prosody | miscellaneous |
Pos de chantar m'es pres talenz, Farai un vers, don sui dolenz: Mais non serai obedienz En Peitau ni en Lemozi. Qu'era m'en irai en eisil: En gran paor, en gran peril, En guerra, laisserai mon fil, Faran li mal siei vezi. Lo departirs m'es aitan greus Del seignorage de Peitieus En garda lais Folcon d'Angieus Tota la terra e son cozi. Si Folcos d'Angieus no-l socor, E-l reis de cui ieu tenc m'onor, Guerrejar l'an tut li plusor, Felon Gascon et Angevi. Si ben non es savis ni pros, Cant ieu serai partitz de vos, Vias l'auran tornat en jos, Car lo veiran jov'e mesqui. Merce clam a mon conpaignon, S'anc li fi tort, qu'il m'o perdon, Et il prec en Jezu del tron En romans et en son lati. De proez'e de joven fui, Mais ara partem ambedui, Et ieu irai m'en a Cellui On tut peccador troban fi. Mout ai estat cuendes e gais, Mas Nostre Seigner no-l vol mais; Ar non puesc plus soffrir lo fais Tant soi aprochatz de la fi. Tot ai guerpit cant amar sueill: Cavalaria et orgueill E pos Dieu platz, tot o acueill, E El que-m reteigna ab Si. Totz mos amics prec a la mort, Qu-il vengan tuit e m'onren fort, Qu'eu ai agut joi e deport Loing e pres et e mon aizi. Aissi guerpisc joi e deport, E vair e gris e sembeli. |
Since I feel like singing, I'll write a verse I grieve over: I shall never be a vassal anymore in Poitiers nor in Limoges For now I shall be exiled: in a dreadful fright, in great peril, in war, shall I leave my son, and his neighbours shall turn on him. It is hard for me to abandon the rule of Poitiers I leave Folcon of Angiers as a keeper of the whole country and of his cousin. If Folcon of Angiers doesn't aid him (and the king I owe my title to doesn't do likewise) most of them will attack him, those villainous Gascons and Angevins. If he isn't very wise and valiant, as soon as I have left you, they will upturn him, because they will see him young and defenceless. I beg my companion for mercy: if I ever wronged him, let him forgive me, and let him praise lord Jesus in his throne both in the common tongue and in his. I lived with youth and valour, but now they are both gone, and I shall go to the One by whom all sinners find peace. I have been agreeable and gay, but Our Lord doesn't allow it anymore; now I can't bear the burden anymore, so close I am to the end. I have left all I used to love: knighthood and pride; and since this pleases god, I accept it wholly, and let him keep me with him. I endear all my friends to come to my death and to honour me greatly since I had and kept joy and disport far and wide, and in my own abode. So I leave joy and disport, and vair and grey squirrel and sable furs. |