THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

When Dionysia saw that Roland was in flight, she cried: “Alas, wretched churl, if I see your
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© 2009 Max Wickert
members mangled, you shall never in your life reenter this city.” Meanwhile Roland had ridden so
far from the host that none could see him. Now he turned his horse around and said: :You do not
know me. I swear to Christ and the Virgin Mary to make you regret this ride.” Meanwhile Pelleas
had close enough to Roland to give him a blow on his helmet, which bent Roland a little over his
saddlebow. Then Pelleas said: “I pray you to tell me your name and your country. I think you are a
Christian, for I heard you cry out to Christ and his Mother.” “You speak truly,” said Roland; “I am a
Christian and the Emperor Charles’ nephew. They call me Roland the Paladin.” With this he laid
his hands on Durandel .
When Pelleas heard that this was Roland, he began to take flight over the fields. But Roland dug his
spurs into Bucephalus and shouted: “Traitor, you cannot escape me.” Roland drew near him and
struck him with Durandel between his shoulders and his head, giving him a blow so strong and
heavy that it severed his head. Then he picked up the head by the hair and rode back across the
field. He had seized Pelleas’ sword, and girt it next to Durandel. He presented Pelleas’ head to the
princess, and when she saw that Pelleas was dead, she could not have been happier. She gave great
praise to Roland, saying: “Welcome to the man who has freed me from Pelleas.”
Machidant, seeing that Pelleas was not pursuing Roland, cried: “Ah, treacherous churl, you have
killed my nephew. May Mahound curse you!” He leapt upon his horse and soon saw Pelleas’ body
lying headless in the field.
On the next morning Machidant, after he had risen, summoned Florentius and said to him: “I
hereby make you captain of two thousand Saracens to keep good watch until my return, for I intend
to go Jerusalem and carry the news of Pelleas’ death to my nephew, his brother Polynor, my