False love he makes, slave of a far country,
Now laughter and jests turn to misery.
Now laughter and jests turn to misery.
Troubador Verse
1180-d.
c1207)
Raimbaut de Vaqueiras, or Riambaut de Vaqueyras, came from Vacqueyras near Orange, Vaucluse. He spent most of his career as court poet and close friend of Boniface I of Montferrat. He joined the Fourth Crusade in 1203 and was present at the siege of Constantinople in 1204. He is presumed to have died in an ambush by Bulgarian forces.
Altas ondas que venez suz la mar
Deep waves that roll, travelling the sea,
That high winds, here and there, set free,
What news of my love do you bring to me?
What passes there? Never his ship, I see.
And ah, God of Amour!
Now you bring joy, and now dolour.
Ah, sweet breeze, from there, true, you sigh,
Where my love joys, sleeps, and suspires.
A sip of his sweet breath for me, send by.
My lips are parted, so deep my desires.
And ah, God of Amour!
Now you bring joy, and now dolour.
False love he makes, slave of a far country,
Now laughter and jests turn to misery.
I'd not dreamed my friend would ask of me
That I grant him such love as he did seek.
And ah, God of Amour!
Now you bring joy, and now dolour.
Gaita be, gaiteta del chastel
Keep a watch, watchman there, on the wall,
While the best, loveliest of them all
I have with me until the dawn.
For the day comes without our call,
New joys all,
Lost to the dawn,
The dawn, oh, the dawn!
Watch, friend, watch there, and call and cry,
I'm rich indeed, all I wish have I.
But now I'm vexed by the dawn,
And the sorrows, that day brings nigh,
Make me sigh,
More than the dawn
The dawn, oh, the dawn!
Keep a watch, watchman there, on the tower,
For your lord: jealously he holds power,
He's more vexing than the dawn:
While words of love we speak here.
But our fear
Comes with the dawn,
The dawn, oh, the dawn!
Lady, adieu! No longer dare I stay;
Despite my wish, I must be away.
Yet heavily weighs the dawn,
How soon we'll see the day;
To betray
Us, wills the dawn,
The dawn, oh, the dawn!
Kalenda maia
Calends of May
Nor leafy spray
Nor songs of birds, nor flowers gay
Please me today
My Lady, nay,
Lest there's a fine message I pray
From your loveliness, to relay
The pleasures new love and joy may
Display
And I'll play
For you, true lady, I say,
And lay
By the way
The jealous ones, ere I go away.
My belle amie
Let it not be
That any man scorns me from jealousy,
He'd pay me,
Dearly indeed
If lovers were parted by such as he;
Never would I live happily,
No happiness without you I see;
I'd flee
Run free
No man would find me readily;
An end
Of me,
Fine Lady, were you lost utterly.
How could I lose her
Replace her ever
Any fine Lady, before I had her?
Raimbaut de Vaqueiras, or Riambaut de Vaqueyras, came from Vacqueyras near Orange, Vaucluse. He spent most of his career as court poet and close friend of Boniface I of Montferrat. He joined the Fourth Crusade in 1203 and was present at the siege of Constantinople in 1204. He is presumed to have died in an ambush by Bulgarian forces.
Altas ondas que venez suz la mar
Deep waves that roll, travelling the sea,
That high winds, here and there, set free,
What news of my love do you bring to me?
What passes there? Never his ship, I see.
And ah, God of Amour!
Now you bring joy, and now dolour.
Ah, sweet breeze, from there, true, you sigh,
Where my love joys, sleeps, and suspires.
A sip of his sweet breath for me, send by.
My lips are parted, so deep my desires.
And ah, God of Amour!
Now you bring joy, and now dolour.
False love he makes, slave of a far country,
Now laughter and jests turn to misery.
I'd not dreamed my friend would ask of me
That I grant him such love as he did seek.
And ah, God of Amour!
Now you bring joy, and now dolour.
Gaita be, gaiteta del chastel
Keep a watch, watchman there, on the wall,
While the best, loveliest of them all
I have with me until the dawn.
For the day comes without our call,
New joys all,
Lost to the dawn,
The dawn, oh, the dawn!
Watch, friend, watch there, and call and cry,
I'm rich indeed, all I wish have I.
But now I'm vexed by the dawn,
And the sorrows, that day brings nigh,
Make me sigh,
More than the dawn
The dawn, oh, the dawn!
Keep a watch, watchman there, on the tower,
For your lord: jealously he holds power,
He's more vexing than the dawn:
While words of love we speak here.
But our fear
Comes with the dawn,
The dawn, oh, the dawn!
Lady, adieu! No longer dare I stay;
Despite my wish, I must be away.
Yet heavily weighs the dawn,
How soon we'll see the day;
To betray
Us, wills the dawn,
The dawn, oh, the dawn!
Kalenda maia
Calends of May
Nor leafy spray
Nor songs of birds, nor flowers gay
Please me today
My Lady, nay,
Lest there's a fine message I pray
From your loveliness, to relay
The pleasures new love and joy may
Display
And I'll play
For you, true lady, I say,
And lay
By the way
The jealous ones, ere I go away.
My belle amie
Let it not be
That any man scorns me from jealousy,
He'd pay me,
Dearly indeed
If lovers were parted by such as he;
Never would I live happily,
No happiness without you I see;
I'd flee
Run free
No man would find me readily;
An end
Of me,
Fine Lady, were you lost utterly.
How could I lose her
Replace her ever
Any fine Lady, before I had her?
