English translation [LP]

I. I turn in my song to the subject of God’s honour, which I had left off and forsaken, and do not return to the cries and warbles of birds or to orchard leaves, nor do I find any joy in singing. On the contrary, I am full of anger and sorrow, for in many writings I recognise and see that sin is taking hold, so faith is failing and iniquity is on the rise.
II. And I reflect and marvel how the world has fallen into slumber, and how its root is withering away, and evil sprouting and flourishing; for people nowadays hardly care or notice whether God suffers outrage or abuse, since Syria remains unchallenged in the hands of the perfidious pagan Arabs, yet here the great lords quarrel among themselves.
III. However, it does not seem to me that once a bold man capable of fighting has failed God in such an hour of need, he can ever come into His presence without shame. But the man who gains renown through the mighty strokes and great blows of his sword will be so welcomed by his King that he will count himself well rewarded, for He is by no means niggardly in his gifts.
IV. But since the Holy Spirit gives power to the heart disposed towards good and, to ensure he has nothing to do with him, keeps him away from the doubly perfidious dissembler (the Devil), those who are going with God [in their hearts] avoid any one man puffing himself up with pride about his army; for you have rarely seen great and widespread rejoicing arise through the great disorder of inconstant wills.
V. But once they all follow a single command and each of them seeks to win renown, let the most able show the greatest courage; in this way they may be sure of victory. And may those who do not go take steps to ensure God is best served! For this reason it is said that each one should renounce what most pleases him in the world, and follow Him in all their nakedness, since He redeemed us stripped of all worldly trappings.
VI. Ah, wretched people, what will those who will not help Him now say when He remembers the sins of omission and calls the penitents to account? You will see them answer for all that may have made them lordly; and by my faith, their guides who led them astray will bring them neither comfort nor solace.
VII. I grieve at the damage [to the Holy Land], you can be sure of that, but I am [also] utterly dismayed at the shame that the traitors clothed in darkness, that have no God or religion or goodness, should have the effect on us that they do: they have repulsively made base churls of us, as never since the birth of Christ have you heard such great peril being borne as lightly as this, and in such a manner!
VIII. Yet I do recover the consolation that had escaped and eluded me, and my song that began in tears ends in joy, now that the armies are about to ride forth and the kings have pledged their aid. When they arrive, sultans and emirs will suffer great hardship, I assure you, unless they have fled away.
IX. And Count Richard is well equipped; for with his circle, whether or not anyone follows his example, he has undertaken such a business as is great indeed; and God be praised for it!

Italian translation [lb]

I. Dedico la mia canzone al tema dell’onore di Dio, che avevo messo da parte e abbandonato, e non mi interesso ai versi e ai gorgheggi degli uccelli o alle foglie del frutteto, né trovo alcuna gioia nel canto. Al contrario, io sono pieno di rabbia e di dolore, perché in molti scritti riconosco e vedo che il peccato sta prendendo piede, cosicché la fede viene meno e l’iniquità aumenta.
II. E rifletto e mi stupisco di come il mondo sia caduto nel sonno, e di come la sua radice si stia seccando, mentre il male germoglia e fiorisce; perché la gente al giorno d’oggi difficilmente si accorge o si preoccupa se Dio subisce un oltraggio o un’ingiuria, visto che la Siria rimane incontrastata nelle mani dei perfidi arabi pagani, mentre qui i grandi signori litigano tra di loro.
III. Tuttavia, non mi sembra che un uomo coraggioso e abile alla guerra che ha abbandonato Dio nell’ora del bisogno possa poi venire alla Sua presenza senza vergogna. Invece l’uomo che acquista fama attraverso i gran colpi e i fendenti della sua spada sarà così ben accolto dal suo Re che potrà considerarsi ben ricompensato, perché Egli non è affatto avaro nei suoi doni.
IV. Ma dal momento che lo Spirito Santo dà forza al cuore inclinato al bene e, per assicurarsi che non abbia nulla a che fare con lui, lo tiene lontano dal mentitore doppiamente perfido (il Diavolo), coloro che andranno con Dio [nel cuore] eviteranno che qualcuno si gonfi d’orgoglio a causa del proprio esercito; perché raramente avete visto una gioia grande e diffusa nascere dal gran disordine di volontà incostanti.
V. Ma una volta che tutti seguono un unico comando e ognuno di loro cerca di guadagnare fama, allora si lasci che il più capace mostri il più grande coraggio; in questo modo essi possono essere sicuri della vittoria. E coloro che non vanno prendano misure per garantire che Dio sia meglio servito! Per questo motivo si dice che ognuno dovrebbe rinunciare a ciò che più gli piace al mondo e seguirLo nudo, dal momento che Egli ci ha redenti spogliato di tutti gli orpelli mondani.
VI. Ah, gente sventurata, cosa diranno coloro che ora non lo aiuteranno quando Egli ricorderà i peccati di omissione e chiamerà i penitenti a renderne conto? Li vedrete rispondere di tutto ciò che li ha resi signori; in fede mia, le loro guide che li hanno condotti fuori strada non daranno loro né conforto né consolazione.
VII. Sono afflitto per il danno [in Terra Santa], potete starne certi, ma sono [anche] assolutamente costernato per la vergogna che i traditori vestiti di tenebra, che non hanno Dio né religione né bontà, abbiano su di noi l’effetto che hanno: ci hanno resi dei vili zoticoni in modo disgustoso, perché dalla nascita di Cristo non avete mai sentito un tale comportamento: un così grande pericolo trattato con così tanta leggerezza.
VIII. Eppure ritrovo la consolazione che era fuggita e scappata da me, e la mia canzone che ha avuto inizio in lacrime termina nella gioia, ora che gli eserciti sono in procinto di cavalcare e i re hanno assicurato il loro aiuto. Quando arriveranno, sultani ed emiri subiranno grandi sventure, ve l’assicuro, a meno che non siano fuggiti via.
IX. E il conte Riccardo è ben attrezzato; perché con la sua cerchia, anche se nessuno seguirà il suo esempio, ha abbracciato un’impresa che è davvero grande, e Dio sia lodato per questo!

