Alfonso X El Sabio

Alfonso X El Sabio Poems

Alfonso X El Sabio Biography

Alfonso X, El Sabio, or the learned, (1221-1284, reigned 1252-1284), king of Castile and León, is perhaps the most interesting, though far from the most capable, of the Spanish kings of the Middle Ages. He was a writer, and he had considerable scientific fame, based mainly on his encouragement of astronomy and the Ptolemaic cosmogony as known to him through the Arabs. As a ruler he showed legislative capacity, and a very commendable wish to provide his kingdoms with a code of laws and a consistent judicial system. The Fuero Real was undoubtedly his work, and he began the code called the Siete Partidas, which, however, was only promulgated by his great-grandson. He lacked the singleness of purpose required by a ruler who would devote himself to organization, and also the combination of firmness with temper needed for dealing with his nobles. His descent from the Hohenstaufen through his mother, a daughter of the emperor Philip of Swabia, gave him claims to represent the Swabian line. The choice of the German electors, after the death of Conrad IV in 1254, misled him into wild schemes which never took effect but caused immense expense. To obtain money he debased the coinage, and then endeavoured to prevent a rise in prices by an arbitrary tariff. The little trade of his dominions was ruined, and the burghers and peasants were deeply offended. His nobles, whom he tried to cow by sporadic acts of violence, rebelled against him. His second son, Sancho, enforced his claim to be heir, in preference to the children of Ferdinand de la Cerda, the elder brother who died in Alfonso's life. Son and nobles alike supported the Moors, when he tried to unite the nation in a crusade; and when he allied himself with the rulers of Morocco they denounced him as an enemy of the faith. A reaction in his favour was beginning in his later days, but he died defeated and deserted at Seville, leaving a will by which he endeavoured to exclude Sancho and a heritage of civil war. In addition to his other achievements, Alfonso X commissioned numerous works during his reign, including the Cantigas de Santa Maria (400+ songs mentioning the Virgin Mary) and the Libro de los juegos, or book of games.)

The Best Poem Of Alfonso X El Sabio

Cantiga De Santa Maria, No. 181

Pero que seja a gente
d'outra lei [e] descreuda,
os que a Virgen mais aman,
a esses ela ajuda.

Fremosa miragre desto
fez a Virgen groriosa
na cidade de Marrocos,
que é mui gran' e fremosa,
a un rei que era ende
sennor, que perigoosa
guerra con outro avia,
per que gran mester ajuda.

Avia de quen lla désse:
ca assi corn' el cercado
jazia dentr' en Marrocos
ca o outro ja passado
era per un grande rio
que Morabe é chamado
con muitos de cavaleiros
e mui gran gente miuda.

E corrian pelas portas
da vila, e quant' achavan
que fosse fora dos muros
todo per força fillavan.
E porend' os de Marrocos
al Rei tal conssello davan
que saisse da cidade
con bõa gent' esleuda.

D'armas e que mantenente
cono outro rei lidasse
e logo fora da vila
a sina sacar mandasse
da Virgen Santa Maria,
e que per ren non dultasse
que os logo non vencesse,
pois la ouvesse tenduda.

Demais, que sair fesesse
dos crishõos o concello
conas cruzes da eigreja.
E el creeu seu consello;
e poi-la sina sacaron
daquela que é espello
dos angeos e dos santos,
e dos mouros foi viuda.

Wue eran da outra parte,
atal espant' en colleron
que, pero gran poder era,
logo todos se venceron,
e as tendas que trouxeran
e o al todo perderon,
e morreu y muita gente
dessa fea e barvuda.

E per Morabe passaron
que ante passad' ouveran,
en sen que perdud' avian
todo quant' ali trouxeran,
atan gran medo da sina
e das cruzes y preseran,
que fogindo non avia
niun redea teuda.

E assi Santa Maria
ajudou a seus amigos,
pero que d'outra lei eran,
a britar seus eemigos
que, macar que eran muitos,
nonos preçaron dous figos,
e assi foi ssa mercee
de todos mui connoçuda.


English


The Virgin will aid those
who most love Her,
although they may be of another faith
and disbelievers.

The Glorious Virgin
performed a beautiful miracle
illustrating this theme
in the city of Marrakech,
which is large and beautiful,
for a king who was then its ruler.
He was waging bitter war with another king
and for this reason, he was in great need

of assistance from anyone
who could give it to him.
He was besieged inside Marrakech,
for the other king had already crossed
a large river called Morabe
with many knights
and a great army of foot soldiers.
.

They ran toward the gates of the city
and all they found outside the walls
they took by force.
Therefore, those of Marrakech
advised the king to go out
of the city with a few good,
carefully chosen
.

men at arms and fight it out right there
with the other king
and to order the banner
of the Holy Virgin Mary
taken out of the city
and to doubt not that he would defeat
the enemy at once
as soon as he had unfurled it.

Furthermore, they advised him
to have the Christian congregation go out
with the crosses from the church.
He took their advice
and when they took out the banner of that One
who is mirror of angels and saints
and it was seen by the Moors
.

on the other side, they were so alarmed by it that
although it was a powerful army,
all were soon defeated.
AThey lost the tents they had brought
and everything else.
Many people of that ugly
bearded crew died there.
.

They fled back across the Morabe River
and although they had lost
all they had brought there,
such great fright of the banner
and the crosses seized them
that none of them drew back
on the reins as they fled.
.

Thus Holy Mary helped Her friends,
although they were of another faith,
to defeat their enemies,
for although they were many,
they did not give
two figs about them.
In that way was Her mercy
made manifest to all.

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