening of the poem has been lost, but by this chance we are dropped straight into the action. The Cid, already a legendary warrior in the service of King Alfonso of Castile, has been given nine days to leave the kingdom. We find him in tears, leaving his home at Vivar. Then it's into the saddle and away into exile in the Moorish borderlands between Toledo and Valencia. Forced to part from his beloved wife and daughters, no money to take with him, a following of only a small band of faithful friends, and no chance of finding safety and rest except in whatever towns he can conquer, the Cid faces annihilation.
Still, the legend is not for nothing, and bit by bit the Cid fights his way into wealth and a kingdom, even regaining Alfonso's good graces through his loyalty and generosity. But it's when a pair of unscrupulous fortune-hunters set their eyes on an alliance with his family that the Cid proves his true worth.
(Detailed review available now at Vintage Novels!)
Still, the legend is not for nothing, and bit by bit the Cid fights his way into wealth and a kingdom, even regaining Alfonso's good graces through his loyalty and generosity. But it's when a pair of unscrupulous fortune-hunters set their eyes on an alliance with his family that the Cid proves his true worth.
(Detailed review available now at Vintage Novels!)
January 9, 2019
Si alguien quiere matar las ganas de leer de un niño puede hacerle leer este libro.
July 25, 2021
Disfrute mucho esta lectura.
March 18, 2022
Lo leí principalmente para la clase de Textos Medievales y mi acercamiento fue con una expectativa de un texto denso, difícil de comprender e incluso aburrido, pero vaya sorpresa la que me llevé.
Nos cuenta la historia de Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar a quien apodaban Mío Cid (mi señor) o el Cid campeador por sus habilidades en los campos de batalla.
Se divide en tres etapas: El destierro de Rodrigo por parte del Rey Alfonso; La etapa de guerras dónde el Cid se apodera de Castilla y la última, que en lo personal es mi favorita, dónde nos cuenta la historia de sus hijas con los infantes de carrión.
Puede ser un texto pesado? Sí. Depende muchísimo de la edición. Si te interesa leerlo, búscalo con el "español actual" y eso hará más entretenida la lectura.
Nos cuenta la historia de Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar a quien apodaban Mío Cid (mi señor) o el Cid campeador por sus habilidades en los campos de batalla.
Se divide en tres etapas: El destierro de Rodrigo por parte del Rey Alfonso; La etapa de guerras dónde el Cid se apodera de Castilla y la última, que en lo personal es mi favorita, dónde nos cuenta la historia de sus hijas con los infantes de carrión.
Puede ser un texto pesado? Sí. Depende muchísimo de la edición. Si te interesa leerlo, búscalo con el "español actual" y eso hará más entretenida la lectura.
June 25, 2016
-Esta versión, dos libros en uno.-
Género. Ensayo y Novela (por simplificar, pero es muchísimo más que eso. Sigan leyendo, por favor).
Lo que nos cuenta. Análisis de la obra medieval original por uno de sus primeros estudiosos, Ramón Menéndez Pidal, que en este libro amplia los contenidos de lo que fue su tesis doctoral al respecto, más la traducción al español de la época realizada por Pidal sobre el original, también conocido como Cantar del Mío Cid, con anotaciones y comentarios.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com....
Género. Ensayo y Novela (por simplificar, pero es muchísimo más que eso. Sigan leyendo, por favor).
Lo que nos cuenta. Análisis de la obra medieval original por uno de sus primeros estudiosos, Ramón Menéndez Pidal, que en este libro amplia los contenidos de lo que fue su tesis doctoral al respecto, más la traducción al español de la época realizada por Pidal sobre el original, también conocido como Cantar del Mío Cid, con anotaciones y comentarios.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com....
May 13, 2019
Clásico si los hay.
No creo que todos los clásicos merezcan una super nota por su fama.
Rodrigo es interesante y este libro cuenta un momentos de algunos años de su vida, considero que le faltan detalles para llegar más al lector, la forma de 'cantar' creo que lo impide, por eso algo que sí se debería tener en cuenta al leerlo es su origen oral.
Es una obra importante y debería leerse al menos una vez.
No creo que todos los clásicos merezcan una super nota por su fama.
Rodrigo es interesante y este libro cuenta un momentos de algunos años de su vida, considero que le faltan detalles para llegar más al lector, la forma de 'cantar' creo que lo impide, por eso algo que sí se debería tener en cuenta al leerlo es su origen oral.
Es una obra importante y debería leerse al menos una vez.
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