I want to take a moment to discuss the epic poem, William of Adelphos. Much like some of its contemporaries, the tragedy of Sir William is well-known but with an obscure origin.
Scholars estimate the poem was written in the 12th century by Jonas de Quincey, suggesting an Aquitanian or Ligurian tradition—unsurprising, given the frequent references to the evils of the Franks.
Most recall the poem’s opening two stanzas:
Hark! Here ye the tale of William,
Born of Adelphos, slayer of giants.
Listen well, of how he did fly
And wooed many a maiden fair,
And became a prince among fallen angels.In Adelphos West, he was whelped and reared
On the tourney ground did he wend his days
Young and brave, and mighty of sword.
Lo! The King of Adelphos was vain;
He did challenge William to combat.
Yet upon the King’s fall did William show mercy,
And the king, in turn, exiled William of Adelphos
To quest to find the Land of the Sweetest Air.
Of course, this is translated into Modern English for meaning, and not for meter or rhyme. Like most poems of this era, there was little consistency: characters die in one section only to reappear two stanzas later, while others seem to change appearance to fit the scene.
William of Adelphos remains one of literature’s most elusive treasures.
Selection from “Le Prince Frais,” an early 18th-century translation of Jonas de Quincey’s epic poem. This particular copy is from a rare collection and is part of the permanent exhibit at the Pemberley House and Museum in Derbyshire, UK.
