| prosody | miscellaneous |
Ja non cujei vezer C'amors mi destreises Tant que dompna.m tengues Del tot en son poder, Que contra lor orguoill For' orgoillos, cum suoill, Mas beutatz e jovens E gentils cors plazens E.il gai dich plazentier De mon Bel Cavallier M'ant faich privat d'estraing; E puois durs cors s'afraing Vas amor en luoc car, Sap mieills sa dompn' amar C'umils trop amoros, De totas enveios. Ma dompna.m pot aver E nuill' autra non ges, Per o qe.il gensser es E car sap mais valer, C'aitals es cum la vuoill, Que ren no.i met ni.n tuoill: Coind' e gai' e plazens, Bella et avinens, Et a bon pretz entier, E sen qan l'a mestier E foudat lai o.is taing, E nuils bes no.il sofraing, C'ab faitz et ab honrar Si fai a totz prezar E lauzar als plus pros Qe.i vezon mais razos. E si.m vol retener Aissi cum m'a promes, Mout m'es ben d'amor pres, Mas trop fatz lonc esper, Que del dezir mi duoill Qe.m mostron siei beill huoill E sa cara rizens; E si.m des sos cors gens So c'ab son conseill qier, Vencut agr' a sobrier D'aventura Galvaing, Q'en sa merce remaing Pois mi volc autreiar Qe'eu la pogues preiar Et amar en rescos E.n fezes mas chanssos. Dieus la.m lais conquerer, E vailla.m dreitz e fes, Q'ieu sui del tot conques, C'a lieis no.m puosc tener; E pois vassals acuoill Seignor en son capduoill, Qe.il es obediens, Pauc d'esfortz fai si.l vens. Doncs midonz si.m conquier C'ab fin cor vertadier Li sui, e s'ela.m fraing Mos covens, nuill gazaing Non pot el mieu dan far, E fara s'en blazmar S'ieu la serv en perdos E puois l'es mos dans bos. Dompn', aisso.m fai temer Qe.m failla.l gaugz enpres, Car me sui tant aut mes Per q'ieu tem bas cazer; Mas no.m viest ni.m despuoill Ab negun mal escuoil, Que celans e temens Et homils e sofrens Vos sui, ses cor leugier; E ditz el reprovier C'onratz bes mal refraing, Per c'a vos m'acompaing, Qe.il mal seignor avar Fant lor vassals baissar, E.l larcs enanss' ab dos Si e sos compaignos. De solatz e d'aver Es larg', e no.i fail res, Pros dompna, mas merces, E merce.us vuoill qerer, C'aprop la flor e.l fuoill Nais d'albre fruitz c'om cuoill, E merces nais breumens Apres valor e sens, Qui franchamen l'enquier; Et hom ja fai mainier D'un esparvier guilfaing, Et eu qe.us mi complaing Non puosc merce trobar, E Dieus cum poc formar Tantas bellas faissos Lai on merces non fos? Mala.m poc tant plazer Vostre gens cors cortes, Q'ieu pert d'autras mains bes, C'aissi.m deu escazer, Car per vos mi destuoill, Com a.n Gui d'Esiduoill, A cui fo sovinens La rein' entendens, Don la fad' el vergier Perdet; et eu sofier E veill e plor e plaing Per vos, e pens e.m laing Cum pogues conquistar, E degra.us gazaignar, Q'ie.n pert d'autras per vos Que m'agran faich joios. Bona dompna valens, Cortes' e conoissens, Non crezatz lausengier Ni jelos malparlier De mi, c'ab vos remaing; C'ad autra no.m complaing, Ni puosc mais dompn' amar, Mas servir et honrar Las vuoill totas per vos, Q'etz plus bell' e plus pros. Na Biatritz valens, Etz bella e plazens, E.us donon pretz entier Dompnas e cavallier E qui qe.us acompaing. A totz si cum lor taing Sabetz ben dir e far E.ls meillors mais honrar, E s'ieu dic ben de vos, Assatz n'ai compaignos. |
I never thought I'd see love grip me so that a woman would hold me so totally in her power; since against others' pride I'd pit pride, as is my habit, but beauty and youth and a gracious, pleasant body and the bright, pleasing talk of my Beautiful Knight have deprived me of my wildness; and a hard heart, when broken for love of a precious object, can love a lady better than a humble, excessively loving man who lusts after all women. My lady can have me, and no other can, for she is the most pleasing and because she has greater worth. And she is just as I would wish her, so that I wouldn't add or take anything away: charming and bright and pleasant, beautiful and attractive, and she has merit to perfection, and she is wise when necessary and silly when it's proper; she doesn't lack any good quality since by her deeds and her honour she makes everybody prize her, and the most valiant praise her since they best see in her good cause. And if she wants to keep me as she has promised me, I have done well in love; but my hope is too long deferred for I suffer from the desire that her beautiful eyes and smiling countenance stir in me; and if she yielded her pleasant body (which her advice moved me to seek), I would have won a superior fortune than Gauvain, for I remain at her mercy since she was pleased to concede that I could entreat her and love her in secret and compose my songs for her. God let me win her! may my right and faithfulness avail me, since I am entirely won myself, and can no longer resist her; and when a vassal welcomes in his stronghold the lord he owes obedience to, the latter performs no great deed in subduing him. Therefore, if my lady conquers me, who am, with my noble, truthful heart, hers, and if she breaks her truce with me, no gain can come from my loss, and she exposes herself to blame if I serve her without reward and she then takes advantage of my loss. Lady, one thing makes me fear that my pleasure shall not be achieved, and that is that I have climbed so high that I dread falling down; but I don't fall into temptation or reveal anything, but hiding and fearing, humble and suffering, I am yours, with unswerving heart; and the proverb says that an honourable good assuages the ill so I bind myself to you since evil, avaricious lords debase their vassals, while the generous exalt with gifts both themselves and their companions. Precious lady, you are liberal with entertainment and with wealth and don't lack anything but mercy, and it is mercy I want to ask you for, because after the flower and the leaf, the fruit that man picks is born on the tree, and compassion presently appears after worth and wisdom, if one seeks it earnestly; and one can even tame a rapacious goshawk, while I, who appeal to you, cannot find any mercy, and how could God shape so many beautiful features where no mercy is? Wretchedly could it appeal to me so much, your pleasant, kindly body, since I miss much favour from other women; and since I turn away for your sake, I must share the fate of Sir Gui of Excideuil, who remembered the amorous queen and therefore lost the fay in the bower; and I suffer and wake and weep and lament how I can win you and be able to gain you, while I miss, for your sake, others who would have made me happy. Good, worthy lady, courteous and wise, don't believe the gossip nor jealous slanderers when they mention me, who remain yours; since I do not bring my case to another nor can I love another lady, but I want to serve and honour all for the sake of you, who are the most beautiful and precious. Precious Dame Biatriz, beauty and delight are yours; ladies and knights, and whoever may be in your presence, can see it full well. To all, according to their due, you can say and do what's right and you honour the best even more, so that if I talk praisingly about you, I am in good company. |