Text: Sharman 1989. – Rialto 9.ii.2013.

Mss.: C 12r, Da 157r, I 26r, K 15r, Q 104r, R 35v, Sg 76v, a1 44; incipit N2 23v.

Critical editions: Adolf Kolsen, Sämtliche Lieder des Trobadors Giraut de Bornelh, 2 voll., Halle 1910 and 1935, vol. I, 60, p. 384; Ruth Verity Sharman, The Cansos and Sirventes of the Troubadour Giraut de Borneil, Cambridge 1989, p. 414 (LXIII).

Other editions: Carl August Friedrich Mahn, Die Werke der Troubadours, in provenzalischer Sprache, 4 voll., Berlin 1846-1886, vol. I, p. 209.

Versification: a8 b8 b8 a8 a8 b8 c4 d6 d10 (Frank 484:1), -an, -itz, -ei, -atz. Eight coblas unissonans and one five-line tornada. Unicum.

Notes: This song was composed after the treaty of Gisors (21 January 1288) when Henry II and Philip Augustus pledged to take part in the Third Crusade (v. 76). Richard the Lionheart, then Count of Poitou (v. 81), had already taken the cross as soon as he heard the news at the end of October 1187 of the Christian rout at Hattin on 3 July. – Line 1: Sharman «To the honour of God I return to my song» (as Kolsen). The examples she cites on pp. 418-419 are more appropriate to my interpretation. – Lines 31-40: Sharman translates «And since the Holy Spirit gives strength to the heart disposed towards good and draws it away from the crafty, fork-tongued imposter, that it may not be infected by him, let those who will go with God [to the Holy Land] beware lest any one of them defy his authority; for you rarely saw great and widespread rejoicing arise from great disorder sown by conflicting wills». The point is more practical than this: Giraut is emphasizing the need for unity among the different crusading forces, as he continues to do in stanza V; esquivan is indicative rather than subjunctive, and us underlines the need for a common purpose. It is the Devil that tempts individuals to be vainglorious about their own particular rôle. Kolsen edits 33-36 differently: eslonh a que no si’aizitz / de doble trafa ple d’engan / esquivan cels c’ab Deu iran / c’us de sa forsa no s’iritz, «so hüte dieses sich davor, sich für den doppelzüngigen Betrüger voll Falsch einnehmen zu lassen, indem es einen jeden von denen, die mit Gott hinziehen werden, davor bewahrt, auf seine eigene Kraft zu pochen»; this still allows for my understanding of v. 36. Kolsen’s ‘doppelzüngigen’, followed by Sharman, is overly free. – Lines 61-70: Giraut seems to be contrasting the dan of 61 with the anta of 62; Sharman’s translation («the harm [this does], but for shame I am utterly dismayed [. . .] should do their will with us as they are doing») leaves open what this contrast might mean. The troubadour is assuring his listeners he does not underestimate the damage being done to the Holy Land, but is also shocked at the spiritual consequences on the souls of Christian knights of limply caving into the heathen. – Lines 82-84: I do not understand how aïtz can mean ‘enemies’, as Sharman and Kolsen thought (Sharman: «for, whether [or not] anyone follows his example, he has undertaken against his enemies a mission that is exalted indeed»). In the note to 82 Sharman prints «Cals (sieus) aizitz: emendation», which I think means she hesitated between printing aïtz and aizitz. Kolsen also prints aïtz. Stanza IX is preserved in CRSga1 only: the variants are Cal Sga, Et als C, Et R; s. aizitz C, sieu naita Sg, nitz a1, son aunitz R. For aizit PD gives ‘ proche; préparé, disposé; commode, convenable; mise à l’aise; accommodant, déférent’; eser aizitz ‘avoir l’occasion’. I interpret in the light of Guillem de Peitieu’s use of aizis: Ja no sera nuils homs ben fis / contr’amor, si on l’es aclis, / et als estranhs et als vezis / non es consens, / et a totz sels d’aicels aizis / obediens (Guglielmo IX, Poesie, a cura di Nicolò Pasero, Modena 1973, pp. 197 and 199 «. . . di tutti quelli di tale cerchia», and see the note on p. 206). – If Richard was already «well prepared» this was no doubt because he had taken the cross three months earlier than the kings.

[LP, lb]

BdT     Giraut de Borneil

Songs referring to the crusades