Sections CLXXXIII-CLXXXIX

The narrator describes Emperor Charles sleeping in a meadow fully armed with his white hauberk, jeweled helm, and the sword Joiuse, which bears the point of the lance that wounded Christ and thus carries divine sanction and power.

Charles lies sleepless, overcome with sorrow for Roland, Oliver, the twelve peers, and all the Franks lost at Rencesvals, until exhaustion finally claims him and the entire Frankish army falls asleep.

Saint Gabriel sends Charles a prophetic vision of a terrible coming battle in which fierce storms destroy Frankish weapons and armor, wild beasts and dragons attack the soldiers, and Charles himself wrestles with a great lion—all signifying impending dangers.

Charles dreams he is in Aix holding a bear by chains when thirty bears emerge from Ardenne claiming kinship and demanding their companion, and a greyhound from his palace fights among them—a struggle whose outcome remains unclear to the King.

King Marsile flees to Sarraguce having lost his right hand, and his people respond to this defeat by desecrating and destroying their idols—Apollo, Tervagant, and Mahomet—in rage at perceived divine betrayal.

Queen Bramimunde grieves over the defeated Marsile, lamenting that Sarraguce is now forlorn and that only Admiral Baligant can restore their fortunes—if he proves courageous enough to fight the fearless and bearded Emperor Charlemagne.

After seven years of Charles's Spanish conquest, Marsile sends word to the ancient Admiral Baligant in Babylon, promising conversion to Christianity if he provides aid; Baligant eventually marshals forces through forty realms and launches a great navy from Alexandria in May.