Homepage
Login
Profile
BookClubs
dmBox
Read Ebook: The Cid by Corneille Pierre Mongan Roscoe Translator
Font size:
Background color:
Text color:
Add to tbrJar First Page Next Page
Ebook has 33 lines and 21459 words, and 1 pages
Handy Literal Translations
CORNEILLE'S
THE CID
A Literal Translation, by
ROSCOE MONGAN
PREFACE
Cid Campeador is the name given in histories, traditions and songs to the most celebrated of Spain's national heroes.
His real name was Rodrigo or Ruy Diaz , a Castilian noble by birth. He was born at Burgos about the year 1040.
There is so much of the mythical in the history of this personage that hypercritical writers, such as Masdeu, have doubted his existence; but recent researches have succeeded in separating the historical from the romantic.
In 1072 Sancho was assassinated at the siege of Zamora, and as he left no heir the Castilians had to acknowledge Alfonso as King. Although Alfonso never forgave the Cid for having, as leader of the Castilians, compelled him to swear that he had no hand in the murder of his brother Sancho, as a conciliatory measure, he gave his cousin Ximena, daughter of the Count of Oviedo, to the Cid in marriage, but afterwards, in 1081, when he found himself firmly seated on the throne, yielding to his own feelings of resentment and incited by the Leonese nobles, he banished him from the kingdom.
In conjunction with Mostain, grandson of Moctadir, he invaded Valencia in 1088, but afterwards carried on operations alone, and finally, after a long siege, made himself master of the city in June, 1094. He retained possession of Valencia for five years and reigned like an independent sovereign over one of the richest territories in the Peninsula, but died suddenly in 1099 of anger and grief on hearing that his relative, Alvar Fa?ez, had been vanquished and the army which he had sent to his assistance had been defeated.
After the Cid's death his wife held Valencia till 1102, when she was obliged to yield to the Almoravides and fly to Castile, where she died in 1104. Her remains were placed by those of her lord in the monastery of San Pedro de Carde?a.
THE CID.
ACT THE FIRST.
Just heaven, from which I await my relief, put, at last, some limit to the misfortune which is overcoming me; secure my repose, secure my honor. In the happiness of others I seek my own. This bridal is equally important to three ; render its completion more prompt, or my soul more enduring. To unite these two lovers with a marriage-tie is to break all my chains and to end all my sorrows. But I tarry a little too long; let us go to meet Chim?ne, and, by conversation, to relieve our grief.
O rage! O despair! O inimical old age! Have I then lived so long only for this disgrace? And have I grown grey in warlike toils, only to see in one day so many of my laurels wither? Does my arm , which all Spain admires and looks up to -- my arm, which has so often saved this empire, and so often strengthened anew the throne of its king, now betray my cause, and do nothing for me? O cruel remembrance of my bygone glory! O work of a lifetime effaced in a day! new dignity fatal to my happiness! lofty precipice from which mine honor falls! must I see the count triumph over your splendor, and die without vengeance, or live in shame? Count, be now the instructor of my prince! This high rank becomes no man without honor, and thy jealous pride, by this foul insult, in spite of the choice of the king, has contrived to render me unworthy of it. And thou, glorious instrument of my exploits, but yet a useless ornament of an enfeebled body numbed by age , thou sword, hitherto to be feared, and which in this insult has served me for show, and not for defence, go, abandon henceforth the most dishonored of his race; pass, to avenge me, into better hands!
Pierced even to the depth by a blow unexpected as well as deadly, pitiable avenger of a just quarrel and unfortunate object of an unjust severity, I remain motionless, and my dejected soul yields to the blow which is slaying me. So near seeing my love requited! O heaven, the strange pang ! In this insult my father is the person aggrieved, and the aggressor is the father of Chim?ne!
What fierce conflicts I experience! My love is engaged against my own honor. I must avenge a father and lose a mistress. The one stimulates my courage, the other restrains my arm. Reduced to the sad choice of either betraying my love or of living as a degraded , on both sides my situation is wretched . O heaven, the strange pang ! Must I leave an insult unavenged? Must I punish the father of Chim?ne?
