Due to personal matters I've had to neglect this blog for the last few months. Apologies. I hope to be back, perhaps with good news, in the New Year. In the meantime here's an unseasonal medieval song (though for some reason, medieval songs always feel Christmassy to me.) The author is anonymous, the approximate translation is mine; the music is by the Follorum Ensemble. A happy Christmas or winter holiday to you all!
Voulez vous que je
vous chante
Un son d’amours
avenant?
Vilain nel fist mie,
Ainz le fist un
chevalier
Sous l’ombre d’un
olivier
Entre les bras
s’amie.
Would you like me to sing you
A fine song of love?
By no peasant was it made:
But a gentle knight who lay
With his true love in his arms
In an olive tree’s shade.
Chemisete avoit de
lin
Et blanc peliçon hermin
Et bliaut de soie
Chauces ot de jaglolai
Et blanc peliçon hermin
Et bliaut de soie
Chauces ot de jaglolai
Et solers de flours
de mai
Estroitement chauçade
Her chemise was of linen
And her white pelisse of ermine
Of silk was her dress.
Her stockings were of iris leaves
And her slippers of mayflowers
Her feet to caress.
Ceinturete avoit de
feuille
Que verdist quant li
tens meuille,
D’or est boutonade
L’aumosniere estoit
d’amour
Li pendant furent de
flours
Par amours fu donade.
Her belt was of leaves
Which grow green when it rains,
Her buttons of gold so fine.
Her purse was a gift of love,
And it hung from flowery chains
As it were a lovers’ shrine.
Et chevauchoit une
mule
D’argent ert la
ferruere
La sele ert dorade;
Sus la croupe par
derriers
Avoit plante trois
rosiers
Pour faire li
ombrage.
And she rode on a mule
The saddle was of gold,
All silver were its shoes;
Behind her on the crupper
To provide her with shade
Three rose bushes grew.
Si s’en va aval la
pree
Chevaliers l’ont
encontree
Beau l’on saluade:
“Belle, dont estes
vous nee?”
“De France sui la
louee,
De plus haut parage.”
As she passed through the fields
She met gentle knights
Who begged courteously:
“Fair one, where were you born?”
“From France
am I come,
And of high family.
“Li rossignol est mon
pere
Qui chant sor la
ramee
El plus haut boscage.
La seraine est mon
mere
Qui chante en la mer
sale
Li plus haut rivage.”
“The nightingale is my father
Who sings from the branches
Of the forest’s highest tree.
The mermaid is my mother
Who sings her sweet chant
On the banks of the salt sea.”
“Belle, bon fussiez
vous nee!
Bien estes emparentee
Et de haut parage.
Pleüst á Dieu nostre
pere
Que vous ne fussiez
donee
A femme esposade.”
“Fair one, well were you born!
“Fair one, well were you born!
Well fathered, well mothered,
And of high family.
If God would only grant
That you might be given
In marriage to me!”
Picture credits:
Lovers: The Maastricht Hours, http://britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/digitisedmanuscripts/2012/02/happy-valentines-day.html
Lady riding: Gerard Horenbout, 16th century, Wikipedia
Maastricht Hours, Southern Netherlands (Liège), 1st quarter of the 14th
century - See more at:
http://britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/digitisedmanuscripts/2012/02/happy-valentines-day.html#sthash.PzMbFZo8.dpuf
Maastricht
Hours, Southern Netherlands (Liège), 1st quarter of the 14th century,
Stowe 17, f. 273 - See more at:
http://britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/digitisedmanuscripts/2012/02/happy-valentines-day.html#sthash.PzMbFZo8.dpuf
Maastricht
Hours, Southern Netherlands (Liège), 1st quarter of the 14th century,
Stowe 17, f. 273 - See more at:
http://britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/digitisedmanuscripts/2012/02/happy-valentines-day.html#sthash.PzMbFZo8.dpuf
Maastricht
Hours, Southern Netherlands (Liège), 1st quarter of the 14th century,
Stowe 17, f. 273 - See more at:
http://britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/digitisedmanuscripts/2012/02/happy-valentines-day.html#sthash.PzMbFZo8.dpuf
Mermaid: Besançon - BM - ms. 0069, detail of p. 458. Breviary, use of Besançon. Rouen, before 1498.