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Dezamparatz, ses companho
e d'amor luenh del tot e blos,
cavalgava per un cambo,
iratz e tristz e cossiros,
lonc un bruelh, tro joys mi retenc
d'una pastoressa que vi;
per qu'es mos joys renovellatz,
quan mi remembran sas beutatz,
que anc pueys d'autra no·m sovenc.

Tost dissendei sobre·l sablo
e vinc vas lieys de sautz coytos.
Elha·m ders un pauc lo mento;
ab un dos ris, ferm amoros,
me dis: «Senher, cossi·us avenc
que·us trastornessetz sai vas mi?
Quo·us etz tan de mi adautatz?
Qu'ieu no say que s'es amistatz,
per que·m luenh de vos e m'estrenc».

«Toza, joys mi dona razo
per qu'ieu suy sa vengutz a vos.
Quan me mostretz vostra faisso,
sobre totz jauzens fuy joyos;
per que mon cor fortz e destrenc
ab vostr'amor, vas cuy m'acli.
E sia volgutz et amatz
lo mieus joys e·l vostre, si·us platz,
que jamais no rompa ni trenc».

«Senher, si m'amistat vos do,
yeu aurey nom na Malafos,
qu'ieu n'esper melhor guizardo
d'autre que cug qu'en breu m'espos.
Dar vos ey est cairelh que tenc!
E tornatz en vostre cami,
qu'ab autras vos etz ensajatz,
per semblan, don etz galiatz,
falsas, que fan ric joy sebenc».

«Amiga, no·us dic oc ni no
de las falsas ab cor ginhos;
tan me platz de vos e·m sap bo,
que totz mals davers m'en es pros.
En qual que·us vulhatz vos o prenc,
que ieu vos plevisc e·us afi
que vostres suy endomenjatz;
e faitz de mi so que·us vulhatz,
neys lo cor traire ab un brenc».

«Senher, qui messonjas a pro
a semblan de ver non es tos.
La saviez'a Salamo
aondera, s'amors no fos,
que mur e forsa e palenc
fe de sen, et un franh bassi
no·l valc quan fo apoderatz;
e pus elh ne fo enganatz.
Gardatz en vos so qu'ieu ne prenc!»

«Amiga, ab autr'ochaizo
mi tornatz mon joy sus dejos;
que ja non er ni anc no fo
q'amors no sia bon'als bos:
per qu'ieu de ben amar no·m fenc,
que·m don'al cor joy clar e fi
de vos; e prec merce m'ajatz,
o·m metrey, si m'o alongatz,
hermitas el pueg de Messenc».

«Senher, ja prezic ni sermo
non aya mai entre nos dos:
si m'etz amicx, amiga·us so,
quar tan n'etz lecx et enveyos.
Yeu gieti foras et espenc
de mon cor brau erguelh. Camgi
tot aissi cum vos deziratz:
er mos joys al vostre privatz,
que ses joy no valh un arenc».

«Amiga, ab tant ey assatz:
per mil vetz s'es mos joys doblatz,
quar en la vostr'amor atenc».

«Senher, e vos non o digatz,
si tan dur cor adomesjatz,
als parliers, gola de blastenc».

Forlorn, without companion,
stripped of love and ever far from it,
I was riding through a field,
worried, sad and bemusing,
along a copse when joy stopped me
because of a shepherdess I saw:
through her, my joy is so renewed,
when her beauty comes to my mind,
that I can't recall any other woman.

I dismounted right away to the ground
and went to her with quick leaps.
She lifted her chin a bit towards me;
with a sweet smile, a truly charming one,
she told me: "Sir, what was the matter
that swayed you thus towards me?
Why are you so taken with me?
For I don't know what loving is:
so I take my leave and part from you".

"Girl, joy gives me the reason
why I have come to you here.
When you showed me your semblance,
I was joyous above all rejoicing;
so I force and tether my heart
for love of you, towards whom I bow.
And may it be welcome and loved,
my joy together with yours, if you please,
so that it may never be broken or severed."

"Sir, if I give you my love,
I will have Dame Harlot for a name,
while I hope for a different reward
from someone else who, I believe, will soon marry me.
To you, I'll give of this cane that I hold!
And go back to your way,
for you have experience of other women,
it would seem, by whom you are deceived:
false ones, who debase noble joy."

"Friend, I say neither yes nor no
about the false ones with a wily heart;
I so like you and so like to do so
that whatever ill comes of it is to my liking.
And, whatever you fancy, I am all for it,
for I swear to you and declare
that I am in your thrall:
and do of me what you like,
even if it is gauging my heart with a tine."

"Sir, he who is at ease with lies
that resemble truth is no rookie.
Solomon would have been overfilled
with wisdom, if love hadn't been there,
for he had made wall, fortress and palisade
of his sense, but it wasn't worth a cracked
bowl when he was taken over:
and he was deceived thereafter.
See how much I can trust in you!"

"Friend, it is with another excuse
that you turn my joy upside down;
for it isn't, nor [ever] was so
that love wasn't good to the good:
therefore, I don't desist from loving well,
which gives my heart clear and pure joy
because of you; and I beg you to have mercy
or I'll retire, if you keep me waiting,
as a hermit on the top of the Mezenc."

"Sir, let there not be preaching
nor speeches between us two:
if you are my lover, I'll be yours,
since you are so eager and anxious.
I throw pride out and drive it
away from my haughty heart. I change
just as you wish:
my joy will be allied to yours,
for I am not worth a herring without joy."

"Friend, with this, I have enough:
my joy has doubled a thousand times
since I have obtained your love."

"Sir, and don't tell it around,
if you have tamed so hard a heart,
to the gossips, curse their mouth!"