Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.06.1959, Blaðsíða 221

207
"Se velssum Rollant einz qu’il fust mort,
Ensembl’od lui i durriums granz colps”.
But if this sequence of verses is really that known to the translator, they
have been placed after v. 1830 in the French source. The reason for this
must be that the originator of this change thought that the return journey
ought not to begin till Ganeion had been handed over to the servants.
Again the Kms seems to be derived from an abridged version of the poem.
The parallel laisses might have been omitted by the translator, but the
choise of vv. 1802-05 for translation, instead of vv. 1830—41 or 1842-50,
which lay much nearer at hånd, makes this explanation doubtful.
In this, as in the previous sections of this chapter, we have found traces
of a French variant version of the Chanson de Roland. It cannot be
proved beyond dispute that the changes in this part of the poem are due
to a French remanieur and not to the Norse translator, but on the other
hånd we have found nothing which makes this interpretation impossible
or unlikely.
VII
Defeat of Marsilie and death of Oliver; the last attack and flight
of the pagans, vv. 1851-2163
There are no important divergences between the French MSS in this
part of the poem. V4 and the version rimée have one additional laisse be-
tween O vv. 1868 and 1869 (in V4 combined with the following laisse),
one between vv. 1912 and 1913, one between vv. 2055 and 2056, and one
after v. 2163. The MSS of the version rimée (except T) have some addi-
tional laisses which are not in V4.
The first laisse of this part of the Chanson de Roland describes the
situation at Roncevaux, and shows us Roland weeping at the loss of so
many brave knights, and praying for their souls:
1854: Seignors barons, de vos ait Deus mercit!
1857: Meillors vassals de vos unkes ne vi. = V4 1969
1866: Oliver, frere, vos ne dei jo faillir. — V4 1974
De doel murra, s’altre ne m’i ocit. — V4 1975
Sire cumpainz, alum i referir! — V4 1976