GAUCELM, TRES JOCS ENAMORATZ ... | GAUCELM, THREE GAMES THAT ....................................LOVERS PLAY ... | ||
Savaric de Mauleon, Gaucelm Faidit ....................................& Uc de la Bacalaria |
trans. James H.Donalson (from Provençal) | ||
"Gaucelm, tres jocs enamoratz Partisc a vos et a n'Hugo, E chascus prendetz to plus bo, E laissatz me cal que·us voilhatz: Una Dompna a tres prejadors, E destreingn la tant lor amors Que, quan tuich trei li son denan, A chascun fai d'amor semblan; L'un esgard' amorosamen, L'autre' estreinh la man dousamen, Al tertz caucïa·l pe rizen. Digatz a cal, pois aissi es, Fai major amor de totz tres." "Seinh'en Savaric, ben sapchatz Que l'amics receup plus gent do, Que franchamen, ses cor felo, Es dels huoilhs plazens esgardatz. Del cor mou aquelha doussors, Per qu'es cen tans majer honors; E del man tenir dic aitan Que non li ten ni pro ni dan, C'aital plazer comunalmen Fan dompnas per acuilhimen; E del caucïar non enten C'anc la dompn'amor li fezes, Nil deu per amor esser pros." "Gaucelm, vos dizetz so qu·eus platz For que non mantenetz razo; Q'en l'esgardar non conosc pro A l'amic que vos razonatz, E si l'i enten es folhors, C'uoilh esgardon lui et ailhors E nuilh autre poder non an. Mas, cand la blancha mas ses gan Estreing son amic dousamen L'amors mou del cor e del sen. E·n Savarics, que part tant gen, Mantenga·l caucïars cortes Del pe, q'ieu no·l mantenrai ges." "N'Hugo, pois lo mieilhs me laissatz, Mantenrai lo ses dir de no; Don dic que·l caucïars quo fo Faitz del pe fon fin' amistatz, Celada dels lausenhadors; E par ben, pos aital socors Pres l'amic rizen chaucïan, Que l'amors es ses tot engan. E, qui·l tener de la man pren Per major amor, fai nonsen. E d'en Gaucelm no m'es parven Que l'esgart per meilhor prezes, Se tan con dis d'amor saupes." "Seinher, vos que l'esgart blasmatz Dels huoilh e lor plazen faisso, Non sabetz que messatgier so Del cor, quels hi a enviatz; C'uoilh descobron als amadors So que reten el cor paors, Don totz los plazers d'amor fan; E maintas vetz rizen gaban, Caucïa-l pe a mainta gen Dompna, ses autr' entendemen. E n'Hugo manten faillimen, Qe·l teners del man non es res, Ni son cre q'anc d'amor mogues." "Gaucelm, encontr' amor parlatz Vos e·l Seinher de Malleo; E pareis ben a la tenso Que·il huoilh que vos avetz triatz, E que razonatz pelz meilhors, Ant trahitz mains entendedors. E de la dompn' ab cor truan, Si·m caucïava·l pe un an, No·n auria mon cor gauzen; E de la man es ses conten Que l'estreinhers val per un cen, Car ja, si al cor no plagues L'amors, no·il agra·l man trames." T1 "Gaucelm, vencutz etz del conten Vos e n'Hugo certanamen. E vuoilh que fassa-l jutgamen Mos Garda-Cors, que m'a conques, E na Maria, on bons pretz es." T2 "Seinher, vencutz no sui nien, Et al jutgar er ben parven; Per qu'eu vuoilh sia eisamen Ma Guilhelma de Benauges, Ab sos digz amoros cortes." T3 "Gaucelm, tant ai razon valen, C'amdos vos fortz' e mi defen; E sai n'una ab gai cors plazen En qe·l jutgamens fora mes; Mas pro n'i a ab meins de tres." |
"Gaucelm, three games that lovers play I'll tell to you and Hugo too: let each one tell me which is best and leave to me the part you wish: a lady had three suitors now, and each one sought to have her love, so when all three stood facing her she gave a sign of love to each; the one she looks at lovingly, she takes the second suitor's hand, steps on the foot of number three. Now tell me which, in such a case, she loves the best of all the three." "Sir Savaric, you know quite well which friend received the kindest gift, for freely, without guile at heart, she gave a pleasant glance to one. Such sweetness comes from in the heart so is a hundredfold more great, while taking hold of someone's hand is neither help nor is it harm for though it's pleasing, commonly the ladies do it to us all; the stepping, I don't understand, for if the lady thinks it's love she shouldn't be so close to him." "Gaucelm, you say what pleases you, however you're not in the right; for there's no gain from just a look for this friend you reason of: he'd he mad to understand, an eye may look at one or not and has no other power at all, but when the white and gloveless hand takes her friend's hand in its soft touch, love stirs in heart and mind as well. Sir Savaric of gentle parts maintains the footstep's courteous, which I will not maintain at all." "Sir Hugo, you've left me the best, and I'll maintain and not say no; and say the pressing that was made by her fine foot was friendliest and hidden from the slanderers; and for the good, since such a help may laugh and press the friendly foot for love's devoid of all deceit. And he who thinks a handshake shows a greater love's nonsensical. And from Sir Gaucelm I've not heard a greater praise than her regard if she knows all you say of love." "Sir, you would put the blame upon a glancing eye and pleasant face; do you not know they're messengers out of the heart that sent them there; for eyes disclose to lovers that which is retained by timid hearts where all love's pleasures are composed; and many times a lady laughs if she steps on somebody's foot with nothing else to understand. Sir Hugo's wrong as he maintains that shaking hands is nothing much and thinking it can't come of love." "Gaucelm, you've spoken ill of me, you and the lord of Mauleon, and it seems good in this dispute that it's the eye that you select and that you reason with the best and show the most who understand the fickle-hearted lady, too - if she caressed my foot sometime my heart.would not rejoice at that; as for the hand, there's no dispute for touching's worth a hundredfold and yet if love won't please the heart a hand can't have transmitted it. E1 "Gaucelm, now you have lost the match, you and Sir Hugo certainly: I'd like to hear the judgement of my 'Garda-Cors'*, who's conquered me, and Lady Mary's worthiness." E2 "Sir, I have not been overcome and I'm prepared for judgement now, so I am hoping it will be the Lady Willa of Benauges: the one with courtly words of love." E3 "Gaucelm, my reason's good enough to stand up to you both for me, and there is one with pleasing form on whom all judgement should he cast, but there will be no less than three." |
* = "bodyguard"
Trans. Copyright © James H.Donalson 2005