Domna, pos vos ay chausida, faz me bel semblan, q’ieu suy a tota ma vida a vostre coman.
A vostre coman seray a totz los jors de ma via, e ja de vos non partray per degun’ autra que sia. Que Erecs non amet Henida tan, ni Yseutz Tristan, con yeu vos, domna grasida, qu’ieu am sens engan.
Lady, since I have chosen you, be gracious to me, for all my life I am at your command.
I will be at your command all the days of my life, and will never leave you for any other. For Erec did not love Enide, nor Iseut Tristan, as much as I do you, gracious lady, whom I love without deceit.
Onques n’amai tant que jou fui amee. Or m’en repenc, se ce peüst valoir, Q’Amours m’avoit au meillour assenee Pour toute hounour et toute joie avoir, Et au plus bel de toute la contree; Mais ore a il autrui s’amour dounee, Qui volentiers a soi l’a retenu. Lasse! pour koi fui je de mere nee! Par mon orguel ai mon ami perdu. Si me doint Dieus d’amours longe duree, Que je l’amai de cuer sans decevoir Qant me disoit k’iere de li amee, Mais n’en osai ains descouvrir le voir: Des medisans doutoie la noumee. Biau sire Dieus, baisie et acolee M’eüst sans plus s’amour dounee, Si m’eüst bien tous li siecles veü! Or m’a Amours malement assenee Qant çou que j’aim fait a une autre avoir, Ne ne m’en laist retraire ma pensee, Ne si n’en puis soulas ne joie avoir. Lasse! l’amour que tant li ai veee Li sera ja otroiie et dounee— Mais tart l’ai dit, car je l’ai ja perdu. Or me convient amer sans estre amee, Car trop ai tart mon felon cuer vaincu.
Richart de Fournival (1201-1260)
I never loved as much as I was loved. Now I repent, for all the good that may do; for Love had assigned me to the best one of all, for my great honour and my great joy, to the most handsome in all the land; but now he has given his love to another, who has willingly accepted him. Alas! why was I ever born? Through my pride I have lost my love. God grant me lasting love, for I loved him truly without deceit when he told me I was his love, but I dared not let the truth be known; I feared the slanderers’ scandal. Dear God, if he had kissed and embraced me and lain with me, if only he had granted me his love, I would not have cared if all the world had seen me. Now Love has undone me by giving him I love to another, and will not let me stop thinking about him, so I can have no solace or joy. Alas! the love I denied him so long will be his for ever— but I say so too late, for I have lost him. Now I must love without being loved, for too late I have conquered my cruel heart.
A chantar m’er de so qu’ieu non voIria, tant me rancur de lui cui sui amia, car ieu l’am mais que nuilla ren que sia; vas lui no.m val merces ni cortesia, ni ma beltatz ni mos pretz ni mos sens, c’atressi.m sui enganad’ e trahia com degr’ esser, s’ieu fos desavinens.
D’aisso.m conort car anc non fi faillenssa, amics, vas vos per nuilla captenenssa, anz vos am mais non fetz Seguis Valenssa; e platz me mout quez eu d’amar vos venssa, lo mieus amics, car etz lo plus valens; mi faitz orguoill en ditz et en parvenssa, e si etz francs vas totas autras gens.
Be.m meravill com vostre cors s’orguoilla, amics, vas me, per qu’ai razon qu’ieu.m duoilla; non es ges dreitz c’autr’ amors vos mi touilla per nuilla ren que.us diga ni acuoilla; e membre vos cals fo.l comenssamens de nostr’ amor! ja Domnedieus non vuoilla qu’en ma colpa sia.l departimens.
Proesa grans qu’el vostre cors s’aizina e lo rics pretz qu’avetz m’en ataïna, c’una non sai, loindana ne vezina, si vol amar, vas vos non si’aclina; mas vos, amics, etz ben tant conoissens que ben devetz conoisser la plus fina: e membre vos de nostres covinens.
