FIVE "ROMANCES" OF "CORDEL" is a return to a long - time research topic, but now to the very beginnings of Brazil's "literatura popular em verso" or "literatura de cordel." The early "romances" or "historias" of "cordel" began as narrative poetry telling a story based on popular literature from Portugal, Spain and France. The stories from Europe were in prose and were sold by the Livreiro Garnier in Rio de Janeiro at the end of the 19th century. Poets like Leandro Gomes de Barros, Joao Melchiades Ferreira da Silva, Jose' Camelo de Melo Resende, Marcos Sampaio and others converted the prose stories to verse. This author has chosen five of the most famous and placed the Portuguese originals alongside his own English translations along with notes, commentary and asides. A Labor of Love. Enjoy.