Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.06.1959, Blaðsíða 123

109
På svarar Rollant: “På gerSa ek sem fol,
ef Frakkland hit goSa skyldi tyna lofi sinu fyrir minar sakir,
1055: heldr skal ek veita stor hogg raeS Dyrumdala sverSi minu
ok gera bloSugt alt fra oddinum ok til hjaltanna,
ok skulu heiSingjar falla meS skomm ok mikla usæmd,
1058: pvi at peir eru allir dæmdir til dauSa”.
Here nothing of importance has been changed, and not a single line has
been omitted by the translator. The omissions are: the words m’i semblet
in v. 1050, cumpcngn Rollant in v. 1051, and je vos pievis in v. 1058, all
of them phrases that have a function in the French poem, but do not add
anything to the tale as such.
Additions: Ok enn is a typical saga phrase: Oliver has spoken once be-
fore, and the addition of the words “and again” makes the language more
smooth. The words sverdi minu after Dyrumdala are an explanation, un-
necessary, one would think, in this case.
The changes are more numerous. In vv. 1050, 1052, 1054, and 1057,
the saga renders the sense of the French text quite well, but not the
exact words. 1052 is translated as if returnerat meant “(Charlemagne)
turns back (with his army)” rather than “(the army) will return”; in
1054 it is France, not Roland himself, which will lose its los (cp. vv. 1064,
1090), and in 1057, the saga has avoided the word porz, which the trans-
lator appears not to understand3, and given a paraphrase rather than a
translation of the verse.
In other laisses the changes are more drastic, e.g. in vv. 1816-29 (the
last part of laisse CXXXVII):
1816: Li reis fait prendre le cunte Guenelun,
Sil cumandat as cous de sa maisun.
Tut li plus maistre en apelet, B es gun:
1819: “Ben le me guarde, si cume tel feion!
De ma maisnee ad faite trai'sun.”
Cil le receit, s’i met .C. cumpaignons
1822: De la quisine, des mielz e des peiurs.
lcil li peilent la barbe e les gernuns,
Cascun le fiert Jill. colps de son puign,
1825: Ben le batirent a fuz e a bastuns
E si li metent el col un caeignun,
Si l’encaeinent altresi cum un urs;
1828: Sur un sumer l’unt mis a deshonor.
Tant le guardent quel rendent a Charlun.
3 Vide below, p. 129.