Customer Reviews

The Song of Roland (Penguin Classics)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is "The Song Of Roland," as Dorothy Sayers remarks in the introduction to this fine translation, is 'the earliest, the most famous, and the greatest of those Old French epics which are called Songs of Seeds.'

This book, written around the end of the eleventh century, and recalling an actual disaster in 778 A.D., the anonymous poet describes in detail the betrayal and slaughter by Saracens the rearguard of Charlemagne's army under ROLAND at Rencevaux and Charlemagne's bitter revenge. Nowhere in literature is the medievel Code of Chivalry more perfectly expressed than in this masterly and exciting poem.

This text includes an extensive introduction to the Eurpoean Medieval world and provides explanations on civil and military costume.

"When Thierry feels the blade bite through his flesh,
And sees the blood upon the grass run red,
Then he lets drive a blow at Pinabel.
Down to the nasal he cleaves the bright steel helm,
Shears through the brain and spills it from his head,
Wrenches the blade out and shakes it from it dead.
With that great stroke he wins and makes an end.
The Franks all cry: "God's might is manifest!"

Yes!!!! Buy this book! You will not be disappointed.
Five stars. Without equal.

This review relates to the volume -The Song of Roland-,
Translated and with an Introduction by Dorothy L. Sayers,
Penguin Classics, 1957 (first translation, 1937). 206 pp.
There seems little point in giving a work of world literature
a rating of stars as to whether it is better or lesser than
some other work of world literature, even of the same genre.
The rating for this review is based on this particular
edition and translation.
The excellent qualities of this Penguin edition include

the "Introduction." Sayers discusses this "earliest,
the most famous, and the greatest of those Old French
epics which are called Songs of Deeds." Her "Introduction"
is divided into the highly enlightening subsections titled:
The Poem; The Feudal Picture; Vassalage; Tokens; Chivalry;
The Rules of Battle; Nurture and Companionage; Horses and
Swords; and The Verse and the Translation. She says the
poem as we have it "would appear to have achieved its
final shape towards the end of the eleventh century." But
the events described in the epic took place in 778, and
"the anonymous poet describes in detail the betrayal and
slaughter by Saracens of the rearguard of Charlemagne's
army under Roland -- at Rencevaux -- and Charlemagne's
bitter revenge."
Perhaps most interesting in the "Introduction" are Ms.
Sayers' character studies. She sees that in Charlemagne,
"beneath this larger-than-life-size figure, we discern
another: the portrait of the ideal earthly sovereign --
just, prudent, magnanimous, and devout." She goes
further and posits that in the way he is described
in this epic he even seems like an early medieval version
of a "constitutional" monarch. "Beneath all this again
is the personal character of Charlemagne -- his stately
bearing, his courtesy, his valour and strength, his deep
religious feeling, his friendship for Naimon, his warm
affection for his nephew and the Peers.... He rides
and fights among his barons as the greatest baron of
them all."
Roland, on the other hand, in Ms. Sayers' view, has a
character which is "simplicity itself." "Rash, arrogant,
generous, outspoken to a fault, loyal, affectionate,
and single-minded, he has all the qualities that endear
a captain to his men and a romantic hero to his audience.
He has no subtlety at all; other men's minds are a closed
book to him." This particular view of Roland makes him
sound a little like a faithful pooch rather than a
chivalrous knight; and perhaps strains a bit of invective
at Romantics in believing that they prefer no subtlety
in their heroes.
The final aspect which Ms. Sayers stresses is the "essential
Christianity of the poem." "It is not merely Christian in
subject; it is Christian to its very bones." *** "And it
is a Christianity as naive and uncomplicated as might be
found at any time in the simplest village church." However,
it is a Christianity which has already made the concession
to the idea of "just wars" -- and killing for "the right
reasons." Augustine and Constantine take precedence over
Jesus.
This is a very readable translation and Ms. Sayers, who
received a degree in medieval literature from the
Somerville College, University of Oxford, in 1915, does
it great credit with a readable, engrossing translation.
Here is the section on the death of Roland himself (actually
it takes him 3 full stanzas to die; 174, 175, and 176,
even though it seems he has fully expired in the first --):
Now Roland feels death press upon him hard;
It is creeping down from his head to his heart.
Under a pine-tree he hastens him apart,
There stretches him face down on the green grass,
And lays beneath him his sword and Oliphant [his horn].
He's turned his head to where the Paynims are,
And this he doth for the French and for Charles,
Since fain is he that they should say, brave heart,
That he has died a conqueror at the last.
He beats his breast full many a time and fast,
Gives, with his glove, his sins into God's charge.
[174]
------------------
-- Robert Kilgore.

This translation of the Old French tale is highly entertaining, with flashes of poetic invention that enliven the medieval folderol of swords, steeds and deeds. The story concerns the betrayal of the brave but foolhardy Roland, his knightly companions and his army by the treacherous Ganelon. Sayers cleaves closely to the meter of the original Old French, which requires clever feats of circumlocution and diction. The translation has a charmingly archaic quality, in keeping with the ancient nature of the tale.

The great French/Frank epic poem, the Song of Roland, stemmed out of an actual event. There really was a Roland--he was a nobleman of some kind. He and his party were ambushed and killed during Charlemagne's lifetime. But they were not fighting Saracen pagans. They were actually killed by a party of Basques. Also, Roland was not a major factor in this battle, but rather merely a participant.

