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Molt jauzions mi prenc en amar
Un joi don plus mi vueill aizir;
E pos en joi vueill revertir,
Ben dei, si puesc, al meils anar,
Quar meillor n'am, estiers cujar,
C'om puesca vezer ni auzir.

Eu, so sabetz, no·m dei gabar
Ni de grans laus no·m sai formir;
Mas si anc nuill jois poc florir,
Aquest deu sobretotz granar
E part los autres esmerar
Si com sol brus jorns esclarzir.

Anc mais no poc hom faissonar
Car en voler ni en dezir
Ni en pensar ni en consir
Aitals jois non pot par trobar;
E qui be·l volria lauzar
D'un an no·i poiri' avenir.

Totz jois li deu humeliar
E tota ricors obezir,
Midons, per son bel acuillir
E per son dous plazent esgar;
E deu hom mais sent tans durar
Qui·l joi de s'amor pot sazir.

Per son joi pot malaus sanar,
E per sa ira sas morir,
E savis hom enfolezir
E belhs hom sa beutat mudar
E·l plus cortes vilanejar,
E·l totz vilas encortezir.

Pus hom gensor no·n pot trobar,
Ni hueils vezer, ni boca dir,
A mos obs la vueill retenir,
Per lo cor dedins refrescar
E per la carn renovelar,
Que no puesca enveillezir.

Si·m vol midons s'amor donar,
Pres soi del penr'e del grazir
E del celar e del blandir
E de sos plazers dir e far
E de son pretz tener en car
E de son laus enavantir.

Ren per autrui non l'aus mandar,
Tal paor ai c'ades s'azir!
Ni ieu mezeis, tan tem faillir,
Non l'aus m'amor fort asemblar;
Mas ela·m deu mon meils triar,
Pos sap c'ab lieis ai a guerir.

Very happily, I begin to love
a joy from which I will have more pleasure;
and, since I want to be back to joy
I well ought to, if I can, aim for the best;
since I love the best, without doubt,
that one could see or hear.

I (you know as much) should not brag
nor dare I praise myself much;
but if ever could one joy blossom,
this one should above all take roots
and shine above all others
just as the day turns brighter.

And never could anyone portray it
for in want nor wish
nor in though nor in imagination
such a joy can't find an equivalent;
and if one wanted to praise it properly,
he couldn't do it in a year.

Every joy must lower itself
and all royalty obey
my lady, because of her kindness
and of her sweet pleasant visage;
and he will live a hundred times longer
who can partake of her love.

Because of her joy can the sick turn healthy
and because of her displeasure can a healthy man die
and a wise man turn mad
and a handsome man lose his beauty
and the most courteous turn into a lout
and the most churlish turn into a courtier.

Since nobody can find a worthier woman
nor eyes see one, nor mouth describe one,
I want to keep her all for me,
to bring freshness to my heart
and to renew my flesh,
so that it cannot grow old.

If my lady wants to grant me her love,
I am ready to receive it and to reciprocate
I am ready to discretion and cajoling
and to say and do what she pleases,
and to keep her worth into account
and to further her reputation

I don't dare communicate by proxy,
so much I am afraid to anger her;
nor I myself, so much I am afraid to fail,
dare declare my love precisely;
But she ought to choose what is best for me
because she knows that I shall be saved through her.