Au novel tens pascor, quant florist l’aubespine,
Esposa li cuens Guis la bien faite Argentine.
Tant furent bonement braz et braz sor cortine
Que six bels fiz en out; puis li mostra haïne
Por ceu que melz ama sa pucele Sabine.
Qui covent a a mal mari
Sovent en a lo cuer marri.

«Sabine», dist li cuens, «vostre cors m’atalente.
Vostre amor vos requier, la moie vos presente,
Et se vos m’en failliez mis m’avez en tormente.»
Et la bele respont: «Ja, Dex ne lo consente
Q’en soignantage soit usee ma jovente.»
Qui covent a a mal mari
Sovent en a lo cuer marri.

Tant a li cuens promis et doné a la bele,
Que il li ait tolu lo douz non de pucele:
Totes ses volentez fait de la damoisele.
Argente s’aperçoit. Son seignor en apele.
Por pou que ne li part li cuers soz la mamele.
Qui covent a a mal mari
Sovent en a lo cuer marri.

La dame en sospirant a mostré son corage:
«Sire, por Deu merci! Trop m’avez en viltage
Que devant moi tenez amie en soignantage.
Si me mervoil por coi me faites tel hontage,
Kar onques en moi n’out folie ne outrage.»
Qui covent a a mal mari
Sovent en a lo cuer marri.

«Argente, bien avez vostre raison mostree.
Sor les euz vos comant que vuidiez ma contree.
Et gardez que n’i soit seüe vo rentree!
Car se vos i estiez veüe n’encontr[e]e,
Maintenant en seroit la vostre vie outreie.»
Qui covent a a mal mari
Sovent en a lo cuer marri.

La dame al duel qu’ele at est chaiie sovine.
Quant se pot redracier dolente s’achemine,
Del cuer va sospirant et de plorer ne fine.
Les larmes de son cuer corrent de tel ravine
Que ses mantiax en muelle et ses bliauz d’ermine.
Qui covent a a mal mari
Sovent en a lo cuer marri.

Audefroi le Bastart (fl1190-1230)

In the new season of Spring, when the hawthorn flowers,
Count Gui married the beautiful Argentine.
They were so well in one another’s arms under the bed-curtain
that he had six fair sons of her; then he began to be hostile to her
because he loved his maid Sabine better.
Whoever is wed to a bad husband
often has a sad heart.

‘Sabine’, says the Count, ‘I desire you.
I beseech you for your love: I offer you mine.
And if you deny me in this you will put me in torment.’
The fair one replies: ‘God forbid
that my youth be spent as a concubine.’
Whoever is wed to a bad husband
often has a sad heart.

The count has promised so much and made such gifts to the fair one,
that he has taken from her the sweet name of maiden:
he does all that he wishes with the young girl.
Argentine learns of it. She calls her lord to account.
Her heart in her breast almost bursts.
Whoever is wed to a bad husband
often has a sad heart.

The lady, sighing, shows what is in her heart:
‘Sire, for the love of God, have mercy! You have too much contempt
for me that you keep a concubine in front of my very eyes.
I marvel why you do me this shame,
for there has never been wantonness or excess in me.’
Whoever is wed to a bad husband
often has a sad heart.

‘Argentine, you have made yourself very clear.
I command you, by your eyes, to leave my land.
Be sure that you are never known to return!
For if you are seen or encountered here,
your life will be over forthwith.’
Whoever is wed to a bad husband
often has a sad heart.

For the sadness that she feels the lady has fallen to the floor.
When she is able to arise she sadly goes her way,
sighing in her heart, and does not cease to weep.
The tears of her heart flow in such a flood
that they soak her clothes and her ermine tunic.
Whoever is wed to a bad husband
often has a sad heart.