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Gaucelm Faidit
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I. |
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Chant e deport, ioy, domney
e solatz, |
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essenhamen, larguez’e
cortezia, |
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honor e pretz e lyal
drudairia |
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an si baissat enjans e
malvestatz, |
5 |
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qu’a pauc d’ira no·m suy
dezesperatz, |
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quar entre cent domnas ni
preyadors |
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no·n vei una ni un, que
be·s captenha |
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en ben amar, c’az autra
part no·s feigna |
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ni sapcha dir qu’es
devengud’amors: |
10 |
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gardatz cum es abayssada
valors! |
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II. |
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Mas drutz hi a e domnas,
si·n parlatz, |
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que·s fenheran e diran tota
via |
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qu’il son leyal et amon ses
bauzia |
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e chascus d’els es cubertz
e celatz, |
15 |
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e tricharan say e lay vas
totz latz; |
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e las domnas, on pus an
d’amadors, |
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et plus cuian qu’om a pretz
lur o tenha, |
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mas aitals bes cum cove lur
en venha, |
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qu’a quascuna es ant’e
dezonors, |
20 |
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pus sofr’un drut, que pueys
desrey’alhors. |
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III. |
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Aissi cum es miels en dona
beutatz, |
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gens aculhirs et avinens
cunhdia |
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e genz parlars, pretz e
doussa paria, |
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aissi deu miels gardar sas
voluntatz; |
25 |
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que res no val cor de doas
mitatz |
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ni non es fis, pus i vaira
colors: |
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c’una sola amors tanh la
destrenha! |
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Non dic ieu ges qu’a domna
descovenha |
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s’om la preya ni a
entendedors, |
30 |
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mas non deu ges en dos
luecs far secors. |
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IV. |
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Tan quan renhet leyalmen
amistaz, |
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fo·l segles bos e senes
vilania; |
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e pus amors tornet en
leujairia, |
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fo ioys cazutz e iovens
abaissatz, |
35 |
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si qu’ieu meteys, si dir
vuelh la vertatz, |
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ai tant apres dels fals
drutz trichadors |
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que non es dregz que iamais
en revenha, |
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car leis on pretz e senz e
beutatz renha, |
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cum si m’agues mal faiz,
fugi de cors, |
40 |
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quan m’ac levat et enansat
e sors. |
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V. |
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E si·l plagues que·l bels
plazers honratz, |
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que·m retengues en leyal
senhoria, |
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s’afranques tan, pus en als
s’umilia, |
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que·m perdones, aisi
for’afinatz |
45 |
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ves lieys, cum l’aurs
s’afin’en la fornatz, |
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e no·m nogues paragges ni
ricors; |
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que, s’elha·m tol de mal ni
far o denha, |
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aissi·l serai fis ses
fals’entressenha, |
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cum lo leos a·n Golfier de
Las Tors, |
50 |
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quan l’ac estort de sos
guerriers peiors. |
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VI. |
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E s’aquest tortz, dona, ·m
fos perdonatz, |
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passad’agra la mar part
Lombardia; |
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mas non cuich far leialmen
romavia, |
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si no m’era vas vos
adreichuratz: |
55 |
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sol per aisso degratz voler
la patz, |
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e car merces es ab vos e
honors. |
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An ma chansos – que res no
la retenha! – |
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preyar vos lai, franchamen,
que·us sovenha |
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qu’a gentil cors tanh
franquez’e doussors, |
60 |
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e Dieus perdon’als bos
perdonadors. |
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T. |
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Na Maria, tant es vostra
valors, |
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q’en vos estai, bona
dompna, e reigna, |
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q’ie·m meravill que nuills
cors lo sosteigna; |
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e chascun iorn creissetz
als trobadors |
65 |
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avinens faitz, don crescan
las lauzors. |
English translation [LP]
I. Deceit and wickedness have so ruined
singing and entertainment, joy, love service and sociability, education,
largesse and courtliness, honour and merit and loyal gallantry, that I am almost
driven to despair by sorrow. Among a hundred ladies and suitors I see not one
who behaves well in loving truly, without being [deceitfully] inclined to seek
out another or being able to say what love has now become: look how worth has
fallen into ruin!
II. But if you speak of this, there are lovers and ladies who will dissimulate
and always say that they are loyal and love without duplicity, but each one of
them is covert and secretive, and will cheat here, there and everywhere; and the
more lovers the ladies have, the more they think this is considered to be to
their credit, but may they receive such a benefit from it as is appropriate,
because to each one of them it is shameful and dishonourable, after accepting a
suitor, then to turn elsewhere.
III. The more there is of beauty in a lady, of gracious welcome and pleasing
charm and noble conversation, merit and sweet companionship, the more she should
keep a watch over her own desires; for a heart divided in two pieces is
worthless, and is not pure, if its colour (semblance) changes: it is right for
one love alone to enthrall her! I am not saying that it is unseemly for a lady
to be beseeched or to have suitors, but she should certainly not give favours in
two places (to two suitors).
IV. For as long as friendship ruled loyally, the world was good and without
baseness; but after love turned into frivolity, joy declined and youth was
ruined, so that I myself, if I am to tell the truth, have learned so much about
the false cheating lovers that it is not right that I should ever recover from
it, for I have run away from the one in whom are merit and sense and beauty, as
if she had done me harm, when instead she had raised me up and advanced and
exalted me.
V. And if it pleased her that the lovely honourable pleasure, which accepted me
under her loyal lordship, should grow sweet to the point of pardoning me, since
it humbles itself in other ways, and high rank and nobility would not be to my
detriment, then I would be purified towards her, just as gold is purified in the
furnace; for, if she removes me from harm and deigns to do so, then I shall be
pure without any blot of falseness, like the lion was to Golfier de Las Tors,
when it saved him from his worst enemies.
VI. And if this wrong, lady, were forgiven me, I should have passed over the sea
beyond Italy; but I do not think to make the pilgrimage legitimately, without
having set things right with you: for this alone you should desire peace, and
[also] because mercy is with you, and honour. May my song go – let nothing
detain it! – to beseech you over there, sincerely, to remember that kindness and
gentleness become a noble person, and God pardons those who pardon well.
T. Lady Maria, so great is the worth which dwells and lives in you that I marvel
that anyone could sustain it; and every day you multiply your pleasing deeds
towards the troubadours, thanks to which praises grow.
Text: Giorgio
Barachini, Rialto 16.ix.2016.
Note:
Gaucelm probably composed this song some time before leaving Venice on
crusade in October 1202.
[LP, lb]

BdT
Gaucelm Faidit
167.15
Songs
referring to the crusades
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