Review (PDF) The Song Of The Cid (Penguin Classics) A Dual-Language Edition With Parallel Text
From a legendary translator: a magnificent new rendering of Spain's national epicVenture into the heart of Islamic Spain in this vibrant, rollicking new translation of The Song of the Cid, the only surviving epic from medieval Spain. Banished from the court of King Alfonso, the noble warrior Rodrigo Diaz, know as the Cid, sets out from Castile to restore his name. In a series of battles, he earns wealth and honor for his men and his king, as well as fame and admiration for himself. But it is in rescuing his daughters from their ill-suited marriages that the Cid faces the ultimate challenge to the medieval heroic ideal.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
Series: Penguin Classics
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Penguin Classics; 1 Blg edition (March 31, 2009)
Language: Spanish
ISBN-10: 0143105655
ISBN-13: 978-0143105657
Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.5 x 7.7 inches
Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #100,460 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #7 in Books > Libros en español > Literatura y ficción > PoesÃa #9 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Regional & Cultural > European > Spanish #34 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Ancient, Classical & Medieval > Medieval
This was not a great book in the Kindle format since the interlacing of the original Spanish and English translation did not lend themselves to easy reading. However, having read this in its origfinal back in college, I enjoyed greatly the present translation of this important work of Spanish literature. I would recommend it be read in hardback however to get the most out of it.
First, and most important, point. Three stars is for the translation NOT the story! Some quick examples of how poor the translation is. Stanza 62, the Old Spanish reads "sabet, non vos dare a vos un dinero malo" and is translated as "Hear me: I won't give back a wooden nickel". Dinero malo translates as wooden nickel??? A 19th-20th century American invention? Why would this be the translation for that phrase? In stanza 123 the Old Spanish reads "tan mal se consejaron estos iffantes amos", which translates to "They made wicked fun of both Carrions". Wicked fun? Are they from Boston? The whole translation is very stilted and reads awkwardly. The story line is awesome. A man is disgraced and exiled, wins back his fortune and honor while befriending both Christians and Moors, always acts humbly before his King, and ends his life, after a series of ups and downs, as respected ruler of Valencia and father to queens of Navarre and Aragon. Story is 4 stars, the translation is 2 stars. Find any translation besides the Penguin one by Burton Raffel and it has to be better!
A very readable version of this famous medieval poem by the well known translater Burton Raffel. This is a bilingual version with the Castilian alongside the translation. Looking at the Castilian, its clear that Raffel necessarily had to omit many of the natural rhymes and possibly some of the metrical structure. The English version exhibits vigorous, clear language and is quite interesting.The 3 part story of a Castilian feudal magnate who fell out of favor with his king, the first 2 parts of the Song of the Cid are largely a poetic account of an epic episode of banditry that followed the Cid's exile from Castile. Gathering a large group of followers, the Cid successfully conquers and despoils a large number of Muslim communities, culminating in the conquest of Valencia. In some cases, extortion is substituted for conquest. The Cid is a generous lord whose open-handedness attracts the support of many skilled knights and the revenue of his depredations allow him to buy back the favor of the King. The last part is a poeticized account of internal Castilian politics involving rivalries among feudal magnates and marriage politics.This poem is probably most revealing of the attitudes of the late 12th century and early 13th century feudal lords who were its primary audience. The glorification of casual violence and rapine will strike most modern readers (I hope) as repulsive. Similarly, the glorification of the Cid's swindling of 2 Jewish bankers and the use of women as pawns in politics is rather disturbing.This edition is accompanied by a nice introduction by the historian Maria Menocal, which lays out some of the history and historiography of the text. Among other things, this poem was pushed by the Franco regime as the national epic, a rather revealing and repulsive fact.
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