Guillaume d'Orange
From Cunnan
A cycle of Chanson de Geste, composed over several centuries of oral tradition , but first written down in the 12th C. By the mid 12th C the poems were arranged in a rough chronological cycle tellign the story of his life:
- Chanson de Guillame
- enfances Guillaume
- Couronment de Louis - written 1131-1150 in present form
- Charroi de Nīmes - written 1140-1165 in present form
- Prise d'Orange - written 1160-1165 in present form
- Aliscans - written 1160-1190 in present form
- Moniage Guillaume - written near end 12th C in present form
The Chanson de Guillame appears as a poem in its own right, but the other poems are often collected together in medival manscripts.
Contents |
plot
Moniage Guillaume
In his old age, after the death of his wife, William joins a monastery. The monks complain because he eats their share of the food, so the abbot hatches a plan. William is to travel through the forrest known for robbers to get fish. He is forbidden to defend himself, except if they should try and take his underpants (braes), and only then with "flesh and bone". William deviously gets a very expensive belt made for his braes, for he wants a fight. True enough he gets it, when the robbers have stolen his horse and other clothing, they spot the belt and begin to untie his underpants, and he kills many of them barehanded, and using the leg of a horse (flesh and bone), replaced on the horse by miracle later. On returning to the monastery the monks lock him out for he has captured the robber's horses, and they think him a theif to have so many expensive beasts. He batters his way in, accidentally killing a couple of monks. After the monks plee for mercy he explains his innocence and he is forgiven and thanked for bringing the monastery wealth on hoof.
poetic style
Couronment de Louis, Prise d'Orange, Aliscansb and Moniage Guillaume are standard for the eraly chansons: decasyllabic laises (verses) of varied length, with a break after the 4th syllable, endings of each laise assonanced the same. Prise also uses a shorter 6 syllable line at the end of each laisse.
translations
Ferrante, Joan, M., (trans) "Guillamum d'Orange: Four twelth-century epics" Columbia University Press New York 1974, ISBN 0-231-03809-7 Translates: Couronment de Louis, Prise d'Orange, Aliscans, Moniage Guillaume Translation method: english translation only, line by line, mostly in10 syllable lines (with a break after 4 syllables) as in orgiginal free verse (except couronment which is ryhmed by assonance), Aliscans translation abridged. No old french given.
