- Stanza 189 starts out with a flashback six years ago, to the first year of Charlemagne's campaign in Spain, when a worried Marsile wrote a letter to the Emir Baligant in Babylon and asked him to help. If Baligant had refused, Marsile was going to smash his (Marsile's) idols and become a Christian to serve Charlemagne.
- Baligant, who is old like Charlemagne, didn't respond for six years, but for unknown reasons he's now traveling to Saragossa with a huge army gathered from forty kingdoms.
- His army, traveling by ship, is so enormous that their lighted ships illuminate the countryside they pass through. They sail up the Ebro and arrive in Saragossa the very day after Marsile's crushing defeat.
- Baligant gets out of the ship with seventeen other kings and a ton of important people, sets up an ivory throne beneath a Saragossa laurel tree, and declares war on Charlemagne. Since he has conducted wars in Spain, now the emir will pursue him into France and won't stop until he's dead or surrendered.
- He sends two knights, Clarifan and Clarien, to inform Marsile that the emir has come to join forces with him against Charlemagne. They bring the emir's glove as a sign.
- After passing through ten gates and over four bridges, Clarifan and Clarien near the palace and hear the noise of townspeople wailing for the loss of their gods and the knights of Spain.
- Holding each other by their cloaks, the messengers enter Marsile's chamber and greet Bramimonde with fake-nice words about the greatness of Mohammed. Bramimonde calls it rubbish. These gods have allowed the Spanish to be defeated at Roncevaux and Marsile's hand to be severed. She asks, "What will become of me when Charlemagne takes over Spain?"
- Clarien cuts her off brusquely and says they are messengers from Baligant, who is on the Ebro with 4,000 ships ready to follow Charlemagne into France. Bramimonde is not optimistic though. She tells them the Franks are already in Spain and that Charlemagne is so war-like he fears no man alive.
- From his bed Marsile tells her to shut up and then complains to the messengers that his son and only heir was killed yesterday.
- He will give all his lands to the emir if he will defend them against the Franks. He predicts that the emir will conquer Charlemagne within a month. In return for Baligant's glove, he sends with the messengers the keys to the Saragossa city gates.
- He laments out loud that Charles has ravaged his land and entered his citadels. Because they slept last night by the Ebro, Marsile predicts that the Franks are about seven leagues from the city. That is where Baligant should find and kill them.
- Clarifan and Clarien return to Baligant in a panic with news of Marsile's mortal wound, the disastrous battle of Roncevaux, Charlemagne's pursuit to Saragossa, and Marsile's decision to give Baligant his kingdom. Baligant is furious.
- Clarien gives more detail about Roncevaux and how the fleeing Saracens drowned in the Ebro but finds a bit of hope in Charlemagne's current position. 20,000 Frenchmen died too and he's so deep in Spanish territory now that the emir could attack successfully.
- Baligant immediately cheers up. He shouts to his men to leave the ships, mount their horses, and ride towards the Franks. He wants to avenge Marsile's hand with Charlemagne's head.
- Baligant puts his friend Gemalfin in charge of the armies and then rides ahead with four dukes to Saragossa. Bramimonde meets him at the palace door and faints in grief because Marsile is almost dead.
- In his room, Marsile sits up with the aid of two Saracens, and gives to Baligant his glove to symbolize Saragossa and all the lands associated with his fief. He and his people are ruined, but they're putting their final hopes in Baligant's success.
- Weeping, Baligant takes the glove and says unfortunately he can't wait because he needs to surprise Charlemagne with this fight. He gallops to his men and leads the army towards the Franks.