Gaucelm Faidit (167.9)

167.9

		Gaucelm Faidit
		I.
		Ara nos sia guitz
		lo vers dieus Iesu Cristz,
		car de franca gen gaia
4		soi per Lui partitz,
		on ai estat noiritz
		et onratz e grazitz;
		per so·l prec no·ill desplaia
8		s’ieu m’en vauc marritz.
		A! gentils lemozis,
		el vostr’onrat pais
		lais de bella paria
12		seignors e vezis
		e domnas ab pretz fis,
		pros, de gran cortesia,
		don planc e languis
16		e sospir nueg e dia.

		II.
		Mas cals que sia·l critz
		del remaner auzitz,
		ia negus bes qu’eu aia
20		ni rics locs aizitz
		no·m tenra ni conquistz,
		s’avia·ls votz complitz,
		c’apres calenda maia
24		non sia garnitz
		del torn, si Dieus l’aizis;
		e, s’a Lui platz ma fis
		en leial romeria,
28		lo tot li grazis:
		per o mans ions, aclis
		vir vas sa seignoria,
		que·ls portz e·ls camis
32		nos endres vas Suria.

		III.
		Onratz es e grazitz
		cui Dieus non es faillitz,
		que Dieus vol e asaia
36		los pros e·ls arditz
		et aquels a cauzitz
		e laissa los aunitz
		e l’avol gen savaia,
40		per cui es traitz.
		A! caitiu mal assis,
		vos eis vos es ausis,
		c’avers e manentia
44		vos tol paravis,
		c’avar es e resis
		tan c’us far no poiria
		c’a Dieu abellis,
48		per que Dieus vos desfia.

		IV.
		Oimais es Antecristz
		al dan del mon issitz,
		que totz lo bes s’esmaia
52		e·l mals es saillitz,
		que·ls fals prims a sazitz
		e pres et endormitz
		el pecat que·ls esglaia
56		e·ls ten mornz e tritz;
		que·l reis cui es Paris
		vol mais a San Daunis
		o lai en Normandia
60		conquer’esterlis
		que tot can Safadis
		a ni ten en baillia;
		don pot esser fis
64		c’aissi com deura sia.

		V.
		Er laissem los guerpitz
		remazutz escarnitz
		et ab obra veraia
68		de bona razitz
		sia per nos servitz
		lo vers Sanz Esperitz,
		cui preguem que·ns atraia
72		ab faitz afortitz
		al dan dels sarrazis,
		si qu’en sia conquis
		lo sanz locs e la via
76		fass’als peleris,
		que nos tolc Saladis,
		don la Verge Maria,
		cui Dieus benezis,
80		nos sia garentia.

		VI.
		Bels dous Maracdes fis,
		vos e·ls pros peitavis
		sal Dieus e na Maria,
84		qu’a bon pretz conquis,
		e ma domna Elis
		sapcha be ses bausia
		qu’eu li sui aclis
88		on qu’eu an ni estia.

English translation [LP]

I. Now may the true God Jesus Christ be our guide, since for Him I have left noble, joyful people among whom I have been brought up, honoured and appreciated; so I beg Him not to be displeased if I go away in sadness. Ah! you noble Limousins, in your honoured land I leave lords and neighbours who are fine companions, and ladies of refined merit, excellent, of great courtliness, and this makes me lament and languish and sigh night and day.
II. But whatever appeal to stay behind is heard, no riches I might have, nor any noble pleasant place, nor gain, will ever stop me, if I have fulfilled my vows, from being ready to return after the start of May, if God allows it; but, if my death on a loyal pilgrimage pleases Him, I thank Him for everything: so with hands joined together in submission I turn towards his sovereignty, so that He may make ready for us the ports and paths to Syria.
III. Honoured and rewarded is the One whom God does not forsake, for God desires and tests the brave and the bold, and has chosen these and abandons the unworthy and the base, wicked people by whom He is betrayed. Ah! unlucky wretches, you yourselves are the cause of your own death, for wealth and riches deprive you of Paradise, as you are greedy and feeble to the point of not one of you being able to do what is pleasing to God: so God disowns you.
IV. From today Antichrist has come forth to the detriment of the world, so that goodness is dismayed and wickedness has sprung up, so that it has seized the so-called able people, imprisoned them and sent them to sleep in sin which makes them full of fearfulness and keeps them gloomy and despondent; for the king who owns Paris prefers to gain silver coins in Saint Denis or over there in Normandy rather than all that Safadin has or holds in his power; so he can be sure that things will be as they should.
V. Now let us leave the abandoned ones who stay behind in shame, and may the true Holy Spirit be served by us with sincere works that stem from goodness; to Him we pray that He may draw us there with valorous deeds to harm the Saracens, so that the holy place is conquered and access restored to the pilgrims, which Saladin took from us, and may the Virgin Mary, blessed of God, be our protector.
VI. Fair sweet precious Emerald, may God save you and the brave Poitevins, and lady Maria who has won noble worth, and may my lady Elis know well and truly that I am her subject wherever I go or stay.

Text: Walter Meliga, Rialto 21.xi.2014.

Notes: The song is likely to have been composed either in the summer of 1201 or, more probably, that of 1202, in the light of precise historical references in stanza IV. The money which the king of France Philip Augustus prefers to collect at Saint Denis and in Normandy (vv. 57-60) rather than setting out for the Holy Land (vv. 61-62) is that provided for in the treaty of Goulet arranged with King John of England on 22 May 1200; the treaty was followed by a visit by the English king on 31 May 1201, who was received at Saint Denis (v. 58) and in Paris; the mention of Normandy (v. 59) may refer to the region where Goulet was situated or, more probably, to the invasion unleashed by Philip in May 1202 following the judgment depriving the Plantagenets of their continental possessions. – Line 61: Safadis is Saïf-al-Din, brother of Saladin (evoked in v. 77) and sultan of Syria and Egypt after 1200-1201 until his death in 1218. – Line 77: the allusion is to the Muslim reconquest of Jerusalem in 1187. – Line 81: Maracdes is a senhal (pseudonym) for Hugh IX of Lusignan († 1219) or his son Hugh X († 1249). – Line 83, na Maria: Maria de Turenne, wife of Eble V of Ventadorn, a famous lady celebrated by Gaucelm and other troubadours and a poet herself. – Line 85: Elis de Montfort, sister of Maria de Ventadorn and wife of Bernard de Cazenac, lord of Montfort in the Périgord.

[LP, lb]

BdT Gaucelm Faidit 167.9

Songs referring to the crusades