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.

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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