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Gaucelm Faidit
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I. |
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Del gran golfe de mar |
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e dels enoios portz |
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e del perillos far |
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4 |
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soi, merce Dieu, estortz; |
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don posc dir e comdar |
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qe mainta malananza |
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i hai suffert e maint
turmen. |
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8 |
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E pos a Dieu platz q’eu
torn m’en |
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en Limozi ab cor iauzen, |
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don parti ab pesanza, |
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lo tornar e l’onranza |
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12 |
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li grazisc, pos El m’o
cossen. |
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II. |
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Ben dei Dieu merceiar, |
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pos vol qe sanz efortz |
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puesc’el pais tornar, |
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16 |
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un val mais uns paucs
d’ortz |
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qe d’autra terr’estar |
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rics ab gran benananza.
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Qar sol li bel acuillimen |
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20 |
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e·il onrat fag e·ll dig
plazen |
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de nostra domna [e]·il
prezen |
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d’amoros’acoindanza |
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e la douza semblanza
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24 |
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val tot qan autra terra
ren. |
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III. |
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Ar hai dreg de chantar, |
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pos vei ioi e deportz, |
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solatz e domneiar, |
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28 |
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qar zo es vostr’acortz. |
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E la[s] font[z] e·l riu
clar |
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fan m’al cor alegranza, |
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prat e vergier, qar tot
m’es gen, |
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32 |
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q’era non dopti mar ni ven |
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garbi, maïstre ni ponen, |
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ni manaus no·m balanza |
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ni no·m fai mais doptansa |
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36 |
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galea ni corsier corren. |
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IV. |
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Qi per Dieu gazaignar
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pren d’aitals desconortz, |
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ni per s’arma salvar, |
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40 |
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ben es dregs, non ges
tortz. |
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Mas cel qi per raubar |
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e per mal’acordanza |
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vai per mar, un hom tan mal
pren, |
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44 |
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em pauc d’ora s’aven soven |
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qe, qan cuj’om pujar,
deissen, |
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si c’ab desesperanza |
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il laissa tot e ’slanza |
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48 |
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l’arm’e·l cor e l’aur e
l’argen. |
English translation [LP]
I. From the great gulf of the sea, and
from the troubles of the ports and from the perilous lighthouse, thanks to God,
I have escaped. So I can say and relate that I have endured many hardships
there, and many torments. And since it pleases God that I should return with a
joyful heart to the Limousin which I left sorrowfully, I thank Him for the
return and the honour, since He grants me this.
II. I surely ought to thank God, since he wishes me to return healthy and strong
to the country where a certain corner of a garden is worth more than having
riches and prosperity from another land. For the fair welcoming words and
honourable actions and pleasing conversations of our lady alone, and her gifts
of amorous intimacy, and her sweet expression, are worth all that any other land
can offer.
III. Now I am right to sing, since I witness joy and merriment, sociability, and
the courting of ladies, since this is your good pleasure; and the bright springs
and streams, the meadows and orchards bring happiness to my heart, for
everything is a delight to me now that I fear neither sea nor Garbin
(south-west), Maïstre (south) nor Ponen (west) wind, and my ship doesn’t roll,
and I’m no longer terrified by galleys or swift warships.
IV. It is right and certainly not wrong for a man to take on such adversities in
order to win God and save his soul. But if anyone with evil intent goes to sea,
where one suffers so many torments, in order to rob, it often happens in a short
space of time that, when he thinks he’s going up, he’s going down, so that in
despair he abandons everything and throws away life and soul and gold and
silver.
Text: Giorgio
Barachini, Rialto 29.i.2015.
Notes:
The song dates from the middle of 1203 or shortly afterwards. Mouzat’s
dating to the time of the third crusade is unacceptable: see Barachini’s note
and the references there. – Line 3: the ‘perilous lighthouse’ probably refers to
the lighthouse at the edge of the narrow straits of Messina. – Line 48:
literally ‘soul and heart’: I follow Barachini in seeing ‘heart’ as equivalent
to ‘life’.
[LP, lb]
BdT
Gaucelm Faidit
167.19
Songs
referring to the crusades
|
