povb4038

BE·M PLATZ LO GAIS TEMPS
DE PASCOR ...

I'M ALWAYS PLEASED BY JOYOUS SPRING ...

Bertrans de Born

trans. James H. Donalson
(from Provençal)

Be·m platz lo gais temps de pascor
Que fai folhas e flors venir,
E platz mi quant aug la baudor
Dels auzels que fan retentir

Lor chan per lo boschatge,

E platz mi quan vei por los pratz
Tendas e pabalhos fermatz,

E ai grant alegratge

Quan vei per champanha renjatz
Chavaliers e chavaus armatz.

E platz mi quan li coredor
Far las gens e l'aver fugir,
E platz mi quan vei apres lor
Granre d'armatz ensems venir,

E platz mi en mon coratge

Quan vei fortz chastels assetjatz
E·ls berris rotz e esfondratz

E vei l'ost el ribatge

Qu'es tot entorn claus de fossatz
Ab lissas de fortz pals seratz.

E altresi·m platz de senhor
Quant es premiers a l'envazir
En chaval armatz, sens temor,
Qu'aissi fai los seus enardir

Ab valen vassalatge,

E pois que l'estorns es mesclatz,
Chascus deu esser acesmatz

E segre·l d'agradatge,

Que nuls om non es re prezatz
Tro qu'a maintz colps pres e donatz.

Massas e brans, elms de color
E scutz trauchar e desgarnir
Veirem a l'intrar de l'estor
E maintz vassals ensems ferir,

Dont anaram aratge

Chaval de·ls mortz e de·ls nafratz;
E quant er en l'estorn entratz

Chascus om de paratge,

No pens mas d'asclar chaps e bratz,
Que mais val mortz que vius sobratz.

E·us dic que tan no m'a sabor
Manjar ni beure ni dormir
Com a quant aug cridar: A lor!
D'ambas partz, e aug ennir

Chavaus voitz per l'ombratge,

E aug cridar: Aidatz! Aidatz!
E vei chazer per los fossatz

Paucs e grans per l'erbatge,

E vei los mortz que pe·ls costatz
An los tronzos ab los sendatz.

Amors vol drut chavalgador,
Bon d'armas e larc de servir,
Gen parlan e gran donador
E tal qui sapcha far e dir

Fors e dinz son estatge

Segon lo poder qui l'es datz.
E sia d'avinen solatz,

Cortes e d'agradatge.

E domna c'ab aital drut jaz
es monda de totz sos pechatz.

Pros comtessa, per la meilhor
C'anc se mires ni mais se mir
Vos ten hom, e per la genssor
Dona del mon, segon qu'auch dir

Biatritz d'aut linhatge,

Bona dompn'en digz et en faitz,
Fonz lai on sortz tota bontatz,

Belha ses maestratge,

Vostre rics pretz es tant poiatz
Que sobre totz es enanssatz.

E1

Donzelha d'aut linhage,

Tal en cui es tota beutatz,
Am fort, e sui per leis amatz;

E dona·m tal corage

Que ja no pens esser sobratz
per un dels plus outracujatz.

E2

Baro, metetz en gatge

Chastels e vilas e ciutatz
Enanz qu'usquecs no·us guerrejatz.

E3

Papiols, d'agradatge

Ad Oc-e-No t'en vai viatz;
Dijas que trop estan en patz.

I'm always pleased by joyous spring
that makes the leaves and flowers come,
I'm pleased to hear the happiness
of birds that make their song resound

throughout the woodlands now.

I'm pleased to see the meadows full,
of tents and great pavilions too,

and I have happiness

when I see ranged across the fields
the knights and horses, armored well.

It pleases me when beaters come
and make the folk and livestock fly.
I'm pleased when I see after them
great numbers of armed men to come.

I'm pleased ingide my heart

to see strong castles are beseiged,
to see their walls are broken down,

to see the host and brink

closed in with trenches on all sides,
with palisades fenced closely in.

I'm also pleased to see a lord
when he's the first one to attack
on armored horse and without fear:
this way he will inspire his men,

courageously to fight,

and once the battle's entered on
each one must be agreeable

and follow readily,

for no one is respected till
he's given and taken many blows.

We'll see as soon as battle starts
the clubs and swords and colored helms
and shields cut through and slashed to bits
and many men all strike at once

and there will wander by

the mounts of dead or wounded men.
And when he enters in the fray,

Let every noble think

of naught but slicing heads and arms:
one's better dead than overcome.

I tell you, it's not to my taste
to eat or drink or even sleep
when I hear someone shout 'Take that!'
on either side and then I hear

the horses in the shade

and I hear someone shout 'help! help!'
and I see small and great fall down

into the grassy ditch,

and I see dead men now run through
by lances bearing pennants still.

Love wants chivalrous lovers who
are good at arms and freely serve,
of noble speech and great to give:
one who knows how to do and speak

both in and out of doors

according to the power he's given.
He should be pleasant company,

agreeable, refined.

A lady who sleeps with one such
will be wiped clean of all her sins.

My worthy countess, they say you're
the best that's seen or will be seen
and that you are the noblest one
of all the ladies in the world:

my high·born Beatrice,

good lady, both in worth and deeds,
and fount from which all goodness flows

and beauty without peer,

all your good fame has flown so high
that it surpasses all the rest.

E1

I deeply love a damozel

in whom all beauty is enclosed,
and by her I am loved as well:

she gives me courage too.

I don't think I'll be overpassed
not even by presumptuous ones.

E2

O barons, go and pawn

your castles, towns and cities too,
before you give up making war.

E3

My Papiol, go quick

to Yea-and-Nay and cheerfully:
tell him they are too long at peace,

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