by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
Translation by Charles Scott Moncrief
Rencesvals
Language: French (Français)
Available translation(s): ENG
AOI! Vers dulce France chevalchet l'emperere. Li quens Rollant ad l'enseigne fermee, En sur un tertre cuntre le ciel levee. Franc se herbergent par tute la cuntree. Paien chevalchent par cez greignurs valees, AOI! Halbercs vestuz e [tres bien fermeez,]1 Healmes lacez e ceintes lur espees, AOI! Escuz as cols e lances adubees. AOI! [En un bruill par sum les puis remestrent,]2 IIII C. milie atendent l'ajurnee. Deus! quel dulur que li Franceis nel sevent! Tresvait le jur, la noit est aserie. Carles se dort, li empereres riches. Sunjat qu'il eret al greignurs porz de Sizer, Entre ses poinz teneit sa hanste fraisnine. Guenes li quens l'ad sur lui saisie. Par tel aïr l'at estrussee e brandie Qu'envers le cel en volent les escicles. Carles se dort, qu'il ne s'esveillet mie. Halt sunt li pui e tenebrus e grant, Li val parunt e les ewes curant. Halt sunt li pui e li val tenebrus, Les roches bises, les destreiz merveillus. Le jur passerent Franceis a grant dulur.
View original text (without footnotes)
1 Dallapiccola: "bronies bien dublees,"
2 omitted by Dallapiccola
Researcher for this page: Barbara Miller
1 Dallapiccola: "bronies bien dublees,"
2 omitted by Dallapiccola
Authorship:
- by Anonymous / Unidentified Author, written c1100, from Chanson de Roland, lines 706-713, 715-724, 1829-30, 814-16 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Luigi Dallapiccola (1904 - 1975), "Rencesvals", 1946, published 1946 [high voice and piano], Milan, Edizioni Suvini Zerboni [text verified 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Charles Scott Moncrief) , published 1919
Researcher for this page: Barbara Miller
This text was added to the website: 2005-08-09
Line count: 27
Word count: 167
AOI!/ Towards Douce France that Emperour...
Language: English  after the French (Français)
AOI! Towards Douce France that Emperour has hasted. Upon a lance Rollant his ensign raised, High on a cliff against the sky 'twas placed; The Franks in camp through all that country baited. Cantered pagans, through those wide valleys raced, AOI! Hauberks they wore and sarks with iron plated, Swords to their sides were girt, their helms were laced, AOI! Lances made sharp, escutcheons newly painted: AOI! [There in the mists beyond the peaks remained] The day of doom four hundred thousand waited. God! what a grief. Franks know not what is fated. Passes the day, the darkness is grown deep. That Emperour, rich Charles, lies asleep; Dreams that he stands in the great pass of Size, In his two hands his ashen spear he sees; Guenes the count that spear from him doth seize, Brandishes it and twists it with such ease, That flown into the sky the flinders seem. Charles sleeps on nor wakens from his dream. High were the peaks and shadowy and grand, The valleys deep, the rivers swiftly ran. High are the peaks, the valleys shadowful, Swarthy the rocks, the narrows wonderful. Franks passed that day all very sorrowful.
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
- by Charles Scott Moncrief , first published 1919 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist , written c1100, from Chanson de Roland, lines 706-713, 715-724, 1829-30, 814-16
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2005-08-09
Line count: 27
Word count: 194