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Gaucelm Faidit
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I. |
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Mas la bella de cuj mi
mezeis tenh, |
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qu’ieu vuel e prec et am
per bona fe, |
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no vol ni·l platz qu’ieu
l’am ni·l clam merce, |
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4 |
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no sai [guaire] a que·m fos
mais chantaire; |
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quar del maior afar en
qu’ieu aten, |
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non esperi plazer ni
iauzimen; |
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per so no puesc guaya
chanso retraire |
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8 |
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et er esfortz si la fauc
ne·y atenh. |
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II. |
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Quar tot m’auci e·m trebalh
e·m destrenh |
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selha cui am mil aitans
mais que me, |
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e pus li platz qu’enaissi·m
luenh dese, |
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12 |
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no·i sai cosselh mas un,
que no·y val guaire: |
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si vol que·m lays de lieys,
tuelha·m lo sen |
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e·l cor e·ls huelh[s], e
pueys partirai m’en, |
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si puesc; si no, fassa·n
ylh son veiajre, |
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16 |
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qu’encontra lieys non ai
forsa ni genh. |
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III. |
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Ni re no sai, s’ap merce
no·i atenh, |
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cum puesc’esser qu’ieu de
lieys aja re; |
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et ab merce ni ab als non o
cre. |
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20 |
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Que farai doncs? Liuratz
suj a maltraire |
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e mortz de tot, si·l bon
esper no·m ren, |
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en que pauzet mon cor
celadamen, |
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lai o·m retenc e sufferc
qu’ieu fos laire |
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24 |
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d’un bel plazer, per qu’ieu
autra non denh. |
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IV. |
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Ad honor pris adoncas lo
mantenh |
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de son gen cors; e promes
mi maint be, |
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quan m’autreiet s’amor, don
no·lh sove. |
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28 |
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E si·l plagues, no·lh fora
ges d’estraire |
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so que promes per forsa
franchamen, |
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qu’ieu suj de tot a son
comandamen, |
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fors que d’aitan: que ges
no puesc desfaire |
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32 |
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qu’ades non l’am, que ren
als no·i retenh. |
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V. |
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E quar estauc que ades no·m
empenh |
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ves Suria? Dieus sap per
que m’ave: |
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que ma domna e·l reys
engles mi te, |
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36 |
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l’us per amore l’autre per
pauc faire |
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del gran secors que m’avia
en coven. |
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Ges non remanh, mas ben
iray plus len; |
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quar d’anar ai bon cor, don
ges no·m vaire, |
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40 |
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qu’e nom de Dieu ai levat
entresenh. |
4. no | sai a quem f. (-2) ms.
14. huelh ms. 37. coven] covinen (+1)
ms.
English translation [LP]
I. Since the fair one, from whom I hold
myself (in fief) and whom I desire, beseech and love in sincere faith, does not
wish or welcome that I should love her or beg her for mercy, I hardly know the
point of continuing to be a singer, since I hope for neither pleasure nor
satisfaction from the greatest thing to which I aspire; therefore I cannot
produce a joyful song and it will be a miracle if I manage to compose one.
II. Since the one I love a thousand times more than myself completely kills me,
torments me and tortures me, and as it pleases her to keep me at a distance from
her in this way, I know of but one possibility, which brings no aid in this
predicament: if she wishes me to withdraw from her, let her take away my mind
and heart and eyes, and then I will leave her, if I can; otherwise, let her do
what she thinks best about it, given that I have no strength or ability to
withstand her will.
III. And I have no idea how it may be that I obtain anything from her, unless I
achieve this through mercy; but I do not believe this will come about either
through mercy or through anything else. So what shall I do? I am delivered over
to ill-treatment and am utterly dead, if she does not give me back good hope, in
which she secretly placed my heart, when she retained me and allowed me to steal
a lovely pleasure, wherefore I disdain any other lady.
IV. At that time I undertook to celebrate her gracious person in an honourable
way; and she promised me many good things when she granted me her love, which
she fails to remember. But if it pleased her, it would not matter if she took
away what she vehemently and freely promised me, because I am entirely at her
command, except in this: I am utterly unable to prevent myself from always
loving her, given that I obtain nothing else from her.
V. But why do I still delay spurring to Syria? God knows why this befalls me:
because my lady and the English king hold me back, the one through love and the
other for doing little about the great assistance he had promised me. I am not
in fact staying behind, but I shall certainly go more slowly; I have the firm
intention of going and am not being irresolute about it, for I have raised the
sign in God’s name.
Text: Giorgio
Barachini, Rialto 12.xii.2014.
Note:
Line 35 of the text probably refers to King John of England, and the
song is likely to have been composed after 1199 and before 1202, the year of
Gaucelm’s departure for the Holy Land as shown in Ara nos sia guitz (BdT
167.9). While he
may possibly have joined up with the Fourth Crusade after receiving the
means to do so (see L’onratz jauzens sers (BdT
167.33,
73-76), his decision to leave on a pilgrimage is not necessarily connected to a
military expedition. Here he declares he has taken and raised up an entresenh
in God’s name, probably one of the distinctive signs assumed by pilgrims when
they made a public commitment to undertake the journey.
[LP, lb]
BdT
Gaucelm Faidit
167.36
Songs
referring to the crusades
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