| LE GRAND TESTAMENT - CXXVI-CXXXIX | THE TESTAMENT - CXXVI-CXXXIX |
| François Villon | tr. Peter Dean |
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CXXVI Item, vueil que le jeune Marle Desormaiz gouverne mon change, Car de changer enviz me mesle, Pourveu que tousjours baille en change, Soit a privé soit a estrange, Pour troys escus six brectes targes, Pour deux angelotz ung grant ange, Car amans doivent estre larges. CXXVII Item, j'ay sceu en ce voyaige Que mes troys povres orphelins Sont creuz et deviennent en aage Et n'ont pas tetes de belins, Et qu'enffants d'icy a Salins N'a mieulx saichant leur tour d'escolle. Or, par l'ordre des Mathelins, Telle jeunesse n'est pas folle. CXXVIII Sy vueil qu'ilz voisent a l'estude; Ou? sur maistre Pierre Richier. Le Donat est pour eulx trop rude, Ja ne les y vueil empescher; Ilz sauront, je l'ayme plus cher, Ave salus, tiby decus, Sans plus grans lettres enserichier: Tousjours n'ont pas clercs l'au dessus. CXXIX Cecy estudiënt, et ho! Plus proceder je leur deffens. Quant d'entendre la grant Credo, Trop forte elle est pour telz enffans. Mon grand tabart en long je fens, Sy vueil que la moictié s'en vende Pour eulx en acheter des flans, Car jeunesse est ung peu friande. CXXX Sy vueil qu'ilz soient informez En meurs, quoy que couste basture. Chapperons aront enformez Et les poulces sur la sainture, Humbles a toute creature, Disans: "Han? Quoy? Il n'en est rien!" Si diront gens, par adventure: "Vecy enffants de lieu de bien!" CXXXI Item, a mes povres clergons, Ausquelz mes tiltres resigné - Beaulx enfans et droiz comme joncs Les voyant m'en dessaisiné -, Sans recevoir leur assigné, Seur comme qui l'aroit en paulme, A ung certain jour consigné, Sur l'ostel de Gueuldry Guillaume. CXXXII Quoy que jeunes et esbatans Soiënt, en riens ne me desplaist: Dedens trente ans ou quarante ans Bien autres seront, se Dieu plaist! Il fait mal qui ne leur complest; Ilz sont tres beaulx enfans et gens, Et qui les bat ne fïert fol est, Car enffans si deviennent gens. CXXXIII Les bources des Dix et Huit Clers Aront, je m'y vueil traveillier; Pas ilz ne dorment comme loirs, Qui troys moys sont sans resveillier. Auffort, triste est le sommeillier, Qui fait aise jeune en jeunesse, Tant qu'en fin lui faille veillier Quant reposer deust en viellesse. CXXXIV Sy en rescriptz au collateur Lettres semblables et parreilles; Or prient pour leur bien faicteur Ou qu'on leur tire les orreilles! Aucunes gens ont grans merveilles Que tant m'encline vers ces deulx, Mais, foy que doy festes et veilles, Oncques ne vy les meres d'eulx. CXXXV Item, donne a Michault Cul d'Ou Et a sire Charlot Tarrenne Cent solz - s'ilz demandent: "Prins ou?" Ne leur chaille, ilz vendront de manne - Et une houlse de basenne, Autant empeigne que semelle, Pourveu qu'ilz me salueront Jehanne, Et autant une autre comme elle. CXXXVI Item, au seigneur de Grigny, Auquel jadiz lessay Vissextre, Je donne la tour de Billy, Pourveu, se huys y a ne fenestre Qui soit ne debout ne en estre, Qu'il mecte tres bien tout a point; Face argent a destre et senestre, Il m'en fault et il n'en a point. CXXXVII Item, a Thibault de la Garde .. Thibault? je mens; il a nom Jehan, Que luy donrai ge que ne perde? - Assez j'ay perdu tout cest an, Dieu y vueille pourvoir, amen! - Le Barillet? Par m'ame, voire, Genevoys est plus ancïen Et plus beau nez a pour y boire. CXXXVIII Item, je donne a Basennier, Noctaire et greffïer criminel, De giroffle plain ung pannier Prins sur maistre Jehan de Rüeil, Tant a Mautaint, tant a Rosnel, Et, avec ce dont de girofle, Servir de cueur gent et ysnel Le seigneur qui sert saint Christofle, CXXXIX Auquel ceste ballade donne Pour sa dame, qui tous bien a. S'Amour ainsi tous ne guerdonne, Je ne m'esbays de cela, Car au pas conquester l'ala Que tint Regnier, roi de Cecille, Ou si bien fist et peu parla C'onques Hector fist ne Troïlle. |
