SEIGN'EN RAYMBAUT, PER VEZER ... MY LORD SIR RAIMBAUT, TO BEHOLD ...
Peire Rogiertrans. James H.Donalson
Seign'en Raymbaut, per vezer
de vos lo conort e·l solatz
soi sai vengutz tost e viatz,
mais que non soi per vostr'aver;
qe sapcha dir, qan m'en partrai,
cum es de vos ni cum vos vai,
q'enqueront m'en lai entre nos.

Tant ai de sen e de saber
e tant sui savis e membratz,
qand aurai vostres faitz gardatz,
q'al partir en sabrai lo ver,
s'es tals lo gaps cum hom retrai,
si n'i a tant o meins o mai,
cum auch dir ni comtar de vos.

Gardatz que vos sapchatz tener
en aisso q'eras comenssatz,
car hom, on plus aut es poiatz,
plus bas ben, si·s laissa cazer;
pois dizon tuich qe mal l'estai:
'Per que fetz, pois era non fai,
q'era non ten conduitz ni dos?'

C'ab pro maniar et ab cazer
por hom estar soau malvatz,
mas de gran affan es cargatz
sel que bon pretz vol mantener;
ops l'es qe·s percatz sai e lai
e toil1'e don, si cum s'eschai,
qan verra qu'er luocs e sazos.

No·us fassatz de sen trop temer,
per com diga: 'Trop es senatz,'
q'en tal luoc vos valra foudatz
on sens no·us poiria valer;
tant cant auretz pel saur e bai,
e·l cors assai fresquet e gai,
grans sens no·us er honors ni pros.

Si voletz al segle plazer,
siatz en luoc fals ab los fatz,
et aqui mezeus vos sapchatz
ab los savis gen captener;
c'aissi coven c'om los assai:
l'un ab ira, l'autre ab jai,
ab mal los mals, ab ben los bos.

D'aisso vuoill qe·m digatz lo ver,
s'auretz nom drutz o moilleratz,
o per cal seretz apellatz,
o si·ls volretz mas retener;
vejaire m'es al sen q'ieu ai,
segon q'ieu cuich, mas non o sai,
c'a dreich los auretz ambedos.

E
Seign'en Rambaut, eu m'en irai
mas vostre respos auzirai,
si·us platz, anz qe·m parta de vos.
 My lord Sir Raimbaut, to behold
your comfort and your fellowship
I've come as quickly as I could,
but I'm not here just for your wealth;
but, when I leave, so I can say
now, how you're faring, how's your health,
when people ask me back at home.

I have the sense and the know-how,
I'm clever and I'm wise enough,
so when I hear your facts, take care:
on leaving, I will know the truth,
if there's such humor as they say,
if there's so much or less or more,
as I have heard them say of you.

Take care that you know how to hold
to everything that you've begun,
because the higher we're raised up
the lower we can drop the ball,
then all will say how bad it is:
'For what he did, he now does not,
for now he has no feasts and gifts.'

For with good food and with a fall
a man may somewhat misbehave,
but if he's laden down with grief,
the one who would maintain his worth
then has to work both here and there
and give and take as it befalls,
when he sees it's the time and place.

Don't be afraid of having sense
and that they'll say: 'He is too wise,'
in places, foolishness will do
where wisdom cannot get you through,
so much you'll have for gold and blond
and body that's so cool and gay,
great wisdom doesn't profit you.

If you would like to please the world
as needed, be a fool with deeds,
and at the time then you will see
how to behave when with the wise,
for this is how to deal with them:
one with sadness, one with joy,
with ill the bad, with good the good.

So I want you to tell the truth,
if you'd be husband or a love,
or which one you want to be called,
or if you'd hold to more than that:
it seems to all the sense I have,
and as I think, though I don't know,
that you would have a right to both.

E
My lord Sir Raimbaut, I will go:
I'd like to hear, please, your reply
before I go away from you.
Trans. copyright © James H.Donalson 2004 






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