The Conquest of Orange

Abstract

William has grown restless after his conquest of Nîmes. After an escaped prisoner recounts the splendors of Orange and the beauty of the Saracen Queen Orable, William resolves to possess both the lady and the city. He and his men enter Orange by posing as Saracens, but they are soon unmasked. With Orable’s help, they ultimately defeat the Saracens and conquer Orange. Orable converts to Christianity, taking the name Guibourc, and she and William marry. The poem is notable for its conjoining of epic conquest and amorous adventure, as well as its fascination with the exotic splendor of Islamic civilization.