|
QUAN
CHAI LA FUEILHA (WHEN FALLS THE
LEAF)
|
|
|
|
Verse translation
|
Provençal original
|
Literal
prose translation
|
|
|
|
|
|
When
tumbles down the leaf
|
Quan chai la fueilha
|
When falls the leaf
|
|
midst the high trees up thither
|
dels aussors entrecims
|
of the highest treetops
|
|
and
freezing gives such grief
|
e · l freitz s’ergueilha
|
and
the cold arises
|
|
that hazel and willow wither;
|
don seca · l vais’ e · l vims
|
which dries the hazel and the willow,
|
|
of
sweetest bird-refrain
|
del dous refrims
|
then
of sweet bird-refrains
|
|
the woods mute in the cold;
|
au sordezir la brueilha
|
I hear the woodland become mute ;
|
|
but
for Love am I most fain,
|
mas ieu sui prims
|
but
I am eager for Love,
|
|
whoever may it withhold.
|
d’Amor, qui que s’en tueilha.
|
whoever might withhold it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
All’s
iced here, down, above,
|
Tot quant es gela,
|
Everything
is frozen,
|
|
but I feel not the chill,
|
mas ieu non puesc frezir,
|
but I cannot freeze,
|
|
because
a fresh new love
|
qu’amors novella
|
because
new love
|
|
makes my heart greener still,
|
mi fai · l cor reverdir,
|
makes my heart green again,
|
|
nor
ought I ever quake,
|
non dei fremir,
|
nor
ought I shiver,
|
|
since Love enfolds and hides me,
|
qu’Amors mi cuebr’ e · m cela
|
since Love covers and hides me,
|
|
and
makes me firmly take
|
e · m fai tenir
|
and
makes me hold onto
|
|
on courage, thus it guides me.
|
ma valor en capdela.
|
my courage and guides me.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Goodly
indeed is life
|
Bona es vida
|
Good is life
|
|
since ever joy sustains,
|
pus joia la mante,
|
since joy maintains it,
|
|
though
men who suffer strife
|
que tals n’escrida
|
though some complain of it
|
|
may well lament its pains;
|
cui ges non vai tam be:
|
whose things go not so well;
|
|
I
am myself most loth
|
no sai de re
|
I know not of anything
|
|
with fortune to fall out,
|
coreilhar m’escarida,
|
to make me quarrel with my fate,
|
|
since
I’ve shared, on my oath,
|
que per ma fe
|
since by my faith
|
|
the best without a doubt.
|
del mieilhs ai ma partida.
|
I have my share of the best.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Of
chivalrous dalliance
|
De drudaria
|
About
courtly love
|
|
know I nought worth blaming,
|
no · m sai de re blasmar,
|
I know of nothing worth blaming,
|
|
though
other sports who chance
|
qu’autrui paria
|
though
other players
|
|
roll over in the gaming;
|
trastorn en reirazar;
|
roll over in hazardous gaming;
|
|
from
those who might be her peer
|
ges ab sa par
|
of
those about her none is her peer
|
|
no double comes to mind,
|
no sai doblar m’amia,
|
I know none the double of my lady,
|
|
no
other one comes near,
|
qu’una non par
|
whom
no other she matches,
|
|
she has no second kind.
|
que segonda noilh sia.
|
of whom exists no second to her.
|
|
|
|
|
|
I
wish not to connect
|
No vueilh s’asemble
|
I
wish not to involve
|
|
with any other affair
|
mos cors ab autr’ amor
|
my heart with another love
|
|
in
case my luck defect
|
si qu’ieu ja · il m’emble
|
lest
I really change things for me
|
|
and she should turn elsewhere;
|
ni volva · l cap ailhor;
|
and she turn her head elsewhere;
|
|
I
never even fret
|
non ai paor
|
I
have no fear
|
|
Pontremble’s lady, she,
|
que ja celh
de Pontremble
|
that even
she from Pontremoli
|
|
is
slightly of her set
|
n’aia gensor
|
has
her nobility
|
|
or ever could seem to be.
|
de lieis ni que la semble.
|
nor even seem to.
|
|
|
|
|
|
There
is no cruel ploy
|
Ges non es croia
|
Nothing
is cruel
|
|
in her, my most endeared;
|
celha qui soi amis;
|
in her who is my friend;
|
|
on
this side of Savoy
|
de sai Savoia
|
on
this side of Savoy
|
|
none lovelier is reared;
|
plus bella no · s noiris;
|
(a) more lovely (one) is not nurtured;
|
|
she
makes me more than glad,
|
tals m’abelis
|
so
much she pleases me,
|
|
in her I have more joy
|
don ieu plus ai de joia
|
of whom I more have joy,
|
|
than
even Paris had
|
non ac Paris
|
than
even Paris (had)
|
|
of Helen, she of Troy.
|
d’Elena, cel de Troia.
|
of Helen, she of Troy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
So
gracious her proceeding
|
Tan pareis genta
|
So
gracious she looks
|
|
who is my only passion,
|
celha que · m te joios,
|
who keeps me joyous,
|
|
the
noblest spheres exceeding
|
las gensors trenta,
|
(that)
the most noble thirty (ladies)
|
|
in most attractive fashion;
|
vens de belhas faisos:
|
she surpasses in beautiful fashion;
|
|
so
good this cause of mine
|
ben es razos
|
good
is the reason therefore
|
|
that she must hear my lays,
|
doncas que mos chans senta,
|
that she should hear my songs
|
|
she
is so gentle and fine,
|
quar es tan pros
|
because
she is so fine
|
|
deserving richest praise.
|
e de ric pretz manenta.
|
and of rich praise deserving.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Along,
my song, you go,
|
Vai t’en chansos,
|
Go
you along, my song,
|
|
till you be in her coil,
|
denan lieis ti presenta,
|
until you present yourself to her,
|
|
since
were she not, Arnaut
|
que s’ill no fos
|
since
if she were not,
|
|
would not put in this toil.
|
no · i metr’ Arnautz s’ententa.
|
Arnaut would not make the effort.
|
