- The same morning that Baligant met with Marsile, Charlemagne wakes up and rides with his knights back to Roncevaux. Gabriel makes the sign of the cross over him for some extra protection.
- At Roncevaux Charlemagne weeps to see all his dead knights. He tells his companions to slow down so he can ride ahead and find Roland by myself. He remembers that Roland once said at a feast in Aix that if he were to die in a foreign land, he would die as a conqueror: he would travel away from his men and lie down with his head turned towards the enemy country.
- Charlemagne therefore decides to climb a hill to find his body. As he hikes he weeps to see all the flowers stained red with blood. By the two trees he sees the stone where Roland tried to break his sword and then sees Roland himself on the grass. Overcome with grief he faints.
- When he comes to, Duke Naimes and some other knights lift him to his feet beneath the pine tree. He manages to say that he's never seen a better knight and with Roland's death his honor has declined before he faints again.
- When he regains consciousness a second time, he is pale and his eyes are full of shadows. He prays that Roland's soul will be placed among the saints in Paradise and promises that he will grieve each day that he ever came to Spain.
- Yes, he has other knights and other kinsmen, but none are as worthy as Roland. As he tears out his hair in grief, 100,000 watching Franks weep with him.
- Charlemagne continues his monologue of mourning: when he is back in France, foreigners from other kingdoms will ask where Roland is and he'll have to say he died in Spain. Or in his chapel at Aix, when people ask for news, he'll have to tell them the gruesome facts.
- Plus, Roland's death is dangerous to the whole empire. With Roland gone, who will stop the Hungarians and Saxons and other infidel peoples from rebelling against the ruling Franks? Roland, the best commander of all, is dead. Charlemagne tears his beard, crying that he would rather be dead than live with such sorrow. The rest of the Franks swoon in sympathy.
- Charlemagne prays that God will have mercy on Roland but not on him. He wants to die before he reaches the Pass of Cize (near Roncevaux in the Pyrenees) and be buried with these faithful knights.
- Geoffrey of Anjou begs Charlemagne not to be so down. He urges him to organize a search for the Franks, so they can be gathered in a common grave.
- The clergy and monks traveling with Charlemagne bury the dead with full honors, including burning incense.
- Charlemagne gives a special burial preparation to the bodies of Roland, Oliver, and Turpin. They are cut open and their hearts are wrapped in silk cloth and put in a white marble caskets. Then the bodies are washed with wine and perfumed with herbs, wrapped in stag skins, covered in silk cloth, and loaded on to three carts.
- Just as the Franks are about to leave, the first wave of Baligant's army arrives. Two messengers announce the battle. They shout to Charlemagne that he can't go now because the Emir's armies are huge. Charlemagne grasps his beard, remembering the deaths of his rearguard, and yells to his men to get ready for some killin'.
- Charlemagne arms himself first, with his sword Joyeuse and his spear. He mounts his horse Tencendor, which he won when he killed its rider, a dude named Malpalin of Narbonne, in a former war. Calling on God and St. Peter, he canters towards the Emir.
- The Franks scramble for their arms and horses but put on such a good show that Charlemagne can't help but admire their bravery. He commands his barons to not show any worry. Today they are going to make the pagans pay for Roland's death.
- He tells Rabel and Guinemant to fill Roland and Oliver's old positions, one carrying the sword and the other the oliphant (apparently, Roland did not break it). They are to ride in the front ranks with 15,000 of the best young fighters. Following will be an equal number led by Geboin and Lorant.
- In the third division are 20,000 Bavarians (not technically French but ruled by Charlemagne), men that he honors more than any, after the French.
- The fourth division is of 20,000 Germans, as valiant as the Bavarians. The fifth division contains 20,000 Normans, the sixth 30,000 Bretons, the seventh 40,000 Poitevins and men from Auvergne, the eighth 40,000 Flemings and Frisians, the ninth 50,000 men from Lorraine and Burgundy led by Thierry, and the tenth 100,000 of the bravest knights from France.
- They are fierce and strong with white beards, well-armored. Everyone cries "Montjoie!"
- Geoffrey of Anjou carries the oriflamme, or French battle standard, which sort of explains the origin of the cry "Montjoie!" When it belonged to Saint Peter, the battle standard was called "Romaine"; now that the French own it, it's called Montjoie.
- But before Charlemagne attacks, he leaps from his horse and stretches out in the grass, his face towards the sun. He prays to God with all his fervor that he will be saved today, like Jonah and Daniel.
- Through God's mercy, he wants to avenge Roland's death. Then he makes the sign of the cross and re-mounts. With his strong body and handsome open face, he is the image of awesome. The Franks sound their trumpets, the oliphant louder than the rest. It's on.