English translation [LP]

I. [Granet] Since love has never favoured you, Lord Bertran, why do you love, since she, who does not love you, signals that since she has shown you no favours [hitherto], you should certainly not expect joy to come to you from her in the future? I hear that Antichrist rules overseas, and is coming with his followers who will slaughter all those who are unwilling to convert according to their preaching. Therefore I advise you to give thought to your immortal soul, and separate from the one who disdains to love you.

II. [Bertran] Friend Granet, you exhort / comfort me well, so much so that I consider myself fortunate simply in that this is happening; for I know that Antichrist is so powerful that if he wishes, he is well able to change wood into pure gold. So I am sure that he will be able to constrain my lady [to love me], if I decide to believe in him and carry out all his commands. I desire nothing better than for him to cross to this side of Sardinia, since I am certain that thanks to him all my suffering will be cured.

III. [Granet] So, Lord, you will obtain her by force, against her will, if Antichrist gives her to you! In this you will commit a fault against love, andin love force is never permissible. Moreover someone who is losing his case resorts to poor arguments, and alas, you will lose yourself along with her, at a stroke, if you place yourself in the order of Antichrist: you will pay dearly for her fair person, if your soul is imprisoned in hell!

IV. [Bertran] It is wrong to blame someone for doing something to escape death; and I was at the end of my tether because of the one who has the crown of virtuous reputation. So what would be my fault if I committed myself to Antichrist, given that he can make me happy? And if I commit a sin and completely lose my senses on account of her beauty, it so pleases the One who made her so lovely for me that God will be doing wrong not to forgive me this fault.

V. [Granet] Lord, if you love the best lady, He will grant her to you; pray [rather] to Antichrist that he grant you youth, as you are old and she is equally old. And since old age is ruining both of you, love without youth cannot bring you pleasure.

VI. [Bertran] Friend Granet, ‘the best lady’ provides me with the answer: since she has left me for another, I’ll leave her in the same way. Given that Sordel has left a good hundred of them, I can certainly change one, if she is not kind to me, and love whichever one wears the crown of perfect reputation.

Italian translation [lb]

I. [Granet] Poiché Amore non vi ha mai favorito, signor Bertran, perché continuate ad amare, dal momento che colei che non vi ama manifesta che, siccome non vi ha concesso favori [fino ad ora], non dovrete certamente aspettarvi alcuna gioia da lei in futuro? Sento dire che l’Anticristo regna oltremare, e sta venendo con i suoi seguaci che uccideranno tutti coloro che non sono disposti a convertirsi ai loro insegnamenti. Di conseguenza, vi consiglio di pensare alla vostra anima immortale e di separarvi da colei che disdegna di amarvi.
II. [Bertran] Amico Granet, mi esortate/confortate così bene che mi considero fortunato semplicemente perché questo (la venuta dell’Anticristo) sta accadendo; perché so che l’Anticristo è così potente che, se lo desidera, è in grado di trasformare il legno in oro puro. Così sono sicuro che potrà costringere la mia signora [ad amarmi], se decido di credere in lui e di obbedire a tutti i suoi ordini. Da lui non desidero altro che passi al di qua della Sardegna, poiché sono sicuro che grazie a lui tutta la mia sofferenza finirà.
III. [Granet] Così, signore, otterrete lei con la forza, contro la sua volontà, se l’Anticristo ve la dà! In questo commetterete un peccato contro amore, e in amore la forza non è mai ammissibile. Inoltre quando uno sta perdendo la sua causa ricorre a fragili argomenti e, ahimè, così perderete lei e voi stesso, in un sol colpo, se vi mettete al servizio dell’Anticristo: vi costerà cara la sua bella persona, se lavostra anima è imprigionata all’inferno!
IV. [Bertran] È sbagliato biasimare qualcuno che fa qualcosa per sfuggire alla morte; e io ero stremato a causa della persona che porta la corona della virtuosa reputazione. Così quale sarebbe la mia colpa se mi mettessi al servizio dell’Anticristo, considerato che può rendermi felice? E se commetto un peccato e perdo completamente il senno a causa della sua bellezza, questo soddisfa a tal punto Colui che l’ha fatta così adorabile per me che Dio farebbe male a non perdonarmi questa colpa.
V. [Granet] Signore, se amate la migliore, Egli la assegnerà a voi; pregate [piuttosto] l’Anticristo che vi dia la gioventù, poiché siete vecchio e lei è ugualmente vecchia. E poiché la vecchiaia sta guastando entrambi, l’amore senza gioventù non può procurarvi piacere.
VI. [Bertran] Amico Granet, “la migliore” mi fornisce la risposta: poiché mi ha lasciato per un altro, la lascerò allo stesso modo. Considerato che Sordello ne ha lasciate un buon centinaio di quel tipo, io posso certamente cambiarne una, se non è gentile con me, e amare quella che porti la corona della perfetta reputazione.
 

Text: Harvey & Paterson (2010). – Rialto 7.1.2012.

Mss.: H 43v (lines 1-16 only); R 25r (blank staves above stanza I with the notes E-F-G-G above the first four words).

Previous editions: Carl Appel, Provenzalische Chrestomathie, Leipzig 1895), p. 125; Jean-Jacques Salverda de Grave, Le Troubadour Bertran d’Alamanon, Toulouse 1902, pp. 117-19, 124-25; René Nelli, Ecrivains anticonformistes du moyen-âge occitan, 2 vols, Paris 1977, II, pp. 108-13; Amos Parducci, Granet: trovatore provenzale, Rome 1929, pp. 23-25. || This text is given here as it appears in The Troubadour Tensos and Partimens: A Critical Edition, by Ruth Harvey and Linda Paterson in collaboration with Anna Radaelli and Claudio Franchi, Walter Meliga, Giuseppe Noto, Zeno Verlato and Christina Zeni, Cambridge, D. S. Brewer, 2010, pp. 447-54. Full details of editorial policy and practice are given on pp. xxi-xxxi of the Introduction to the published edition. The edition was the primary responsibility of Zeno Verlato with the final version being the outcome of joint discussion. The Italian translation was produced by Luca Barbieri. The project in its entirety benefited from the award of a Larger Research Grant by the British Academy (2001-2) to conduct a feasibility study with the assistance of Sarah Lowson, and a Resource Enhancement Grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Council to fund the work of two research assistants: Dr Anna Radaelli in 2003-5 and Dr Claudio Franchi in 2004-6.

Versification: a10 b10’ a10 b10’ b10’ a10 a10 b10’ b10’ (Frank 297:3): a = -an, -en; b = -enha, -ona. Four coblas doblas and two five-line tornadas.

Notes: The tenso dates from the middle years of the 13th c. Granet is part of a group of poets around Charles of Anjou at this time who are urging the new count of Provence to give up his interest in the crusade in order to concentrate on problems in his own lands. For various attempts to identify references to Antichrist and his imminent arrival with diverse specific persons and events, see the Harvey-Paterson edition. – Line 17: Sardinia is cited here as the bridgehead to the southern French coast. – Line 44: the reference to Sordel exploits the Italian troubadour’s widespread reputation as a Don Juan, due primarily to his notorious affair wth Cunizza da Romano.

[LP, lb]

BdT    Granet    Bertran dʼAlamano

Songs referring to the crusades