Robert the Devil: The First Modern English Translation of Robert le Diable, an Anonymous French Romance of the Thirteenth Century

Samuel N. Rosenberg, one of the premier translators of Old French, presents in this volume the first modern English-language version of the thirteenth-century French romance Robert le Diable, a tale of supernatural birth and spiritual redemption. Robert is born after his mother, a childless noblewoman, secretly calls upon Satan to help her conceive. His wicked behavior as a boy and, later, as a destructive young man is so brutal that one day Robert prevails upon his mother to reveal the secret of his birth and thus the source of his wickedness. Upon learning the truth, he leaves his privileged home in Normandy to seek salvation. Robert’s lengthy penance—under the aegis of the Pope and a pious hermit—begins with his acting as a mute fool in the Roman Emperor’s court and ends with his sainthood. In between he plays the hero’s role in defeating the Turks in battle and turns down the hand of the Emperor’s daughter in marriage, choosing instead to return to the hermit’s abode. The legend of Robert le Diable was extraordinarily influential in the seven hundred years after its creation, generating new versions and adaptations in various languages, ranging from sixteenth-century English adaptations by Wynken de Worde and Thomas Lodge to Giacomo Meyerbeer’s esteemed 1831 opera. Framed by a thoughtful introduction and thorough bibliography, this accessible translation renders the original octosyllabic rhymed couplets of the metrical Old French romance in energetic free verse.

Table of Contents:
Contents Acknowledgments Introduction Robert the Devil Notes Bibliography Index

About the Author :
Samuel N. Rosenberg was Professor Emeritus of French and Italian at Indiana University. He edited and translated numerous works, including Paul Verlaine: A Bilingual Selection of His Verse and Robert de Reims: Songs and Motets, both published by Penn State University Press.

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