236 BHS, LIV (1977) REVIEWS OF BOOKS

tentatively, into the interpretative field. Garcia Gomez, on the other hand, published the
texts together with his versions of Romance kharjas found in Arabic muwashshahas in an
article which appeared in Al-Andalus, XVII (1952). With some alterations these versions
formed the nucleus of the first edition of this book. Garcia Gomez sought to interpret, to
make sense of what had been hitherto unintelligible. He struck out boldly and conjured
up a host of alluring interpretations.
In an ideal world the two approaches of Stern and Garcia Gomez would be com-
plementary. Unfortunately Garcia Gomez, the attentive disciple of the prophet Ribera,
has assumed for himself the mantle of arbiter of kharja studies. In this new prologue he
shows little sign that his rigorous attitudes towards the opinions of fellow-scholars and
those who hold views different from his own have been relaxed. His own two works, Todo
Ben Quzman (1972) and Metrica de la moaxaJay metrica espanola (1975), are used to bolster
his own theories. One cannot escape the impression that kharja studies have reached a
watershed. As much as can be done has been done; but this is perhaps an illusion. The
texts of the kharjas now more than ever before should be published in their original Semitic
scripts so that past interpreters can take a long hard look at their own contributions and
interested scholars can recognize anew the extreme complexity of the primary material
which has provided the source for such speculation.
RICHARD HITCHCOCK
Exeter.

MARGIT FRENK ALATORRE, Las Jarchas mozdrabes y los comienros de la lirica romdnica. Colegio
de Mexico. 1975. xii + 178 pp.
This is the most useful book relating to kharja studies that has to my knowledge come
on the market. It takes the form of a bibliographical survey of the theories concerning the
origins of Romance lyric in Europe and the ways, if any, that the discovery of the kharjas
has affected such theories.
In the first part the author covers familiar ground, but she does so with such a wealth
of carefully-sifted and clearly-tabulated documentation that her study becomes an invalu-
able source for all matters relating to the theories of lyric origins.
In the second part, entitled 'Las jarchas y su problernatica', the author attempts an
evaluation of the nature and influence of the kharjas. She has had access to all the major
and many of the minor studies relating to the kharjas and draws frequently from their
contents. What is spurious is exposed and what is hypothetical is firmly identified as such.
The claims made on behalf of the kharjas are eventually reduced to a surprisingly small
nucleus of confirmations (156-57). The extent of the author's reading on the subject and
her presentation of so many diverse views enable the reader to appreciate the need for this
systematic appraisal.
I t is of interest to see what the author herself makes of this morass of information. She
follows a path of discreet moderation for the most part, on occasions cautiously expressing
her own views. For example, on the debated question of 'poesia "popular" , she writes
(135), 'en el trasfondo de las jarchas existia una tradicion poetica, una "escuela poetica"
de contornos precisos, con sus modos concretos de poetizar', and she also believes it probable
that 'las jarchas muy arabizadas han sido confeccionadas por los autores de muwashshahas'
(148). She prudently avoids extremes and concludes, uncontroversially, that 'dadas las
coincidencias, cabe suponer, en efecto, una base comun mas 0 menos uniforme de canciones
de mujer, probablemente ligadas al canto y al baile y difundidas por la Europa occidental'
(166). This conclusion is, of course, a familiar one and the author recognizes that her
labyrinthine forays have not come up with anything startling. As she herself states in her

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 REVIEWS OF BOOKS 237
prologue (3), 'al final de la aventura quiza 10 que quede es la aventura misma y, como
botin, una gran carga de dudas y un pequefio puiiado de convicciones'.
One cannot but give a whole-hearted welcorne to a study as balanced as this one is
and one that demonstrates the problems created by the discovery of the Romance kharjas.
There is a select bibliography at the end, but an index would have benefited the users of
what is above all a fundamental work of reference.
RICHARD HITCHCOCK
Exeter.

MIGUEL GARCI-GOMEZ, 'Mio Cid' : estudios de endocritica. Planeta, Barcelona. 1975. 323 pp.
Professor Garci-G6mez defines his approach thus: 'la tarea de la endocritica es el
analisis de la constitucion literaria de la obra' (23). His book is not, however, a coherent
examination of the constituci6n literaria of the PMC but a series of largely unrelated studies
on various sections, aspects, and individual lines, consisting of five reprinted articles, seven
new studies, and a chapter on amplificatio in the ]>MC as a whole. The author is obsessed
with alleged differences (of style, interpretation, aims) between Destierro and Bodas on the
one hand (taken as a unit, and referred to throughout as Gesta), and Corpes on the other
(referred to as Razon). This debatable division is pursued so single-mindedly that, while
every trivial difference is highlighted, obvious similarities of style, language, and technique
between the two 'parts' are dismissed as skilful imitations of the Gesta by the poet of the
Razon (e.g., 166, 270). A more reasonable attitude-that such differences imply not a
change of author but merely shifts of emphasis, changes of tone-is dismissed in a footnote
(156 note 2).
The first two studies deal with the opening laisses, here accepted as the authentic
beginning of the poem (a view already expressed by A. Pardo, Thesaurus, XXVII [1972]),
and examined as such in terms of rhetorical theory. The interpretation of line 7 may raise
eyebrows. A somewhat bizarre analysis of I. 20 is followed by a eulogy of the nina de nuef
aiios, Another original interpretation (the author seems to specialize in them) is that
Raquel and Vidas were not Jews, the deal did not involve usury, and the episode is not
meant to be humorous. One doubts whether 'la comicidad no cabia en el contexto de la
Gesta' (107); but this view also dominates the study on the Count of Barcelona. That on
Bodas sees the Infantes as sympathetic figures, rejecting any ironic interpretation of
remarks involving them (144-45) and arguing that the Cid has no doubts about them at
this stage. The chapter on differences between Gesta and Raeon assumes two authors;
that on the lion has plenty on literary tradition, but little on the PMC. A study of irony
contains useful material but also startling misinterpretations: 1. 3366 does not mean
Diego was naked (216). The chapters on 11. 2538--39 and the episode of the moro latinado
fail to convince. The final chapter is a useful catalogue of rhetorical devices, including
epithets, in the Poema, though the attribution of certain lines to one category rather than
another is necessarily somewhat arbitrary.
In general, the presentation of the work, which won the Premio internacional
Benalmadena de ensayo, 1975, is of an acceptable standard. Misprints and factual errors
are few; quotations are from Colin Smith's edition. The author displays considerable
erudition; but his comments on the Cid, though plausibly argued, at times seem far-fetched.
Lack of space prevents detailed criticisms; there is plenty here for specialists to note, but
much effort will, alas, have to be devoted to sorting the trigo from the paja and refuting
the more misleading of Professor Garci-G6mez's views.
DAVID HOOK
King's College, London.

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