Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.06.1959, Page 227
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pin, break his helmet and pierce his hauberk, and at last throw him from
his horse, have been omitted. Here the omission may be due to the simi-
larity between v. 2077:
Turpins de Reins tut sun escut percet,
and the beginning of the next laisse, v. 2083:
Turpins de Reins, quant se sent abatut,
a kind of mistake that occurs fairly often in mediæval MSS. It is not
surprising to find our translator, not a very conscientious worker at any
time, committing an error of this sort.
The next two laisses, vv. 2083—2114, describe the last stand of Roland
and Turpin: Turpin is fighting on the ground, defending himself so
bravely that afterwards Charlemagne will find the bodies of 400 Saracens
killed by the archbishop in this fight: this is told in the Geste, and it is
also reported by li ber Gilie who was present. Roland also fights valiantly,
but he is severely wounded, and wishing to know if Charlemagne is on
his way, he blows l’olifant. The emperor hears it and orders his men to
blow their trumpets in answer. This is done, and the pagans hear it and
know that the emperor is on his way back.
This long and dramatic episode has been reduced to three short clauses
in the saga:
— ok er Turpin erkibyskup så jpat, bå såtti hann til Rollants, ok våru J>eir bå båSir
saman. På mælti Turpin erkibyskup: BiSum Karlamagnus konungs, ef vér megum.
om. Bb
Litlu s Klar heyrSu Jjeir blåsit i Jmsund lu6ra, ok kendu at bar var Karlamagnus
konungr ok Frankismenn.
Nu mæltu heiSingjar: Karlamagnus konungr er å for, = v. 2115 (p. 52114"18).
This corresponds, roughly, to the following verses:
2083: Turpins de Reins, quant se sent abatut
(De .1111. espiez par mi le cors ferut,
2085: Isnelement li ber resailit sus,)
Rollant reguardet, puis si li est curut,
E dist un mot: “Ne sui mie vencut!
2090: (En la grant presse mil colps i fiert e plus.)
Puis le dist Caries qu’il nen esparignat nul: