Rialto

293.23

 

Marcabru

 

 

 

 
Emperaire, per vostre prez
e per la proeza q’avez,
sui a vos venguz, zo sabez,
4 e no m’en dei ges penedir.
 
Meillz m’en degra lo pels sezer
car chai vinc vostra cort vezer,
q’eu farai loing e pres saber
8 lo joi que vos es a venir.
 
S’anc per vos demenei orgoill,
tot m’es tornat en autre fuoill,
qe tals mena bon fait en l’uoill
12 qe no s’en ausa descobrir.
 
Si·l sa[p] bon q’eu sui tant poinenz
als malvaz et als recredenz,
per qe n’a serrada[s] las denz
16 e no·n ausa lo criz eissir?
 
Emperaire, si ben enquers,
lo reprovers es fis e mers:
ço que donz dona e plora sers
20 las lacrimas devon perir.
 
Emperaire, si Dieus me gart,
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
24 .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
 
S’eu me faill al vostre donar,
jamais a gorc qu’auza lauzar
non ira Marcabruns pescar,
28 c’ades cuidaria faillir.
 
Per aqella fe q’eu vos dei,
anc mais emperador ni rei
non agron tal merchat de mei
32 con vos, e Deus m’en lais jauzir.
 
Emperairiz, pregaz per mei,
q’eu farai vostre prez richir.

 

 

 

Text: Gaunt, Harvey and Paterson, 2000 (XXIII). – Rialto 23.xi.2002.

Mss.: D (189r-v), z (2 cols C-D).

Previous editions: Jean-Marie-Lucien Dejeanne, Poésies complètes du troubadour Marcabru, Toulouse 1909, p. 112 (XXIII), Aurelio Roncaglia, «I due sirventesi di Marcabruno ad Alfonso VII», Cultura neolatina, 10, 1950, pp. 171-178; Simon Gaunt, Ruth Harvey and Linda Paterson, Marcabru: A Critical Edition, Cambridge, D. S. Brewer, 2000, p. 319.

Versification: a8 a8 a8 b8 (Frank 44:8). Eight coblas singulars with a tornada of two lines. In our view, the poem once contained nine stanzas, but only the first line of stanza VI survives. Frank M. Chambers (An Introduction to Old Provençal Versification, Philadelphia 1985, pp. 40 and 69) suggests that Marcabru may have imitated Guilhem IX (BdT 183.10) and that BdT 293.23 may in turn have supplied a model for Uc Catola in BdT 451.1.

Notes: The opening address to the «Emperor» (Alfonso VII) whose prez and proeza attracted Marcabru to his court establishes a link between this song and BdT 293.22 and indicates that the latter was composed first. On the basis of his dating of BdT 293.22, Roncaglia tentatively assigns BdT 293.23 to the period 1143-45, and «anteriore al ritorno di Marcabruno in Francia» («Due sirventesi», p. 183). – We date this song to after 1137-38 (see Note to BdT 293.22).

[RH]

Foreword

BdT    Marcabru