Section 6:
Laisses 161-176

CLXI

Pagans are fled, enangered and enraged,

Home into Spain with speed they make their way;

The count Rollanz, he has not given chase,

For Veillantif, his charger, they have slain;

Will he or nill, on foot he must remain.

To the Archbishop, Turpins, he goes with aid;

I He's from his head the golden helm unlaced,

Taken from him his white hauberk away,

And cut the gown in strips, was round his waist;

On his great wounds the pieces of it placed,

Then to his heart has caught him and embraced;

On the green grass he has him softly laid,

Most sweetly then to him has Rollant prayed:

"Ah! Gentle sir, give me your leave, I say;

Our companions, whom we so dear appraised,

Are now all dead; we cannot let them stay;

I will go seek and bring them to this place,

Arrange them here in ranks, before your face."

Said the Archbishop: "Go, and return again.

This field is yours and mine now; God be praised!"

CLXII

So Rollanz turns; through the field, all alone,

Searching the vales and mountains, he is gone;

He finds Gerin, Gerers his companion,

Also he finds Berenger and Otton,

There too he finds Anseis and Sanson,

And finds Gerard the old, of Rossillon;

By one and one he's taken those barons,

To the Archbishop with each of them he comes,

Before his knees arranges every one.

That Archbishop, he cannot help but sob,

He lifts his hand, gives benediction;

After he's said: "Unlucky, Lords, your lot!

But all your souls He'll lay, our Glorious God,

In Paradise, His holy flowers upon!

For my own death such anguish now I've got;

I shall not see him, our rich Emperor."

CLXIII

So Rollant turns, goes through the field in quest;

His companion Olivier finds at length;

He has embraced him close against his breast,

To the Archbishop returns as he can best;

Upon a shield he's laid him, by the rest;

And the Archbishop has them absolved and blest:

Whereon his grief and pity grow afresh.

Then says Rollanz: "Fair comrade Olivier,

You were the son of the good count Reinier,

Who held the march by th' Vale of Runier;

To shatter spears, through buckled shields to bear,

And from hauberks the mail to break and tear,

Proof men to lead, and prudent counsel share,

Gluttons in field to frighten and conquer,

No land has known a better chevalier."

CLXIV

The count Rollanz, when dead he saw his peers,

And Oliver, he held so very dear,

Grew tender, and began to shed a tear;

Out of his face the colour disappeared;

No longer could he stand, for so much grief,

Will he or nill, he swooned upon the field.

Said the Archbishop: "Unlucky lord, indeed!"

CLXV

When the Archbishop beheld him swoon, Rollant,

Never before such bitter grief he'd had;

Stretching his hand, he took that olifant.

Through Rencesvals a little river ran;

He would go there, fetch water for Rollant.

Went step by step, to stumble soon began,

So feeble he is, no further fare he can,

For too much blood he's lost, and no strength has;

Ere he has crossed an acre of the land,

His heart grows faint, he falls down forwards and

Death comes to him with very cruel pangs.

CLXVI

The count Rollanz wakes from his swoon once more,

Climbs to his feet; his pains are very sore;

Looks down the vale, looks to the hills above;

On the green grass, beyond his companions,

He sees him lie, that noble old baron;

'Tis the Archbishop, whom in His name wrought God;

There he proclaims his sins, and looks above;

Joins his two hands, to Heaven holds them forth,

And Paradise prays God to him to accord.

Dead is Turpin, the warrior of Charlon.

In battles great and very rare sermons

Against pagans ever a champion.

God grant him now His Benediction!

AOI.

CLXVII

The count Rollant sees the Archbishop lie dead,

Sees the bowels out of his body shed,

And sees the brains that surge from his forehead;

Between his two arm-pits, upon his breast,

Crossways he folds those hands so white and fair.

Then mourns aloud, as was the custom there:

"Thee, gentle sir, chevalier nobly bred,

To the Glorious Celestial I commend;

Neer shall man be, that will Him serve so well;

Since the Apostles was never such prophet,

To hold the laws and draw the hearts of men.

Now may your soul no pain nor sorrow ken,

Finding the gates of Paradise open!"

CLXVIII

Then Rollanz feels that death to him draws near,

For all his brain is issued from his ears;

He prays to God that He will call the peers,

Bids Gabriel, the angel, t' himself appear.

Takes the olifant, that no reproach shall hear,

And Durendal in the other hand he wields;

Further than might a cross-bow's arrow speed

Goes towards Spain into a fallow-field;

Climbs on a cliff; where, under two fair trees,

Four terraces, of marble wrought, he sees.

There he falls down, and lies upon the green;

He swoons again, for death is very near.

CLXIX

High are the peaks, the trees are very high.

Four terraces of polished marble shine;

On the green grass count Rollant swoons thereby.

A Sarrazin him all the time espies,

Who feigning death among the others hides;

Blood hath his face and all his body dyed;

He gets afoot, running towards him hies;

Fair was he, strong and of a courage high;

A mortal hate he's kindled in his pride.

