triplum
Everyone who would attend
To loving well
Must follow reason and
Be inclined, for that’s proper,
Toward what his heart
Feels, if he is to have what’s good;
Such is the case with my own heart,
Formed by Nature,
And quite willing therefore
To pay obeisance to Nature,

As well as to the one who stung me
With a malicious sting,
In that she takes no pity at all
On the pain I endure,
Which makes me languish
With desire, whenever I gaze
Upon the sweet shape
Of her so gracious face,
Which stole my heart
And set it to burning;

And even though Love has made me
Suffer the bite
Of her grievous pains, despite my having
Not failed or gone wrong at all,
I shall never cease from seeking help
For my griefs
From my lady pure,
For I should certainly receive mercy
In proportion to how I’ve served her;
On that I rely,

And on the truth of what’s said about such things:
Better it is through pleading to remain in joy
Than to languish unceasingly
By keeping too long silent and then to die.

motetus
From my sighing, suffering heart
I complain, and so should I do,
For, just when I found the courage
To speak of my great pain,
I must hold my peace about it.
Thus I am caught in gazing upon her;
And because I am so fearful of
Refusal, who does not intend to please me,
And of Resistance, my adversary,
Who attacks me with such fierceness
That I must beat a retreat from love:
Either I’ll have mercy coming soon
From my lady nobly born,
Or, languishing, I will expire.

tenor
I sigh.

English: R Barton Palmer © 2016