The Song of the Cid by Anonymous

leaving our land, my Cid, the Warrior, the great one.
Come join him!” Some left their houses, some left great estates.
That very day, on the Arlanzón bridge,
A hundred and fifteen knights crossed all together,
All of them looking for my Cid, the Warrior:
Martín Antolínez took charge
And brought them to San Pedro, to the man born at the right hour.
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    When my Cid heard new men were coming,
His forces suddenly growing,
He quickly mounted, rode out to greet them,
His face remembering how to smile again.
Each one of them reached for his hand, and kissed it.
And my Cid said, speaking with passion:
“May God, our Father in heaven, ensure
That those who have left their homes and come to me
Will be rewarded at my hands, before I die,
Double whatever their loss may be!”
My Cid was happy to have more mouths to feed.
Everyone fully agreed.
Six days of his reprieve already gone,
Three remained, and then there were none.
The king’s men were there, waiting, watching:
When all nine days had passed, they could catch him,
And nothing would save him, neither silver nor gold.
That day went by, and then it was dark,
And my Cid assembled them all:
“Listen, you noble knights: there’s nothing to worry about.
I have no riches with me, but I’ll share what I have all around.
    Sed me[n]brados como lo devedes far:
a la mañana quando los gallos cantarán,
non vos tardedes, mandedes ensellar;
en San Pero a matines tandrá el buen abat,
la missa nos dirá, ésta será de Sancta Trinidad;
la missa dicha, pensemos de cavalgar,
ca el plazo viene acerca, mucho avemos de andar.”
Cuemo lo mandó Mio Cid, assí lo an todos a far.
Passando va la noch, viniendo la man,
a los mediados gallos piessan de ensellar .
Tañen a matines a una priessa tan grand,
Mio Cid e su mugier a la eglesia van,
echós’ doña Ximena en los grados delant’el altar,
rrogando al Criador quanto ella mejor sabe
que a Mio Cid el Campeador que Dios le curiás de mal:
“Ya Señor glorioso, Padre que en cielo estás,
fezist cielo e tierra, el tercero el mar,
fezist estrellas e luna e el sol pora escalentar;
prisist encarnación en Sancta María madre,
en Beleem aparecist como fue tu voluntad,
pastores te glorifıcaron, oviéron t e a laudare,
tres rreyes de Arabia te vinieron adorar,
Melchior e Gaspar e Baltasar
oro e tus e mirra | te ofrecieron, como fue tu veluntad;
[salveste] | a Jonás quando cayó en la mar,
salvest a Daniel con los leones en la mala cárcel,
salvest dentro en Rroma al señor San Sabastián,
salvest a Sancta Susanna del falso criminal;
por tierra andidiste treinta e dos años, Señor spiritual,
mostrando los miráculos por én avemos qué fablar:
del agua fezist vino e de la piedra pan,
rresucitest a Lázaro ca fue tu voluntad;
a los judíos te dexeste prender; dó dizen Monte Calvarie
pusiéronte en cruz por nombre en Golgotá,
dos ladrones contigo, éstos de señas partes,
el uno es en paraíso, ca el otro non entró allá;
estando en la cruz vertud fezist muy grant:
Longinos era ciego que nu[ n ]quas vio alguandre,
    Be wise, and do what must be done:
In the morning, when crowing cocks have begun,
Quickly saddle up your horses.
Don Sancho will ring the bells for morning prayers
And sing us the mass of the Holy Trinity.
And when that mass has been sung
We’ll leave, with a long ride still to come.”
So it was settled; when morning came, it was done:
As the cocks crowed their second call
They were saddled and ready, one and all.
At that moment, the matin bells resounded;
My Cid and his wife entered the church.
Doña Jimena knelt at the steps in front of the altar,
Praying every bit as hard
As she could for God to keep my Cid from harm:
“O glorious Father, high in heaven,
Who raised the sky and made the world, and the next day the sea,
Who made the stars and the moon, and the sun to warm us,
You who were