Father, mistress, honor, love--noble and severe restraint--a bondage still to be beloved , all my pleasures are dead, or my glory is sullied. The one renders me unhappy; the other unworthy of life. Dear and cruel hope of a soul noble but still enamored, worthy enemy of my greatest happiness, thou sword which causest my painful anxiety, hast thou been given to me to avenge my honor? Hast thou been given to me to lose Chim?ne?
It is better to rush to death. I owe to my mistress as well as to my father. I draw, in avenging myself, her hatred and her rage; I draw upon myself his contempt by not avenging myself. To my sweetest hope the one renders me unfaithful, and the other renders me unworthy of her. My misfortune increases by seeking a remedy . All redoubles my woes. Come then, my soul , and, since I must die, let us die, at least, without offending Chim?ne!
To die without obtaining satisfaction! To seek a death so fatal to my fame! To endure that Spain should impute to my memory of having badly maintained the honor of my house! To respect a love of which my distracted soul already sees the certain loss. Let us no more listen to this insidious thought, which serves only to pain me . Come, mine arm , let us save honor, at least, since, after all, we must lose Chim?ne.
Yes, my spirit was deceived. I owe all to my father before my mistress.
Whether I die in the combat or die of sadness, I shall yield up my blood pure as I have received it. I already accuse myself of too much negligence; let us haste to vengeance; and quite ashamed of having wavered so much, let us no more be in painful suspense, since to-day my father has been insulted, even though the offender is the father of Chim?ne.
ACT THE SECOND.
ACT THE THIRD.
Never do we experience perfect joy. Our most fortunate successes are mingled with sadness; always some cares, in the events, mar the serenity of our satisfaction. In the midst of happiness my soul feels their pang: I float in joy, and I tremble with fear. I have seen dead the enemy who had insulted me, yet I am unable to find the hand which has avenged me. I exert myself in vain, and with a useless anxiety. Feeble though I am, I traverse all the city; this slight degree of vigor, that my advanced years have left me, expends itself fruitlessly in seeking this conqueror. At every moment, at all places, in a night so dark, I think that I embrace him, and I embrace only a shadow; and my love, beguiled by this deceitful object, forms for itself suspicions which redouble my fear. I do not discover any traces of his flight. I fear the dead Count's friends and retinue; their number terrifies me, and confounds my reason. Rodrigo lives no more, or breathes in prison! Just heavens! do I still deceive myself with a shadow only , or do I see, at last, my only hope? It is he; I doubt it no more. My prayers are heard, my fear is dispelled, and my trouble ended.
ACT THE FOURTH.
ACT THE FIFTH.
Shall I listen to thee still, pride of my birth, that makest a crime out of my passions? Shall I listen to thee, love, whose delicious power causes my desires to rebel against this proud tyrant? Poor princess! to which of the two oughtest thou to yield obedience? Rodrigo, thy valor renders thee worthy of me; but although thou art valiant, thou art not the son of a king.
Pitiless fate, whose severity separates my glory and my desires! Is it decreed , that the choice of such rare merit should cost my passion such great anguish? O heaven! for how many sorrows must my heart prepare itself, if, after such a long, painful struggle, it never succeeds in either extinguishing the love, or accepting the lover!
But there are too many scruples, and my reason is alarmed at the contempt of a choice so worthy; although to monarchs only my birth may assign me, Rodrigo, with honor I shall live under thy laws. After having conquered two kings, couldst thou fail in obtaining a crown? And this great name of Cid, which thou hast just now won--does it not show too clearly over whom thou art destined to reign?
He is worthy of me, but he belongs to Chim?ne; the present which I made of him , injures me. Between them, the death of a father has interposed so little hatred, that the duty of blood with regret pursues him. Thus let us hope for no advantage, either from his transgression or from my grief, since, to punish me, destiny has allowed that love should continue even between two enemies.
What do I see, unhappy ! Elvira, all is lost!
Add to tbrJar First Page Next Page