The Song of Roland (Penguin Classics) [Mass Market Paperback]

Anonymous (Author), Glyn S. Burgess (Translator, Introduction)

Book Description

Series: Penguin Classics | Publication Date: January 1, 1995

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 of 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.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)

About the Author

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.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics (January 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140445323
• ISBN-13: 978-0140445329
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,232 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

70 of 70 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The slaughter and glory of battle, April 17, 2004

By 

Boris Bangemann "boyse" (Singapore) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Song of Roland (Penguin Classics) (Mass Market Paperback)

The Song of Roland is the most famous of the "chansons de geste" (songs of deeds) of the Middle Ages. It provides a fascinating view into the spirit of warriors of that time and their motivation. The Song of Roland gives an idealized picture, of course, and if we can believe the historians, the medieval knights never lived up to their chivalric ideal.

The Song of Roland is not commonly included in the canon of must-read classics. Except in France, maybe. I assume the reason is that people in our time do not trace back their roots to the feudalism of the Middle Ages, and that they consider the chapter of chivalry closed after Cervantes's satirical portrait of knighthood in "Don Quixote". In one respect, however, this gory tale of slaughter, martyrdom and revenge is very contemporary. It illustrates the mindset of crusaders who see the world in terms of Good and Evil, and the language they use to incite contempt of the other party.

Apart from its historical value, the Song of Roland is also worth reading as literature - as an outstanding example for the heroic epic and as a piece of art whose "simple yet elevated style and tone of high moral purpose" (R. Harrison) is reminiscent of the Old Testament.

The three most easily available translations of the Song of Roland in the market are:

W.S. Merwin's 1963 prose translation with introduction, re-published in paperback by Random House's "Modern Library" in 2001 (ISBN 0375757112). His nine-page introduction is a succinct but sufficient overview of the historical events of AD 778 that became the basis of the Song of Roland. The translation stands out for its readability, and Merwin's choice of modern English makes the descriptions of violence even more direct and graphic: "And Oliver rides through the battle, with his spear shattered to a stump, charges against Malun, a pagan, breaks his gilded shield with the flowers painted on it, knocks the eyes out of his head and brings his brains tumbling down to his feet." (page 43).

Robert Harrison's 1970 translation for Penguin Book's budget line "Mentor Books" (ISBN 0451528573) captures the throbbing, urgent rhythm of the verse form best: "Olivier now gallops through the fray - / his lance has snapped, he only has a stump - / and goes to strike a pagan, Malsaron. / He breaks his gilt, fleuron-emblazoned shield, / bursting both his eyeball from his head - / his brain comes tumbling downward to his feet - " (page 93). "Fleuron-emblazoned" is quite enigmatic compared to Merwin's clear "with the flowers painted on it", but Harrison redeems himself by choosing "bursting" to emphasize the violence of the attack. The big plus of Harrison's book is his 42-page introduction. He explains the logic of medieval chivalry, why cruelty coexisted with sensitivity, and butchery with prayer. One interesting concept is the medieval "ethos of success," or in other words the idea that the outcome justifies the means: When a knight killed another knight it was the will of God that this had happened, no matter by what means. Make the opponent trip and chop off his head - see, God is on your side. Harrison goes to quite some length to introduce the instruments of war, the armor and weapons, which is very helpful since the main body of the Song of Roland is about the glory and slaughter of battle.

Glyn Burgess's 1990 translation for Penguin Classics (ISBN 0140445323) is the most recent translation of the three. He stays closest to the form of the original, which gives his translation a certain wooden inflexibility but also a not entirely unbecoming pathos. His translation of Olivier's attack on Malun is quite telling: "Oliver rides through the thick of the fray; / His lance shaft is broken, only a stump remains. / He goes to strike a pagan, Malun; / He breaks his shield, wrought with gold and flowers, / and smites both his eyes out of his head. / His brains come spilling out over his feet;" (page 72) While the use of "wrought" and "smite" sounds a bit old-fashioned, "spilling" is an excellent choice. Burgess added a 19-page introduction to his translation. It focuses mostly on the literary qualities of the Song of Roland; for the first-time reader of the Song of Roland, Harrison's introduction is more helpful. The additional value of the Penguin Classics edition lies in an Appendix with about one third of the original version of the "Chanson de Roland" - the key passages of the work in Old French.

While all three translations have their pros and cons, I tend to recommend Harrison's book over the two others. It strikes a good balance between the clarity of Merwin's prose translation and the wooden feel of Burgess's more literal verse translation. In addition, it impresses with its useful introduction and its unbeatable value for money.

24 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A horrible defeat becomes a legendary victory, December 14, 1999

By 

Robert (Syracuse, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Song of Roland (Penguin Classics) (Mass Market Paperback)

Song of Roland is an epic masterpiece that details the crusading spirit of the 11th and 12th century. Based on the massacre of Charlemagne's rearguard in 778 by Christian Basques in Northern Spain, this Old French poems turns that bloody defeat into a bloody battle of Christianity agains Islam. Although this is propaganda of the highest sort, it is still a piece of art, as Roland embodies the spirit of the Crusades, striking out against impossible odds with his sword Durendal. This is an excellent translation from the Old French, as one will be on the battlefield with Roland and the other paladins of Charlemagne.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR, December 26, 2001

By 

K. Jump (Corbin, KY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Song of Roland (Penguin Classics) (Mass Market Paperback)

The time: 778 A.D.
The place: Roncesvalles, Spain
Charlemagne's rearguard, commanded by his nephew, the Count Roland, is attacked from all sides by a pagan horde without number. A single note from Oliphant, Roland's horn, will bring Charlemagne's army to the rearguard's rescue. But Roland is a true knight, and will not suffer himself to be rescued. He puts Oliphant away and draws forth the gleaming blade Durendal, and with his own sword-arm leads his soldiers into mortal combat against a foe he cannot hope to conquer. So begins the greatest battle royal in literary history. Roland and his comrades-at-arms fight bravely, enduring blows that would dispatch lesser men while giving their heathen enemies even greater wounds. Swords flail, lances strike, armor splinters, and good and evil play our their eternal game of life & death in strokes of blood and steel. Perhaps politically incorrect by today's standards, "The Song of Roland" nontheless remains immune to criticism, in part because of the crystal clarity with which its author perceived the powers of darkness and light. A poem of unsurpassed heroic grandeur, featuring the most powerful battle scenes ever put to paper, "The Song of Roland" is an immortal monument to chivalry. In the end, Roland dies as only a hero can; his sword-arm fails and Durendal slays its last pagan. Yet Roland lives on in the poet's dream, and heroism will not fade away.