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From Dawn to Dawn

Troubadour Poetry

(A selection of sixty Provencal poems, translated from the Occitan)

'Per solatz revelhar,

Que s'es trop enformitz,

E per pretz, qu'es faiditz

Acolhir e tornar,

Me cudei trebalhar'

'To wake delight once more,

That's been too long asleep,

And worth that's exiled deep

To gather and restore:

These thoughts I've laboured for'

Guiraut de Bornelh
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Translated by A. S. Kline (C) Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved

This work may be freely reproduced, stored, and transmitted, electronically or otherwise, for any non-commercial purpose.

Contents

Translator's Introduction
Anonymous (10th Century)
Phebi claro nondum orto iubare
With pale Phoebus, in the clear east, not yet bright,
Guillaume de Poitiers (1071-1127)
Ab la dolchor del temps novel
Out of the sweetness of the spring,
Farai un vers de dreyt nien
I've made a song devoid of sense:
Pus vezem de novelh florir
Since we see, fresh flowers blowing
Mout jauzens me prenc en amar
Great the joy that I take in love,
Farai chansoneta nueva
I'll make a little song that's new,
Pos de chantar m'es pres talentz
Since my mood urges me to sing
Jaufre Rudel (d. c. 1148)
Lanquan li jorn son lonc e may
When the days are long, in May,
Quan lo rius de la fontana
When the sweet fountain's stream
No sap chanter qui so no di
No one can sing where no melody is,
Marcabru (fl. 1130-1150)
A la fontana del vergier
In an orchard down by the stream,
Cercamon (fl. c. 1137-1152)
Quant l'aura doussa s'amarzis
When the sweet air turns bitter,
Rigaut de Berbezilh (fl. 1140-1163)
Si tuit li dol e? lh plor e? lh marrimen
If all the grief and woe and bitterness
Bernart de Ventadorn (fl. 1145-1175)
Can vei la lauzeta mover
When I see the lark display
Tant ai mo cor ple de joya
So full is my heart of joy now,
Can par la flors josta. l vert folh
When flowers are in the leaves green
Can la frej' aura venta
When fresh breezes gather,
Can la verz folha s'espan
When the greenery unfolds
Pel doutz chan que? l rossinhols fai
To the sweet song of the nightingale,
La rossinhols s'esbaudeya
The nightingale sings happily
Can l'erba fresch'e?
lh folha par
When fresh leaves and shoots appear,
Lo tems vai e ven e vire
Time comes, and goes, and runs away,
La douza votz ai auzida
The sweetest voice I have heard,
Chantars no pot gaire valer
Singing proves merely valueless
Peire d'Auvergne (fl. 1157-1170)
Ab fina joia comenssa
With noble joy commences
Raimbaut d'Orange (c1144-d. 1173)
Ar resplan la flors enversa
Now the flowers gleam, in reverse,
Non chant per auzel ni per flor
I do not sing for bird or flower,
Beatritz de Dia (c1140-fl. c. 1175)
Estat ai en greu cossirier
I've been in great distress of mind,
A chantar m'er de so qu'ieu no volria
Now I must sing of what I would not do,
Arnaut de Mareuil (late 12th century)
Bel m'es quan lo vens m'alena
It's sweet when the breeze blows softly,
Arnaut Daniel (fl. 1180-1210)
Sols sui qui sai lo sobrafan que? m sortz
I am the one that knows the pain that flows
Quan chai la fueilha
When the pale leaves descend
Douz braitz e critz
Sweet tweet and cry
Er vei vermeilhs, vertz, blaus, blancs, gruocs
I see scarlet; green, blue, white, yellow
Anc ieu non l'aic, mas elha m'a
I have him not, yet he has me
Lo ferm voler qu'el cor m'intra
The firm desire that in my heart enters
En cest sonnet coind'e leri
To this light tune, graceful and slender,
Peire Vidal (1175 - 1205)
Ab l'alen tir vas me l'aire
I breathe deeply, draw in the air:
Ges quar estius
Though spring's glorious
Plus que. l paubres quan jai el ric ostal
No more than a beggar dare complain,
Estat ai gran sazo
I've felt, for so long, so
Raimbaut de Vaqueiras (c1155- fl. 1180-d. c1207)
Altas ondas que venez suz la mar
Deep waves that roll, travelling the sea,
Gaita be, gaiteta del chastel
Keep a watch, watchman there, on the wall,
Kalenda maia
Calends of May
Guillem de Cabestan (1162-1212)
Aissi cum selh que baissa? l fuelh
Like to him who bends the leaves
Lo jorn qu'ie? us vi, dompna, primeiramen,
The day I saw you, lady that first time,
Anc mais no m? fo semblan
Never would I have conceived
Bertran de Born (c1140-d. before1215)
Dompna, puois de mi no? us cal
Lady, since you care not at all
Be? m platz lo gais temps de pascor
The joyful springtime pleases me
Ai!