The Song of Roland is a medieval epic poem that tells the story of the battle between Charlemagne's army and the Muslim Saracens. The poem is set in the late eighth century and was written anonymously in Old French. It is considered one of the greatest works of French literature and has been translated into many languages.The poem begins with Charlemagne's army besieging the city of Saragossa in Spain. The Saracen king, Marsile, sends an envoy to Charlemagne offering to convert to Christianity and become his vassal if he will withdraw his army. Charlemagne agrees to the terms and sends his trusted knight, Roland, to lead the rearguard as they retreat.However, Marsile reneges on his promise and attacks the rearguard, hoping to kill Roland and weaken Charlemagne's army. The battle is fierce and many knights on both sides are killed. Roland's sword, Durandal, is broken and he blows his horn, the olifant, to signal for help. Charlemagne hears the horn and returns to the battlefield, but it is too late for many of his knights, including Roland, who dies from his wounds.The poem is a celebration of chivalry and courage, and portrays the conflict between Christianity and Islam as a struggle between good and evil. It also explores themes of loyalty, betrayal, and the consequences of pride and arrogance. The Song of Roland has had a significant influence on European literature and culture, and remains a classic of medieval literature.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.