povb4012

GES DE FAR SIRVENTES NO·M
TARTZ ...

I WON'T DELAY THIS
SIRVENTES ...

Bertrans de Born

trans. James H. Donalson
(from Provençal)

Pois lo gens terminis floritz
S'espandis jauzions e gais,
M'es vengut en cor que m'eslais
De far un novel sirventes,
On sapchan li Aragones

Qu'ab mal agur

(D'aisso sian li tuit segur)
Sai venc for reis, dont es aunitz,
Esser soudadiers logaditz.

Sos bas paratges sobreissitz
Sai que fenira coma lais
E tornara lai don se trais,
A Melhau e en Carlades.
Quan quecs n'aura son dreit conques,

An s'en ves Sur:

Greu er que en mar no·l debur
L'aura, quar tant es pauc arditz,
Flacs e vas e sojornaditz.

Proensa pert, dont es eissitz,
Que son frair Sanzo prezon mais;
Qu'el non a sonh mas que s'engrais
E beva per Rossilhones,
On fo deseretatz Jaufres,

Qu'a Vilamur

En Tolzal tenon per perjur
Tuit cil ab cui sera plevitz,
Quar los a per paor gequitz.

Lo reis cui es Castrasoritz
E to de Toleta·l palais
Lau que mostre de sos eslais
Sai al filh del Barcelones,
Quar per dreit sos malvatz on es.

Del rei tafur

Prez mais sa cort e son atur,
No fatz cela don fui traïtz
Lo jorn qu'el fo per mi servitz.

Lo bos reis Garsia Ramitz
Cobrera, quan vidalh sofrais,
Arago, que·l monges l'estrais;
Cobrara·l ab sos Alaves,

Sol s'i atur.

Aitan com aurs val mais d'azur,
Val melhz e tant es plus complitz
Sos pretz que del rei apostitz.

Per cela de cui es maritz,
Per la bona reïna·m lais
E des que·m dis so don m'apais.
Berengier de Besaudunes
Li retraissera, si·lh plagues;

Mas tot rencur

Sos malvatz faitz que son tafur,
Quar per el fo mortz e traïtz,
Dont es sos linhatges aunitz.

Molt traï lait l'emperairitz
Com fals reis perjurs e savais,
Quan pres a quintals e a fais
L'aver que Manuels trames
E la rauba e tot l'arnes;

Pois ab cor dur,

Quan n'ac trait lo vert el madur,
El n'enviet per mar marritz
La domna e·ls Grecs que ac traïtz.

Now that the flowery season's here
to spread rejoicing and delight,
a thought has come to prompt me to
compose another sirventes
informing all Aragonese:

unluckily

(of that let all of them be sure)
their king comes here to meet with shame -
to be a mercenary man.

Of low descent but now arrived,
I know that he'll have a bad end
and go back where he came from then,
and in Milhau and in Carlat
when each has won his legal rights,

he'll go to Tyre

how sad if winds at sea turn back
for he is not so brave, but thin
and vain and given to repose.

Provence has lost as he leaves it:
they like his brother Sancho more;
he doesn't worry but he eats
and drinks through Roussillon,
where Geoffrey's disinherited

in Villemur

and in Toulouse, they think he'd lied
about all that he's guaranteed,
for he has left them all for fear.

The king who has Castrojeriz,
and in Toledo, palaces,
let show the praise for deeds unto
the son of Barcelona's king,
where his misdeeds by rights are found.

I have more praise

for court and courtiers than the king:
may he not double-cross the rest
as he did me when I served him.

Good King Garcia Ramirez,
if his life lasts, he will regain
this Aragon the monk took off.
He'll take it with his Alavans,

if he just tries.

As gold's worth more than lazuli
he's worth more and is more advanced
in worth than the apostate king.

Because he is the husband of
the wrothy queen of whom I sing,
and since I'm told, I'll be content.
Sir Berenger of Besalú
may trace it back if.he wants to;

but we'll regret

misdeeds that are unworthy, too,
by which he was betrayed and killed,
which left his heirs all full of shame.

Betrayer of an empress, he,
false king and evil liar too,
he took by bushels and by bags
the money that Manuel sent on.
He stole it and the baggage too:

hard-heartedly,

he took the good and bad alike
and set the lady out to sea
and with the Greeks that he betrayed.

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