CXXVI Item, young Merle it is I wish to take on all my exchange duties - not altogether my kind of dish - so long as he just as acute is with friend or stranger when he swaps six bretons for two ecus or three, or an angel for angelets (they’re tops!): lovers should be generous and free. CXXVII Item, on this journey I saw my three poor orphans now are grown and of an age, but what is more they do not have dumb heads of bone. Between here and Salins among the kids there’s none learned better from being at school. By the Order of Mathurins this bids to prove a youth spent thus no fool. CXXVIII It seems they’re ready now for learning more. But where? With Peter Richier the Donatus would be a bore and going forward’s what I say. They shall know - and I love it better - Ave Salus, tibi decus; that’s far enough as learning’s debtor. Not always can scholars be seekers. CXXIX Thus far they study, then - Hey-ho! - further proceeding I forbid. Getting your brains around the Credo is much too hard for such a kid. I’ll split my long cloak at the waist and raise a quid or two on these to buy them something to their taste: young people can be hard to please. CXXX I’ll have good manners even if that’s clips round the ear or some punch felt; they’ll have to learn to touch their hats and tuck their thumbs under their belt; humble to everyone they meet, saying: "Uh? What? O.K. No sweat!" Then there’s a chance folks will repeat: "There’s some kids who’re well brought up yet!" CXXXI Item, to my poor little clerks, the ones to whom my titles passed - handsome, upstanding lads, bright sparks - seeing them has left me aghast: for not yet having had their dues may they no longer have to wait since, being assigned, there’s no excuse: the rent from William Gueldry’s estate! CXXXII Although they’re young and mettlesome there’s nothing about them that freaks me: thirty or forty years’ll drum some sense into ‘em - God will see. He does wrong who’s not easy on ‘em: they’re well-behaved and gentle lads; only the mad would bash and con ‘em, since kids become folks as lads has dads! CXXXIII The Eighteen Clerks shall have their pay: I’ll work myself to reach that goal, so that they’ll not sleep every day like dormice, three months in their hole. In truth, such drowsiness is sad - it carries off the young with ease, whereas no rest is to be had in age: it answers not their pleas. CXXXIV May the Collator too retrieve letters I’ve written like these here: a patron should their thanks receive or they get a clip round the ear. Some folks I know are mystified by how much I support these two, but, feast or vigil - God me guide - there’s never a mother there on view. CXXXV Item, I give Michault Culdoe and to Sire Charlot Taranne, too, a hundred sous. They want to know where from? Don’t hedge! Out of the blue! A pair of sheepskin boots, stout made of hide that to tops and soles extends; provided my respects to Jeanne are paid along with another of her friends. CXXXVI Item, I leave to Grigny’s lord, to whom I left Bicetre before, the Billy Tower if it’s restored, in places where window or door is either broken or destroyed, back to its previous condition. That cash should flow one can’t avoid. I’ve none: the same as his position. CXXXVII Item, to Thibault of the Guard ... Thibault? I lie! His name is John. What shall I give him I can discard with ease? This year so much has gone! May God provide! I say amen. That’s it! The Little Cask will do; though Genevais is older, then again, he’s got the better nose to drink it, too. CXXXVIII Item, I give Bassanier (notary, criminal clerk - no fool), a basketful of cloves that they have taken from Jehan de Ruel: to Mautaint and Rosnel the same and with this gift of cloves show they’ve got humble hearts to serve his fame - that Lord who’s St. Godolphin’s slave. CXXXIX This ballad him I dedicate, in honour of his lady fair. He has the lot. Love does not wait on all, I know, with equal share: for he acquired her in the lists that Reguier, King of Sicily, held; won not with words but by his fists and Hector Troilus-like excelled. |
Trans. Copyright © Peter Dean 2003