Portas urbis et postes
Tue munis, ne hostes
Urbem populentur:
Mundus, demon et caro,
Morsu quorum amaro
Plurimi mordentur.

Mitra que caput cingit
Bino cornu depingit
Duo testamenta,
Que mitrifer habere
Debet tamquam cincere
Mentis ornamenta.

Et quoniam imbutus
Et totus involutus
Es imprelibatis,
Ferre mittram est digna
Tua cervix, ut signa
Sint equa signatis.

Curam gerens populi,
Vis ut queant singuli
Vagos proficere.
Prima parte baculi
Attrahere;

Parte quidem alia
Que est intermedia,
Morbidos regere;
Lentos parte tercia
Scis pungere.

Oves predicamine
Et cum conversamine
Pascis laudabili,
Demum erogamine
Sensibili.

Det post hoc exilium
Huic Rex actor omnium,
Qui parcit humili,
Stabile dominium
Pro labili.

motetus:
Bone pastor, qui pastores
Ceteros vincis per mores
Et per genus,
Et per fructum studiorum,
Tollentem mentes ymorum
Celo tenus.

O Guillerme, te decenter
Ornatum: Rex qui potenter
Cuncta regit,
Sue domus ad decorem
Remensium in pastorem
Preelegit.

Elegit te, vas honestum,
Vas insigne,
De quo nichil sit egestum
Nisi digne;
Dedit te, vas speciale,
Sibi Regi;
Dedit te, vas generale,
Suo gregi.

tenor:
Bone pastor.

Guillaume de Machaut (c1300-1377)

You guard the gates and doorposts
Of your city, so these enemies
Might not destroy the city:
The world, the devil, and the flesh,
By whose bitter bite
Many are stricken.

The mitre that encircles your head
Signifies with its double horns
The two testaments,
Which he who bears the mitre
Must possess as ornaments
Of a pure mind.

And since you are imbued with
And totally enveloped
By purity,
Your head is worthy to bear
The mitre, so that the signs
Equal what is signified.

In bearing the burden of the people’s care,
You express the wish that individuals strive
To help those who have gone astray.
With the first part of your staff
You know how to attract;

With that other part
Which is in the middle, you know
How to guide those ravaged by sickness;
And with the third part
How to spur on the slothful.

You feed your sheep with sermons
And with discourse
That is praiseworthy,
And in the end
With sensible gifts.

After this exile here
May the King, who brings about all things,
And who spares the humble,
Give him a stable dominion
In place of this unsteady one.

motetus:
Good shepherd, you who surpass
The other shepherds by your morals
And by your descent,
And by the fruit of your studies,
Lifting the minds of those laid low
Up to heaven.

Oh you, Guillermus, so fittingly adorned:
The King who powerfully
Ordains all things
Has, especially, chosen you
To grace His house as shepherd
Of the people of Reims.

He chose you, as an honourable vessel,
As a pre-eminent vessel,
From which nothing should be poured
If it be not worthy;
He gave you, as a special vessel,
To Himself, the King;
He gave you, as a general vessel,
To his flock.

tenor:
Good shepherd.

English: R Barton Palmer