Description
Book SynopsisEnglish translation of an anonymous thirteenth-century French poem in which a woman desperate to bear a child appeals to the devil for help. Originally written in octosyllabic rhymed couplets, this translation uses free verse.
Trade Review“An excellent translation that will appeal to medieval enthusiasts, fans of chivalric romance, and French literature.”
—Erica Swenson Danowitz Library Journal
“A welcome, engaging translation of an often underrated romance.”
—Catherine Léglu French Studies
“A welcome addition to the slew of recent translations of less-known French romances.”
—M. Aaij Choice
“This elegant translation makes the thirteenth-century Old French saint’s legend of Robert le diable available to an English-speaking audience for the first time. The poem, rendered here into vigorous free verse that captures the spirit of the original, was extremely popular (and widely translated) in the Middle Ages, but has been relatively neglected by modern scholars. Samuel Rosenberg includes an excellent introduction and bibliography. I recommend the volume highly.”
—Maureen Boulton,author of Sacred Fictions of Medieval France: Narrative Theology in the Lives of Christ and the Virgin, 1150–1500
“Samuel N. Rosenberg is one of the most accomplished and capable translators of Old French texts working today. He has now applied his admirable skills to Robert le Diable, a fascinating romance of the thirteenth century.”
—Norris J. Lacy,editor of Lancelot–Grail: The Old French Arthurian Vulgate and Post-Vulgate in Translation
“Rosenberg’s lively, yet faithful rendition of this classic tale is a welcome addition to the corpus of works in Old French now available to a wider audience. The legend’s vitality in the various adaptations it has assumed, along with Robert’s devilish charisma, make the text an important subject for further research in genre and character studies.”
—Stacey Hahn Speculum
“Translations should be measured against their purpose, and Rosenberg easily meets his declared intentions. This is ‘a work suitable for recitation, a work whose rhythms and sonorities bespeak the presence […] of a storyteller.’ Whether as teaching aid or pleasure read, this translation of Robert’s tale brings medieval Europe to life with aplomb.”
—Nicholas D. Brodie Parergon
Table of ContentsContents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Robert the Devil
Notes
Bibliography
Index
