The Earliest French Texts

Chanson de Roland, Chartres Cathedral

For centuries, Classical Latin (or rather, an approximation thereof) was the language of all written communication in France. Speakers of 'vulgar Latin'--from which French developed--would have been able to understand spoken Classical Latin, but the Latin brought to Gaul by Caesar's armies was completely oral, and as such, quickly took on a life of its own. It is clear, from fragments such as the Appendix Probi (ca. 3rd-4th century A.D.) and from the 8th century, the Glosses of Reichenau, that spoken Latin differed considerably from the written form. Indeed, we know that by 813, Latin was completely incomprehensible to the common people; it was in this year that the Concile of Tours granted permission to the clergy to preach in the vernacular, as the people could no longer understand Latin. Nevertheless, as the language of the church and of the educated, Latin continued to enjoy a certain prestige until the twentieth century. The language of the people, the lingua rustica romana, was not judged suitable for literary ends. It is not surprising, therefore, that the earliest documents we have in French have a popular appeal; they are utilitarian documents--such as the Serments de Strasbourg, the lives of saints, or epics such as the Chanson de Roland . The earliest texts, in short, are simply written representations of oral literature. They are meant to be read aloud, recited. The documents that we have show great differences in spelling. These may be due to regional differences--certainly there were many accents and dialects--but also due to the fact that French had not yet been written to any great degree, and how the language was represented in writing depended on the scribe. Moreover, the scribes were aware of the Latin origins, and may have often tried to show the relationship graphically. In any case, the few surviving documents from this period still provide considerable insight into the language and its evolution.

Serments de Strasbourg. Old French text with Modern English and French translations.
Serments de Strasbourg. Shows the Oaths in the context of Nithardus' History of the Sons of Louis the Pious.
Serments de Strasbourg. Old French text with Modern English and French translations.
Serments de Strasbourg. Facsimile of manuscript, Old and Modern French texts, links.
Serments de Strasbourg. From Bibliotheca Augustana. In old French, no translations.

La Cantilène de Sainte Eulalie. Includes photos the MS.
La Cantilène de Sainte Eulalie. Old & Modern French texts, facsimile of manuscript, links.
La Cantilène de Sainte Eulalie. In OF and English.
La Cantilène de Sainte Eulalie. From Bibliotheca Augustana.In old French, no translations.
La Cantilène de Sainte Eulalie. Pdf file version of the text. In old French, no translations.

La Chanson de Roland In OF and English.
La Chanson de Roland. From Bibliotheca Augustana. In old French, no translations.
La Chanson de Roland. Pdf file version of the text. In old French, no translations.
La chanson de Roland, voice file. Contains an extract of the text, read in Old French.
The Song of Roland. Roland in English.
The Song of Roland. English translation of the Chanson de Roland.

La Vie de Saint Alexis.11th Cent., Old French. Transcription and Translation by Joseph E. Price. English translation in progress.
La Vie de Saint Alexis. Original text, but no translation.
La Vie de Saint Alexis. Pdf file version of the text. In old French, no translations.

La Vie de Saint Léger. Late Tenth Century Old French text. Transcription and Translation by Joseph E. Price.
La Vie de Saint Léger. From Bibliotheca Augustana. In old French, no translations.

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