The Song of Roland

Anonymous

• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Year: 2012
• ISBN:
  9780486111667
• Topic: Littérature
• Subtopic: Poésie

The first and greatest of French literature's epics, this 11th-century tale of romance and heroism embodies all the power and majesty of its predecessors from other cultures. Its narrative framework echoes that of Greek and German myths, and it melds historic accounts from the Dark Ages of Europe with folklore from the Far East — along with the legends of the troubadours and stories from Virgil, Hebrew scriptures, and other sources.
The timeless tale of the warrior Roland, nephew to Charlemagne and prince of the Holy Roman Empire, ranks high among the chansons de gest, or "songs of deeds." Its first audience, most of whom were illiterate, actually heard The Song of Roland sung to them. This crystalline translation by Leonard Bacon does full lyric justice to the ancient oral tradition.
Listeners of a thousand years ago were captivated by this patriotic and poetic story of valor, betrayal, and revenge, and this modern interpretation ensures that readers will continue to fall under its spell.

THE SONG OF ROLAND

FOR SEVEN years together, the Emperor Charlemagne,
Our Lord and King, had sojourned within the land of Spain.
From the upland to the sea-coast he had conquered all the land
Nor was there any castle before him left to stand.
There was not town nor bulwark unbroken by his might,
Save only Saragossa that standeth on the height.
King Marsile held that city, in whom no grace was found
To love his God. He worshipped Apollo and Mahound,
Nor could shun the evil fortune that beleaguered him around.

II. King Marsile of Saragossa to the orchard got him gone.
He laid him down in the shadow on a white marble stone.
About the King were gathered more than twenty thousand men.
His counts and dukes unto him King Marsile summoned then:
“Hearken, my lords, how sorely are we girt with sin and woe.
Here now is come King Charlemagne our land to overthrow.
I have no host of battle to meet him in his might,
Nor store enough of henchmen to beat him in the fight.
As wise men give me counsel. Save me from this death and shame.”
None spake save Blanchandrin alone from Val Fonde
Keep that came.

III. Among the wisest heathen Blanchandrin was known to be.
And a good vassal, moreover, and a man of chivalry.
Cunning he was, and skillful his overlord to aid,
And he spoke unto King Marsile:
“Do thou not be dismayed.
But send unto King Charlemagne, the arrogant and strong,
Promise of faithful service and friendship leal and long.
Gifts shalt thou send unto him, both dogs and lions good,
And seven hundred camels, and a thousand hawks well mewed.
With the gold and with the silver, mules four hundred shalt thou load,
And fifty wains, moreover, to travel on the road,
Wherewith to pay his soldiers. He hath warred here long enow.
And unto Aix it behoves him in the land of France to go.
At Michaelmas thou shalt turn thee to Christ and his belief
To hold in truth and honor of the Emperor thy fief.
If for hostages he asketh, thou shalt for him procure
Of our children ten or twenty to make thy faith more sure,
And though thereby he perish, I will send mine own dear son.
Rather let them die straightway than that we should be undone
In honor and dignity, and go like beggars in the land.”

IV. Said Blanchandrin, moreover:
“Now by this good right hand,
And by the beard that on my breast is beaten by the breeze,
Soon shall you see the French depart out of our provinces.
They will go back to the land of France and the country that is theirs.
And when each man among them to his own house repairs,
In Aix, in his own chapel, will sit King Charlemagne.
To Saint Michael will he proffer high festival again.
The day will come; the term will pass; no tidings will there be;
And the King’s wrath is terrible, and a proud man is he.
And forthwith from our hostages the heads he will let smite.
Let them die, so Spain we lose not, the beautiful and bright,
Or ever bitter evil be forced to undergo.”
Said the heathen: “Indeed the matter, it well might happen so.”

V. Marsile the King had finished his council for the day.
And he summoned Claris de Balaguer and the men of his array.
Estramaris and Eudropis his father there appeared.
And Priamos, moreover, and Guarlan of the beard,
And Machiner and Maheu (Machiner’s eme was he),
And Joïmer, and Malbien, the man from oversea,
And Blanchandrin, moreover, that counsel they might take.
Ten men of the most villainous he summoned, and he spake;
“Lord barons, unto Charlemagne the King ye shall go down.
He lieth in the leaguer of Cordova the town.
The branches of the olive in the hand ye all shall bear
That your good will and submission to the Emperor shall declare.
And if through your good counsel ye may achieve a peace,
I will give you fiefs and ample lands, as much as you shall please,
And enough of gold and silver.”
Then said the heathen men:
“Enough we have already.” He closed the council then.

VI. But he said unto his henchmen:
“My barons, ye must fare.
And in your hands the branches of the olive ye must bear.
Ye shall conjure the Emperor, when ye speak to him for me,
That on me he have mercy for his God’s clemency.
The month shall not pass over, ere unto him again
I shall follow my embassadors with a thousand faithful men,
And be baptized his man to be in friendship and in truth.
And if he will have hostages, he shall have them in all sooth.”
Said Blanchandrin: “Fair fall thee for the tidings we shall bring.”

