Customer Reviews

The Poem of the Cid: Dual Language Edition (Penguin Classics) (Spanish and English Edition)

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This edition of The Poem of the Cid is truly wonderful. For starters, it is a bilingual edition, presenting the reader with the original medieval Spanish text. The translation itself is highly readable. The humour and tension in particular scenes shine in this translation.

The story itself is also marvelous. We get a wonderful sense of the confusion and ambiguities of the feudal society. The uniqueness of the Spanish feudal experience comes through brilliantly. The Muslims are dealt with with more accuracy and tolerance than in any other work of medieval literature. The two Jewish characters in the poem -- moneylenders -- are presented without scorn. Indeed, it is the Frankish (probably Norman) count of Barcelona who is portrayed as the moronic outsider. There is much excellent description of medieval warfare, clothing, hommage ceremonies, and use of money, but most enlightening part of the story is the long trial scene.

The poem is short, with a fast-paced and coherent plot. It is very easy to read this in one sitting because it is so gripping.

This dual language book is excellent for teaching the Cid to English speaking students, providing the necessary back up to the medieval Castillian that is difficult for undergraduates. The introductory materials provide all the necessary background from a literary, historical and linguistic perspective.

When I was hiking in northern Spain, I kept seeing references to the Cid. This made me want to give The Poem of the Cid a try. Unfortunately, at least for me, this bilingual edition of the poem did not feel as though it could possibly have done justice to the work.

I have the feeling that the English translation was largely written to support students who are reading the Spanish version. I am sure that it is technically quite competent. As a reader who was not interested in the Spanish, I found that the translation lacked all poetry. It was spare to the point of plain and not particularly easy to read. Although I got the bare bones of the material, I had no feeling for the work as a reading experience.

I do not speak Spanish well enough to have any idea whether or not the translated is to be recommended for its faithfulness to the original text. I can say that if, like me, you are a more casual reader who is looking for the story I would not recommend this version. If I had to do it over again, I would pick up any of the many other versions that are available.