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Oimais m'auretz avinen
De chantar e de solatz
Vos autre, a cui jois platz,
Quar tan trop de chauzimen
Qu'emendamen n'ai sivals.
E si·m creissia captals
De joi, mai m'alegraria.
No per tan, que be sabria
Mon cor destrenher d'aitan
Que ja nulhs hom a mon chan
Gran joi no·m conoisseria.

Pero chantan e rizen
Pot estar quetz e selatz
Qui savis es ni membratz;
Et ieu sui be d'aital sen,
Que no·m es hom tan corals
Que no·m sembles deslials
Pueis que mon joi m'enquerria.
E selh qu'enans cujaria
Saber mon cor demandan,
Sabria·n al cap de l'an
Aitant cum al primier dia.

En re, al mieu essien
Non a ops hom mielhs senatz
Qu'en amar, quar si amatz
Et etz de leugier talen,
Seretz de parlar venals,
Quar de trop parlar ve mals.
Sabetz quals? Pert n'om s'amia.
Per que·l sens i tanheria
Que capdeles lo talan,
Qu'aissi vai amors enan
E dechai per leujairia.

Oi no m'es re tan plazen,
Dona, cum quan m'esgardatz,
Ab que·l cors m'aia mandatz
Los huelhs qu'als no vau queren.
Ai! Qu'ai dig? - Etz vos donc tals
Que ja·m fassatz semblan fals?
Vos non! Pero tan volria
Gauzir, dona, si·us plazia,
Essems lo joi e l'afan
Qu'ieu en tem, quar o vuelh tan;
Sol per aisso dic folhia.

E·us am per vostre joven,
E·us am quar i es beutatz
E·us am quar ades gensatz,
E·us am per vostre cors gen,
E vos am quar etz leials,
E vos am quar etz cabals,
E·us am per vostra conhdia,
E·us am per plazen paria,
E·us am quar etz ses engan,
Qu'aissi etz fait' a garan,
Que mais ni meins no·i tanhia.

Lausengier ja no creiria
Mots amanz, si no sabia
L'onor que·m fezes l'autr'an;
Si·us am, que·m fos malestan,
Ans sai que·m o graziria.

Si·l reina no sufria
Valor del tot dechairia,
Elionors, que donan
Ab honor e s·i gardan
Melhura de pretz quec dia.

At last, you'll find me amenable
to song and frolic,
you who like joy,
for you have so much consideration
that I find comfort in you.
And if my degree of joy
grew, I'd be the happier for it.
But not too much: for I would know well
how to restrain my heart enough
that nobody would recognize
great joy by my song.

Although singing and laughing,
one who is wise and considerate
can remain quiet and secretive;
and I am of such disposition
that nobody is so close to me
that he doesn't seem disloyal to me
after he'd ask about my happiness.
And he who would think, from the start,
to know my thoughts by asking
would know them, at the end of the year,
just as well as the first day.

In nothing (in my opinion)
does a man need more discretion
than in love (because, if you are loved
and are light-hearted,
you'll be open in talking)
because evil comes from talking too much.
Do you know which? One loses his mistress.
For one needs discretion
that controls the will
for thus progresses love,
while it wanes out of frivolity.

Today, nothing is as pleasant to me,
lady, as when you look at me,
as long as your heart has directed
your eyes: for I don't ask for anything else.
Ah! What have I said? Are you, then, such
as would give me false appearance?
Not you! But I'd so much like
to enjoy, if you allowed it,
the joy and pain together,
for I fear it, so much I want it;
and for this only I say foolish things.

And I love you for your youth
and I love you because you are a beauty
and I love you because you get more beautiful every minute
and I love you for your kind heart
and I love you because you are loyal
and I love you because you are perfect
and I love you for your grace
and I love your pleasant company
and I love you because you are without deceit,
for you are made with such measure
that nothing more, or less, behoves you.

Yet, slanderers, I wouldn't believe
[your] words [to be] flattering if I didn't know
of the honour you did me last year;
therefore I love you, who were ill-intentioned,
and even know [your words] will glorify [me].

If the queen did not sustain it,
valour would decay altogether,
Eleanor who, by giving
with honour and watching herself,
improves her virtue every day.