How we cite our quotes: (Stanza.Line)
Quote #4
He has a well-proportioned body and his face is fierce and open.
When he is mounted on his horse,
He bears his arms very fiercely.
He is renowned for his bravery,
If he were a Christian he would be a very worthy knight. (72.894-99)
The Saracen knights are evil because they are non-Christian, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're bad knights. A lot of them are cowardly or ugly, but some of them are so brave and talented that the Franks can't help but admire them.
Quote #5
The women love him for his beauty,
Not one of them sees him without becoming all aglow,
When she sees him she cannot help becoming all smiles.
No other pagan has such knightly qualities. (77.957-60)
Not only are some pagans brave and valiant; some are total lookers too. The Song of Roland was written a little before the great age of chivalry, when good knights were supposed to write poetry and play lutes to beautiful ladies in walled gardens—in addition to riding out and fighting bad guys. But even here you can see that being attractive and elegant to women is already a knightly quality. Although most of the pagans are described as ugly, this dude is hot, a small plus.