7. See note to III, l. 9 (second paragraph).
8. segle. The spelling offered by C is retained. The normal form of the nominative singular (segles) is given by all the other MSS except E, which is mutilated. However, the word is among those neuter nouns which retained their gender for a long period and often had no final s (cf. Grandgent, p. 91; Anglade, pp. 221-2). The choice of the neuter form is further justified by the absence in l. 9 of a nominative s in perdut, the reading offered by all the MSS.
11. s’ab. We have followed DEIKM in eliding the superfluous e for reasons of metre, cf. II, l. 7.
14. d’els. The DIK group has d’els and no·ls, while CEMDc offer d’el and no·l, neither group giving a completely satisfactory reading of the line. The meaning requires d’els and no·l: ‘For no other apart from them (drut) upholds it (joy).’ This reading is in fact chosen by both Appel and Lavaud.
soste. The reading of all the MSS is retained here. Appel (p. 76) feels, however, that an amendment is necessary (mante), as soste has already been employed as a rhyme word in l. 7.
15. joys. The more usual form of the nominative singular ending in s, offered by IKM, is preferred to joy, found in CDE. Cf. note to VII. l. 5.
24. selhs. Appel chooses the more common form of the nominative plural (cill) given by MDc. The retention of selhs offered by C and all the other MSS seems justified, however, in that there is adequate evidence that it is an acceptable alternative form of the nominative plural (cf. Grandgent, p. 109; Prov. Chr., p. xvi; Lex. rom., III, 104).
30. pauz’e. For the elision of the a cf. II, l. 7 (note).
32. que. The word is employed here as the equivalent of so que (‘that which, what’) (cf. Altprov. Elem., p. 136), in the same way as qui is often used to mean ‘he who’, etc (see glossary).
It should be noted that platz is in the indicative mood, while pes is in the subjunctive: ‘It (Love) does today what is pleasing and tomorrow what may be troublesome. ‘
36. qu’ieu. CMD each have different readings, the first two of which (quē-q¯) would be acceptable from the point of view of meaning. The one reading offered by all the other MSS (EIKω) is, however, preferred here.
37. qu’om. The reading of all the MSS except C, which probably has a scribal error (quo).
44. man. C has me. Its scribe appears to have regarded salutz as the second person singular present subjunctive of the verb saludar and me as the direct object. The direct form of address for Tort-n’avetz in this line does not correspond, however, with the use of the third person in the remainder of the stanza. All the other MSS have man except M, whose reading is nevertheless closely related (maint).
45. em-breu. Cf. note to I, l. 6.
46. no·m rete. The reading of C (no m’en te) would be quite acceptable but the version clearly favoured by both traditions (IKEMω) is preferred. D is independent (no·m te).
48. Appel has followed the reading of DIK for this line (salv e guart son cors c. f.). There appears, however, no reason to depart from C. In the first half of the line it is clearly supported by the slightly diverse readings of EMω in opposition to DIK and in the second half it is joined by DIK, with the other MSS again differing only slightly.
C is the only MS of its group to contain an entirely satisfactory version of the line. E and ω do not scan correctly, and M contains the accusative form of cor (‘heart’) instead of the invariable cors (‘person, body’), which has retained the s of the Latin neuter accusative: cors < corpus. Cf. temps < tempus, latz < latus, etc. (see Altprov. Elem., p. 68; Grandgent, p. 72).
50. s’en r. The reading of DIK has been chosen in view of the fact that it is joined by M in opposition to CEω (si r.). Of the latter three MSS, ω does not scan correctly through the omission of tot’ which it shares with E. C, on the other hand, contains tot’ and is linked with Eω only for the second half of the line. It has with D the incorrect form of the nominative singular (gen), unless the line is intended to be read gens i recre and not gen si recre, as given by the scribe. |
