LETTER TO BONIFACE I OF
MONTFERRAT
- Part III		 LETTER TO BONIFACE I OF
MONTFERRAT
- Part III
Raimbaut de Vaqueiras trans. James H. Donalson (from Provençal)
Senher marques, no·us vuelh totz remembrar
los joves fagz qu'en prim prezem a far,
que paor ai tornes a malestar
a nos que·ls autres deuriam chastiar;
e non per tan ben ero·l fag tan clar
que en macip no·i pogr'om melhurar;
car prim punh es de jove ric triar
si vol gran pretz mantener o laissar,
cum vos, senher, que volguetz tant aussar
vostra valor ades al comensar
que vos e mi fezetz per tot lauzar,
vos cum senher e mi cum bacallar.
E quar es greu perdr' e dezamparar,
senher, amic, qu'om deu tener en car,
vuelh retraire, e l'amor refrescar,
lo fag que fem de Saldina de Mar,
quan la levem al marques, al sopar,
a Malespina de sul plus aut logar,
e la donetz a Ponset d'Aguilar,
que muria el liet per lieis amar.
E membre vos d'Aimonet lo jocglar,
quant a Montaut venc las novas comtar
que Jacobina ne volian menar
en Serdenha mal son grat maridar.
E vos prezes un pauc a sospirar,
e membret vos cum vos det un baizar
al comchat penre, quan vos preguet far
que de son oncle la volcsetz amparar,
que la volia a tort dezeretar.
E vos mandetz cinc escudiers muntar,
de tot lo mielhs que vos saupes triar,
e cavalguem la nueg apres sopar,
vos e Guiot et Hugonet del Far
e Bertaldo, que gent nos saup guidar,
e mi meteys, que no mi vuelh laissar,
que la levey al port, a l'embarcar.
E·l crut se leva per terra e per mar,
e segon nos pezo e cavalar:
grans fo l'encaus, e nos pessem d'anar,
e cujem for a totz gent escapar,
tro silh de Piza nos vengron assautar.
E quan nos vim denant nos traversar
tan cavalier, tan estreg cavalgar,
e tant ausberc e tan bel elme clar,
tan golfaino contra·l ven baneyar,
rescozem nos entr' Albeng' e·l Finar;
aqui auzim vas manhtas partz sonar
manh corn, manh gralhe, manhta senha cridar:
s'alguem paor, nous o cal demandar.
Dos jorns estem ses beur' e ses manjar;
quant venc al terz que no·n cugem anar,
nos encontrem et pas de Belhestar
dotze lairos, que·y eron per raubar,
e no·i poguem cosselh penre ni dar,
quar a caval no·i podi' hom brocar.
Et ieu a pe anei·m ab els mesclar,
e fui nafratz ab lansa pel colar,
mas ie·n nafriei tres o quatre, so·m par,
si que a totz fi las testas virar;
e Bertaldo et Hugonet del Far
viro·m nafrat e vengro·m ajudar;
e quan fom trei, fem lo pas desliurar
dels lairos, si que vos poguetz passar
seguramen, e deuria·us membrar.
Pueis nos dirnem ab gaug, ses pro manjar,
d'un pan tot sol ses beur' e ses lavar.
E·l ser venguem ab n'Eyssi al Pueg-clar,
que·ns fes tal gaug e tant nos volc onrar
que sa filha n'Aiglet' ab lo vis clar,
se·u sufrissetz, fera ab vos colgar.
Vos al mati cum senher e ric bar
volgues l'oste fort be guazardonar,
qu'Anselmet fes Jacobin' espozar,
e fetz li tot lo comtat recobrar
de Ventamilha, que devia tornar
a Jacobina per la mort de son frar,
mal grat de l'oncle que la·n cuget gitar;
pueissas volgues Aigleta maridar,
e detz la Gui del Montelh-Azemar.
E s'ieu volia retraire ni comtar
los ondratz faitz, seinher, que·us ai vistz far,
poiria nos az amdos enujar,
a me del dire, a vos de l'escotar.
Mais cent piuzellas vos ai vist maridar
a coms, marques, a baros d'aut afar,
que foran laissas e no saupran que far,
c'anc ab una jovens no·us fetz peccar.
Cent cavaziers vos ai vistz heretar,
et autres cent destruir' et ussulhar,
los bos levar e·ls fals e·ls mals baissar;
anc lauzengier no vos poc azautar.
Tanta veuza, tant orfe cosselhar
e tant mesqui vos ai vist ajudar
qu'en paradis vos deurian menar,
si per merce nuls hom hi deu intrar;
quar anc nuls hom, dignes de merceyar,
si la·us preyet, no·i laissetz fadiar,
et ab merce voletz tostemp renhar.
E qui vol dir per vertat ni comtar,
Aleixandres vos laisset son donar
et ardimen Rotlan e·lh dotze par
e·l pros Berart domney e gent parlar.
En vostra cort renhon tug benestar:
dar e dompney, belh vestir, gent armar,
trompas e joc e viulas e chantar,
e anc no·us plac nulh portier al manjar.
