Details

Summary note

"Rolandkanto" by Eugène Noël is a poetic translation of the medieval epic "La Chanson de Roland," written in the early 20th century. This new rendition presents the original work alongside a French translation, seeking to revitalize a monumental piece of French literature. The poem explores themes of valor, national identity, and the historical conflict between Christians and Saracens, centered on the figure of Roland, a noble warrior and nephew to Emperor Charlemagne. At the start of "Rolandkanto," the narrative sets the stage for the conflict in Spain, introducing King Marsil' of Saragossa, who grapples with the threat posed by Charlemagne's forces. As Marsil' consults with his barons about their dire situation, he decides to seek a deceitful peace by sending delegates to the French king. The opening ignites tension and foreshadows betrayal, as characters plot against one another, laying the groundwork for the epic battles and themes of loyalty that will follow in Roland's tragic saga. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Notes

• Reading ease score: 59.7 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read.
• Release date is 2009-11-24

Creation/​Production credits

Produced by Andrew Sly, Eric Brown, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. Thanks to the Toronto Esperanto Circle for providing the original book.

Original version

Original publication data not identified

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