1 of 1 copy available
Venture 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.
-
Creators
-
Publisher
-
Release date
March 31, 2009 -
Formats
-
Kindle Book
-
OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9781101029145
-
EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9781101029145
- File size: 338 KB
-
-
Languages
- English
- Spanish; Castilian
-
Reviews
-
March 15, 2009
Spains national epic relates the exploits of the warrior Rodrigo D-az de Vivar (c. 104099) after Alfonso VI, king of Len and Castile, banishes him for reasons unknown. In exile, he gathers an irresistible raiding party that conquers or exacts tribute from cities in its line of march. Because he sends a whopping portion of the proceeds to Alfonso, he gradually mollifies the monarch. Rodrigos campaigns are commonly represented as part of the Reconquista of Muslim-occupied Spain by Christian forces. But a Muslim lord is among Rodrigos most ardent supporters; only Muslims who resist are scorned; and Rodrigos honorific, el Cid, is a Hispanization of the Arabic sayyidleader. The poems real mission, Mar-a Rosa Menocals invaluable introduction explains, is to portray the ideal Spanish hero: courageous, honest, generous, and unshakably loyal to the king. Raffel, a venerable translator of Western Europes earliest literary masterpieces, offers a sturdy, engaging version of a work far more fascinating than the Christian triumphalist propaganda piece it commonly has been assumed to be.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)
-