The Lay of the Cid | Page 8

art thou banished from the land.
XVI.
"Oh Campeador fair-bearded, a favor at thy hand!
Behold I
kneel before thee, and thy daughters are here with me, That have seen
of days not many, for children yet they be,
And these who are my
ladies to serve my need that know.
Now well do I behold it, thou art
about to go.
Now from thee our lives a season must sunder and
remove,
But unto us give succor for sweet Saint Mary's love."
The Cid, the nobly bearded, reached down unto the twain,
And in his
arms his daughters has lifted up again,
And to his heart he pressed
them, so great his love was grown, And his tears fell fast and bitter, and
sorely did he moan: "Xiména as mine own spirit I loved thee, gentle
wife;
But o'er well dost thou behold it, we must sunder in our life. I
must flee and thou behind me here in the land must stay.
Please God
and sweet Saint Mary that yet upon a day
I shall give my girls in

marriage with mine own hand rich and well,
And thereafter in good
fortune be suffered yet to dwell,
May they grant me, wife, much
honored, to serve thee then once more."
XVII.
A mighty feast they had prepared for the Great Campeador

The bells within San Pedro they clamor and they peal.
That my lord
the Cid is banished men cry throughout Castile. And some have left
their houses, from their lands some fled away. Of knights an hundred
and fifteen were seen upon that day,
By the bridge across the
Arlanzon together they came o'er.
One and all were they calling on
the Cid Campeador.
And Martin Antolínez has joined him with their
power.
They sought him in San Pedro, who was born in a good hour.
XVIII.
When that his host was growing, heard the great Cid of Bivár,
Swift he rode forth to meet them, for his fame would spread afar. When
they were come before him, he smiled on them again.
And one and
all drew near him and to kiss his hand were fain. My lord the Cid spake
gladly: "Now to our God on high
I make my supplication that ere I
come to die I
may repay your service that house and land has cost,

And return unto you double the possession that ye lost."
My lord the Cid was merry that so great his commons grew,
And they
that were come to him they all were merry too.
Six days of grace are over, and there are left but three,
Three and no
more. The Cid was warned upon his guard to be, For the King said, if
thereafter he should find him in the land, Then neither gold nor silver
should redeem him from his hand. And now the day was over and night
began to fall
His cavaliers unto him he summoned one and all:
"Hearken, my noble gentlemen. And grieve not in your care.
Few
goods are mine, yet I desire that each should have his share. As good
men ought, be prudent. When the cocks crow at day,
See that the
steeds are saddled, nor tarry nor delay.
In San Pedro to say matins the
Abbot good will be;
He will say mass in our behalf to the Holy

Trinity.
And when the mass is over, from the abbey let us wend,

For the season of our sufferance draws onward to an end.
And it is
sure, moreover, that we have far to go."
Since so the Cid had ordered,
they must do even so.
Night passed, and came the morning. The
second cock he crew; Forthwith upon the horses the caparisons they
threw.
And the bells are rung for matins with all the haste they may. My lord
Cid and his lady to church they went their way.
On the steps Xiména
cast herself, that stood the shrine before, And to God passionately she
prayed to guard the Campeador:
"Our Father who art in Heaven, such glory is in Thee!
Thou madest
firmament and earth, on the third day the sea.
The stars and moon
Thou madest, and the great sun to warm.
In the womb of Mary
Mother, Thou tookest human form.
Thou didst appear in Bethlehem
as was Thy will and choice.
And in Thy praise and glory shepherds
lifted up their voice. And thither to adore Thee from Arabia afar

Came forth the three kings, Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. And gold
and myrrh and frankincense they proffered eagerly. Thou didst spare
the prophet Jonah when he fell into the sea. And Thou didst rescue
Daniel from the lions in the cave.
And, moreover, in Rome city Saint
Sebastian didst Thou save. From the sinful lying witness Saint Susanna
didst Thou ward. And years two and thirty didst Thou walk the Earth,
our Lord, Showing, the which all men take heed, Thy miracles divine.

Of the stone, bread Thou madest, and of the water, wine.
Thou
didst raise up Saint Lazarus according to