At the period described the Seljuk Sultan of Rum, Kilij Arslan I, was fighting the Crusaders in Asia Minor. His messenger was evidently attempting to ensure that the Cid did not join the battles in the Holy Land.
The story of the visit of the representative of the Soldan (Sultan) of Persia to the Cid is considered legendary. Jalal ad-Dawlah Malik Shah (ruled 1072 to 1092) held sway over an empire that included Persia and the Middle East, but he was assassinated two years before the fall of Valencia. His empire broke up after his death. His successor in western Anatolia and the Holy Lands was Kilij Arslan I, Seljuk sultan of Rum, who tirelessly fought his opponents and the Crusaders until drowning in 1107. He chronologically fits the bill, and would certainly have been interested in dissuading the Cid from joining the Crusaders. But he was never ruler of Persia.
Now it came to pass after this, that the Great Soldan of Persia, having heard of the great goodness of the Cid, and of his great feats in arms, and how he had never been vanquished by mortal man, and how he had conquered many Kings, Moor and Christian, and had won the noble city of Valencia, and had defeated King Bucar Lord of Africa and Morocco, and twenty nine Kings with him, all these things made him greatly desirous of his love.
When this kinsman reached the port of Valencia, he sent word to the Cid that he was arrived there with a message from the Great Soldan of Persia, who had sent a present by him; and when the Cid knew this he was well pleased.
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.
The Great Soldan of Persia, my Lord, hearing of thy great fame and renown, and of the great virtue which is in thee, hath sent me to salute thee and receive thee as his friend, even as his best friend, the one whom he loveth and prizeth best.
Then the Cid bade his people make way that the sumpter beasts which carried the present might pass, and also the strange animals which the Soldan had sent, the like whereof were not in that land.
When the Moor had produced all these things before the Cid, he said unto him, All this, Sir, with the animals which thou hast seen, my Lord the Soldan of Persia hath sent unto thee, because of the great fame which he hath heard of thy goodness and loyalty; and, Sir, he beseecheth thee to accept it for the love of him.
And then he embraced him in the name of the Soldan, and said, that if he were a Christian he would give him the kiss of peace; and he asked whether among those things there was aught which had belonged to the person of the Soldan, that if so he might kiss it in his honour, and in token that if he were there present, he would kiss him on the shoulder, according to the custom of the Moors, for he knew that his Lord was one of the noblest men in all Pagandom.
When the kinsman of the Soldan heard this he was greatly rejoiced because of the great courtesy with which the Cid had spoken, and he perceived how noble a man he was.
And he said unto him, Sir Cid, if you were present before my Lord the Soldan, he would do you full great honour, and would give you the head of his horse to eat, according to the custom of our country; but seeing that this is not the custom of this country, I give you my living horse, which is one of the best horses of Syria; and do you give order that he be taken in honour of my Lord the Soldan, and he will be better than his head would be boiled.
And then he called for his Almoxarife, and bade him take with him this kinsman of the Soldan, and lodge him in the Garden of Villa Nueva, and do him even such honour and service as he would to himself.
Great was the honour which the Almoxarife of the Cid Ruydiez did unto the kinsman of the Soldan, and he served him even as he would have served his Lord the Cid.
And when they had disported and taken solace together, the kinsman of the Soldan asked him concerning the Cid, what manner of man he was.
When the messenger of the Soldan heard this he called to mind how it had been with him, and he said unto the Almoxarife, that as they were both of one law he besought him to keep secret what he should say, and he would tell him what had befallen him himself.
When the kinsman of the Soldan had said this, the Almoxarife perceived that he was a wary man, and one of good understanding; and he began to talk with him, and asked him whether he would tell him what he should ask, and the messenger replied that he would.
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.
Now the messenger of the Soldan conceived that the Almoxarife sought to know the state of the lands beyond sea, and he feared that this had been asked of him by command of the Cid; and he made answer, that so great was the renown of the Cid, and the report which they had heard in the lands beyond sea of his great feats in arms, that it had moved the Soldan to send him that present and desire his love.
And my Lord the Great Soldan of Persia, hearing of the great nobleness of the Cid, and thinking that he would pass over also, was moved to send him this present to gain his love, that if peradventure he should pass there he might be his friend.
While yet that messenger of the Soldan of Persia abode in Valencia, tidings came to the Cid that the Infantes of Aragon and Navarre were coming to celebrate their marriage with his daughters, according as it had been appointed at the Cortes of Toledo.
Who can tell the great rejoicings which were made at those marriages, and the great nobleness thereof? Certes there would be much to tell; for during eight days that they lasted, there was feasting every day, full honourably and plentifully, where all persons did eat out of silver; and many bulls were killed every day, and many of those wild beasts which the Soldan sent; and many sports were devised, and many garments and saddles and noble trappings were given to the joculars.
And when the marriage was concluded, the Cid took his sons-in-law and led them by the hand to Dona Ximena, and showed them all the noble things which the Soldan had sent him; and they when they beheld such great treasures and such noble things were greatly astonished, and said that they did not think there had been a man in Spain so rich as the Cid, nor who possessed such things.
And the Cid gave them great treasure, even as he had promised, and gave them certain of those strange beasts which the Soldan had sent.
After the Cid had seen his sons-in-law depart, he sent for the messenger of the Soldan, and gave him many of the rare things of his country to carry unto his Lord.
And he gave him a sword which had the device of the Soldan wrought in gold, and a coat of mail and sleeve armour, and a noble gipon which was wrought of knots; and his letters of reply, which were full of great assurances of friendship.
Much was the messenger of the Soldan pleased with the Cid for the great honour which he had shown him, and much was he pleased also at seeing how honourably the marriage of his daughters had been celebrated.
So he departed and went to the port, and embarked on board his ship, and went to his Lord the Soldan.
Then he called for the caskets of gold in which was the balsam and the myrrh which the Soldan of Persia had sent him; and when these were put before him he bade them bring him the golden cup, of which he was wont to drink; and he took of that balsam and of that myrrh as much as a little spoon-full, and mingled it in the cup with rose-water, and drank of it; and for the seven days which he lived he neither ate nor drank aught else than a little of that myrrh and balsam mingled with water.
And they clad the body in a full noble tartari, and in cloth of purple, which the Soldan of Persia had sent him, and put him on hose of the same, and set him in his ivory chair; and in his left hand they placed his sword Tizona in its scabbard, and the strings of his mantle in his right.