Chameleon

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Sample translation

First two surviving stanzas of El cantar de mio Cid, by an unknown 12th-century author
translated line-by-line but without otherwise maintaining the original poetic structure.

De los sos oios tan fuertemientre llorando,

Tornava la cabeça e estavalos catando;

vio puertas abiertas e uços sin cañados,

alcandaras vazias, sin pielles e sin mantos

e sin falcones e sin adtores mudados.

Sospiro Mio Cid, ca mucho avie grandes cuidados.

Fablo mio Cid bien e tan mesurado:

«grado a ti, Señor, Padre que estas en alto!

»Esto me an buelto mios enemigos malos.»

 

Alli piensan de aguiiar, alli sueltan las rriendas;

a la exida de Bivar ovieron la corneia diestra

e entrando a Burgos ovieronla siniestra.

Meçio Mio Cid los ombros e engrameo la tiesta:

«¡Albricia, Albar Fañez, ca echados somos de tierra!

»Mas a grand ondra torneremos a Castiella.»

His cheeks streaming with tears,

He looked back at them;

he saw open doors and unlocked gates,

Bare racks, bearing neither coats

nor birds for falconry.

The Cid sighed, for his woes were many.

The Cid spoke, in firmly measured tones,

“I praise thee, Lord, Father who art upon high!

“This is the work of my evil enemies.”

 

There they spur on their horses, and loosen the reins;

leaving Vivar, they spied a crow on their right

and coming into Burgos, they spied it on the left.

The Cid shrugged and shook his head,

“Rejoice, Álvar Fáñez, for we are exiles,

“But we shall return to Castile with honour!"
This is a photograph of a page the original codex of the Poem, starting at line 1922.
Beside it is our transcription and our translation is below.
Cid codex

…

Si es pagado o reçibio el don

Dixo mynaya dal ma e de coraçõ

Es pagado, e davos su amor

Dixo mio çid grado al criador

Esto diziendo conpieçan la Razõ

Lo q̃l Rogava Alfonso el de Leõ

De dar sus fijas alos yfantes de carrion

Q̃l connosçie y ondra e creçrie en õnor,

Qẽ gelo consseiava dalma e de coraçon.

Qãdo lo oyo myo cid el buen campeador,

Vna grand ora pensso e comidio

Esto gradesco a Cristus el myo Señor.

Echado fu de tier̃a, tollida la onor,

con grand afan gané lo q̃ he yo;

Adios lo gradesco q̃ del Rey he su amor

E pidẽme mis fijas pora los yfantes de carriõ

Ellos son mucho vrgullosos e an part en la cort

Deste casamiento non auria sabor

Mas pues lo conseia el q̃ mas vale q̃ nos

…

“Is he satisfied and did he receive the tribute?”

With all his heart and soul, Minaya said:

“He is satisfied, and he gives you his favour”

The Cid said “Thank the Lord!”

After this, the men began declaring

What King Alfonso of Leon was requesting of him:

That he was to give his daughters away to the Princes of Carrión

Which he knew would raise him in honour and ranking

Which he was urging him to accept with all his heart and soul.

When the Cid, the good champion, heard this,

He thought and meditated for a long while

“I thank my Lord Christ for this,

“I was exiled and lost all I owned,

“With keen effort I gained what I now have;

“I thank God that the King gives me his favour,

“And asks for my daughters’ hands for the Princes of Carrión.

“They are proud, and powerful at Court;

“I would be against this wedding,

“But since it is the will of he who is greater than we

…

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