Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
Spain, Portugal, Belgium, and Holland: Vols. XIV–XV. 1876–79.
The Cids Wedding
By Spanish BalladW
He makes his preparation for many a noble guest.
It is a joyful city, it is a gallant day,
’T is the Campeador’s wedding, and who will bide away?
Behind him comes Ruy Diaz, in all his bridal state;
The crowd makes way before them as up the street they go;—
For the multitude of people their steps must needs be slow.
From house to house all over, in the way where they must march;
They have hung it all with lances, and shields, and glittering helms,
Brought by the Campeador from out the Moorish realms.
And the ladies fling down garlands at the Campeador’s feet;
With tapestry and broidery their balconies between,
To do his bridal honor, their walls the burghers screen.
The little boys pursue them with hootings and with clappings;
The fool, with cap and bladder, upon his ass goes prancing,
Amidst troops of captive maidens with bells and cymbals dancing.
They fill the streets of Burgos,—and the Devil he comes after;
For the King has hired the horned fiend for sixteen maravedis,
And there he goes, with hoofs for toes, to terrify the ladies.
And the Queen, and, all in fur and pall, the nobles of the land.
All down the street the ears of wheat are round Ximena flying,
But the King lifts off her bosom sweet whatever there is lying.
“’T is a fine thing to be a king; but Heaven make me a hand!”
The King was very merry, when he was told of this,
And swore the bride, ere eventide, must give the boy a kiss.
And seldom gave an answer to anything he said;
It was better to be silent, among such a crowd of folk,
Than utter words so meaningless as she did when she spoke.