povb4014

CORTZ E GUERRAS E
JOI D'AMOR ...

THE COURT AND WAR AND
JOY OF LOVE ...

Bertrans de Born

trans. James H. Donalson
(from Provençal)

Cortz e guerras e joi d'amor
Mi solion far esbaudir
E tener gai e chantador
Tro per leis cui dei obezir
Ni fo mos chantars devedatz,

E en la lei

Es mos chans escomuniatz.

Ara sui assoutz en amor
E veiretz anar e venir
Chansos, pois a la belazor
Platz que deja mon chan sofrir,
E mos Rassa s'es acordatz

Son cors a drei

E non a negu dels comtatz.

Del pauc rei de Terra Major
Mi platz guar si vol enantir,
Qu'oimais lo tenran per senhor
Cil que deven son feu servir,
Pois vencutz los a ves Aratz;

Ara s'estei

E cobre sos dreitz daus totz latz.

No·m tengatz per envazidor
S'eu volh qu'us rics l'autre azir,
Que melhz s'en poiran vavassor
E chastela de lor gauzir,
Quar plus es francs, larcs e privatz,

Fe qu'eu vos dei,

Rics om ab guerra que ab patz.

El volpilh de l'emperador
Volian Lombart envazir
E ja no laisson per paor
Sobre de Cremona bastir,
Que·l coms Raimons es sai onratz

Quar ab lo rei

S'es novelamen afiatz.

Be sai que li mal parlador,
Quar volh de lor guilas ver dir
M'en apelaran sofridor
Quar mi lais forsar e balhir,
Qu'els dos que mei frair m'an juratz

E autre autrei

Volh retener l'autra meitatz.

Pois no volon dreit ni amor
Mei frair ni negun plait sofrir,
Ges per legidors d'orador,
S'eu m'en podia revestir,
No dei esser mal razonatz,

Qu'il fan plaidei

Maintas vetz qu'om nols n'a prejatz.

Mas eu ai tant ensenhador
No sai per Crist lo melhz chausir:
Quant eu pren e tolh la ricor
D'aquels que no·m laisson garir,
Dizon que trop me sui coitatz;

Quar no guerrei,

Dizon aras qu'eu sui malvatz.

E1
Papiols, e tuo vai viatz:

Al jove rei

Diras que trop dormir no·m platz.

E2
En Oc e No ama mais patz

Ab Felip, crei,

Que·l frair Joans deseretatz.

The court and war and joy of love
would make me glad and I'd rejoice,
and being happy, I would sing,
until a law I must obey
may come to outlaw all my song

and by this law

my song is excommunicate.

Now I'm absolved in love,
and you'll see songs that come and go
because the one most beautiful
is pleased to listen to my song
and Rassa is remembering

rightly the course,

and not because of country-folk.

The Little King of Greaterland,
I'm pleased to see, wants to advance.
In future, he would be the lord
of those who'd ought to serve his fief,
since he has won them to Arras;

now he remains

collecting taxes everywhere.

Don't think that I am quarrelsome
to pit a noble with the next:
a vavassour'd do better here,
a castellan might well enjoy;
because they're nobler, freer men

I swear to you:

in wartime than in peace, the rich.

The emperor's a sly old fox;
the Lombards wanted to invade:
they wouldn't do it, were afraid
to count upon Cremona, for
Count Richard is so honored there

and by their king

for he's supported once again.

I well know those who evil speak
and I'd speak truly of their lies.
They may well call me whipping-boy,
I let them dominate me so,
the two my brother promised me,

another too,

but I'd hold back the other half.

Because my brother doesn't want
the law or love, won't hear of suits,
nor readers of the orators,
if I could find a shelter there
my reasoning would not be bad.

One has to plead

and often, that they've not been pled.

But I've been taught by many men,
by Christ, I can't say who was best;
when I seize wealth and I take it
of those who do not let me heal:
they say that I am covetous

because I war:

now let them say I'm evil too.

E1
O Papiol, go quickly now,

to the Young King,

say I'm not pleased by so much sleep.

E2
Sir Yea-and-Nay loves peace still more,

and Philip too,

than the now landless brother John.

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