The Song of Roland

by Anonymous; Burgess, Glyn

• ISBN13: 9780140445329
• ISBN10: 0140445323
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1990-06-05
• Publisher: Penguin Classics
• More Book Details

Summary

On 15 August 778 Charlemagne's army was returning from a successful expedition against Saracen Spain when its rearguard was ambushed in a remote Pyrenean pass. Out of this skirmish arose a stirring tale or war, which was recorded in the oldest extant epic poem in French. The Song of Roland, written by an unknown poet, tells of Charlemagne's warrior nephew, Lord of the Breton Marches, who valiantly leads his men into battle against the Saracens, but dies in the massacre, defiant to the end. In majestic verses, the battle becomes a symbolic struggle between Christianity and paganism, while Roland's last stand is the ultimate expression of honour and feudal values of twelfth-century France. Glyn Burgess's lucid translation is designed to assist the reader in understanding the original French of the Chanson de Roland, of which a substantial portion is included as an appendix in this volume. This edition also includes notes and an updated list for further reading.

Author Biography

Glyn Burgess teaches at the University of Liverpool. He is an expert on early medieval French literature, and has translated and written widely on this area.

Table of Contents

Introduction	7	(20)
A Note on the Translation	27	(2)
The Song of Roland	29	(128)
Notes	157	(3)
Glossary of Unusual Terms	160	(2)
Bibliography	162	(2)
Appendix: La Chanson de Roland	164	(47)
Index of Proper Names	211