Nostre pastour gardent mal leur berbis
Quant pour deniers cascuns al leu les vent,
Mais que pechiés les a si tous souspris
K’il ont mis Dieu en oubli pour l’argent.
Que devenront li riche garniment
K’il aquierent, assés vilainement,
Des faus loiers k’il ont des croisiés pris?
[Saichiés de voir k’il en seront repris]
Se loiautés et Di[e]us et fois ne ment.
Retolu ont et Achre et Belleent,
Ce que cascuns avoit a Di[e]u pramis.

Ki osera jamais en nul sermon
De Dieu parler em place n’em moustier,
Ne anoncier ne bien fait ne pardon
[Si’l fait jamais sans don ou sans denier]
Chose qui puist nostre Signeur aidier
A la terre conquerre et gaaignier
U de son sanc paia no raençon?
Segneur prelat, ce n’est ne bel ne bon
Qui son secors faites si detriier.
Vos avés fait, ce poet on tesmoignier,
De Di[e]u Rolant et de vos Guenelon.

En celui n’a mesure ne raison,
Ki ce cognoist, s’il n’aï a vengier
Ceuls ki pour Dieu sont dela em prison
Et pour oster lor ames de dangier.
Puis c’on muert ci, on ne doit resoignier
Paine, n’anui, honte ne destorbier.
Pour Dieu est tout quant qu’on fait en son non,
Ke en rendra cascun tel guerredon
Que cuers d’ome nel poroit esprisier,
Car paradis en ara de loier;
N’ainc pour si peu n’ot nus si riche don!

Our shepherds guard their sheep badly
when they sell each one to the wolf for money,
but sin has so taken hold of all of them
that they have forgotten God for silver.
What will become of the luxurious goods
which they acquired, most wickedly, from the
false levies which they took from the crusaders?
Know well that they will be punished for it,
if loyalty, God and faith do not lie.
They have taken back both Acre and Bethlehem,
which each man had promised to God.

Who, henceforth, will dare to speak of God
in any sermon, whether in market place or church,
or to proclaim any blessing or pardon,
[if he does nothing without a gift or without money]
to help Our Lord to conquer and regain
the land where He paid
the ransom for us with His blood?
My lord prelates, it is neither handsome behaviour
nor virtuous so to retard the help due to Him.
One can plainly see that you have made
God into Roland and yourselves into Ganelon.

There is no moderation and no sense in any man
who knows this and does not help to avenge those
who, for the sake of God, are over there in prison,
and to bring their souls out of peril.
Since one must die here, we should not be concerned
about pain, frustration, shame or trouble;
everything we do in God’s name is for Him.
He will give each one such a reward
as a man’s heart cannot appreciate,
for he will have paradise as a payment; never did
anyone have such a noble gift in return for so little!