Valer mi deu mos pretz e mos paratges, e ma beltatz e plus mos fis coratges, per qu’ieu vos mand lai on es vostr’ estatges esta chansson que me sia messatges; ieu vuoill saber, lo mieus bels amics gens, per que vos m’etz tant fers ni tant salvatges; non sai si s’es orguoills o mal talens.
Mas aitan plus vuoill li digas, messatges, qu’en trop d’orguoill ant grant dan maintas gens.
La Comtesse de Die (fl1190?-1190)
I must sing of that which I would rather not, so bitter I am towards him who is my love: for I love him more than anyone; my kindness and courtesy make no impression on him, nor my beauty, my virtue or my intelligence; so I am deceived and betrayed, as I should be if I were unattractive.
One thing consoles me: that I have never wronged you, my love, by my behaviour towards you; indeed I love you more than Sequin loved Valensa; and I am glad that my love is greater than yours, my love, since you are the more worthy; you are haughty towards me in your words and your demeanour, yet you are friendly to everybody else.
I am amazed how disdainful you have grown, my love, towards me, which gives me good reason to grieve; it is not right that another love should take you away from me, whatever she may say to attract you; and remember how our love began; God forbid that I should be to blame for our parting.
The great prowess which you have and your fine reputation worry me, for I know no woman, near or far, who would not turn to you, if she were inclined to love; but you, my love, are discerning enough to know who loves you most truly; and remember the agreement we made.
My reputation and my noble birth should sway you, and my beauty, and above all my faithful heart; therefore I send to you where you dwell this song to be my messenger; I want to know, my noble love, why you are so haughty and disdainful towards me; I do not know whether it is pride or malice.
But most of all I want you to tell him, messenger, that excess of pride has been the downfall of many.
Lasse, pour quoi refusai Celui qui tant m’a amee? Lonc tens a a moi muse Et n’i a merci trouvee. Lasse, si tres dur cuer ai! Qu’en dirai? Forssenee Fui, plus que desvee, Quant le refusai. G’en ferai Droit a son plesir, S’il m’en daigne oïr. Certes, bien me doi clamer Et lasse et maleüree Quant cil ou n’a point d’amer, Fors grant douçor et rousee, Tant doucement me pria Et n’i a Recouvree Merci; forssenee Fui quant ne l’amai. G’en ferai … Bien deüst avoir trouvé Merci quant l’a demandée; Certes, mal en ai ouvré Quant je la li ai vëee; Mult m’a mis en grant esmai. G’en morrai, S’acordee Sanz grant demoree A lui ne serai. G’en ferai … A touz ceus qui l’ont grevé Dont Deus si fort destinee Q’il aient les euz crevez Et les orilles coupees! Ensi ma dolor perdrai. Lors dirai: Genz desvee, Ma joie est doublee, Et se mesfet ai, G’en ferai … Chançon, va sanz delaier A celui qui tant m’agree. Pour Dieu li pri et reqier Viengne a moi sanz demoree. En sa merci me metrai, Tost avrai Pes trouvee, Se il li agree, Car je trop mal trai. G’en ferai …
Alas, why did I refuse him who loved me so? He desired me for a long time and found no mercy in me. Alas! I am so hard-hearted! What can I say? Senseless I was, more than mad, when I refused him. I will make amends as he wishes, if he will deign to hear me. I must indeed call myself wretched and unfortunate, since he in whom there is no bitterness, only great sweetness and dewy freshness, begged me so sweetly and did not find mercy; senseless I was not to love him. I will make … He ought to have found mercy when he asked for it; indeed I did wrong to refuse him: he has put me in great torment. I will die if I am not reconciled to him without delay I will make … To all who have wronged him may God give such misfortune that they have their eyes put out and their ears cut off! This will ease my grief, Then I will say: foolish people, my joy is doubled, and if I have done wrong I will make … Song, go at once to him who pleases me so. Tell and beg him for God’s sake to come to me without delay. I will put myself at his mercy. I will soon make peace, if that is his wish, for I suffer so much. I will make …