Cercamon (112.3a)

	Cercamon
	Puois nostre temps comens’a brunezir	Since our season begins to darken and the orchards are stripped of leaves, and I see the sun sink so low that the days are gloomy and obscure, and songs and lays of birds have fallen silent, we should gladden ourselves with the joy of love.
	e li verjan son de la fuelha blos
	e del solelh vey tant bayssar los rays,
	per que·l jorn son escur e tenebros
5	et hom no·i au d’auzel ni chant ni lays,
	per joy d’amor nos devem esbaudir.

	Aquest’amor no pot hom tan servir	This love cannot be served so much that its rewards are not a thousand times greater, for Merit and Joy and all that is, and more, will belong to those who have it in their power. It never broke or infringed agreements, but it seems it will be hard to conquer.
	que mil aitans no·il doble·ls gazardos,
	que Pretz e Joy e tot quant es, e mays,
10	n’auran aisselh qu’en seran poderos;
	qu’anc non passet covinent ni l’esfrays;
	mas, per semblan, greus er a conquerir.

	Per lieys deu hom esperar e sofrir:	For it a man must live in hope and endure: its worth is so precious and excellent that it never cared for base lovers, a rich miser or a proud pauper; and in over a thousand there are not two so true that noble Love should pay them heed.
	tant es sos pretz valens e cabalos
15	qu’anc non ac suenh dels amadors savays,
	de ric escars ni paupre orgoillos,
	qu’en plus de mil no·n a dos tan verays
	que fin’Amors los deja obezir.

	Ist trobador entre ver e mentir,	These popular, widely-heard troubadours, by speaking half-truths, damage lovers and wives and husbands and go around saying that Love is turning crooked, so husbands grow jealous and ladies are apprehensive.
20	afollon drutz e molhers et espos,
	e van dizen qu’Amors torn’en biays,
	per que·l marit endevenon gilos,
	e donas son intradas en pantays,
	cuy mout vol hom escoutar et auzir.

25	Cist sirven fals fan a pluzors gequir	These false serving-men make many people abandon and rush away from Merit and Youth. I think Prowess will be no more, since Avarice holds the barons’ keys: it has locked many within the city of Degeneration, from which Wickedness will not let a single one escape.
	Pretz e Joven e lonhar ad estros,
	per que Proeza non cug sia mais,
	qu’Escarsetatz ten las claus dels baros:
	maint n’a serrat dinz la ciutat d’Abais,
30	don Malvestatz no·n layssa un yssir.

	Ves manhtas partz vey lo segle faillir	In many places I see the world fall into decline, so I remain downcast and anxious: the hireling finds no-one to feed him because of the slanderers with their accursed beaks, who are worse than Judas who betrayed God: they should be burned and buried alive!
	per qu’ieu n’estauc marritz e cossiros,
	que soudadiers non truep ab cuy s’apays
	per lauzengiers qu’an bec malahuros,
35	qui son pejor que Judas que Dieu trays:
	ardre·ls degr’om e totz vius sebellir.

	Nos no·ls podem castiar ni cobrir:	We cannot correct or hide them; let us keep our distance and rely on God’s counsel! For a special joy of love renews and nourishes me, and I can swear that there was never such a lovely lady: I see her but little, yet I am merry and joyful on her account, and God grant I may enjoy her!
	tollam nos d’elhs e Dieus acosselh nos!
	q’us joys d’amor me reverdis e·m pays,
40	e puesc jurar qu’anc ta bella no fos:
	petit la vey, mas per ella suy gays
	e jauzions, e Dieus m’en do jauzir!

	Ara·s pot hom lavar et esclarzir	Now a man can cleanse and purify himself of great guilt, if he is burdened with it; and if he is brave, he will set out for Edessa and abandon the perilous world, and he can thereby free himself of the burden which causes many to stumble and perish.
	de gran blasme, silh q’en son encombros;
45	e s’i es pros, yssira ves Roays,
	e gurpira lo segle perilhos,
	et ab aitan pot si liurar del fays,
	qu’assatz en fai trabucar e perir.

	Cercamonz diz: «Qi vas Amor s’irais	Cercamon says: «It is amazing how a man who rails against Love can endure the anger, for anger at love means fear and trepidation and a man cannot long live or die by this».
50	meravill’es com pot l’ira suffrir,
	q’ira d’amor es paors et esglais
	e no·n pot hom trop viure ni murir».

	Fagz es lo vers e non deu veillezir,	The song is made and should not grow old, according to what the theme shows, for good Love never deceived or became flawed, but brings joy to bold lovers.
	segon aisso qe monstra la razos,
55	q’anc bon’Amors non galiet ni frais,
	Anz dona joi als arditz amoros.