Volez oir la muse Muset?
En mai fu fete, un matinet,
en un vergier flori, verdet,
au point du jour,
ou chantoient cil oiselet
par grant baudour.
Et j’alai fere un chapelet
en la verdor.
Je le fis bel et cointe et net
et plain de flor.
Une dancele
avenant at mult bele
gente pucele,
bouchete riant,
qui mi rapele:
«Viens ça!» me dist ele,
«Si me viele
ta muse en chantant?»
tant mignotement.

J’alai a li el praelet
atout la vïele et l’archet.
Si li ai chanté le muset
par grant amour:
«J’ai mis mon cuer en si bon cuer
Espris d’Amours …»
Et quant je vi son chief blondet
et sa color
et son gent cors amoreuset
et si d’ator,
mon cuer sautele
pour la damoisele.
Mult renouvele
ma joie souvent.
Ele ot gounele
de drap de Castele
qui restencele.
Douz Deus, je l’aim tant
de cuer loiaument!

Quant j’oi devant li vïelé
pour avoir s’amour et son gré,
elle m’a bien guerredoné,
soe merci,
d’un besier a ma volenté,
Deus! que j’aim si!
Et autre chose m’a donné
com son ami
que j’avoie tant desirré.
Or m’est meri!
Plus sui en joie
que je ne soloie,
quant cele est moie
que je tant desir.
Je n’en prendroie
n’avoir ne mounoie,
pour riens que voie
ne m’en qier partir;
ançois vueil morir.

Or a Colin Muset musé
et s’a a devise chanté
pour la bele au vis coloré,
de cuer joli.
Maint bon morsel li a doné
gel vous affi
et de bon vin fort a son gré,
et departi.
Ensi a son siecle mené
jusques ici.
Oncor dognoie
en chantant maine joie,
mult se cointoie,
qu’Amors veut servir,
si a grant joie
el vergier ou dognoie,
bien se conroie.
Bon vin fet venir
trestout a loisir.

Colin Muset (fl c1200-1250)

Do you want to hear Muset’s muse?
It happened one morning in May,
in a flowery green garden
at daybreak,
where the birds were singing
with great gusto.
And I went to make a garland
of the greenery.
I made it pretty and elegant and nice
and full of flowers.
A young lady
approaching and very beautiful,
a sweet maiden
with a smiling mouth
called me:
‘Come here!’ she said to me,
‘Will you play the fiddle
singing your music for me?’
so sweetly.

I went to her in the meadow
with the fiddle and bow.
With great love
I sang her my piece:
‘I’ve put my heart in such good heart,
Kindled by love.’
And when I saw her blonde head
and her rosy complexion,
and her sweet lovely body,
so well adorned,
my heart leapt
for the young lady.
My joy was greatly
and swiftly renewed.
She wore a tunic
of cloth of Castille
which shimmered.
Sweet God, I love her so much
with loyal heart!

When I’d played my fiddle for her
to have her love and goodwill,
she rewarded me well,
[with] her thanks
with a kiss just as I wished.
God! How I love her so much!
And she gave me another thing
as unto a lover,
which I’d desired so much.
Now I had been truly rewarded!
And I was happier
than I was used to being,
when that lady whom I desired so much
was truly mine.
I would take no money
or anything from her [for my music].
I didn’t want her to leave
for anything in the world,
rather I’d have wanted to die.

Since then, Colin Muset has made music
and sung skilfully in his own manner
for the lovely lady with the rosy
complexion and with a full heart.
She has given him many a tasty morsel
I assure you,
and good wine, just as he wishes.
But then she left [him].
And thus he has lived his life
until now.
Although he’s given
so much joy by singing,
he’s often told how
he’d like to serve Love,
if (to his great joy)
the garden where he sings
were well prepared.
Good wine makes
everything possible.