Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE CID AND THE JEW, by THEOPHILE GAUTIER Poem Explanation Poet's Biography First Line: The cid, stern victor in each fight Last Line: Entered a convent's gloom. Amen. Alternate Author Name(s): Theo, Le Bon Subject(s): Death; Graves; Hero-worship; Jews; Dead, The; Tombs; Tombstones; Judaism | ||||||||
The Cid, stern victor in each fight, Hero, of more than mortal height, In the grand church of San Pedro ('Twas Don Alfonso will'd it so) Embalmed, and seemingly not dead, Clad in bright steel, and helmeted, Sits rooted to a stately chair Raised on a tomb of sculpture rare. Like a white cloth, his beard of snow His coat of mail doth overflow, While to defend him, at this side Hangs Tisona, his boast and pride, The polished and elastic blade That Moor and Christian oft dismay'd. Thus seateddeadhe seems to keep The semblance of a man asleep: Thus for seven years he hath reposed Since death his life of daring closed, And, on a certain day, each year, Crowds gaze upon his corpse in fear. Once, when all visitors had gone, And the great Cid was left alone In the broad nave with Goda Jew Nigh to the sleeping champion drew, And thus he spake: "Here sits the frame Of one whom men still dread to name. 'Tis said the strongest warriors feared Even to' touch his grizzled beard: Here now he resteth, mute and cold, His arms, which scattered foe of old, Hang stiffened by the hand of death. Lo! since he hath no longer breath, Myself will stroke his beard of snow I wot the mummy will not know, And none are present to forbid My laying hands upon the Cid." With no presentiment of harm The sordid Jew outstretched his arm: But, ere that snowy beard could be Soiled by his mad impiety, The Cid from out his scabbard drew Three feet of steel that dazed the view. Scared by the ghastly miracle Prone on the tomb the Hebrew fell: And when good monks, at close of day Had borne his palsied limbs away, He told them his adventure strange, And vowed a graceless life to change. Soon he abjured his faith, and then Entered a convent's gloom. Amen. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE RABBI'S SON-IN-LAW by SABINE BARING-GOULD A LITTLE HISTORY by DAVID LEHMAN FOR I WILL CONSIDER YOUR DOG MOLLY by DAVID LEHMAN JEWISH GRAVEYARDS, ITALY by PHILIP LEVINE NATIONAL THOUGHTS by YEHUDA AMICHAI SOUNDS OF THE RESURRECTED DEAD MAN'S FOOTSTEPS (#3): 2. ANGEL ... by MARVIN BELL |
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