XV. Konrad’s Lay Of Roland

A translation, made about 1130 in the dialect of the Rhenish Franks, of the famous Chanson de Roland. It consists of 9094 verses. The author, who calls himself ‘der Pfaffe Kuonrat,’ says that he translated first into Latin, then into German, adding nothing and omitting nothing; but a comparison with the French text as known to us shows many additions, many omissions and a somewhat different spirit. Kaiser Karl and his men fight for the cross, for the glory of Christian martyrdom, not for ‘sweet France.’ —The situation at the beginning of the poem is this: The Christians have conquered all Spain except Saragossa, whose king, Marsilie, sends envoys to make a treacherous proposal of surrender; the object being to induce the emperor to withdraw the greater part of his army.