The name applied to the Cid. Variously translated as Campaigner, or Battler, or Champion or, in modern syntax, War-Fighter.
And because when the host was in the field it was his office to chuse the encampment place, for this reason was my Cid called the Campeador.
Campeador, said he to the Cid, to-night we will rest here, and to-morrow we will be gone: I shall be accused for what I have done in serving you, and shall be in the King's displeasure; but following your fortunes, sooner or later, the King will have me for his friend, and if not, I do not care a fig for what I leave behind.
The Campeador went for the tribute and he took great wealth, and some of it he has kept for himself.
Ye say well, replied the Burgalese: come then to the Campeador, and we will help you to bring away the chests, so that neither Moors nor Christians may see us.
And Rachel then went to the Cid and kissed his hand and said, Now, Campeador, you are going from Castille among strange nations, and your gain will be great, even as your fortune is.
When Martin Antolinez came into the Cid's tent he said unto him, I have sped well, Campeador! you have gained six hundred marks, and I thirty.
The cocks were crowing amain, and the day began to break, when the good Campeador reached St. Pedro's.
A great feast did they make that day in the Monastery for the good Campeador, and the bells of St. Pedro's rung merrily.
Pero Bermudez could not bear this, but holding the banner in his hand, he cried, God help you, Cid Campeador; I shall put your banner in the middle of that main body; and you who are bound to stand by it-I shall see how you will succour it.
And the Campeador called unto him to stop as he loved him, but Pero Bermudez replied he would stop for nothing, and away he spurred and carried his banner into the middle of the great body of Moors.
Smite them, knights, for the love of charity, cried the Campeador.
There was my Cid, the good man in battle, who fought well upon his gilt saddle; and Alvar Fanez Minaya, and Martin Antolinez the Burgalese of prowess, and Muno Gustios, and Martin Munoz who held Montemayor, and Alvar Alvarez, and Alvar Salvadores, and Galin Garcia the good one of Aragon, and Felez Munoz the nephew of the Campeador.
And when the King saw them, before Alvar Fanez could deliver his bidding, he said unto him, Minaya, who sends me this goodly present; and Minaya answered, My Cid Ruydiez, the Campeador, sends it, and kisses by me your hands.
Of the Cid Campeador, I shall say nothing now, save only that all who chuse to follow him may freely go, and their bodies and goods and heritages are safe.
So the Campeador raised his banner and departed, and he went down the Salon, and crossed it; and as he crossed the river they saw good birds, and signs of good fortune.
And the face of the Campeador brightened, and he gave thanks to God and said, It will go well with me, Minaya, as long as you live! God, how joyful was that whole host because Alvar Fanez was returned! for he brought them greetings from their kinswomen and their brethren, and the fair comrades whom they had left behind.
But King Abenalfange being sorely grieved hereat, sent to King Pedro of Aragon, and besought him to come and help him against the Campeador.
Of a truth, to-morrow morning we will be with thee, and if thou wilt leave the mountain and come out to us in the plain, then wilt thou be, as they call thee, Rodrigo the Campeador.
Glad was the Campeador, and all they who were with him, when they saw his banner planted in that place.
Great was the joy of the Cid and his people that day, and from thenceforward he was called My Cid the Campeador, Lord of Valencia.
And the King made answer, It pleases me well, and I will give them a guard throughout my dominions, that they may be conducted honourably to the border: when they have past it, the Campeador himself will look to them.
And he said, Hear me! all those whom I have disseized of their inheritances for following the Campeador, I restore again to the possession thereof, and all those who desire to serve him I freely licence: let them go in the grace of God.
Great dole did the Abbot make when they departed; and he said, As God shall help you, Minaya, kiss the hand of the Campeador for me.
They made no tarriance in doing this, for they had it at heart; one tarried with them, and the other returned, and said it was the host of the Campeador with Pero Bermudez, and Muno Gustios, and the Bishop Hieronymo, and the Alcayaz Abencano.
Then the good Cid Campeador stroked his beard and said, Fear not, all this is for your good.
This vow the Cid Campeador made.
Nevertheless so many horses were taken that the Campeador had to his share of the good ones a thousand and five hundred.
But before he died he besought his brother, who was called Bucar, that for the tie there was between them, he would take vengeance for the dishonour which he had received from the Cid Campeador before Valencia; and Bucar promised to do this, and swore also upon the Koran, which is the book of their law.
