Et Souvenirs, qui scet tous les secrés
Que Dous Pensers m’amenistre et envoie,
Dont en moy est empreins et figurez
Vos faitis corps et vo maniere quoie,
Vo dous, riant regarder,
Et vo douçour qui me fait aourer,
Vous que je voy par tout et a toute heure,
En lieu dou cuer, dame, qui vous demeure.

S’ay plus de joie et de douceur assez
Quant je les ay que de mon cuer n’aroie,
Car en tous cas sui d’Espoir confortez,
Et Souvenirs me moustre ou que je soie
Vo plaisant viaire cler,
Et s’aucuns griés me vient par desirer,
Tres Dous Pensers le destruit et deveure
En lieu dou cuer, dame, qui vous demeure.

II
Amis dolens, mas, et desconfortez,
Partez de moy et volez que je croie
Que vos cuers m’est tous entiers demourez.
Tres bien le croy, dont je ne vous porroie
Si biau don guerredonner,
Et vous peüsse a fin souhait donner
Quanque desirs en ce monde saveure
En lieu dou cuer, amis, qui me demeure,

Car il est vrais, fins, loiaus, et secrez,
Frans et gentis, ne dire ne saroie
La riche honneur dont il est coronnez,
Ne le haut bien. Si ne say tour ne voie
Comment peüsse finer
Dou remerir, mais je me vueil pener
Qu’a mon pooir vous conforte et sequeure
En lieu dou cuer, amis, qui me demeure.

Si vous promet qu’en foy serez amés
Par dessus tous sans ce que j’en recroie,
Et avec ce mon cuer enporterez,
Qui pour vous seul me guerpist et renoie.
Se le vueilliés bien garder
Et comme amy conjoïr et amer,
Car plus chier don n’ay dont je vous honneure
En lieu dou cuer, amis, qui me demeure.

III
Dame, par vous me sens reconfortez
De tous les griés que recevoir soloie.
Par vous sui hors de toutes orphentez.
Par vous ne puis riens sentir qui m’anoie.
Par vous m’estuet esperer
Quanque loiaus amis puet desirer,
C’est de mercy don s’en moy ne demeure
En lieu dou cuer, dame, qui vous demeure.

Dame, je sui par vous resuscitez,
En paradis mis d’enfer ou j’estoie,
De mes mortels paours asseürez,
Des grans doleurs garis que je sentoie.
Par vous est dous mon amer
Quant vostre amy me daingniez apeller,
Et, s’il vous plaist que joie en moy aqueure
En lieu dou cuer, dame, qui vous demeure.

Si seroie faus traïtres prouvez,
Douce dame, se je ne vous amoie
Tres loyaument, car tous mes biens est nés
De vostre bien, dont si fort me resjoie
Quant bele et bonne sans per,
Et des dames la flour vous oy nommer,
Que tendrement, de joie, en riant pleure
En lieu dou cuer, dame, qui vous demeure.

Along with Memory, who knows all the secret things
That Sweet Thought sends me and provides,
So that within me is imprinted and figured
Your lovely form and quiet manner,
Your sweet, smiling look,
And the graciousness that makes me adore you,
You whom I see everywhere and every minute of the day,
In place of the heart, lady, that remains with you.

So I dispose of more joy and sweetness that suffices
When I possess these secrets than I would receive from my heart,
For in every circumstance I am consoled by Hope,
And Memory images for me wherever I might be
Your pleasant, shining face,
And if any unpleasantness is mine on account of this desire,
So Sweet Thought erases and consumes it
In place of the heart, lady, that remains with you.

II
Lover, full of sorrow, beaten down, and disconsolate,
You take your leave and wish me to believe
That all your heart remains behind with me.
I believe this beyond question, and so I cannot requite
You with a gift as lovely as this one,
And yet in the end I might grant you the wish
To satisfy whatever desire in the world you might have
In place of the heart, lover, that remains with me,

For it is faithful, pure, loyal, and discreet,
Generous and noble, nor could I speak of
The rich honour that crowns it,
Nor the exalted good. So I do not know the way or means
How I might come in the end
To reward it, but I intend to take pains
To the best of my ability to comfort and assuage you
In place of the heart, lover, that remains with me.

And I promise that you are faithfully loved
Above all others and beyond any disavowal I might make,
And with this thought you will also take away my own heart,
Which for you alone leaves me and deserts me.
So please keep it well
And show it love and affection as if to a lover,
For I have no dearer gift with which to honour you
In place of the heart, lover, that remains with me.

III
My lady, I feel comforted by you
For all the miseries it has been my lot to experience.
Because of you I am free from all distress.
Because of you I feel nothing that troubles me.
Because of you I am compelled to hope
For whatever a faithful lover can desire,
Which is that bestowal of mercy that might remain within
In place of the heart, lady, that remains with you.

My lady, I am brought to life again by you,
Transported to paradise from the hell I formerly inhabited,
With my deadly fears all assuaged,
Healed of the terrible pains I once felt.
Because of you my bitter turned to sweet
The moment you deigned to call me your lover,
And, if you please, might joy be mine to gain
In place of the heart, lady, that remains with you.

And I would be proven a false traitor,
Sweet lady, if I did not love you
Very faithfully, for all my goods have their source
In your goodness, and so I take great joy
Whenever I hear you called beautiful
And virtuous, without a rival, the flower of all ladies,
Which makes me, smiling, weep tenderly
In place of the heart, lady, that remains with you.

English: R Barton Palmer © 2015