DE LAI ON SON TUG MIEI DESIR ... FROM THERE WHERE LIE ALL MY DESIRES ...
attr. Bernart de Ventadorn,
probably Elias Cairel
trans. James H. Donalson
(from Provençal)
Estat a i dos ans
q'ieu non fis vers ni chansso,
mas era·m somo
la fuoilla e·il flors e·l doutz chans
qe·l rossignols fai,
q'ieu vei sai e lai
cascun auzel ab sa par
dompneiar;
e pois tot cant es,
s'alegra, ben sui entrepres
s'ieu non chant e no m'asolatz;
pero si·m sui alqes forsatz.

La forss' es tant grans
q'ieu chan, e jes no·m sap bo;
e vi tal sazo
que chantars no m'er' affans,
c'avia·l cor gai;
mas era non ai
nuill joi qe·m fass' alegrar
ni chantar;
pero s'ieu pogues
far la meitat de so q'ieu pes,
en baissera las poestatz
per qe·l segles es deshonratz.

Desonors e dans
creis de malvaza razo,
qe·il prince e·il baro
ant baissat pretz e bobans,
don valors dechai,
e negun non sai
per cui puosca redreissar,
qe·ill avar
ant tant sobrepres
totz cels qu'eron larc e cortes,
que ses colp los ant enchaussatz,
don chascus deu esser blasmatz.

Blasmes et engans
es, qui porta cor fello
ab humil faisso
et ab amoros semblans;
pero no m'eschai
q'ieu mi met' en plai
de lieis cui soli' amar,
q'enganar
l'en vi plus de tres,
mas er n'a tal chausit e pres
que n'a mi e·ls autres vengatz,
cui eila teni' enchantatz.

Chansos, drogomans
seras mon seignor Coino,
e no·m ochaiso
car ieu no l'ai vist enans,
que la gens de sai
dizen q'el val mai
que negus; pero be·m par,
si parlar
negus en volgues,
q'ieu to veirai anz de dos mes;
e si ma chanssoneta·il platz,
ma dompn' Yzabel sia·l gratz.

E
Nuills hom pot ben chantar
sens amar;
pero s'ieu agues
gaia dompna tal qe·m plagues,
jes no sui tant desesperatz
q'ieu non ames, si fos amatz.
It has been two years
since I have made a verse or song
but now I am called:
the leaf, the flower and the sweet song
made by nightingales,
and I see now, here and there
every bird is with his mate
paying court
so that all is song
and he is happy, and I'm touched:
unless I sing and comfort me
then I am really somewhat forced.

Pressure is great:
I sing but yet I am not pleased;
and I've seen a time
when songs were not so hard for me
for my heart was glad:
sadly now it's not;
there is no joy to make me smile
or to sing:
if I only could
just do the half of what I think,
then I would bring the powers low
because the world's dishonored so.

Dishonor and harm
arise from evil reasoning:
prince and baron have
diminished worthiness and pomp,
so that worth. declines
and I know no one
by whom it all could be repressed:
misers have
taken over all:
the courteous and the generous
without a blow have carried on
and each of them deserves the blame.

All blame and deceit
come from perfidiousness of heart;
with a humble look
and loving, to appearances,
it will not slip by
that I put an end
to all those that I used to love
not deceive:
I've seen more than three
but now I have selected, so
that I have not avenged the rest,
which she had in her magic spell.

Song, my lord Coinon
will be a good interpreter,
and the blame's not mine
for I have never seen before
people hereabout
say that he's worth more
than anyone, but it appears
that no one
wants to speak at. all
I'll see before two months have passed
if this, my song, is pleasing and
my lady Isabel likes it.

E
No man is able to sing well
without love:
if I only had
a joyous lady to please me
I would not be so desperate
as not to love, if I were loved.

Trans. Copyright © James H. Donalson 2005


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