Cantar de Mio Cid

The Poem of the Cid is an epic Dark Ages Spanish  masterpiece written in verse and prose both. It narrates the life of Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, known as El Cid, who is exiled by the King Alfonso VI after years of faithful and loyal service to the crown.

This is one of the first books I remember reading. It was an old version, belonging to either my Grandfather or my aunt Eda, with old Spanish on the left page and modern Spanish on the right page. I guess that this was the cause behind my reading of the "El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha" and "La chronique de Rains" before I was 15.  I guess it turned out good, it the end I don't think I am such a big pain in the neck of people who care for me like the fictional Alonso Quijano was to family and friends.

Two days ago, I found myself reading again "El cantar del mio Cid."  I quote,

De los sos ojos tan fuertemientre llorando

tornava la cabeça e estávalos catando, 

vio puertas abiertas e uços sin cañados, 

alcándaras vazías, sin pielles e sin mantos 

e sin falcones e sin adtores mudados. 

Sospiró mio Çid, ca mucho avié grandes cuidados, 

fabló mio Çid bien e tan mesurado, 

-Grado a ti, Señor, Padre que estás en alto, 

esto me an buelto mios enemigos malos.- 

Allí piensan de aguijar, allí sueltan las riendas, 

a la exida de Bivar ovieron la corneja diestra 

e entrando a Burgos oviéronla siniestra. 

Meçió mio Çid los ombros e engrameó la tiesta, 

-¡Albriçia, Álbar Fáñez, ca echados somos de tierra!-

Mio Çid Ruy Díaz por Burgos entrava, 

en su conpaña sessaenta pendones, 

exiénlo ver mugieres e varones, 

burgeses e burgesas por las finiestras son, 

plorando de los ojos, tanto avién el dolor, 

de las sus bocas todos dizían una razón, 

-¡Dios, qué buen vassallo, si oviesse buen señor!-

I love the epithet closing the third verse. I guess that's why I like militaristic fantasy and science fiction, they are always epic and portray polarized, morally upright or downright characters that belong to realm of fiction inside our heads, that gives plenty of space for epithets.