"English translation of an anonymous thirteenth-century French poem in which a woman desperate to bear a child appeals to the devil for help. Originally written in octosyllabic rhymed couplets, this translation uses free verse"--Provided by publisher. "The thirteenth-century French romance Robert le Diable is a tale of supernatural birth and spiritual redemption. Robert is born after his mother, a childless noblewoman, calls upon Satan to help her concieve. His wicked behavior as a boy and, later, as a young man is so brutal that one day Robert prevails upon his mother to reveal the secret of his birth. Upon learning the truth, he leaves his privileged home in Normandy to seek salvation. Robert's lengthy penance--under the aegis of the Pope and a pious hermit--begins wiith his acting as a mute fool in the Roman Emperor's court and ends with his sainthood. In between he plays the hero's role in defeating the Turks in battle and turns down the hand of the Emperor's daughter in marriage, choosing instead to return to the hermit's abode. Extraordinarily influential in the seven hundred years after its creation, the legend of Robert le Diable generated new versions in various langauges, ranging from sixteenth-century English adaptations by Wynken de Worde and Thomas Lodge to Giacomo Meyerbeer's esteemed 1831 opera. Framed by a thoughtful introduction and thorough bibliography, this accessible translation renders the original octosyllabic rhymed couplets of the metrical Old French romance in energetic free verse"--Page 4 of cover.