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| prosody | miscellaneous |
Seigner Coine, jois e pretz et amors Vos comandon que juzaz un lor plai D'une dompna q'a dos entendedors, Qe fan per lei tot qant a pretz l'eschai, E son andui d'un prez e d'un parage; E l'uns li ditz s'amor e son corage, L'autre tem tant que no.ill lo ausa dir: Gardaz qal deu meilz a merce venir. Certes, Raimbaut, lo taiser es folors: Se ge ne qer merce, per qe l'aurai? Pos qe ma dame aura totas valors, Ja de merci no mes desperarai. Qerre merci non es ges poing d'oltrage, Que Judas fo perduz per son folage, Qui de proier no s'ausa enardir; Mainz pechadors fai desespers morir. Seigner Coine, danz l'es e deshonors A cel que qer lo don, pois li estrai, E sobre toz amadors l'es paors Q'om li die: "Ja no m'en parlez mai!" E l'autr' amans tem dir lo seu dampnage, Car cel que tem sap d'amor son usage: Si no l'enqer, enqerren la.l sospir; Lo ben q'eu qer faz ma domna.m merir. Certes, Raimbaut, cum q'eu faza aillors, Ja ma domna mon mal non celarai, Car hom pot trop tart qerir lo secors, E que me val socors pos mort serai? Fols es qui cel' al mege son malage, Qe.l n'es plus greus e plus greu ensoage; Anz lo dei hom si per tems descobrir, Si sa dame vol, puosc' ades garir. Seigner Coene, d'esparvers e d'austors Vuoill qe.m mostrez, qe d'amor eu me sai; Que cel que qer no se fid' en lauzors Ni en sa dame ni el ben que.il fai, Qe.l querre fai de joi privat salvage. |
Lord Conon, joy and worth and love ask you to judge a dispute of theirs about a lady who has two suitors who do for her all that worth demands, and are both of the same distinction and rank; and one reveals his love and his intentions, the other is so afraid that he dares not say it: consider which deserves mercy the most. Surely, Raimbaut, remaining silent is folly: if I do not ask for pity, why shall I have it? Since my lady will have all virtues, I shan't despair of pity. Asking for mercy isn't ground for being accused of outrage, since Judas was damned by his folly when he didn't dare be bold and pray; despair has made many sinners die. Lord Conon, loss and shame are due to the one who asks for the gift, since he forces her and he is, above all lovers, afraid of being told "Never mention this again!" and the other lover fears to pronounce his own damnation, since he who fears knows the ways of love: if I do not entreat her, my sighs do so; I make my lady reward me with the favour I seek. Surely, Raimbaut, howsoever I may act in other matters, I shan't conceal my pain from my lady, since one can ask for rescue too late, and what good is succour to me if I am dead? He is a fool who hides his malady from the doctor, since he grows sicker, and harder to cure; instead, one should reveal it on time so that, if his lady wants, he can presently heal. Lord Conon, I'd rather you tell me about sparrow-hawks and goshawks, since I know my lesson about love; for he who entreats doesn't trust reputation nor his lady nor the service he renders, and asking makes a stranger to joy of one who was privy to it. |