The Romaunce of the Sowdone of Babylone and of Ferumbras His Sone Who Conquerede Rome. Various
to follow their original as closely as possible, will easily be able to render it ‘literally’ as long as they write in prose. But adopting a poetical form for their translation, and still pursuing their intention of a close rendering of their original, ‹xvii› they must needs be more diffuse, and the consideration of rhythm and rhyme will compel them sometimes to abandon a quite literal translation, and to be content with a free reproduction. This is also the case with the author of Syr Ferumbras, who, notwithstanding the many passages where the French text is not given ‘literally,’ must be considered as a close rhymed translation of the French poem. The only liberty which we see the English author take sometimes, consists in contracting or amalgamating together those couplets similaires,35 or strophes which contain repetitions.
But not always did the author thus give up his plan of rendering his original closely: occasionally he has such repetitionary lines in the same place as the French poem, as, for instance, in ll. 130 et seq. corresponding to Fierabras, ll. 125 et seq.
The closeness and literalness of his translation is well exemplified by his introduction in an English dress of a great many French words which are unknown, or at least of a most rare occurrence, in English, and which in his translation are found in the same place and context, where the French text has them. This will be best illustrated by juxtaposing the corresponding phrases of the two versions.
| Ashmole Ferumbras. | French Fierabras. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 312 | Hit ys rewarded ous two betwyne þat Olyuer schal wende and take þe batail | 301 | ‘Nous jujon Olivier, si l’avons esgardé Qu’il fera la bataille au paien deffaé.’ |
| 330 | Mercy, quaþ he to kyng Charles | 333 | ‘As piés le roy se jete, merchi li a priié.’ |
| 369 | þat paynede crist | 377 | ‘—dont vos Diex fu penès.’ |
| 388 | Er y remuvie me of þis place | 392 | ‘Ains que je m’en remue …’ |
| 399 | y chalenge wiþ þe to fiȝt | 402 | ‘—je te voel calengier’ |
| 457 | Parfay, ansuerde erld O. | 449 | ‘Par foi, dist Oliviers …’ |
| 533 | þat he ne . . maden ȝelde his body to him creaunt | 548 | ‘se Roland s’i combat, ne faice recréant’ |
| 537 | wiþ my swerd trenchaunt | 553 | ‘… à m’espée trencant’ |
| 538 | Sarsyns, said erld O. | 554 | Sarrazins, dist li quans … |
| 551 | long man in fourchure | 579 | Il ot l’enfourcéure grant |
| 558 | a ful gret pite, etc. | 586 | j’ai de toi grand pité, etc. ‹xviii› |
| 751 | haue mercy of me, iantail knyȝt | 1494–5 | —merci li a crié: Gentix hom . . |
| 781 | to remurie þe of þis place | 1515 | ja par moi n’i seriés . . remués |
| 817 | he was encombred with F. | 1552 | Mais de F. est … encombrés |
| 922 | þey went forth on a pendant | 1696 | Cil s’entornent fuiant le pendant d’un laris |
| 947 | wan hure spere gunne to faile | 1712 | Quant les lances lor falent |
| 984 | At avalyng of an hulle | 1734 | À l’avaler d’un tertre |
| 1008. 1012 | to rescourre þe barons | 1757 | . . les barons rescous . . |
| 1016 | wel longe hadde þis chas ylest | 1764 | Moult fu grans cele chace |
| 1058 | and oþre reliques riche ynow wherof y have plentee | 1806 | Et les dignes reliques dont il i ad plenté |
| 1227 | for to wyte wat þay be and hure covyne yknowe | 2067 | Lor couvine et lor estre enquerre et demander. |
| 1316 | By an old forsake ȝeate of þe olde antiquyte | 2144 | Par une gaste porte de viel antequité |
| 1773 | sittynge on a grene erber | 2562 | . . siét sous cel arbre ramé. |
| 1974 | Florippe his doȝtre þe cortoyse in chambre þar she was In þe paleys yhurde noise and þyder þan she gas | 2712 | Floripas la courtoise a le nois escoute Puis issi de la cambre, … Entresi c’au palais . . |
| 2007 | þow ert asotid | 2733 | . . vous voi assoté. |
| 2538 | a gret repref it were | 3136 | . . il nous est reprouvé |
| 3665 | brydel and paytrel and al þe gere wiþ fyn gold yharneyssed were | 4117 | Li estrier furent d’or, rices fu li poitrés |
| 3672 | and þe king him gan ascrie | 4126 | … si s’est haut escriés. |
| 3791 | a gret dul þay made þere | 4236 | . . demainent grant dolour |
| 4541 | with an hard crestid serpentis fel | 4832 |