| prosody | miscellaneous |
Truan, mala guerra Sai volon comensar Domnas d'esta terra E vilas contrafar: En plan o en serra Volon ciutat levar Ab tors, Quar tan pueia l'onors De leis que sotzterra Lur pretz e.l sieu ten car, Qu'es flors De totas las melhors, Na Biatritz; car tan lur es sobreira Qu'encontra lieis faran totas senheira E guerr' e fuec e fum e polvereira. La ciutatz s'ajosta E fan murs e fossatz; Domnas, ses somosta, I venon de totz latz, Si que pretz lur costa E jovens e beutatz. E pes Que.l filha del marques N'aura manta josta, Car a conques en patz Totz bes E totz bos aibs cortes; E car es pros e franch' e de bon aire Non estara plus en patz que sos paire, Que tornatz es a lansar et a traire. Domnas de Versilha Volon venir en l'ost, Sebeli e Guilha E na Riqueta tost, La mair' e la filha D'Amsiza, can que cost; Ades Ven de Lenta n'Agnes E de Ventamilha Na Guilhelm' a rescost. Empres Er la ciutatz en pes. De Canaves i ven molt gran companha, De Toscana, e domnas de Romanha, Na Tomazin' e.l domna de Soranha. Engles e Garsenda E Palmeir' e n'Auditz, N'Aud' e na Berlenda, N'Agnes e n'Eloitz, Volon que lur renda Joven na Biatritz; Si no, Las domnas de Ponso En querran esmenda. E lai part Mon Senitz Somo La ciutatz Contesso, Qu'ades guerrei leis qu'es tan bon' e bella, Que sos gens cors tol a la Damizella E a totas color fresqu' e novella. Maria la Sarda E.l domna de sant Jortz, Berta e.l Bastarda Mandon tot lur esfortz, Que joves Lombarda Non rest de sai los portz. E sai Qu'a na Biatritz plai, Quar lurs reiregarda Non pot esser tan fortz Qu'esglai Lo sieu fin pretz verai. Donan lur senh, cavalcon ab gran joia; Fag an ciutat et an li mes nom Troia: Poestat fan de midons de Savoia. La ciutatz se vana De far ost en arrenc, E sona.l campana, E lo vielhs comuns venc, E ditz per ufana Que chascuna desrenc; Pueis ditz Que.l bela Biatritz Estai sobeirana De so que.l comuns tenc: Aunitz N'es totz e desconfitz. Trompas sonon e la poestatz cria: "Demandem li beutat e cortezia, Pretz e joven", e totas cridon: "Sia!" La ciutatz se vueia E movon lur carros, E.l vielhs comuns pueia E gieton en lur dos Coirassas de trueia Ab que cobron lurs os; Gambais An et arcs e carcais, E non temon plueia, Ni mals temps no lur nos. Ueimais Veirem de grans assais. De totas partz comenson a combatre; Na Biatritz cuidan de pretz abatre, Mas non lur val, s'eran per una quatre. Per los murs a fendre Fan engenhs e castels, E calabres tendre, Gossas e manganels, Fuec grezesc acendre, E fan volar cairels; De jos Traucan murs ab bossos. Per tal no.s vol rendre Lo sieus joves cors bels, Joios, Faz de bellas faissos. Totas cridan: "Ajuda, tras l'esponda!" L'un' a l'altra; la tersa ten la fronda, E trazon tug li genh a la reonda. Na Biatritz monta E va.s de pretz garnir: Ausberc ni porponta Non vol, e vai ferir Sel' ab cui s'afronta, Que pres es de morir; E jonh Et abat pres e lonh. Fait a tanta jonta Que l'ost fai desconfir; Pueis ponh Tant que.l carros desjonh. Tanta n'a prez' e derrocad' e morta Que.l vielhs comuns s'esmai' e.s desconorta, Si qu'a Troia l'enclaus dedinz la porta. Na Biatritz, be.m plai quar es estorta A las vielhas, que.l vostres gens cors porta Pretz e joven, c'a lor proeza morta. Bels Cavaliers, vostr' amors mi conorta E.m dona joi e m'alegr' e.m deporta, Quant autra gens s'esmai' e.s desconorta. |
