God made none so
beautiful
nor may,
The glance that my lady darts at me must slay.
The glance that my lady darts at me must slay.
Troubador Verse
Is here so soon.
The lady's delightful and greatly pleases
Her beauty draws to her many gazes,
Yet in her heart love loyally blazes,
Ah, God, Ah, God, the dawn! Is here so soon.
Note: The Occitan caramehl, the 'pipe' of verse four, is the 'chalumeau' in use in France from the twelfth century. The word refers to various sorts of pipes, some of which were made of cane and featured a single 'reed' cut into the side of the cane itself.
Anonymous Balade (13th century or later)
Mort m'an li semblan que madona? m fai
The glance that my lady darts at me must slay,
Born of her sweet eyes amorous and gay.
If I have none of her let me die alway;
The glance that my lady darts at me must slay.
On my knees I shall beg of her today;
The glance that my lady darts at me must slay.
Humbly before her then I go to pray;
That she solace me, one sweet kiss I'd weigh.
The glance that my lady darts at me must slay,
Born of her sweet eyes amorous and gay.
Her body's white as snow that on glacier lay,
The glance that my lady darts at me must slay.
Fresh is her colour as a rose in May,
The glance that my lady darts at me must slay.
Her hair, red gold, pleases in every way,
Softer and sweeter than a man can say.
The glance that my lady darts at me must slay,
Born of her sweet eyes amorous and gay.
God made none so beautiful nor may,
The glance that my lady darts at me must slay.
Her body I'll love, forever and a day,
The glance that my lady darts at me must slay.
And long as I live I'll not say her nay,
And die for her if I can't have my way.
The glance that my lady darts at me must slay,
Born of her sweet eyes amorous and gay.
Note: Compare Chaucer's 'Your eyen two whole slay me suddenly, I may the beauty of them not sustain. '
Gaucelm Faidit (c. 1170 - c. 1202)
Born in Uzerche, in the Limousin, from a family of knights in the service of the Count of Turenne, he travelled widely in France, Spain, and Hungary. His known patrons include Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany and Dalfi d'Alvernha; he was at one time in Poitiers at the court of Richard I of England, on whose death he wrote this planh. It is possible, but controversial, that he took part in the Third Crusade from 1189-1191; it seems likely that in 1202 he set out on the Fourth Crusade, as did his then patron, Boniface of Montferrat. After 1202 there is no further mention of him.
Fortz chausa es que tot lo maior dan
A harsh thing it is that brings such harm,
The worst woe, alas, I've suffered: this!
Such that in weeping I will ever mourn,
For so I must sing it now, and utter,
That he the summit and crown of valour,
Noble, brave, Richard, King of the English,
Is dead! Ah, God! What harm, what loss!
What strange words, how grievous to hear!
The lady's delightful and greatly pleases
Her beauty draws to her many gazes,
Yet in her heart love loyally blazes,
Ah, God, Ah, God, the dawn! Is here so soon.
Note: The Occitan caramehl, the 'pipe' of verse four, is the 'chalumeau' in use in France from the twelfth century. The word refers to various sorts of pipes, some of which were made of cane and featured a single 'reed' cut into the side of the cane itself.
Anonymous Balade (13th century or later)
Mort m'an li semblan que madona? m fai
The glance that my lady darts at me must slay,
Born of her sweet eyes amorous and gay.
If I have none of her let me die alway;
The glance that my lady darts at me must slay.
On my knees I shall beg of her today;
The glance that my lady darts at me must slay.
Humbly before her then I go to pray;
That she solace me, one sweet kiss I'd weigh.
The glance that my lady darts at me must slay,
Born of her sweet eyes amorous and gay.
Her body's white as snow that on glacier lay,
The glance that my lady darts at me must slay.
Fresh is her colour as a rose in May,
The glance that my lady darts at me must slay.
Her hair, red gold, pleases in every way,
Softer and sweeter than a man can say.
The glance that my lady darts at me must slay,
Born of her sweet eyes amorous and gay.
God made none so beautiful nor may,
The glance that my lady darts at me must slay.
Her body I'll love, forever and a day,
The glance that my lady darts at me must slay.
And long as I live I'll not say her nay,
And die for her if I can't have my way.
The glance that my lady darts at me must slay,
Born of her sweet eyes amorous and gay.
Note: Compare Chaucer's 'Your eyen two whole slay me suddenly, I may the beauty of them not sustain. '
Gaucelm Faidit (c. 1170 - c. 1202)
Born in Uzerche, in the Limousin, from a family of knights in the service of the Count of Turenne, he travelled widely in France, Spain, and Hungary. His known patrons include Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany and Dalfi d'Alvernha; he was at one time in Poitiers at the court of Richard I of England, on whose death he wrote this planh. It is possible, but controversial, that he took part in the Third Crusade from 1189-1191; it seems likely that in 1202 he set out on the Fourth Crusade, as did his then patron, Boniface of Montferrat. After 1202 there is no further mention of him.
Fortz chausa es que tot lo maior dan
A harsh thing it is that brings such harm,
The worst woe, alas, I've suffered: this!
Such that in weeping I will ever mourn,
For so I must sing it now, and utter,
That he the summit and crown of valour,
Noble, brave, Richard, King of the English,
Is dead! Ah, God! What harm, what loss!
What strange words, how grievous to hear!
