povaq032

CARROS

SCOUNDREL, NOW IT'S WARFARE ...

Raimbaut de Vaqueiras

trans. James H. Donalson
(from Provençal)

Truan, mala guerra

sai volon comensar

domnas d'esta terra

e vilas contrafar:

en plan o en serra

volon ciutat levar

ab tors,

quar tan pueia l'onors

de leis que sotzterra

lur pretz e·l sieu ten car,

qu'es flors

de totas las melhors,

na Biatritz; car tan lur es sobreira
qu'encontra lieis faran totas senheira
e guerr' e fuec e fum e polvereira.

La ciutatz s'ajosta

e fan murs e fossatz;

domnas, ses somosta,

i venon de totz latz,

si que pretz lur costa

e jovens e beutatz.

E pes

que·l filha del marques

n'aura manta josta,

car a conques en patz

totz bes

e totz bos aibs cortes;

e car es pros e franch' e de bon aire
non estara plus en patz que sos paire,
que tornatz es a lansar et a traire.

Domnas de Versilha

volon venir en l'ost,

Sebeli e Guilha

e na Riqueta tost,

la mair' e la filha

d'Amsiza, can que cost;

ades

ven de lenta n'Agnes

e de Ventamilha

no Guilhem' a rescost.

Empres

er la ciutatz en pes.

De Canaves i ven molt gran companha,
de Toscana, e domnas de Romanha,
na Tomazin' e·l domna de Soranha.

Engles e Garsenda

e Palmeir' e n'Auditz,

n'Aud' e na Berlenda,

n'Agnes e n'Eloitz,

volon que lur renda

joven na Biatritz;

si no,

las domnas de Ponso

en querran esmenda.

E lai part Mon Senitz

somo

la ciutatz Contesso,

qu'ades guerrei leis qu'es tan bon' e belha,
que sos gens cors tol a la Damizella
e a totas color fresq' e novelha.

Maria la Sarda

e·l domna de sant Jortz,

Berta e·l Bastarda

mandon tot lur esfortz,

que joves Lombarda

non rest de sai los portz.

E sai

qu'a na Biatritz plai,

quar lurs reiregarda

non pot esser tan fortz

qu'esglai

lo sieu fin pretz verai.

Donan lur senh, cavalcon ab gran joia;
fag an ciutat et an li mes nom Troia:
poestat fan de midons de Savoia.

La ciutatz se vana

de far ost en arrenc,

e sona·l campana,

e lo vielhs comuns venc,

e ditz per ufana

que chascuna destrenc;

pueis ditz

que.l bela Biatritz

estai sobeirana

de so que·l comuns tenc:

aunitz

n'es totz e desconfitz.

Trompas sonon e la poestatz cria:
"Demandem li beutat e cortezia,
pretz e joven" e totas cridon."Sia!"

La ciutatz se vueia

e movon lur carros,

e·l vielhs comuns pueia

e gieton en lur dos

coirassas de trueia

ab que cobron lurs os;

gambais

an et arcs e carcais,

e non temon plueia,

ni mals temps no lur nos.

Ueimais

veirem de grans assais.

De totas partz comenson a combatre;
na Biatritz cuidan de pretz abatre,
mas non lur val, s'eran per una quatre.

Per los murs a fendre

fan engenhs e castels,

e calabres tendre,

gossas e manganels,

fuec grezesc acendre,

e fan volar cairels;

de jos

traucan murs ab bossos;

Per tal no·s vol rendre

lo sieus joves cors bels,

joios,

faz de belhas faissos.

Totas cridan: "Ajuda, tras l'esponda!"
l'un' a l'altra; la tersa ten la fronda,
e trazon tug li genh a la reonda.

Na Biatritz monta

e va·s de pretz garnir:

ausberc ni porponta

non vol, e vai ferir

sel' ab cui s'afronta,

que pres es de morir;

e jonh

et abat pres e lonh.

Fait a tanta jonta

que l'ost fai desconfir;

pueis ponh

tant quel carros desjonh.

Tanta n'a prez' e derrocad' e·morta
que·l vielhs comuns s'esmai' e·s desconorta,
si qu'a Troia l'enclaus dedinz la porta.

