| SIRVENTES | A PRISONER, ONE DISPOSSESSED ... |
| Raimbaut de Vaqueiras | trans. James H. Donalson (from Provençal) |
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Ja hom pres ni dezeretatz non er de bos amicx garnitz, e·l manens qu'es d'aver issitz es vil tengutz e pauc amatz, e tostems hom desbaratatz ditz hom c'a perdut per nosen, e ten hom greu per fol manen ni home quan fort l'es ben pres; e fora savis e cortes qui des tan bon conseilh denan com fai quant hom ha pres lo dan. Ben pot hom en autruis foudatz apenre com er plus complitz, plus onratz e plus obezitz, e plus francx e plus ensenhatz; e non pot esser fort senatz qui no·s dona garda soven com l'uns pueja, l'autre deisen, e qui non conquer, quan luecx es, amicx; e quan los ha conques, part los guar mais hi a d'afan qu'el conquerer, al mieu semblan. Vilas es et outracuidatz totz hom, quan si sent enrequitz, qu·es cuida c'ab sos vilas digz, ab sobrieiras ni ab foudatz li deia hom esser privatz, ni c'om ja l'am de bon talen; e si tot hom lo·i fai parven per paor, aquo non es res, que quan lo trob' om en deises, ab gaug et ab alegrer gran rizon tug, quant et vai ploran. Eu dic que ben es estragatz hom rics erguilhos descauzitz, que vol ades tener aunitz sos vezis ni apoderatz; e deu ben esser aziratz e mal volgutz per tota gen, et es razo si mal l'en pren, que nos avem vist et apres, per un ho per dos ho per tres, que si son anat percassan, don tug devem esser membran. C'aissi n'es lo setgle passatz que l'uns es pex, l'autr' eisernitz, l'us vilas, l'autre gen noiritz, l'un mal apres, l'autr' ensenhatz, e de totz mals estars cargatz, l'un vertader, e l'autre men; qu'el mon non a un tan valen en cui tug bon aip sion mes, for lo rei dels Aragones, quar en lui son tug ben sobran, ja non sabres demandar tan. |
A prisoner, one dispossessed will not be circled by good friends; the rich man who has lost his wealth is held at naught and little loved and always he who's vanquished is said to have lost through lack of sense but the successful seldom are considered foolish, nor the rich. One would be wise and courteous to give his good advice before as have so many afterwards. From others' follies, one may learn how to become more perfect, and more honored and obeyed as well, more noble, cultivated too: the sensible have often seen or realized from day to day how one will rise, another fall. Some don't befriend when they've the chance and when a man has won his friends then let him strive to keep them up which seems the hardest part of all. A man is base, presumptuous, if he, because he knows he's rich expects that all will be his friends in spite of arrant foolishness or vulgar words and arrogance: that they will be disposed to love and if, through fear, one makes pretence it isn't friendship that's on hand; and when they notice his decline they show their joy and great delight by smiling at his streaming tears. It's madness, I declare to you for haughty and uncultured ones to wish to keep collectively the neighbors weak and powerless, and such a man deserves dislike and hatred on the part of all, and it is just if ill befalls; for we have seen and we have learned from one or two or three of these who've persecuted other men and we should all remember them. This is the way the world-goes on: one man's a fool, another wise; one's base, another one's well-bred; the one unschooled, another taught, another has infirmities; One truthful, while another lies, and in the world there is not one endowed with everything that's good except the King of Aragon, for in him every virtue's found, whichever one you're looking for. |
Trans. Copyright © James H. Donalson 2003