THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

521
© 2009 Max Wickert
Now Stramaris and Alfaris, two crowned kings, with twenty-thousand Saracens, gave rein and
attacked the Christians from the other side, making the plain resound with such a thunderous noise
that they seemed like bears and lions, or like dragons descending from the sky. Roland, with the
Twelve Peers of France, at once turned to face these troops. Both side couched great lances and
charged each other man to man. At their first encounter, more than ten thousand Saracens, and
more than two thousand Christians, fell dead. Roland threw himself in the densest press which (he
saw) gladly made way. Any man he struck had no need to await another blow. 96 As Roland was
looking ahead, he caught sight of Alfaris, who was making a terrible slaughter of Christians. At once
he seized Durandel and struck him so hard that he cleft his helmet and neck guard down to his
shoulders. Meanwhile Richard of Normandy thrust at Stramaris with such force that he pierced his
body. He at once fell dead to the ground. When the Christians saw that these two barons were
dead, they all charged the Saracen host, crying out: “Death! Death to the cursed Saracen people!”
. . . . .
Then the Old Man of the Mountain charged, who bore three precious stones in his shield, fashioned
by enchantment. Any baron who looked upon them became at once dull and weak by virtue of
these stones. He bore down upon the Christians so that all of them fled from him, gladly giving
way, and the Old Man pushed still further ahead into the ranks of the soldiers of the Church, killing
Christians.
Astolph of England grew aware of this and took in hand a great lance with a sharp iron tip. He
turned upon that worst of pagans with lance in rest. As soon as Astolph came near that knight,
intending to strike him, he looked upon that shield and at once became like a blind man. Astolph
96 The bracketed phrase completes a lacuna in the manuscript.