English translation [LP]

Ia. The one who is head and guide, in whom is true mercy, grant that I be heard concerning a certain joy which is promised to me; for a gracious, delightful person has captured me in a pleasing trap; so if I am betrayed this is sinful and faithless.
Ib. For no other dear pleasure can now avail me; a sweet kiss would have raised me up, and I would be among the best, then I would compose bright songs singing her praises; now the precious praise is [cause for?] weeping. I know not whether the love
Ic. with which she binds me would profit me, if I waited, loving so much, and it would be courtesy if she alleviated my great suffering; for if one day she were to help me with a certain joy I ask of her so much, it would not matter if I died, since from then on [...]
IIa. So I say to those who are now summoning people to take the cross that I have no desire or wish to cross the sea, even were I able to recover the Sepulchre; for if she forbids me to do so she has has no equal in precious worth.
IIb. [...] I shall have great anxiety over this. I am tormented as to how I may remove my desire for her; I shall not, I would rather die for God!
IIc. For she so holds me to her with a strong chain that since I saw her I waver in love with sweet pain: for I never felt ill, I say; if she does not gratify me in the manner of a loyal lover, I give up; but one who toils to find a gold mine to become rich is digging with a pickaxe.
III. White Helen [White and smooth one], give me a gift, so that your rich merit may increase.

Italian translation [EG]

Ia. Colui ch’è capo e guida, ove è vera mercé, mi conceda ch’io sia esaudito di una gioia che mi è promessa; perché una gentile gradevole persona mi ha preso con un piacevole laccio: dunque se io vengo tradito è peccato e slealtà.
Ib. Ora non può venirmi in soccorso alcun altro nobile piacere; mi avrebbe sollevato un dolce bacio e sarei parte dei migliori, poi farei graziosi canti dicendo le lodi: ora è per me fonte di pianto il prezioso elogiarla. Non so se l’amore
Ic. con il quale mi lega mi recherebbe vantaggio se, amando tanto, aspettassi, e sarebbe un atto cortese se mi alleviasse il grande affanno: poiché se un giorno mi soccorresse di una gioia che tanto le chiedo non importerebbe se morissi, dal momento che da qui in poi [...].
IIa. Dunque dico alla gente che ora mandano a crociarsi che io non ho desiderio né animo di passare il mare, neppure se fossi in grado di recuperare il Sepolcro; perché s’ella me lo impedisce [di caro pregio non ha pari].
IIb. [...] Ne avrò una grande angoscia. Mi tormenta come io possa distogliere il desiderio da lei; non lo farò, preferisco morire per Dio!
IIc. Mi tiene a sé con una forte catena, ché mai dacché l’ho vista esito d’amore con ben dolce pena, e mai non sentii male, dico; se non mi gratifica così come un amante leale, io rinuncio; ma chi si affanna per trovare una miniera d’oro per essere ricco, scavi pure.
III. Bianca Elena, ricompensatemi, dal momento che accresco il vostro nobile pregio.

Testo: Guadagnini 2003. – Rialto, 12.xii.2014.

Ms.: W 185v.

Critical editions: Nicola Zingarelli, Intorno a due trovatori d’Italia, Firenze 1899, p. 72; Elisa Guadagnini, «Un descort provenzale del secondo quarto del Duecento», in Scène, évolution, sort de la langue et de la littérature d’oc: Actes du VIIe Congrès International de l’AIEO (Reggio Calabria - Messina, 7-13 juillet 2002), ed. Rossana Castano, Saverio Guida and Fortunata Latella, 2 voll., Rome 2003, vol. I, pp. 395-405, on p. 397.

Versification: a5 (b5 b1) a5 (b5 b1) a5 (b5 b1) a5 (b5 b1) (c5 c1) (d5 d1) (c5 c1) d5 (c5 c1) (d5 d1) (c5 c1) d5 (e3’ e3’) (f5 f1) (e3’ e3’) (f5 f1) (e3’ e3’) (f5 f1) (e3’ e3’) (f5 f1) (Frank 528:4); two coblas singulars and one two-line tornada; unicum. The form is an elaboration of Aimeric de Peguilhan’s Qi la ve, en ditz (BdT 10.45) and is joined on to it in the ms.

Music (W): The form is an elaboration of Aimeric de Peguilhan’s Qi la ve, en ditz (BdT 10.45) and is joined on to it in the ms.; Qi la ve, en ditz is also accompanied by music in ms. R. For further details on the melody, see Guadagnini, «Un descort provenzale», pp. 403-405.

Notes: John Marshall («The Isostrophic “descort” in the Poetry of the Troubadours», Romance Philology, 35, 1981-1982, pp. 130-157, on pp. 150-151) considered it possible that Aimeric de Peguilhan himself composed the present piece and added it to BdT 10.45, but that without the possibility of objective proof it was preferable to retain the piece as anonymous. Guadagnini sees the piece as autonomous, by someone other than Aimeric, and suggests that it was composed during the second quarter of the 13th c. in Provence when songs combining crusade and courtly motifs were fashionable there. – Line 6: Guadagnini translates bres as «laccio»; as she observes, strictly speaking it is a bird-trap.

[LP, lb]

BdT    Anonymous

Songs referring to the crusades