He's seized Rollant, and the arms, were at his side,

"Charles nephew," he's said, "here conquered lies.

To Araby I'll bear this sword as prize."

As he drew it, something the count descried.

CLXX

So Rollant felt his sword was taken forth,

Opened his eyes, and this word to him spoke

"Thou'rt never one of ours, full well I know."

Took the olifant, that he would not let go,

Struck him on th' helm, that jewelled was with gold,

And broke its steel, his skull and all his bones,

Out of his head both the two eyes he drove;

Dead at his feet he has the pagan thrown:

After he's said: "Culvert, thou wert too bold,

Or right or wrong, of my sword seizing hold!

They'll dub thee fool, to whom the tale is told.

But my great one, my olifant I broke;

Fallen from it the crystal and the gold."

CLXXI

Then Rollanz feels that he has lost his sight,

Climbs to his feet, uses what strength he might;

In all his face the colour is grown white.

In front of him a great brown boulder lies;

Whereon ten blows with grief and rage he strikes;

The steel cries out, but does not break outright;

And the count says: "Saint Mary, be my guide

Good Durendal, unlucky is your plight!

I've need of you no more; spent is my pride!

We in the field have won so many fights,

Combating through so many regions wide

That Charles holds, whose beard is hoary white!

Be you not his that turns from any in flight!

A good vassal has held you this long time;

Never shall France the Free behold his like."

CLXXII

Rollant hath struck the sardonyx terrace;

The steel cries out, but broken is no ways.

So when he sees he never can it break,

Within himself begins he to complain:

"Ah! Durendal, white art thou, clear of stain!

Beneath the sun reflecting back his rays!

In Moriane was Charles, in the vale,

When from heaven God by His angel bade

Him give thee to a count and capitain;

Girt thee on me that noble King and great.

I won for him with thee Anjou, Bretaigne,

And won for him with thee Peitou, the Maine,

And Normandy the free for him I gained,

Also with thee Provence and Equitaigne,

And Lumbardie and all the whole Romaigne,

I won Baivere, all Flanders in the plain,

Also Burguigne and all the whole Puillane,

Costentinnople, that homage to him pays;

In Saisonie all is as he ordains;

With thee I won him Scotland, Ireland, Wales,

England also, where he his chamber makes;

Won I with thee so many countries strange

That Charles holds, whose beard is white with age!

For this sword's sake sorrow upon me weighs,

Rather I'ld die, than it mid pagans stay.

Lord God Father, never let France be shamed!"

CLXXIII

Rollant his stroke on a dark stone repeats,

And more of it breaks off than I can speak.

The sword cries out, yet breaks not in the least,

Back from the blow into the air it leaps.

Destroy it can he not; which when he sees,

Within himself he makes a plaint most sweet.

"Ah! Durendal, most holy, fair indeed!

Relics enough thy golden hilt conceals:

Saint Peter's Tooth, the Blood of Saint Basile,

Some of the Hairs of my Lord, Saint Denise,

Some of the Robe, was worn by Saint Mary.

It is not right that pagans should thee seize,

For Christian men your use shall ever be.

Nor any man's that worketh cowardice!

Many broad lands with you have I retrieved

Which Charles holds, who hath the great white beard;

Wherefore that King so proud and rich is he."

CLXXIV

But Rollant felt that death had made a way

Down from his head till on his heart it lay;

Beneath a pine running in haste he came,

On the green grass he lay there on his face;

His olifant and sword beneath him placed,

Turning his head towards the pagan race,

Now this he did, in truth, that Charles might say

(As he desired) and all the Franks his race;—

'Ah, gentle count; conquering he was slain!'—

He owned his faults often and every way,

And for his sins his glove to God upraised.

AOI.

CLXXV

But Rollant feels he's no more time to seek;

Looking to Spain, he lies on a sharp peak,

And with one hand upon his breast he beats:

"Mea Culpa! God, by Thy Virtues clean

Me from my sins, the mortal and the mean,

Which from the hour that I was born have been

Until this day, when life is ended here!"

Holds out his glove towards God, as he speaks

Angels descend from heaven on that scene.

AOI.

CLXXVI

The count Rollanz, beneath a pine he sits,;

Turning his eyes towards Spain, he begins

Remembering so many divers things:

So many lands where he went conquering,

And France the Douce, the heroes of his kin,

And Charlemagne, his lord who nourished him.

Nor can he help but weep and sigh at this.

But his own self, he's not forgotten him,

He owns his faults, and God's forgiveness bids:

"Very Father, in Whom no falsehood is,

Saint Lazaron from death Thou didst remit,

And Daniel save from the lions' pit;

My soul in me preserve from all perils

And from the sins I did in life commit!"

His right-hand glove, to God he offers it

Saint Gabriel from's hand hath taken it.

Over his arm his head bows down and slips,

He joins his hands: and so is life finish'd.

God sent him down His angel cherubin,

And Saint Michael, we worship in peril;

And by their side Saint Gabriel alit;

So the count's soul they bare to Paradis.