Note 216 — Chapter VII
Reading edition
This is a very old, as well as a very spirited, ballad. It occurs first in print in 1555; but “Durandarte, Durandarte,” found as early as 1511, is an obvious imitation of it, so that it was probably old and famous at that time. In the oldest copy now known it reads thus, but was afterwards changed. I omit the last lines, which seem to be an addition.
A fuera, a fuera, Rodrigo, El soberbio Castellano! Acordarte te debria De aquel tiempo ya passado, Quando fuiste caballero En el altar de Santiago; Quando el Rey fue tu padrino, Tu Rodrigo el ahijado. Mi padre te dio las armas, Mi madre te dio el caballo, Yo te calze las espuelas, Porque fuesses mas honrado, Que pensé casar contigo. No lo quiso mi pecado; Casaste con Ximena Gomez, Hija del Conde Loçano. Con ella uviste dineros, Conmigo uvieras estado. Bien casaste, Rodrigo, Muy mejor fueras casado; Dexaste hija de Rey, Por tomar la de su vasallo.
This was one of the most popular of the old ballads. It is often alluded to by the writers of the best age of Spanish literature; for example, by Cervantes, in “Persiles y Sigismunda,” (Lib. III. c. 21,) and was used by Guillen de Castro in his play on the Cid.