I

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.
Unto Aix it behoveth 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 counsel 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 Joimer, 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.
I will 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 command —
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 Anseis the fiery-hearted one,
And Geoffrey of Anjou, the 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.
There thy faith will he take on him. With hands folded amain
He will be 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 foemen 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;
Twenty-score 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 gainsaid it:
" Never believe again
King Marsile. Seven years are past since first we came to Spain.
Constantinople the city, and Commibles the town beside,
Valtierra and the Land of Pine have I conquered far and wide.
Balaguer, Seville, Tudela, I stormed them in my way.
King Marsile will do nothing, but deceive thee and betray.
He sent thee fifteen Paynims; they also said the same.
With branches of the olive to speak their word they came.
Thou badest the Franks to council. They charged thee light enow.
Two counts of thine to the heathen, thou badest then to go.
One of them was Count Basan, the other Basil the Count.
The heathen clave their necks in twain under Haltilie the mount.
Carry out the war, King Charlemagne, in the guise that it began.
Lead on to Saragossa the army of the ban.
Though the siege endure thy life-time, undertake it, Charlemagne,
And avenge thy two embassadors that by this knave were slain. "

XV

The Emperor bowed down his head when spoke the paladin.
Aye plucked he with his fingers at the beard on lip and chin.
He spake nor good nor evil to his nephew in reply.
The Franks were still. Ganelon rose, and to the King did cry.
But fierily and fiercely Ganelon his speech began.
He said unto King Charlemagne:
" Believe no lawless man,
Nor me nor any other, if no gain to thee it bring.
But, when such a thing is promised by Marsilies the King,
That with hands joined together thy henchman he will stand,
And will receive the whole of Spain for a good gift at thy hand,
And in the pathway of our faith will undertake to go,
Let us reject his counsel, that hath given counsel so.
For Sire, he careth little by what death we shall die.
And the counsel of this arrogance — for us to stand thereby
Would in no way be wisdom, nor just in any guise.
Let us forsake the foolish and cleave unto the wise. "

XVI

Neimes came next. At the King's court was better vassal none.
He said:
" Ye have heard the answer of the Count Ganelon.
And wisdom hath he spoken, but this let all men know:
Marsile the King is beaten in the broad overthrow.
By storm, O King, hast thou taken his cities one and all;
With thy catapults, moreover, hast thou battered down his wall;
Thou hast beaten his men in battle, thou hast burned his cities with fire.
When peace and pity at thy hands King Marsile doth desire,
Sin would it be most certainly that battle should endure,
If he will give thee hostages to make his warrant sure.
Never must this great war of ours into a greater swell. "
Then said the Frankish barons: " The Duke saith right and well. "

XVII

" Lord barons, " said King Charlemagne, " which one of you shall bring
My message to Saragossa to Marsilies the King? "
Neimes the Duke gave answer:
" I will go at thy command.
The staff of state and the gauntlet give now unto my hand. "
King Charlemagne said straightway:
" Too wise is thy heart within,
And by the beard upon my lip and the beard upon my chin,
Thou shalt not in this hour go so far away from me.
Go sit thee down, I prithee, since no man summons thee. "

XVIII

" Lord barons, " said King Charlemagne, " say now which of my men
We shall send to Saragossa unto the Saracen
That ruleth in the city. "
Roland his answer gave,
" I will go myself. " Said Olivier:
" Too terrible and brave
Is thy spirit. And I fear me thou wouldst have some overthrow.
But if the King desire it right gladly will I go. "
Said the King:
" Be still! Nor he nor thou shall go forth from my sight.
For by this beard of mine ye see that turneth now to white
A judgement on my twelve good peers most certainly would fall. "
Hushed were the Franks and silent they waited one and all.

XIX

Turpin of Rheims rose straightway from his station in the ranks,
And said to Charles the Emperor:
" Let be — let be thy Franks.
They have been here this seven year and suffered pain and woe.
Give now the glove and staff to me. To the Paynim I will go,
The realm of Spain that ruleth, his purposes to see. "
But the Emperor gave answer exceeding angrily:
" Sit down on the white cushion and speak no more this day,
Unless I shall command thee thy counsel here to say. "

XX

" Ye knights of France, " said Charlemagne, " a baron of my land
Choose ye now with my message in Marsile's court to stand. "
Said Roland:
" Let it be Ganelon that is near kin to me,
My stepfather. " Then said the Franks:
" He might do it readily.
An thou send him, thou canst never send a wiser man than he. "