Text: Paterson, Rialto 3.xii.2011. Mss.: Da 210r, G 128v, H 50v-51r. Critical editions: François-Just-Marie Raynouard, Choix de poésies originales des troubadours, 6 vols., Paris 1816-1821, vol. V, p. 322; Otto Soltau, «Die Werke des Trobadors Blacatz», Zeitschrift für Romanische Philologie, 23, 1899, pp. 201-48 and 24, 1900, pp. 33-60, p. 230; Carl Appel, Provenzalische Chrestomathie, Leipzig 1930, p. 139; Peire Vidal, Poesie. Edizione critica e commento a cura di d’Arco Silvio Avalle, 2 voll., Milano-Napoli 1960, vol. II, p. 448; Linda Paterson, Rialto 3.xii.2011. Other editions: Carl August Friedrich Mahn, Die Werke der Troubadours, in provenzalischer Sprache, 4 vols., Berlin 1886, vol. II, p. 141 (from Raynouard); Joseph Anglade, Les Poésies de Peire Vidal, Paris 1923, p. 151 (on Appel); Martín de Riquer, Los trovadores. Historia literaria y textos, 3 voll., Barcelona 1975, vol. III, p. 1259 (on Avalle). Versification: a10 b10 a10 b10 b10 c10’ c10’ b10 (Frank, 325:2). The versification is similar in all respects to that of four other pieces, including BdT 392.15, a famous partimen of which the present piece is a parody (see Martin Aurell, La Vielle et l’épée. Troubadours et politique en Provence au XIIIe siècle, Paris 1989, pp. 86-87); the opposite viewpoint, expressed by Ludwig Selbach, Das Streitgedicht in der altprovenzalischen Lyrik und sein Verhältniss zu ähnlichen Dichtungen anderer Literaturen, Marburg 1886, p. 80, namely that BdT 392.15 derived from the exchange of coblas, is implausible. Note: The parody coblas are probably not much later in date than BdT 392.15, likely composed in 1195-96 (see Joseph Linskill, The Poems of the Troubadour Raimbaut de Vaqueiras, The Hague 1964, p. 143, Saverio Guida, Trovatori minori, Modena 2002, p. 91 and the General note to the edition of this poem in Ruth Harvey and Linda Paterson, The Troubadour Tensos and Partimens: A Critical Edition, Cambridge 2010). Blacatz’ partner in this exchange was perhaps Peire Vidal, as the rubric of Da indicates. This view was defended by Camille Chabaneau, «Les biographies des troubadours en language provençale», in Dom. Claude Devic et Dom Joseph Vaissete, Histoire générale de Languedoc, 15 vols, Toulouse 1872-92, vol. 10 (1885), pp. 209-411 (separate reprint, Slatkine, Geneva 1975), p. 167, n. 3, and Soltau («Die Werke», pp. 206-7); Anglade (Les Poésies, p. viii), Avalle (Peire Vidal, vol. II, pp. 448-49) and Riquer (Los trovadores, p. 1259) are hesitant. The evidence allows, as Avalle indicates, no sure conclusion. In favour of Peire Vidal are the fact that he was the son of a furrier, that he is known to have engaged in another dialogue with Blacatz (BdT 97.7), and that Da’s rubric explicitly names him. Nothing supports or contradicts the identification with the Peire Pelissier who exchanged coblas with Dalfi d’Alvergne (BdT 353.1); this identification was preferred by Karl Bartsch, Grundriß zur Geschichte der provenzalischen Literatur, Elberfeld 1872, and accepted by Riquer. Unless the Da rubric is explained away as an intelligent conjecture, and examination of the rubrics in Da reveals nothing to support such a view, there is no reason to doubt its veracity. [LP]
|
