 | The Song of Roland: A New Verse Translation with Introduction Subjects: Roland (Legendary character) -- Romances; Knights and knighthood -- Poetry; Epic poetry French -- Translations into English; Chansons de geste -- Translations into English; The Song of Roland, acknowledged as the first masterpiece of French vernacular literature and one of the world's greatest epic poems, is the earliest extant example of a medieval chanson de geste ("song of deeds") and represents the most famous literary celebration of Carolingian mythology from the Middle Ages. It tells of the betrayal and defeat of Charlemagne's nephew in the Pyrenees and of the subsequent revenge. The author's mastery of compositional techniques transformed a minor military setback into a popular and cherished expression of medieval chivalry. Newth's new verse translation -- the first in English for over 50 years -- recaptures the form, feel and flow of the original work, restoring the genre's "verbal music" to the Song of Roland. Introduction, glossary, select bibliography. |
