The Carmen Campidoctoris: Poem on El Cid Campeador

Besides the Historia Roderici, another notable Latin source for the life of El Cid Campeador is the Carmen Campidoctoris (“Poem of the Campeador”), which is composed in Sapphic stanza but unfortunately does not survive beyond 129 lines. Scholarly opinions on the date of its composition range between 1082 CE and the second half of the 12^th century CE. The clear signs of its composition at an early date (i.e. probably no later than the 12^th century CE) are as follows:

. It speaks of El Cid’s wars as “recent” (Latin: nova) in contrast with the ancientness of the wars of Paris (the Trojan War), Pyrrhus (against Rome in the 3^rd century BCE) and Aeneas (conquest of Latium).

. The appeal to those who relied on El Cid’s help to listen to the poem.

Other indications of dating in my view are less clear-cut. For example, when the poem mentions that the Moors still call a certain fort (Almenar) by its Arabic name, it does not necessarily follow in my view that the fort was still under Muslim control at the time of the poem’s composition. The fort, as Gil notes, was captured in 1093 CE. The fact that the poem does not fully survive is also a problem for more precise dating. For instance, did the poem culminate with El Cid’s capture of Valencia in 1094 CE? It is impossible to tell.

Below is my translation of the poem, with annotations where necessary. The critical edition used is that contained in Corpus Christianorum (Continuatio Mediaevalis LXXI).

Carmen Campidoctoris

We can report the wars of the deeds of Paris, Pyrrhus and Aeneas.
Many poets have written about these matters with abundant praise.
But of what help will be the acts of the pagans,
While they already become lowly because of their great ancientness?
Let us now sing of the recent wars of prince Roderic.
But if I begin to cover all the deeds of such a great victor,
1000 books could not comprise them,
Even if Homer were singing with the utmost labour.
Although I have imbibed very little from teaching,
I will nonetheless make a few rhythmic verses from many events
And as a timid sailor give my sails to the winds.
Come, rejoice, oh crowd of the people,
Hear this poem of the Campeador!
All the more you who have relied on this man’s aid!
Come all of you!
He arose from a rather noble lineage,
With there being none greater than it in Castile.
Seville[i] and the bank of the Ebro,
Came to know who Roderic was.[ii]
This was his first singular combat,
When as a youth he defeated the Navarran.[iii]
Hence he was called Campeador just like greater men.[iv]
Already he indicated what he would do,
Intending to overcome his rivals among the counts
Tread down royal wealth with his foot,
And capture it with his sword.
Sancho the king of the land loved him so much,
Seeing the young man ascend to lofty heights,
That he wanted to give him command of the first cohort.
But as he did not wish for this, Sancho would have wished
To give him a better honour,
Had the king not so quickly undergone death
Which spares no one.
After his murder that was enacted in trickery,
King Alfonso obtained hold of the land.
His brother gave him through all of Castile
What he had promised.
Certainly Alfonso began by loving this man no less
Wishing to exalt him over the rest
Until his colleagues of the court began to envy him
Saying to the king: “Lord, what are you doing?
You are contriving evil against yourself,
As you are allowing this Roderic to be elevated.
This is displeasing to us.
You should know: he will never love you,
Because he was the court official of your brother.
He will always contrive and prepare evil things against you.”
Hearing the words of these whispers,
King Alfonso became touched by the jealousy of his heart,
And fearing to lose the throne of honour,
On account of his fear,
He turned all his love into anger,
And sought pretexts against him,
Making many accusations that he did not know of,
Through the few that he knew of.
He ordered for the man to go into exile from the land.
From here the latter began to wage war against the Moors,
Devastate the Spanish lands
Destroy their cities.
Rumour came to the king’s court
That the Campeador,
Taking the best holdings of the Hagarene people,[v]
Was still preparing the trap of death for him.
Very angered, he brought together his cavalry,
And would have prepared death for him if the latter had not been on alert,
As he ordered that if he should be captured,
He should be slain.
The aforementioned king sent the proud Count García[vi]
To wage war on him.
Then the Campeador doubled his triumph
While retaining the field.
For this had been his second battle,
In which García was captured with many.
They call the place Caprea
Where the camp was captured at the same time.
So through all the regions of Spain
His name became renowned among all the kings,
Who were all afraid and paying gifts.
He also engaged in his third battle
That God permitted him to win:
As he put some to flight and captured others.
And destroyed their camp.
For the marquess and count of Barcelona,[vii]
To whom the Midianites[viii] gave tribute
And with whom Alfagib[ix]-
The enemy of Lérida -was allied,
Besieged the fort of Zaragoza
Which the Moors still call Almenar.[x]
The victor requested for the place to be given to him,
And for the sending of provision to it.
Since they could not yield to his entreaties,
Nor did they give him the opportunity to cross,
He suddenly ordered for his men to arm themselves,
And to do so quickly without delay.
He was the first to put on a breastplate,
And man saw none better than this one,
In his right hand, he was equipped
With a sword made with gold
And he took up a spear wondrously made,
Hewed with the ash-wood of a noble tree.
He had made it polished with strong iron,
And straightened at its point.
On his left arm he carried a shield,
Which was entirely figured with gold.
On it was depicted a fierce dragon,
In a brilliant way.
He fortified his head with a glowing helmet,
Which a craftsman decorated with plates of silver,
While fitting his work with a ribbon of amber,
He mounted his horse that a certain barbarian[xi] brought
From across the sea and indeed exchanged it for 1000 pieces of gold.
It ran more swiftly than the wind,
And leapt more than a stag.
Armed with such weapons and such a horse,
Never was Paris or Hector in the Trojan War
Better than that man,
Nor are they now.
Then he prayed….[xii]

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[i] Alluding to his fight on behalf of the ta’ifa of Seville against the ta’ifa of Granada (cf. Historia Roderici sections 7-9).

[ii] There is some uncertainy in translation here since the line “quis Rodericus” lacks a verb. Should it be present tense (“who Roderic is) or past tense (“who Roderic was”)?

[iii] Eximinus Garcez/Jimeno Garcés (cf. Historia Roderici section 5).

[iv] Or, depending on the reading of the original, “by the mouth of greater men.”

[v] The Arabs/Muslims, referring to their supposed origin from Hagar, the mother of Ishmael.

[vi] This would appear to refer to García Ordóñez, a Castilian count. A conflict between him and El Cid that would appear to date to 1092 CE is mentioned in the Historia Roderici (Section 50, though gaps in the original text hinder understanding of the full context).

[vii] Count Berengar of Barcelona.

[viii] The Arabs/Muslims.

[ix] Al-Mundhir (see Historia Roderici on the name of ‘Alfagib’).

[x] For the siege of this fort and the subsequent battle (which took place in 1082 CE), see Historia Roderici (sections 14-16).

[xi] i.e. A Berber.

[xii] Nothing of the poem survives beyond this point..