Et ieu, senher, puesc mi d'aitan vanar
qu'en vostra cort ai saubut gent estar,
dar e servir e sufrir e celar,
at anc no·i fi ad home son pezar;
ni no pot dir nuls hom ni repropchar
qu'anc en guerra·m volgues de vos lunhar,
ni temses mort per vostr' onor aussar,
ni nulh bo fait vos volgues destrigar.
E pus, senher, sai tan de vostr' afar,
per tres dels autres mi devetz be far,
et es razos, qu'en mi podetz trobar
testimoni, cavalier e jocglar,
senher marques.
 My lord Marquis, I don't mean to recall
the youthful deeds we first set out to do
for fear that that would not be suitable
since we must set examples for the rest,
and yet the deeds were brilliant in a way,
and scarcely could be bettered by the young.
It is important for a rich young man
to choose to keep his glory or let go,
and you, my lord, have chosen from the start
to give a constant increase to your worth,
and you made everyone praise you and me:
you as the lord and me as squire to you.
Since it's a grave thing to abandon friends,
forsaking, lord and friend, what should be dear,
I would recall, our friendship to revive,
the deed we did for Saldina de Mar
in Malaspina and at suppertime,
we took her from the marquis' highest place
and gave her to Poinset of Aguilar
who languished in his bed for love of her.
Remember Aimonet the jongleur, too,
how at Montalto he told us the news:
that they were taking Jacobina to
a marriage in Sardinia, forced on her;
you paused a moment and you gave a sigh,
remembering how she kissed you, taking leave,
how earnestly she pleaded with you then
to shelter her against her uncle, who
unjustly wished for her inheritance.
So that five squires you ordered to mount up,
the best of those you had to draw upon:
we supped and then rode off into the night:
yourself, Guiot and Hugonet del Far,
Bertaldo, who was clever as a guide,
and I myself: I mustn't leave me out!
I took her up before they could cast off.
They raised a cry on land and on the sea,
and horse and footmen set off after us:
the chase was great, but we thought we were clear
and we believed we'd get away from all
until the Pisans came to the attack,
and when we saw them cross ahead of us,
so many knights, and in close-ordered ranks!
so many haubercs, shining helmets too!
so many banners, fluttering in the wind!
we hid between Albenga and Final',
and there we heard resound in many parts
the horns and clarions, and the battle-cries ...
Were we afraid? There is no need to ask!
And for two days we had no food or drink;
so on the third we wanted to break out,
and in the pass of Belhestar we found
twelve thieves, prepared to rob the passers-by
and we could not decide what we should do
for we could not attack on horseback there,
so I went up on foot to mix with them,
and so I took a lance-wound in the neck:
in turn I wounded three or four, I think,
but I made all of them turn tail to us;
Bertaldo then, and Hugonet del Far
saw I was hurt and came to help me out:
once we were three, we cleared away the pass
of thieves, so you could pass in safety on,
and all of this, I trust, you will recall.
Then we were happy frugally to dine
on bread alone, without a drink or wash.
That evening, we came to Sir Aicio,
and at Puig-Clar he was glad to honor us:
he would have offered, had you suffered it,
his daughter, Lady Aigleta the fair.
Came morning, you, as baron and rich lord,
wished to reward your host in the best way
and Jacobina wed to Anselmet:
for her you got the county back entire
of Ventimiglia, which was to be hers
because of Jacobina's brother's death
despite her uncle's plan to get her out;
and then you wished to wed Aigleta too,
and gave her to Guy of Montelimar;
and if I tried to tell or to portray
the honorable deeds, my lord, I've seen,
it could be tiresome for the both of us:
for me to tell and you to listen to;
but I have seen you wed a hundred maids
to counts, to marquises and barons too
who wouldn't know without you what to do
and none of them, though young, led you to err.
And I've seen you enrich a hundred knights
and I've seen you destroy a hundred more.
The good you raise, the false and bad cast down;
the flatterer could never score with you;
the widow and the orphan you advise;
unfortunates I've often seen you help,
and they will take you into Paradise
if men may enter, through compassion, there,
for no man worthy of compassion, who
would ask it of you had to wait in vain,
and with compassion you would always rule.
And should one wish to say and tell the truth
famed Alexander left to you his flair,
and Roland and the Twelve left daring too,
and gallant Berard left his courtly speech,
and all good usage reigns within your court:
to give and serve, good dress and armor too,
and trumpets, games and violin and song,
and you have never guarded dining-rooms,
and I, my lord, may make the boast that I
have known how to deport me in your court:
to give and serve, be patient and discreet
and never give a man a cause to grieve
and let no man reproach or tell me that
in wartime I have wished to leave your side,
or feared a death that might increase your worth,
or that I tried to turn you from good deeds.
So much, my lord, I know of your affairs
you should reward me as for three good men,
as is but just, for in me you may find
a witness and a knight and minstrel too,
my lord Marquis.
Trans. Copyright © James H. Donalson 2003 







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