Nonques mes yex saouler
De regarder
Et remirer
Vo gente pourtraiture,
Ne pos ne mon cuer oster
D’ades penser
A vo vis cler,
Et a vo bonté pure.
Ce fait doubler,
Et embraser,
Et aviver
Par desirer
Mon amoureuse ardure.

Tuit mi penser
[Sont sans cesser
En vous amer
Et honnourer,
Tres douce creature.]

Mais, tant com porray durer,
La vueil porter,
Et endurer
Humblement, sans ardure.
Ne ja ne vous quier rouver
Guerredonner,
Ne demoustrer
Que je la tiengne a dure;
Car trop parler
Puet moult grever,
Et refuser
Feroit crever
Mon cuer de sa pointure.

Tuit mi penser
[Sont sans cesser
En vous amer
Et honnourer,
Tres douce creature.]

Si que, tres bele sans per,
Que voy passer
Et sormonter
Toute ouevre de Nature,
On ne me doit pas blasmer
Se mon penser
Ay sans fausser
Mis et toute ma cure
En vous loer,
En vous garder,
En vous celer,
En vous doubter,
Car c’est ma norriture.

Tuit mi penser
[Sont sans cesser
En vous amer
Et honnourer,
Tres douce creature.]

Guillaume de Machaut (c1300-1377)

Never are my eyes satisfied
With looking at
Or marvelling over
Your noble form,
Nor can my heart cease from
Thinking always
About your beautiful face,
And your pure beauty.
This multiplies,
And inflames,
And increases
Through desire
The burning I feel for you.

All my thoughts
Are without ceasing
About loving
And honouring you,
So sweet creature.

But, as long as I can last,
I want to bear it
And endure it
Humbly, without burning up.
Nor will I ever wish to seek
Reward from you,
Ever wish to make manifest
That I consider this to be harsh;
For speaking too much
Can make a lot of trouble,
And refusal
Works destruction
On my heart with his shaft.

All my thoughts
Are without ceasing
About loving
And honouring you,
So sweet creature.

And so, lady so beautiful without equal,
Whom I see surpassing
And eclipsing
Every work of Nature,
No one should blame me
If my thoughts
And all my affection
I have, intending no betrayal,
Devoted to praising you,
To protecting you,
To keeping your secrets,
To showing you respect,
For that’s what sustains me.

All my thoughts
Are without ceasing
About loving
And honouring you,
So sweet creature.

English: R Barton Palmer � 2016

Nonques mes yeus saouler
De regarder
Et remirer
Vo gente pourtraiture
Ne pos, ne mon cuer oster
D’adès penser
A vo vis cler
Et a vo bonté pure.

Ce fait doubler
Et embraser
Et aviver
Par desirer
Mon amoureuse ardure.

Mais, tant com porray durer,
La vueil porter
Et endurer
Humblement, sans laidure.
Ne ja ne vous quier rouver
Guerredonner,
Ne demoustrer
Que je la tiengne a dure;

Car trop parler
Puet moult grever,
Et refuser
Feroit crever
Mon cuer de sa pointure.

Si que, tres belle sans per,
Que voy passer
Et sormonter
Toute oeuvre de Nature,
On ne me doit pas blasmer,
Se mon penser
Ay sans fausser
Mis et toute ma cure

En vous loer,
En vous garder,
En vous celer,
En vous douter,
Car c’est ma norreture.

Never could I sate my eyes
with seeing
and beholding
your fair portrait,
nor stop my heart
from always thinking
of your radiant face
and your pure goodness.

This doubles
and enflames
and arouses
with desire
my amorous longing.

But as long as I may live
I will bear
and endure this longing
humbly, without reproach.
And I will never ask you
for reward,
Nor let it show
that I find it hard to bear;

for too much talking
may do much harm,
and your refusal
would break
my heart with its sting.

So that, most beautiful and peerless lady,
whom I see surpass
and excell
all the works of Nature,
I ought not be to blamed
if, without deceit,
I have devoted my thoughts
and all my concern

to praising you,
to protecting you,
to keeping your identity secret,
to fearing you,
for this is my sustenance.

English: Stephen Haynes � 1983