povb4009

GES NO ME DESCONORT ...

IT DOESN'T BOTHER ME ...

Bertrans de Born

trans. James H. Donalson
(from Provençal)

Ges no me desconort

S'eu ai perdut,

Que no chant e·m deport

E no m'ajut

Com cobres Autafort

Qu'eu ai rendut

Al senhor de Niort

Quar l'a volgut;

E pois en mercejan
Li sui vengutz denan
E·l coms en perdonan
M'a retengut baisan,
Ges noi dei aver dan,
Que quem disses antan,
Si lausengier no blan.

Ves mi son perjurat

Trei palazi

E·lh quatre vescomtat

De Lemozi

E li doi penchenat

Peiregorzi

E li trei comte fat

Engolmesi,

E·n Centols ab Gasto
Et tuit l'autre baro
Mi feiron plevizo
E·l senher de Dijo
Ab lo comte breto
E'n Raimons d'Avinho,
E anc uns no·m tenc pro.

Sens pro tener amic

Tenc per egal

Com fatz mon enamic

Que no·m fai mal;

En un mostier antic

De saint Marsal

Me jureron maint ric

Sobre un messal:

Tals me plevi sa fe
No feses plait sens me
Qu'anc pois.no m'en tenc re,
E no·lh estet ges be
Quar se mes a merce
E s'acordet ab se,
So vos pleu per ma fe.

Si·l coms m'es avinens

E non avars,

Molt li serai valens

En sos afars

E fis com us argens,

Umils e chars;

E·l coms fassa los sens

Que fai la mars:

Quan res i chai de bo,
Vol que ab leis esto,
E so que no·lh to pro
Geta fors el sablo.
Aissi tanh de baro
Que tenha son perdo
E, s'el tol, que pois do.

Lo comte volh prejar

Que ma maiso

Mi coman a gardar

O que la·m do,

Qu'ades mi son avar

Tuit cist baro,

Qu'ab els no posc estar

Sens contenso.

Ara mi pot cobrar
Lo coms sens malestar
E eu ves lui tornar
E servir e onrar,
E non o volgui far
Tro al desamparar
Sui vengutz d·en Aimar.

El
Domna ab cor avar
De prometre e de dar,
Pois no.m voletz coljar,
Donassetz m'un baisar:
Aissi·m podetz ric far
E mon dan restaurar,
Si Deus e fes m'ampar.

E2
Papiols, mon chantar
Vai a mi donz comtar:
Per amor d·en Aimar
Mi lais de guerrejar.

It doesn't bother me

if I have lost,

that I won't sing or play:

that won't help me;

till I get back Hautefort

which I have lost

to the Lord of Niort

who wanted it.

In begging mercy now
I came before him, and
the count, in pardoning,
received me with a kiss,
without a penalty.
If you had told me this
I wouldn't have believed.

Three paladins have lied

on oath to me,

and four viscounts have too,

(from Limousin)

and the two foppish ones

from Perigord,

and all three foolish counts

from Angouleme;

Sir Centols with Gaston
and all the other knights
that made a pledge to me:
and the Lord of Dijon,
the Breton count with him,
Sir Raymond d'Avignon,
and other useless ones.

Without a useful friend

it's all the same,

because my enemy

does me no harm:

once in a minster-church,

Saint Martial's place,

a number of knights swore

hand on mass-book;

such men pledged faith to me
that they'd not leave me out,
but they held not a thing:
it wasn't good enough;
they begged for mercy then
and settled up with him;
I pledge this by my faith.

And if the count's disposed,

not greedy, then,

I'll serve him valiantly

in his affairs.

And fine as silver coins,

humble but dear,

and then, the count makes sense

as does the ·sea,

when something good falls in
it keeps it for its own,
what isn't good for it
it throws out on the sand;
it's what behooves a knight
who has his pardon now,
if he takes what I give.

I want to beg the count

for my own house:

to have me put in charge

or give me it.

They're greedy for me yet,

these barons, all:

I cannot be with them

without a fight.

The count can cover me
without discomfort now,
and I can turn to him
and serve and honor him.
I didn't want so much
till left abandoned here,
avenged on Sir Aimar.

El
My lady, eager heart,
to promise and to give:
you won't take me to bed,
so give me just a kiss:
thereby you make me rich
restoring all the harm,
as God and faith defend.

E2
O Papiol, go take
my lady, now, my song:
for this Sir Aimar's sake,
I'll give up making war.

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