My Cid the Campeador made no tarriance in Valencia; he made ready for the meeting: there was many a great mule, and many a palfrey, and many a good horse, and many a goodly suit of arms, cloaks, and mantels both of cloth and of peltry;...great and little are all clad in colours.
And the King drew back and said, The hand, Cid Campeador, not the foot! And the Cid drew nigh upon his knees and besought grace, saying, In this guise grant me your love, so that all present may hear.
Today, Cid Campeador, you are my guest, and to-morrow we will do as pleases you.
When the King heard this he was well pleased, and he bade the Infantes kiss the hand of the Cid Campeador, and incontinently they changed swords before the King, and they did homage to him, as sons-in-law to their father-in-law.
The King took the Infantes by the hand, and delivered them into the power of my Cid the Campeador,...See here your sons: from this day, Campeador, you will know what to make of them.
And Alvar Fanez arose and took the damsels one in each hand, and delivered them to the Infantes, saying, Diego Gonzalez, and Ferrando Gonzalez, I deliver unto you these damsels, the daughters of the Cid Campeador, by command of King Don Alfonso my Lord, even as he commanded.
Sir Cid Campeador, King Bucar my Lord hath sent me to thee saying, great wrong hast thou done him in holding Valencia against him, which belonged to his forefathers; and moreover thou hast discomfited his brother King Yucef.
With heart and soul he went at them, and made his way into their first battle; seven the Campeador smote down, and four he slew.
Who can tell how marvellously the Bishop Don Hieronymo behaved himself in this battle, and how well all the rest behaved, each in his way, and above all, the Cid Campeador, as the greatest and best of all! nevertheless the power of the Moors was so great that they could not drive them to flight, and the business was upon the balance even till the hour of nones.
And while they were thus following their flight the Cid set eyes upon King Bucar, and made at him to strike him with the sword; and the Moorish King knew him when he saw him coming; Turn this way, Bucar, cried the Campeador, you who came from beyond sea, to see the Cid with the long beard.
My Cid Ruydiez the Campeador returned from the slaughter; the hood of his mail was thrown back, and the coif upon his head bore the marks of it.
God be praised! said the Campeador...once I was poor, but now am I rich in lands and in possessions, and in gold and in honour.
They crossed the mountains of Luzon and passed Arbuxuelo, and came to Salon, and the Moor lodged them in the place which is called Ansarera; all this he did for the love of the Cid Campeador.
If it were not for the sake of my Cid, never should you reach Carrion! I would carry back his daughters to the loyal Campeador, and so deal with you that it should be talked of over the whole world.
Oh, if the Cid Campeador had come upon them at that hour! And the women cried out, and called upon God and Holy Mary to have mercy upon them; but the more they cried, the more cruelly did those Infantes beat and kick them, till they were covered with blood, and swooned away.
Oh, if the Cid Campeador had come upon them at that hour! And the Infantes rode on glorying in what they had done, for they said that the daughters of the Cid were worthy to be their harlots, but not their wives.
And when the King heard it he was grievously offended, as one who had great part therein; and he said unto them, It must needs be, that before many days we shall receive tidings of this from the Cid Campeador, and then upon his complaint we will enter the business in such wise, that every one shall have justice.
But Minaya would not accept it at their hands, and he thanked them, and said, Thanks, men of Santesteban, for what ye have done, and my Cid the Campeador will thank ye, as I do, and God will give ye your guerdon.
My Cid the Campeador made ready to appear at the Cortes in Toledo, and he left the Bishop Don Hieronymo, and Martin Pelaez the Asturian, to command in Valencia, and five hundred knights with them, all hidalgos.
At this greatly were the Infantes of Carrion troubled, for they feared the coming of my Cid the Campeador.
And they took counsel with their kin and prayed the King that he would hold them excused from that Cortes; and the King made answer, that nothing but God should excuse them from it, for the Campeador was coming to demand justice against them, and he, quoth the King, who will not appear, shall quit my kingdoms.
So when they saw that they must needs appear, they took counsel with the Count Don Garcia, the enemy of my Cid, who always wished him ill, and they went with the greatest company that they could assemble, thinking to dismay my Cid the Campeador.
God send that the court be honoured by you! Amen, said my Cid the Campeador, and he kissed his hand, and afterwards saluted him.
And Count Don Remond called upon them to speak; and they said, We gave his swords to the Cid Campeador, that he might ask nothing more of us, if it please the King.