Somewhere along the line a legend sprang up, and it gradually evolved and developed into what is now this poem. The poem is entertaining to read, and is a great example of Frank thought and prejudice (in making the villains Saracens). In fact, the opposing sides in the battle are Christians and Pagans, typical enemies from the period in which this was written.

This poem is epic in many respects, and is also tragic. Certainly Roland's flaw is his excessive overconfidence and pride (hubris), which prevent him from blowing his horn and petitioning aid for himself and his army. The battle sequences, which are very graphic, are reminiscent of The Iliad and the Aeneid, though this work does not measure up to either in greatness or epic grandeur. I have given the poem four stars in relation to similar works (such as The Iliad, the Aeneid, and the Odyssey). The poem is well-written and is an enjoyable read, but the poet was by no means as talented as the likes of Homer, Virgil, Dante, Milton, or the Beowulf poet. Still, this is one of history's great epic poems, and should be treated as such. Study of this poem is essential for anyone interested in the epic as a form of poetry.

An utter epic that deserves to be read by anyone with an intrest in either literature or history.

Although there is controversy over the exact historical accuracy of this classic poem, it is based around the Charlemagne's campaigns against the Muslims in Northern Spain, around the late eighth century.

It reads like a Frankish iliad, real events draped in myth.

The poem has it all: enthralling plot, colourful charcaters, perfect timing.....

A gem!

I chose this version of the Roland over a later, clod-hopping translation I'd been bumping along with. What made that translation so awkward--besides the caesura that broke the flow of every line--was a complete lack of sympathy with the poem and the culture that produced it. From the way lines were rendered to the way the notes were written it was clear that the (Western) Medieval world was full of backward boneheads who just needed to put "Coexist" bumper stickers on rumps of their war horses.

Yes, I know the surviving Old French manuscripts come complete with caesuras--Ms. Sayers told me so. But a good translator can take what is useful to their audience and leave the rest. That's exactly what Sayers does here. Rendering lines written a thousand years ago in accordance with an aesthetic long since forgotten in an idiom no one speaks is no mean feat. And Sayers does it with few wobbles or missteps.

But what really makes this book purchase-worthy is Sayers' basic empathy with the material. Rather than do the obvious thing and roll her eyes at the irony of two deeply religious peoples hacking and hewing away at each other, Sayers takes you into that world and helps you understand it. Her introduction combines scholarship with a real enthusiasm for the subject. Her verse is fluid and conveys more than a little of what I imagine to be the poem's original drama. Like her contemporary C. S. Lewis, Sayers is known only for her fiction these days. But like Lewis, her academic work (including her version of the Divine Comedy, in terza rima no less) more than rewards inspection.

A private feud gets in the way of a brave soldier's loyalty to his king. An epic battle between good and evil threatens the very order of things. Heroes are made and lost in a clash that sees tens of thousands of warriors slaughtered, their blood flowing like a river. The Song of Roland is perhaps the most famous French epic poem and a priceless piece of literature. This fantastic translation preserves the poetry and rhythm of the original piece, so the language doesn't get in the way. While you're reading, the intensely visual descriptions (you'll get queasy reading about the big battle) and detailed characters will pull you into the world of Charlemagne, and you can't ask for much more than that. Set aside some time for this one, you'll find it hard to tear yourself away.

I'm teaching a literature class to guys 13-15 years old. The Sayers translation is excellent. Quite accessible. The introductory material was helpful and informative. I have a Christian worldview, and felt that the introductory materials did a good job of capturing the essence of where this poem came from.

The Song of Roland is a text that belongs to the epic genre and its lead characters are called heroes. The text follows a typical war story where two armies go into battle. It was written around the time of the first crusades and as such it is heavily influenced by the religious tensions of that time. By looking at the text from a critical perspective, one may be able to identify the pro- Christian diction. The text shares a few similarities with a battle fought by Emperor Charlemagne who ruled a region that today is encompassed of France and Germany against the men of Saragossa around 778 A.D. However, this text is not a true account of the events that took place.

What makes the story very interesting is the fact that the hero, Roland is in conflict with his step-father Ganelon. He also has a disagreement with his best friend Oliver, which resulted in him losing his men and the battle. Despite of this loss Roland was revered by the Emperor Charlemagne and the twelve peers were also honored. This text showed me that in spite of our mistakes and failures in life if we work hard at the task at hand we will be duly rewarded.

This was a real eye-opener for a person with a modern liberal education in which the classics, particularly poetry, escaped attention with only a brief mention. Thanks to the fact that one of my favorite authors, Dorothy L. Sayers, translated and annotated this edition I became aware of it and was inspired to read it. In a word I found it delightful.
Not only is it a stirring tale of courage and loyalty, intrigue and betrayal, it is also a unique window into the society of this period, the early days of what we call the Holy Roman Empire ( though it was really none of the three). Because it is a story of battle, the principle insights are about how armored cavalry played such an important part in military strategy in those times. But within these scenes, about a type of violent warfare of which we know little, we find woven the morals and character of the people, particularly the nobility, and the roots of what became the code of chivalry. The driving force of their Christian faith, principally seen in their protection of the faith from the threat of Islam, permeates a warrior culture in amazing ways, giving rise to loyalty to friends, family, the nobility and ultimately to "king and country".
Though there is no authorship given to this work it remains a loved and honored part of European literary history and is still considered a masterpiece of epic poetry today. Sayers gives it a well earned praise and respect and manages through notes and commentary to make it come alive for modern readers.
I think it will pleasantly surprise you and stay with you as it did with me.