Songs of The Cid

Songs of The Cid brings together, in a fresh and accessible English version, three complementary visions of Spain’s great national hero: the Latin Carmen Campidoctoris, the classic Castilian epic Cantar de mio Cid (The Song of The Cid), and a rich selection of later Spanish romances (folk ballads) that expand and retell his legend. Translator Dan Veach offers not only a vigorous, fast‑moving line but also a lucid introduction that situates Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar between myth and meticulously recorded history.

In Veach’s telling, we see El Cid at the very center of a complex medieval Iberia where Christian and Muslim kingdoms constantly ally and clash. The epic follows the Cid from his unjust exile by King Alfonso, through campaigns on the Moorish frontier and the long struggle for Valencia, to his ultimate vindication in law and in honor. Along the way, students encounter legal trials, judicial duels, cross‑cultural diplomacy, and a nuanced portrayal of Moors as both enemies and allies.

With its attention to oral‑epic form (assonant laises, stock formulas), its detailed historical framing (Visigoths, Al‑Andalus, Almoravids), and its sharp focus on themes of loyalty, justice, and social class, this edition is ideal for courses on medieval literature, epic traditions, Iberian history, and translation. It bridges the gap between classroom needs and the living energy of one of Europe’s greatest narrative poems.