Cantares de mío Cid

The epic Cantar de mío Cid, a cornerstone of world literature, is revitalized for contemporary readers in this authoritative modern Spanish version. Edited by renowned scholar Alberto Montaner Frutos (chosen by the RAE for the 5th Centenary commemorative edition) alongside Dan Veach, this volume bridges the linguistic gap, making the medieval masterpiece accessible to modern Spanish students without sacrificing its epic grandeur.

This edition provides an unprecedented three-dimensional view of Spain's national hero. Alongside the modernized epic poem, it features the Romances of the Cid—vibrant folk ballads that, like today’s literary spin-offs, fill in the narrative gaps with prequels and sequels, adding popular drama and romance to the legend. Furthermore, it includes the Latin Carmen Campidoctoris (translated by Ángel Escobar), likely the only poem penned during the Cid’s actual lifetime.

**A meticulously maintained feature of this edition, shared across the entire three-volume series, is the faithful preservation of the original versification. This allows for a precise line-by-line, verse-by-verse correspondence between this Modernized Spanish text, the English translation, and the Original Medieval Castilian text, proving invaluable for comparative linguistic and poetic analysis.**

As noted by The Times Literary Supplement, this collection is designed "with an eye to assembling a useful kit for the student." This volume of modernized texts serves as a vital pedagogical tool, allowing students to engage deeply with the narrative and themes before, or alongside, tackling the original medieval Castilian.

This book is part of a landmark three-volume series (available also in English Translation and Original Medieval texts). With its faithful modernization and in-depth introductions, Cantares de mío Cid – Textos Modernizados is an indispensable reference for any university department of Hispanic Literature.