When they draw nigh the citadel above, From the palace they hear a mighty sound;About that place are seen pagans enough, Who weep and cry, with grief are waxen wood, And curse their gods, Tervagan and Mahum And Apolin, from whom no help is come.
Says each to each: "Caitiffs! What shall be done?
For upon us confusion vile is come, Now have we lost our king Marsiliun, For yesterday his hand count Rollanz cut;We'll have no more Fair Jursaleu, his son;The whole of Spain henceforward is undone."Both messengers on the terrace dismount.
CXCV
Horses they leave under an olive tree, Which by the reins two Sarrazins do lead;Those messengers have wrapped them in their weeds, To the palace they climb the topmost steep.
When they're come in, the vaulted roof beneath, Marsilium with courtesy they greet:
"May Mahumet, who all of us doth keep, And Tervagan, and our lord Apoline Preserve the, king and guard from harm the queen!"Says Bramimunde "Great foolishness I hear:
Those gods of ours in cowardice are steeped;In Rencesvals they wrought an evil deed, Our chevaliers they let be slain in heaps;My lord they failed in battle, in his need, Never again will he his right hand see;For that rich count, Rollanz, hath made him bleed.
All our whole Spain shall be for Charles to keep.
Miserable! What shall become of me?
Alas! That I've no man to slay me clean!"AOI.
CXCVI
Says Clarien: "My lady, say not that!
We're messengers from pagan Baligant;
To Marsilies, he says, he'll be warrant, So sends him here his glove, also this wand.
Vessels we have, are moored by Sebres bank, Barges and skiffs and gallies four thousand, Dromonds are there -- I cannot speak of that.
Our admiral is wealthy and puissant.
And Charlemagne he will go seek through France And quittance give him, dead or recreant."Says Bramimunde: "Unlucky journey, that!
Far nearer here you'll light upon the Franks;For seven years he's stayed now in this land.
That Emperour is bold and combatant, Rather he'ld die than from the field draw back;No king neath heav'n above a child he ranks.
Charles hath no fear for any living man.
CXCVII
Says Marsilies the king: "Now let that be."To th'messengers: "Sirs, pray you, speak to me.
I am held fast by death, as ye may see.
No son have I nor daughter to succeed;
That one I had, they slew him yester-eve.
Bid you my lord, he come to see me here.
Rights over Spain that admiral hath he, My claim to him, if he will take't, I yield;But from the Franks he then must set her free.
Gainst Charlemagne I'll shew him strategy.
Within a month from now he'll conquered be.
Of Sarraguce ye'll carry him the keys, He'll go not hence, say, if he trusts in me."They answer him: "Sir, 'tis the truth you speak."AOI.
CXCVIII
Then says Marsile: "The Emperour, Charles the Great Hath slain my men and all my land laid waste, My cities are broken and violate;He lay this night upon the river Sebre;
I've counted well, 'tis seven leagues away.
Bid the admiral, leading his host this way, Do battle here; this word to him convey."Gives them the keys of Sarraguce her gates;Both messengers their leave of him do take, Upon that word bow down, and turn away.
CXCIX
Both messengers did on their horses mount;From that city nimbly they issued out.
Then, sore afraid, their admiral they sought, To whom the keys of Sarraguce they brought.
Says Baligant: "Speak now; what have ye found?
Where's Marsilies, to come to me was bound?"Says Clarien : "To death he's stricken down.
That Emperour was in the pass but now;
To France the Douce he would be homeward-bound, Rereward he set, to save his great honour:
His nephew there installed, Rollanz the count, And Oliver; the dozen peers around;A thousand score of Franks in armour found.
Marsile the king fought with them there, so proud;He and Rollanz upon that field did joust.
With Durendal he dealt him such a clout From his body he cut the right hand down.
His son is dead, in whom his heart was bound, And the barons that service to him vowed;Fleeing he came, he could no more hold out.
That Emperour has chased him well enow.
The king implores, you'll hasten with succour, Yields to you Spain, his kingdom and his crown."And Baligant begins to think, and frowns;Such grief he has, doth nearly him confound.
AOI.
CC
"Sir admiral," said to him Clariens, "In Rencesvals was yesterday battle.
Dead is Rollanz and that count Oliver, The dozen peers whom Charle so cherished, And of their Franks are twenty thousand dead.
King Marsilie's of his right hand bereft, And the Emperour chased him enow from thence.
Throughout this land no chevalier is left, But he be slain, or drowned in Sebres bed.
By river side the Franks have pitched their tents, Into this land so near to us they've crept;But, if you will, grief shall go with them hence."And Baligant looked on him proudly then, In his courage grew joyous and content;From the fald-stool upon his feet he leapt, Then cried aloud: "Barons, too long ye've slept;Forth from your ships issue, mount, canter well!
If he flee not, that Charlemagne the eld, King Marsilies shall somehow be avenged;For his right hand I'll pay him back an head."
CCI
Pagan Arabs out of their ships issue, Then mount upon their horses and their mules, And canter forth, (nay, what more might they do?)Their admiral, by whom they all were ruled, Called up to him Gemalfin, whom he knew:
"I give command of all my hosts to you."
On a brown horse mounted, as he was used, And in his train he took with him four dukes.
Cantered so far, he came to Sarraguce.
Dismounted on a floor of marble blue, Where four counts were, who by his stirrup stood;Up by the steps, the palace came into;
To meet him there came running Bramimunde, Who said to him: "Accursed from the womb, That in such shame my sovran lord I lose!
Fell at his feet, that admiral her took.
In grief they came up into Marsile's room.
AOI.
CCII
King Marsilies, when he sees Baligant, Calls to him then two Spanish Sarazands:
