| NO SAP CHANTAR QUI SO NON DI ... | ONE CANNOT SING WITHOUT A TUNE ... |
| Jaufré Rudel | trans. James H. Donalson (from Provençal) |
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No sap chantar qui so non di, Ni vers trobar qui motz no fa, Ni conois de rima co's va Si razo non enten en si. Mas lo mieus chans comens' aissi Com plus l'auziretz, mais valra, a! a! Nuils hom no·s meravill de mi S'ieu am so que ja no·m veira, Que'l cor joi d'autr'amor non ha Mas de cela qu'ieu anc no vi, Ni per nuill joi aitan no ri, E no sai quals bes m'en venra, a! a! Colps de joi me fer, que m'ausi, Et ponha d'amor que·m sostra La carn, don lo cors magrira; Et anc mais tan greu no·m feri, Ni per nuill colp tan no langui, Quar no cove ni no s'esca, a! a! Anc tan suau no m'adurmi Mos esperitz tost no fos la, Ni tan d'ira non ac de sa Mos cors ades no fos aqui; E quan mi resveill al mati Totz mos bos sabers mi desva, a! a! Ben sai c'anc de lei no·m jauzi, Ni ja de mi no's jauzira, Ni per son amic no·m tenra Ni coven no·m fara de si' Anc no·m dis ver ni no·m menti E no sai ja s'o fara, a! a! Bos es lo vers, qu'anc no·i falhi, Et tot so que·i es ben esta; E sel que de mi l'apenra Gart se no·l franha ni·l pessi; Car si l'auran en Caersi En Bertrans e·l coms en Tolza, a! a! E Bos es lo vers, e faran hi Calque re don hom chantara, a! a! |
One cannot sing without a tune, or versify without a word, one cannot understand a verse if he can't understand himself; but this, my song, starts out like so: the more you hear the more you'll like: aha! Let no-one be amazed at me that I love one who won't see me: my heart enjoys no other love than that for her I haven't seen, nor does it laugh for other joys, and I don't know what good may come: aha! Joy's striking me a fatal blow, the stings of love dry up my flesh and my whole body's getting thin; I've never been so hurt before: No other blow has whelmed me so; it doesn't suit and will not go: aha! I've never calmly gone to sleep but that my spirit followed soon, nor have I ever been so sad without my heart attending fast and when by morning I wake up, then all my sweetness gets away: aha! I know I've not enjoyed her yet and me she never will enjoy, nor will she hold me as a friend, and she won't promise me a thing; she never tells me truth or lies and I don't think she ever will: aha! The verse is good, I've never failed and all that's there is in its place, and he who'd like to learn from me: be careful not to break it up so Bertrand in Quercy will hear the same as the count of Toulouse: aha! E The verse is good, and they'll make there something for them to sing upon: aha! |
Trans. Copyright © James H. Donalson 2005