Martyrdom of Saint Laurentius

The Martyrdom of Saint Laurentius had begun to occupy an important place in literature since the end of the fourth century. Up to a dozen poems were written about St. Lawrence in Romance languages between the late twelfth and early fourteenth centuries, but that of Gonzalo de Berceo is considered one of the best for its simplicity and plainness and for its personal invention in interspersed episodes.

Martyrdom of Saint Laurentius

1. In the glorious name of the omnipotent King
Que façe Sol e Luna naçer en orient,
I want fer la passion de sennor Sant Laurent
In romaz that can know all the gent.
2. Vinçençio e Laurençio omnes sin depresura
Both of Uesca were, according to the scripture,
Both were katolicos, both of grant sanity,
Servants of Valerio and his nature.
3. At the time that Valerius had the bispalia
The bispado of Uesca very noble calongia,
Nudrió these servants, desmostrolis the way,
That they loved the fixed of the Virgo Maria.
4. In igniting their brains they were well agreed
Commo si los oviese Sant Paulo doctrinados:
They kept their archagnoses to the right,
The fruits of their loans did not have them raised.
5. In complicating with their offiçio they put every mission,
Convert the erroneous with their predicaçion,
They judged all iudiçios by right reason,
Avielos Jesuchristo full of blessing~ion.
6. I had in this time in Rome the papacy
A holy apostle, Sixtus was cried out,
Well in the lands of Greçia he was born and raised,
First he was a philosopher, then pope rising.
7. By ordering the things that avie comendadas,
That from God to the soul, they should not be demanded,
He sent through the lands the letters seelladas,
Send the clarifications when they were juntadas.
8. Bishop Don Valerio of every good friend
With these two servants he gave in Rome with him,
Plógoli much to Sixto commo with wheat bread:
Dissol to Sant Valerio: much I like you.
9. Plógol de voluntat with these companneros,
Ca were well as simple as cloisters,
Fablaban cuerda-mientre, diçien said çerteros,
For in disputaçion they were good voçeros.
10. Dissolve Don Valerio Sixto his will:
Pray, my friend, for God and karidat
Que reçibas mi ruego e fes esta bondat,
Give me these clerics for in this çipdat.

Fragment of the work

Manuscript 93 of the Archive of the Monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos.