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| prosody | miscellaneous |
Cortesamen vuoill comenssar Un vers si es qui l'escout'ar, E puois tant m'en sui entremes, Veirai si·l poirai affinar, Qu'eras vuoill mon chan esmerar, E dirai vos de maintas res. Assatz pot hom villanejar Qui Cortezia vol blasmar, Que·l plus savis e·l mieills apres Non sap tantas dire ni far, C'om no li posca enseignar Petit o pro, tals hora es. De Cortesia·is pot vanar Qui ben sap Mesur' esgardar! E qui tot vol auzir quant es, Ni tot cant ve cuid' amassar, Del tot l'es ops a mesurar, O ja non sera trop cortes. Mesura es de gen parlar, E cortesia es d'amar! E qui non vol esser mespres De tota vilania·is gar, D'escarnir e de folleiar, Puois sera savis ab qu'el pes. C'aissi pot savis hom reignar, E bona dompna meillurar! Mas cella qu'en pren dos ni tres E per un non si vol fiar, Ben deu sos pretz asordeiar, E sa valors a chascun mes. Aitals amors fai a prezar Que si meteissa ten en car! E s'ieu en dic nuill vilanes Per mal que la·n vueilh encolpar, Be·ill lauzi fassa·m pro muzar, Qu'ieu n'aurai so que·m n'a promes. Lo vers e·l son vuoill enviar A·n Jaufre Rudel outra mar, E vuoill que l'aujon li Frances Per lor coratges alegrar! Que Dieus lor o pot perdonar, O sia pechatz o merces. |
I want to start a piece courteously, if there's someone to listen to it now and, since I have taken it so much to heart, I'll see if I'll be able to perfect it, for, now, I want to refine my song and I'll tell you about many things. He can quite debase himself, who wants to blame Courtesy, since the wisest and most learned can't say or do so much that one can't teach him a little (or a lot) in such times. One can only brag about Courtesy who knows how keep Restraint. And he who wants to hear all that is and wishes to amass all he sees must absolutely restrain himself or he'll never be too courteous. Restraint is talking kindly and courtesy is loving. He who doesn't want to be despised must refrain from all baseness from mocking, and acting foolishly: then he will be wise, provided that he reflects. For thus can a wise man prevail and a good lady improve; but she who takes up two or three and refuses to give her faith to one must degrade her virtue and worth each month. A praiseworthy love is one that appreciates itself and if I say any base thing, wanting to blame my lady for her ills I agree that she make me wonder whether I'll have what she promised me. The words and the tune I want to send to Sir Jaufré Rudel beyond the sea and I want the French to hear it to cheer their hearts, for God can well forgive it to them, whether it's a sin or it is mercy. |