ENTR'IR'E JOY M'AN SI DEVIS ... SADNESS AND JOY HAVE ME SO SPLIT ...
Peire Rogiertrans. James H.Donalson
Entr'ir'e joy m'an si devis,
qu'ira·m tolh maniar e dormir,
e joys mi fai rir'e bordir;
mas l'ira·m pass'al bon conort,
e·l joy rema, don suy jauzens
per un'amor qu'ieu am e vuelh.

Dompn'ay. - Non ay. - Ia·n suy ieu fis! -
No suy, quar no m'en puesc jauzir. -
Tot m'en jauzirai, quan que tir. -
Oc, ben leu, mas sempre n'a tort. -
Tort n'a? Qu'ai dig! Boca, tu mens
e dis contra midons erguelh.

Bona dompna, per que m'aucis? -
Ara·m podetz auzir mentir,
que re no·m fai per que m'azir. -
Non re, si m'a per pauc tot mort? -
Ben suy folhs e fatz es mos sens,
quar ia dic so per que la·m tuelh.

Molt am selieys qui m'a conquis. -
El elha me? - Oc, so l'aug dir. -
Creirai son dig senes plevir? -
Oc ben, ab sol que·l fag s'acort,
e m'atenda totz mos covens,
e qu'ieu n'aya plus qu'ieu no suelh.

Per lieys ai ieu joy, joc e ris,
mas ara·n planh, plor e sospir;
e·l mals, que m'es greus a sufrir,
torna·m doble en deport;
pauc pres lo mal que·l bes o vens,
que plus m'en ri, que no m'en duelh.

De luenh li suy propdas vezis,
qu'amicx non pot nulhs hom partir,
si·l cor se volon cossentir;
tot m'es bon quant hom m'en aport;
mais am quan cor de lai lo vens,
que d'autra si pres si m'acuelh.

Ja non dira hom, qu'anc la vis,
que tan belha·n pogues chauzir,
qu'om no la ve que no s'i mir;
e sa beutaz resplan tan fort,
nuegz n'esdeve jorns clars e gens
a selh qui l'esgard'a dreyt huelh.

E
Lo vers vuelh qu'om midons me port,
e que·l sia conortamens,
tro que·ns esguardem de dreyt huelh.
Sadness and joy have me so split
that sadness steals both food and sleep,
and joy makes me both laugh and play,
but sadness, to my comfort yields
and joy remains, to be enjoyed,
because of love I love and want.

'I have a lady, and am true.'
'Not I, I couldn't enjoy that.'
'I would enjoy, though it holds back.'
'Of course, but she is always wrong.'
'She's wrong? What's that? You lying mouth,
against my lady, you speak pride.

Good lady, why would you kill me?'
'Now you can dare to lie to me,
when I've said nothing to offend.'
'Oh, no? You've all but killed me off.'
'I'm foolish, and my mind is mad:
I say it for she's taken me.

I love the one who's conquered me:
Does she love me?' 'So I've heard say.'
'Should I believe without a pledge?'
'Yes, if she only will agree,
and take heed of my promises,
and I'll have no more than before.

Through her I've joy and fun and games,
but now I weep and moan and sigh;
the evil that is hard to bear
is twice as bad at times for sport;
the bad takes little good has won,
the more I laugh, the less it hurts.

I'm her close neighbor, from afar;
no one can separate true friends
if their hearts' wish is to agree.
All that is brought me, I find good;
I love more one I've won afar,
than others, if she'll hold me close.

No one will say, once he has seen,
that I could choose a fairer one,
and he won't see, without a glass,
her beauty, for it shines so strong,
night turns into a clear, fair day
for him who sees her face to face.

E
Take to my lady, now, this verse,
and let it comfort her until
we see each other face to face.

Trans. copyright © James H.Donalson 2004

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