Read by Dan O'Sullivan, University of Mississippi
For an MP3 file of the reading,
click here.
from Les troubadours: L'oeuvre épique et l'oeuvre poétique.
[Jaufré, Flamenca, Barlaam et Josaphat. Le trésor poétique de
l'Occitanie],
Paris: Desclée de Brouwer (1960, rptd. 2000).
edited by René Lavaud et René Nelli
Translated by Dan O'Sullivan
|
D'un cumte de bona maneira, D'asauta rasun vertadeira, De sein e de cavalaría, D'ardiment et de cortesía, De proesas e d'aventuras, D'estraínas, de fortz e de duras, D'asaut, d'encontre, de bataila, Pudetz ausir la comensaila, Qe, si-us voltez, ie-us en dirai Aitant can n'ai ausit ni'n sai. E digatz m'en so q'en volretz, Si ie-us en dic, si m'ausiretz Ni-m volretz de bon cor entendre; Car om nun deu comprar ni vendre Ni l'us a l'autre conselar Can au bunas novas comtar; Qe can no so ben entenduas, A cel qe las ditz son perduas, E as aqels no valon gaire Qe las ausun, a mun veaire, Si enfre-l cor no las entendo Qan per las aurelas desendon. E aiso son novas rïals, Grans e ricas e naturals, De la cort del bon rei Artus. E anc no-s fes ab el negus Qe fos en aqela sazon, De bon pres ni de mesïon. Tant fu pros e de gran valor Qe ja no morra sa lausor, Car ja sempre serant retraxas Las prosezas que el a faxas E-il bos cavaliers mentagutz Qe-a sa cort foron elegutz, Q'a la Taula redonda vengron, E las proesas que mantengron, Car anc om no-i venc cosseil querre, Per tal que dreit poges proferre, Qe s'en anes desconseilatz, Mais anc Tort no-i fo escotatz. Tant fo la cortz lïals e bona Qe negus om tort no-i rasona, Ni anc om per cavalaría No-i venc, q'en tornes a fadía Ni per guerra ni per bataila. Anc en sa cort no trobet faila Negus om, per re qe-i qeses Ni per calqe obs y ages. Vesvas domnas, orfes enfans, Pucelas, donzels, paucs e grans, Can a tort eron guerrejat Ni per forsa deseretatz, Aqui trobavo mantenensa. Ait¢ri, socors e valensa. Per qe devon esser grasídas Novas de tan bon loc issídas, E-n patz e sens gab escotadas. E cel ditz qe las a rimadas Qe anc lo rei Artus no vi, Mais tut plan contar o auzi En la cort del plus onrat rei Qe anc fos de neguna lei, Aco es lo rei d'Aragon, Paire de Pretz e fil de Don E seiner de Bonaventura, Humils e de leial natura, Q'el ama Dieu e tem e cre, E mante Lïautat e Fe Patz e Justísia, per qe Deus L'ama, car se ten ab los seus, Q'el es sos novels cavalies E de sos enemics guerries. Anc Dieus no trobet en el faila, Ans a la primera bataila Faita per el, el a vencutz Cel per qe Deu es descresutz, Per qe Deus l'an tan fort onrat Qe sobre totz l'a isausat De pres e de natural sen, De galart cor e d'ardimen. Anc en tan joven coronat Nu ac tan bo aib ajustat, Q'el dona grans dos volentiers A juglars et a cavaliers, Per que veno a sa cort tutz Aquels qe per pros son tengutz. E cel qe rimet la canso Ausi denant el la raso Dir a un cavalier estrain, Paren d'Artus e de Galvain, D'un'aventura qe avenc Al rei Artus, qe gran cort tenc A la festa de Pantecosta, On cad'an gran poble s'ajusta, Per so qe-l rei lus en semon. Pauc n'i venon a qui non don. |
You may hear the beginning of a good story, both pleasing and true in theme, full of worth and chivalry, of boldness and of courtesy, of noble deeds and adventures --strange, difficult, and brutal--, of sieges, encounters, and battles. If it pleases you, I will tell you as much as I have learned and know about it. But tell me what will be your attitude if I recite it to you and whether or not you will listen attentively. Because one should not discuss buying and selling, nor give each other advice when one hears good stories being told. When they are not heard as they should be, the teller wastes his energy, and the listeners hardly profit either, in my opinion, when the stories are heard in the ear but not in the heart. These here are royal tales, wondrous, rich, and truthful, of the good King Arthur's court. No knight, living at that time, could equal him in true worth and largesse. He was so worthy and so valorous that his glory will never die, for we will always remember the feats that he accomplished. And forever will his good knights that he chose for his court, who took their place around the Round Table and who accomplished great deeds be celebrated. No one who sought their aid, provided they could prove their right, went away without help. Never did Falseness find an audience there: so good and loyal was the court that no one ever defended the side of injustice. And never did a man who offered himself for the sake of chivalry to fight in a war or battle come away with a refusal. No one ever found the court in want of what one asked, of whatever he needed. Widows, orphans, young ladies and men, poor and rich, all found protection, aid, and valiant support there when another waged an unjust war against them, or tried to disinherit them by force of arms. This is why stories coming from such a noble source should be welcome and listened to attentively without any shenanigans. And the one who performs them tells you that he never saw King Arthur: he has simply heard these stories at the court of the most honorable king who ever held any religion, that is, the king of Aragon, father of Worth and son of Liberality, lord of Good Fortune. He is good and loyal; he loves God, believes in him, and fears him. He cultivates Loyalty and Faith, Peace and Justice. And God loves him, for he aids the faithful, serves God as his new knight, and fights God's enemies. God has never found fault with him: at the first battle that the king fought, he vanquished the one who renounced God. This is why God has honored him above all in Worth and in intelligence, in valiance and in courage. Never have so many good qualities been brought together in a king so young: he willingly gives rich gifts to minstrels and knights. And one sees assembled at his court those who are considered worthy. The one who performs this song heard a foreign knight of Arthur and Gawain's lineage tell, in the company of the king, the story of an adventure that came to pass as King Arthur was holding full court on the feast of Pentecost, when, each year, many people assemble because the king beckons them. And few among those who heed his call fail to receive some gift. |
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