I know that the ladies of this country want to start a wretched, evil war in the peasants' manner: in the plains or in the highland they want to raise a city with towers, so highly placed is the honour of the one who buries their worth, and dearly prizes her own, she who is the flower of all the best women, Dame Biatriz; because she is so superior to them that they will all raise their standards, and war and fire and smoke and dust against her. The citizens assemble and build walls and trenches; ladies, without summons, concur there from all sides: what's at stake is their worth, youth and beauty. And I think that the marquis' daughter will have her share of jousts, since she has won, during peaceful times, all virtues and all good courtly qualities; and since she is precious and earnest and of high breeding, she won't remain peaceful longer than her father, who has reverted to the lance and the bow. Ladies from Versilia want to join the host, Sebeli and Guilha and, soon, Dame Riqueta; the mother and the daughter from Incisa, cost what it may; now Dame Agnes come from Lenta and from Ventimiglia, in secret, Dame Wilhelmina. Soon the city will be erect. A very large company comes from the Canavese, from Tuscany, and ladies from Romagna, Dame Thomasina and the lady of Soragna. Engles and Garsenda and Palmyra and Dame Auditz, Dame Alda and Dame Berlenda, Dame Agnes and Dame Eloitz, insist to get back youth from Dame Biatritz; otherwise, the lady of Ponzone will demand from her reparation. And there, beyond Moncenisio, the city calls the Young Countess forth to presently wage war to her who is so fair and virtuous that her pleasant body robs the Young Lady and everybody of their fresh and youthful colour. Maria the Sardinian and the Lady of San Giorgio, Berta and Bastarda call together all their forces, so that no young woman from Lombardy idles, from here to the borders. And I know that it pleases Dame Biatritz, because their rear-guard can't be so strong as to overwhelm her true and precious worth. They give their signal, they ride with great enthusiasm; they have made their city, and named it Troy: as mayor, they elect my Lady of Savoy. The city boasts it will form an army in battle array, and the bell sounds, and the old commune comes, and arrogantly says that everyone should march forward; then it says that the beautiful Beatritz now reigns over what the commune owned: therefore it is utterly dshonoured and defeated. The trumpets sounds, and the mayor cries: "We demand beauty and pleasant ways, worth and youth", and all cry "So be it!". The city is emptied and they move their chariots; and the old commune mounts and they throw on their backs armours of pigskin with which they cover their bones; they have jerkins and bows and quivers, and they don't fear the rain nor does bad weather harm them. Finally, we shall see great assaults. They start fighting from all sides; they purpose to abate Dame Biatritz from her worth, but they don't succeed, even if they were four to each defender. In order to crack the walls, they make engines and siege-towers, and stretch catapults, bitches and mangonels, they light Greek fire, and they let bolts fly; below, they breach the walls with battering rams. In spite of this, she won't surrender her young, beautiful body, pleasant, and shaped of beautiful features. They all cry: "Up and across the barriers!" to each other; and a third holds the sling, and all around all the engines fire. Dame Biatritz mounts and goes deck herself with worth: she refuses hauberk and doublet, and goes strike the ones she confronts, who are about to die; she attacks and fells those near and far. She has sown so much dismay that she confounds the enemy; then she spurs until the chariot is torn asunder. So many has she captured, dismounted and killed that the old commune is dismayed and disheartened, so that it locks itself inside the doors of Troy. Dame Biatritz, I am glad you escaped the old ladies, for your pleasant body carries worth and youth, and has slain their prowess. Beautiful Knight, your love comforts me and gives me joy and gladdens me and delights me, while other people are dismayed and disheartened. |