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Pos de chantar m'es pres talenz,
Farai un vers, don sui dolenz:
Mais non serai obedienz
En Peitau ni en Lemozi.
Since I feel like singing,
I'll write a verse I grieve over:
I shall never be a vassal anymore
in Poitiers nor in Limoges
Qu'era m'en irai en eisil:
En gran paor, en gran peril,
En guerra, laisserai mon fil,
Faran li mal siei vezi.
For now I shall be exiled:
in a dreadful fright, in great peril,
in war, shall I leave my son,
and his neighbours shall turn on him.
Lo departirs m'es aitan greus
Del seignorage de Peitieus
En garda lais Folcon d'Angieus
Tota la terra e son cozi.
It is hard for me to abandon
the rule of Poitiers
I leave Folcon of Angiers as a keeper
of the whole country and of his cousin.
Si Folcos d'Angieus no-l socor,
E-l reis de cui ieu tenc m'onor,
Guerrejar l'an tut li plusor,
Felon Gascon et Angevi.
If Folcon of Angiers doesn't aid him
(and the king I owe my title to doesn't do likewise)
most of them will attack him,
those villainous Gascons and Angevins.
Si ben non es savis ni pros,
Cant ieu serai partitz de vos,
Vias l'auran tornat en jos,
Car lo veiran jov'e mesqui.
If he isn't very wise and valiant,
as soon as I have left you,
they will upturn him,
because they will see him young and defenceless.
Merce clam a mon conpaignon,
S'anc li fi tort, qu'il m'o perdon,
Et il prec en Jezu del tron
En romans et en son lati.
I beg my companion for mercy:
if I ever wronged him, let him forgive me,
and let him praise lord Jesus in his throne
both in the common tongue and in his.
De proez'e de joven fui,
Mais ara partem ambedui,
Et ieu irai m'en a Cellui
On tut peccador troban fi.
I lived with youth and valour,
but now they are both gone,
and I shall go to the One
by whom all sinners find peace.
Mout ai estat cuendes e gais,
Mas Nostre Seigner no-l vol mais;
Ar non puesc plus soffrir lo fais
Tant soi aprochatz de la fi.
I have been agreeable and gay,
but Our Lord doesn't allow it anymore;
now I can't bear the burden anymore,
so close I am to the end.
Tot ai guerpit cant amar sueill:
Cavalaria et orgueill
E pos Dieu platz, tot o acueill,
E El que-m reteigna ab Si.
I have left all I used to love:
knighthood and pride;
and since this pleases god, I accept it wholly,
and let him keep me with him.
Totz mos amics prec a la mort,
Qu-il vengan tuit e m'onren fort,
Qu'eu ai agut joi e deport
Loing e pres et e mon aizi.
I endear all my friends to come to my death
and to honour me greatly
since I had and kept joy and disport
far and wide, and in my own abode.
Aissi guerpisc joi e deport,
E vair e gris e sembeli.
So I leave joy and disport,
and vair and grey squirrel and sable furs.