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S'anc fui belha ni prezada
Ar sui d'aut en bas tornada,
Qu'az un vilan sui donada
Tot per sa gran manentia;
E murria,
S'ieu fin amic non avia
Cui disses mo marrimen,
E gaita plazen
Que me fes son d'alba.

Ieu sui tan corteza gaita
Que no vuelh sia desfaita
Leials amors a dreit faita,
Per que·m don garda del dia
Si venria,
E selh que jai ab sa mia,
Prenda·n comjat franchamen
Baizan e tenen,
Qu'ieu vei venir l'alba.

Be·m plai longa nuegz escura
E·l temps d'ivern on plus dura,
E no m'en lais per freidura
Qu'ieu leials gaita no sia
Tota via,
Per tal que segurs estia
Fins drutz, quan pren jauzimen
De domna valen,
Del ser tro en l'alba.

S'ieu en vil castelh gaitava
Ni fals amors i renhava,
Fals si'ieu si no celava
Lo iorn aitan quan poiria,
Quar volria
Partir falsa drudaria;
Et entre la leial gen
Gait'ieu lialmen
E crit quan vei l'alba.

Ja per gap ni per menassa
Que mos mals maritz me fassa,
No mudarai qu'ieu no jassa
Ab mon amic tro al dia.
Quar seria
Desconoissens vilania
Qui partia malamen
Son amic valen
De si, tro en l'alba.

Anc no vi jauzen
Drut que·l plagues l'alba.

Per so no m'es gen
Ni·m plai quan vei l'alba.

[The Lover: ]"If I ever was beautiful and worthy,
I have now fallen into disgrace
for I have been given to a villain
only for his great wealth;
and I should die
if I didn't have a fine friend
to whom I tell of my despair,
and a complacent watch
to sing the coming of the dawn."

[The Watch: ]"I am such a courteous watch
that I don't want a loyal love,
created by right, to be undone;
so I watch the day,
if it were to come,
and he who lies with his friend,
let him take his leave sincerely
kissing and hugging,
for I see the dawn coming.

I love the long, dark night
and wintertime, where it longer lasts,
and I don't desist, because of the cold,
from being a loyal watch
always
so that a fine lover
stay safe when he enjoys
a worthy woman
from dusk to dawn.

If I watched a wretched castle
and false love reigned there,
I would be false myself if I didn't conceal
the [coming]day as much as I could
for I would want
to split false loving;
and among loyal people
I watch loyally
and shout when dawn comes."

[The Lover: ]"Never, for flattery or threat
that my bad husband make,
would I refrain from lying
with my good friend until the day.
For it would be
boorish villany
to part badly
one's worthy friend
from herself, until the dawn."

[The Watch: ]"Never did I see a happy
lover who'd like the dawn."

[The Lover: ]"For this, it isn't fair
nor I like it when I see the dawn."

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