Certes, Cid Ruydiez Campeador, I asked your daughters of you for the Infantes of Carrion, because, as they well know, they besought me to do so, I never having thought thereof.
cabra.htm">Then Count Don Garcia rose and said, Come away, Infantes, and let us leave the Cid sitting like a bridegroom in his ivory chair:...he lets his beard grow and thinks to frighten us with it!...The Campeador put up his hand to his beard, and said, What hast thou to do with my beard, Count? Thanks be to God, it is long because it hath been kept for my pleasure; never son of woman hath taken me by it; never son of Moor or of Christian hath plucked it, as I did yours in your castle of Cabra, Count, when I took your castle of Cabra, and took you by the beard; there was not a boy of the host but had his pull at it.
Now when all this had been appointed, as ye have heard, and while they were all in the court, there came into the Palace messengers from the Kings of Aragon and of Navarre, who brought letters to King Don Alfonso, and to the Cid Campeador, wherein those Kings sent to ask the daughters of the Cid in marriage, the one for the Infante Don Sancho of Aragon, the other for the Infante Garcia Ramirez of Navarre.
And the knights of my Cid advanced against the Infantes of Carrion, and they on their part against the champions of the Campeador.
And when they had gone about a league they met the messenger of the Soldan coming to Valencia: and when he beheld them in what order they came, he understood what a noble man the Cid Campeador was.
Then the Almoxarife asked of him if he knew what was the reason which had moved his Lord the Soldan to send so great a present to the Cid Campeador, and why he desired to have his love when he was so far away, beyond sea.
And when these five years were over tidings were spread far and near, which reached Valencia, that King Bucar the Miramamolin of Morocco, holding himself disgraced because the Cid Campeador had conquered him in the field of Quarto near unto Valencia, where he had slain or made prisoners all his people, and driven him into the sea, and made spoil of all the treasures which he had brought with him;...King Bucar calling these things to mind, had gone himself and stirred up the whole Paganism of Barbary, even as far as Montes Claros, to cross the sea again, and avenge himself if he could; and he had assembled so great a power that no man could devise their numbers.
When the Cid Campeador heard this he had great pleasure at heart, and he let himself fall out of bed upon the earth, that he might kiss the feet of the Apostle St. Peter; but the Apostle said, Strive not to do this, for thou canst not touch me; but be sure that all this which I have told thee will come to pass.
Then the Cid Ruydiez, the Campeador of Bivar, bade the Bishop Don Hieronymo give him the body of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and he received it with great devotion, on his knees, and weeping before them all.
At this time King Don Alfonso abode in Toledo, and when the letters came unto him saying how the Cid Campeador was departed, and after what manner he had discomfited King Bucar, and how they brought him in this goodly manner upon his horse Bavieca, he set out from Toledo, taking long journies till he came to San Pedro de Cardena to do honour to the Cid at his funeral.
And he sent for the ivory chair which had been carried to the Cortes of Toledo, and gave order that it should be placed on the right of the altar of St. Peter; and he laid a cloth of gold upon it, and upon that placed a cushion covered with a right noble tartari, and he ordered a graven tabernacle to be made over the chair, richly wrought with azure and gold, having thereon the blazonry of the Kings of Castille and Leon, and the King of Navarre, and the Infante of Aragon, and of the Cid Ruydiez the Campeador.
Four years after the Cid had departed that noble lady Dona Ximena departed also, she who had been the wife of that noble baron the Cid Ruydiez, the Campeador.
After of the noble Cid Campeador had been honourably interred, Gil Diaz his trusty servant abode still in the Monastery of St. Pedro de Cardena, doing service to the graves of the Cid and Dona Ximena, and making their anniversaries, and celebrating masses, and giving great alms to the poor both in food and clothing, for the good of their souls; and in this manner he lived while Don Garcia Tellez was Abbot, and two others after him, and then he died.
Now Don Diego was a person of great learning, and moreover, one of the descendants of the Cid; and being greatly desirous that this thing should be effected, he sent to the Monastery of St. Pedro de Cardena, and had papers and depositions sent from thence, and made a memorial of the virtues and miracles of the Campeador, showing cause why this blessed knight should be canonized.
HERE ENDETH THE CHRONICLE OF THAT RIGHT FAMOUS AND GOOD KNIGHT THE BLESSED CID, RODRIGO DIAZ DE BIVAR,THE CAMPEADOR