E1
Na Biatritz, be·m plai quar es estorta
a las vielhas, que·l vostres.gens cors porta
pretz e joven, c'a for proeza morta.

E2
Bels Cavaliers, vostr' amors mi conorta
e·m dona joi e m'alegr' e·m deporta,
quant autra gens s'esmai' e·s desconorta.

Scoundrel, now it's warfare:

the ladies of the land

want to set in motion

and tear the cities down;

on the plains or hilltops

they want to build a town

with towers

for the honor is high

of her who's interring

their worth, but holds her own:

the flower

of all that are the best:

the Lady Beatrice, so far above them;
and every one of them has banners flying
and goes to war with fire and smoke arising.

Citizens assembling

are building walls and moats;

ladies without summons

converge from every side

for their worth's in question

and youth and beauty too:

I think

that much jousting will face

the marquis's daughter

for she has won in peace

all good

and every courtliness:

because she's well-bred, worthy, noble,
she'll stay no more at peace than does her father
and he has turned again to lance and arrow.

Ladies from Versilia

all hasten to join up

Isabel and Willa

and Henrietta too,

mother and the daughter,

Incisa's ladies, high;

quickly:

comes from Lenta, Agnes,

and from Ventimiglia

comes furtive Guillaumine,

and soon

the city will be built.

From Canavese many troops are riding,
from Tuscany, and ladies of Romagna,
and Thomasine and Mistress of Soragna.

Angela, Garsenda,

Palmira and Aldice,

Alda and Berlenda,

Agnes and Eloise

all demand surrender

of Lady Beatrice;

or else,

mistresses of Ponzon'

will want reparation.

And down past Mont Cenis

the town

seeks Contessina out,

to quickly war against the good and fair one
whose graceful body takes from Damisella
and all the rest the freshness of their color.

Mary of Sardinia,

San Giorgio's mistress too,

Bertha and Bastarda

have turned out all their troops

of young Lombard women:

not one has stayed at home

I know

Lady Beatrice smiles;

she knows that their rear-guard

cannot be strong enough

to best

her true and noble worth;.

They gave their signal, and their joy's the greatest:
they built their city, Troy is what they named it,
my Lady of Savoy will lead the city.

Citizens are boasting

that they have drawn their lines:

now the bell is sounding,

the old commune comes up

and arrogantly tells

each lady to advance

then states

that the fair Beatrice

is now the sovereign over

all that he used to hold,

whereby

they're all discomfited.

The trumpets sound, the mayoress is shouting:
"Let us demand some courtliness and beauty,
and worth and youth!" "So be it!" is their answer.

All now leave the city

they move their chariots on

old Commune now mounts up

and they throw on their backs

cuirasses of pigskin

to cover up their bones:

they have

jerkins, bows, quivers too;

they don't fear the rainstorms:

bad weather doesn't vex;

and now

we'll witness great assaults.

On every side they start the fight and battle,
the Lady Beatrice's worth's their target:
but all in vain if they were more by fourfold.

They make towers and engines

to penetrate the walls:

catapults they wind up,

and perriers, mangonels,

they send quarrels flying,

they light up their Greek fires:

below,

battering rams breach the walls

but she won't surrender:

her person, youthful, fair,

with joy

and beauteous-featured face.

All cry: "Attack the barricade!" "Assistance!"
one to another, and a third's a slinger
with, all around, the sound of engines firing.

Lady Beatrice now

with merit arms herself,

she will need no hauberc

or doublet as she strikes

one that she's confronting

who is about to die

she joins:

and lays low, far and near.

She goes on attacking:

the enemy's dismayed;

She drives

until the chariot breaks.

So many she has captured, killed, unseated,
the old commune's dismayed and he's disheartened,
so she takes him to Troy and to its prison.

E1
O Lady Beatrice, you are delivered
from the old ladies, for your body carries
all worth and youth and has destroyed their prowess.

E2
Fair knight, your love is always reassuring:
it gives me joy and gladdens and delights me
when other folk lose heart and are discouraged.

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