Translator's Preface
Note

Ⅰ The Death of Roland

Chapter 1: The Betrayal of Ganeullong
King Marsil's Council
pagan envoy
Ga-Neul-Long, nominated as special envoy
Contract of Betrayal
Roland appointed commander of the rearguard

Chapter 2: Battle of Longsbo
Charlemagne returns to France
The bluff of the pagans
The brave Roland and the wise Olivier
Rearguard preparations for battle
French forces dominate the early stages of the battle
French forces are outnumbered
Finally blowing the ivory trumpet
Marcille's Escape
Olivier's Death
The flight of the pagans
The Death of Turpin
The Death of Roland

Ⅱ Charlemagne's Revenge

Chapter 3: Charlemagne's Return
Condolences to the fallen soldiers
Pagan Chase

Chapter 4: Landing on the Bali River
Amir Baligang's participation in the war
Funeral of the Longsbo warriors
Both armies prepare for battle
Great Battle
The Battle of Charlemagne and the Ballygang
Fall of Zaragoza

Chapter 5: The Punishment of the Traitor
Odd's death
The Trial of Ganeullong
The Trial of Finabel and Thierry
The execution of Ganeullong
"The story of Tyrold ​​ends here."

Translator's Note
Introduction to the translated text
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The greatest French chivalric literature and the essence of medieval European literature!
The first complete translation of the medieval French original, "The Song of Roland," available in Korea.

The Song of Roland is a 4,002-line martial poem born in France in the late 11th century. It is the oldest chivalric literature of medieval France and the most widely read medieval French literary work by readers around the world today.
This is the story of Emperor Charlemagne, who takes revenge on the kingdom's strongest knight, Roland, who falls for the schemes of pagans and traitors and is martyred. The dense narrative and lively writing style vividly bring Roland's bold martyrdom and Charlemagne's brutal revenge to life.

The lofty sense of honor and religious fervor of the twelve knights in “The Song of Roland” lays a magnificent, tragic beauty throughout the work, and the angelic protection that descends upon Roland as he takes his last breath presents the thrill of supernatural mystery.
The narrative, which continues in a single line from the first line to the last, unfolds without interruption, and the harmonious arrangement of characters, events, and background, the detailed description of human psychology, and the clear and unhindered expression boast the essence of medieval European literature.

The newly published "The Song of Roland" is the first complete translation of the medieval French original in Korea, presented through the close collaboration, meticulous translation, and friendly annotations of Professor Kim Jun-han of the French Language and Literature Department at Korea University, the country's leading authority.

The passionate love, tears, and revenge of the brave Roland and Emperor Charlemagne…
Charlemagne and the Twelve Knights: The Beginning of a Great Legend That Spread Through Europe

The Song of Roland is the oldest work of the genre of martial poetry, a genre that was recited to a contemporary audience to praise the heroic aspects of knights, the center of the medieval European feudal system, and is a perfect example of compositional beauty.
Through the Song of Roland, the martial poem became established as a major genre of medieval literature, and countless imitations of the Song of Roland appeared thereafter, claiming to be martial poems and chivalric literature.
The Song of Roland was also the origin of the 'Legend of Charlemagne', one of the three pillars of medieval martial poetry, along with Greek and Roman mythology and the legend of King Arthur.

The Song of Roland was already a literary success and popular work in its time, and was translated into many languages, including German, Welsh, Flemish, and Scandinavian. It was also adapted and adapted throughout Europe for centuries, giving rise to a variety of works based on the Song of Roland.
Ludovico Ariosto's Orlando Madness and Matteo Boiardo's Orlando in Love, which are considered representative works of Italian Renaissance literature, are both based on the Song of Roland.
The Song of Roland is the beginning of a grand narrative and a great legend that has permeated the foundations of European literature, from poetry of war, chivalry, the legend of Charlemagne, and Renaissance literature.

Commentary and background information provided by a medieval literature scholar
Reading Mentalites from Medieval Europe, from the Battle of Longsbaugh to the Crusades

The translation was done by Professor Kim Jun-han, who received a Ph.D. in French literature while studying “The Song of Roland” at the Sorbonne University in Paris, France, the birthplace of “The Song of Roland,” and is currently teaching at the Department of French Language and Literature at Korea University.
Professor Kim Jun-han, who has been dedicated to researching and translating “The Song of Roland” day and night for over 20 years since his graduate school days when he began majoring in medieval French, has a unique perspective on not only French but also medieval European culture and literature. He provides a meticulous translation that does not damage the value of the original text, and kindly guides readers to interpret the meaning of the medieval text more richly by adding footnotes explaining the unique conventions of medieval literature and the medieval mindset.
The Song of Roland is a work of fiction created with the Battle of Longsvot in 778, in which the rearguard of Charlemagne's army was annihilated while returning from the Spanish expedition, and the Crusades that began in the late 11th century as the historical and social background. Therefore, background knowledge of the history and culture of medieval Europe at the time is essential to understanding the text.
Professor Kim Jun-han added detailed commentary to help readers understand "The Song of Roland" more deeply, covering the characteristics of the medieval feudal system and the relationship between lords and knights, knights as a fighting force and their equipment, and even the anecdotes of Charlemagne, Roland, and Olivier.
It can be said that this book contains everything about the Song of Roland.

Shortly after arriving in France, I had my first meeting with my master's thesis advisor, Gaston Zink.
Professor Zank gave me “The Song of Roland” as the topic of my thesis.
He also said that since it is a particularly important work that marks the beginning of French language and French literature, it would be very helpful for future studies to read “The Song of Roland” carefully when starting to learn medieval French.
When I finally finished my first reading after two months, I had little left in my head, only a sense of relief that I had somehow finished the work.
This is how my encounter with “The Song of Roland” began.

Even after my master's degree and my subject changed, "The Song of Roland" remained a friend by my side on days when I didn't feel like studying or on sleepless nights, and the thought of translating it later naturally arose.
Over the past decade, the landscape of translation has changed several times.
Although there are still errors here and there that I haven't yet noticed, I'm truly grateful that I was able to continue reviewing the translation without rushing, and deliver a slightly more complete translation.
― From the Translator's Preface

The Song of Roland, which marked the beginning of French language and literature
Completely restored to its original medieval French source!

There is no disagreement today that the first French literature in the history of French language development is the Song of Roland.
This is because, in addition to its significance as a linguistic source testifying to the initial state of the French language, the Song of Roland was a text that proved the potential of French literature by establishing itself as a masterpiece representing medieval French literature even in a situation where French had just become independent as a new language, with a poor vocabulary and even a lack of grammar.
However, all the translated versions introduced in Korea so far have been either Japanese or translations of modern French versions, and thus have failed to properly realize the philological and linguistic significance of “The Song of Roland.”

This edition of “The Song of Roland” faithfully reproduces the oldest and most complete manuscript of “The Song of Roland” (Oxford, Bodleian Library, Digby, 23) in order to clearly restore the flavor and logic of the medieval French original.


Among researchers, there are those who assert that the Oxford manuscript alone is sufficient evidence of the work called “The Song of Roland” even without other manuscripts, and the overwhelming excellence of the Oxford manuscript and its status as a basic manuscript are academically recognized to the extent that saying “The Song of Roland” without any additional modifiers is understood to mean the Oxford manuscript.
Based on this Oxford manuscript, each line of the 4,002 lines of poetry has been copied verbatim, fully preserving the form and content of the original text. This will be a precious gift, like rain in a drought, not only to readers who wish to experience the true nature of the Song of Roland, but also to medieval literature researchers who have been struggling with a lack of documentary sources.