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A! Cu·m dona ric coratge
De preiar et ardimen
Amors, que don' espaven
Ad autre fin amador;
Que, quan sa dompn'a valor
E beutat e cortezia,
No l'auza son talan dir.
Pero mi fai enardir
Mais que si ren no·n avia;
Qu'hom quan mais cuja conquerer
Major ardimen deu aver.

A faire gran vassallatge
S'eschai be qu' on aia sen.
Pero plus ardidamen
O fai qu'i mescla folor.
Quar anc bon envazidor
No vim, si no fes folhia.
E no·s tanh ges qu'hom s'albir
Tot so qu'en pot avenir,
Quar ja ren be no·n faria;
Qu'ieu n'ai vist ja manh decazer
Qu'era fort pros, per trop temer.

Temer deu hom vilanatge
Far e tot descauzimen
E ves si dons falhimen
E vergonh' e deshonor,
E d'aisso·m don ieu temor.
Que s'ieu aisso non temia
Enves ma domna mentir,
Trop cujaria falhir.
Pero ieu fatz tota via,
On mais e mielhs puesc, son voler,
E s'ieu falh, non ai pro saber.

Tant m'agrat de vostr'estatge,
Don', e tan mi son plazen
Tuit vostre captenemen,
E tan vos port fin' amor
Que s'ieu plus fort que non cor
Us cavals de pretz corria,
Quan vuelh lai on etz venir
Segon so que ieu dezir
Esser ab vos, cujaria
Anar, don', ab trop gran lezer.
Gardatz s'i ai ben mon voler!

Domna, ieu ai un usatge
Qu'es, segon mon escien
Per sobrenamoramen
E quar vos port tan d'onor:
Quan vostra fresca color
Avinen ses maestria
Ni·l vostre gen cors remir,
Sui tan jauzens qu'al partir
M'en creis ir' e feunia.
Qu'atressi n'ai gran desplazer
Quan no·us vei, cum joi del vezer.

Tant ai en vos mon coratge
Plus qu'en autra ren viven,
Per que·m par que chauzimen
Del vostre fin amador
Vos penra, que gran honor
I faretz e cortezia.
Qu'en vos ai mes mon dezir
E mon amar ses mentir,
E farai o tota via,
Quar vos me podetz retener
Que mais en ren non ai esper.

Lauzengier, grazida·us sia
L'onors que·m faitz ab mentir,
Quar vos faitz cujar e dir
Qu'ieu am tal per drudaria
On anc jorn non ac mon esper,
Et ab mentir cobrez lo ver.

A! How Love gives me plentiful willingness
of entreating and enduring
love, which gives terrors
to another fine lover;
for, when his lady has virtue
and beauty and manners,
he dares not tell her about his intentions;
whereas it makes me even bolder
than I'd be if she had no [virtues]
because the more one wants to conquer,
the more boldness he must have.

To be of great service,
one needs to have common sense.
But he acts more bravely
who mixes some folly in:
for never did a good assailant
prevail without doing something foolish.
And it isn't good that one imagines
everything that can happen to him,
for he would not do any good.
And I have already seen many spoil,
who were quite valiant, out of fearing too much.

One must fear to do villany
and all debasement
and to fail his lady
and shame, and dishonour:
and those things make me shiver.
For, if I didn't fear
lying to my lady
I'd believe I'd fail much.
But I have done, all the way,
as well as I could, her will:
and, if I fail, it is out of lack of knowledge.

So taken I am by your station,
lady, and so pleasant I find
all your enterprises,
and so much pure love I have for you
that, were I to run faster
than a prize horse racing,
when I want to get to where you are,
following my desire
to be with you, I would believe
to be walking, lady, with far too much sloth.
See how I've set my mind to it!

Lady, I have a habit
that comes, in my opinion,
from over-loving
and from the great honour I bear for you:
when I regard your youthful complexion,
comely without peer,
and your supple body,
I am so joyous that, upon parting,
sorrow and sadness grow inside me.
For I have as great a displeasure
when I don't see you as I have joy when I see you.

So much I have you in my heart,
more than any other living being,
that I believe you'll
have some regards for your
fine lover, for it'd be a great honour
and kindness for him.
For I have put in you my desire
and my loving, without lie,
and I will [do so] to the end,
so you can keep me as yours;
otherwise, I don't have hope in anything.

Slanderers, be it to your credit
the honour you give me by lying,
for you make [people] believe and say
that I love, reciprocated,
one towards which I don't turn a thought,
and, by lying, you cover the truth.