VII. Ten white mules were led out to them by Marsilies the King,
The gift of the King of Seville. Their bits were all of gold.
The saddles set upon them were silver to behold.
They got them straight on horseback at Marsile his com- mand—
The branches of the olive they carried in the hand.
And they came to Charles who governed the land of France the fair,
Who could not wholly keep himself from falling in the snare.

VIII. The Emperor was merry; his heart was glad withal.
The town of Cordova was ta’en and overthrown the wall.
With his catapults the towers he had strongly beaten down.
His chevaliers much treasure had taken in the town.
Much gold and silver trappings exceeding rich and rare,
And longer in the city no men at all there were
That were not slain or Christian. In an orchard Charlemagne
Lay with Olivier and Roland and the nobles of his train,
Samson the Duke and Anseïs the fiery-hearted one,
And Geoffrey of Anjou, bearer of the King’s gonfalon,
And Gerier and Gerin, and many a knight as good.
Full fifteen thousand Frenchmen were gathered in the wood.
The cavaliers were seated upon the cushions white.
They were playing at the tables for pastime and delight.
The wiser and the elder at the game of draughts they played;
But the light lads of the army great sport with fence they made.
Under a pine beside a briar was lightly to behold
A high-seat nobly fashioned out of the purest gold.
There sat the King who governed all the sweet realm of France,
White-bearded and with flowery hair; proud was his countenance
And fair likewise, and his body was stout and big of bone.
To who would look upon him the King was lightly known.
And forthwith the embassadors descended from the steed,
And saluted him in friendship, and bade him well to speed.

IX. Blanchandrin spoke first to the King. He said:
“Now God thee save,
The glorious whom we must adore. King Marsilies the brave
Putteth this matter to thee. He hath questioned long and well
Concerning the religion that shall save him out of Hell.
He would give thee bears and lions, and in leash the grey-
hounds good,
And seven hundred camels, and a thousand hawks well mewed.
And with the gold and silver, mules four hundred will he load,
And fifty wains, moreover, to travel on the road.
There will be bezants a-plenty of the fair gold and fine,
Wherewith thou mayst pay lightly the soldiers of thy line.
Here hast thou tarried overlong. It behoves thee to repair
To France, and Marsile’s pledges shall soon pursue thee there
Thy faith will he take on him, and with hands folded amain
Become thy man, and hold of thee in fief the realm of Spain.”
Unto his God the Emperor lifted both hands of grace.
Forthwith he lowered his proud head, and the thoughts came apace.

X. The Emperor bent down his brows. No hasty word he spake.
In speech it was his custom his leisure aye to take.
But lordly was his visage when he lifted up the head;
And he spake to the embassadors:
“Now much good have ye said.
But King Marsile for the chiefest of my foeman is renowned.
Upon his words that ye have given, what credit may I found?
Said the Saracen:
“Our hostages shall make thy trust the more.
Thou shalt have ten or fifteen men, or, an thou wilt, a score.
And at the hazard of his life I will send mine own dear son.
The children of our bravest to thee shall be sent on.

And in thy lordly palace, what time that thou shalt be
On the great feast of Saint Michael-of-the-Peril-of-the-Sea,
There will my pledges follow (this is the word of the King)
At the baths that God wrought for thee will he have his christening.”
Then answered Charles the Emperor:
“Yet hope abideth here.”

XI. Oh, lovely was the vespertide, and the sun sank fair and clear.
The ten white mules to the stables by Charlemagne were sent.
Within the noble orchard the King let pitch a tent,
And host to the embassadors was Charlemagne that day.
Twelve sergeants of the army, their servitors were they.
They bided all the evening till the fair day was born.
The Emperor already was risen in the morn,
And had heard mass and matins. ’Neath a pine-tree did he fare.
He called to him his barons to take his counsel there.
For he desired unto the Franks the matter to declare.

XII. Beneath a mighty pine-tree the Emperor sate in state.
He summoned there his barons to counsel and debate.
There came Archbishop Turpin; there, also, Ogier came;
Old Richard and his nephew that Henry had to name;
And Accelin the noble count of the land of Gascony;
Tybalt of Rheims, and Milon (of Tybalt’s kin was he)
And Gerier and Gerin. With them Count Roland stood,
And Olivier, moreover, the gallant and the good.
Of Franks of France unto the place a thousand men did wend.
Ganelon came, the traitor that betrayed his King and friend.
And there began the council that had so ill an end.

XIII. “Lord barons,” said King Charlemagne, “King
Marsile doth engage
To give me store of treasure out of his heritage,
Lions and bears, and greyhounds, well leashed that be and good,
And seven hundred camels, and a thousand hawks well mewed;
Four hundred mules that bear the gold of the Arabian plains,
And therebeside, moreover, full fifty laden wains.
But he layeth condition on me, that to France I shall repair.
Unto Aix will he follow, and in my palace there
By the law of our salvation clean christened will he be,
And hold in fief his marches and his domains of me.
But I know not what he thinketh, if it be good or guile.”
Thereto said the French barons: “We had best ward the while.”

XIV. The King made clear his counsel unto the barons there,
But Count Roland in the matter would have nor lot nor share.
Up he sprang and ...