1. The subjects of an are ira and joy. The line is therefore to be translated: ‘Sorrow and joy have so divided me between them.’
Cf. a similar construction in B. von Born., 13, ll. 8-10 (p. 31):
Tot mo sen tenh dintz mo serralh,
Si tot m’an donat gran trebalh
Entre n’Azemar e’n Richart.
and in R. d’Orange, XV, ll. 1-5 (p. 115):
Entre gel e vent e fanc
E giscl’e gibr’e tempesta
E·l braus pensars que·m turmenta
De ma bella dompna genta
M’an si mon cor vout en pantais
...
3. e bordir. The two infinitives need to be linked by a conjunction. Only C is without a conjunction and R, in remedying this error, produces one syllable too many for the line. The reading of the remainder of the MSS of the second group (MTa1) is therefore chosen, particularly as it is also offered by A, the only MS of the first group containing this line.
5. joy. Appel follows ADIKa1 which have the s of the nominative case (cf. Anglade, pp. 219-22; Altprov. Elem., pp. 67-9). The form without the s is, however, preferred here in view of the fact that E joins CMRT in support of it. It is possible that joy was not entirely governed by the normal declension endings, as the word was borrowed from Northern French, and probably originates from Poitou or Saintonge (cf. Anglade, p. 84; Altprov. Elem., p. 25; Grandgent, p. 24).
10-11. n’a tort—tort n’a? The repetition of these words may well be intended as an allusion to the senhal Tort-n’avetz (see section on the senhal, cf. Introduction, 3. Peire Rogier’s lady and the senhalTort-n’avetz).
16. si m’a. m’ is omitted in all the MSS. We have inserted it in order to complete the sense of the line by providing morir with a direct object.
18. dic. C is the only MS with dis. The others, with the exception of T, which is erroneous (dit), give the present tense of the verb, which one would expect here in order to correspond with the sense of the rest of the stanza. The meaning is accurately reflected in Lavaud’s translation: ‘Car je viens de dire ---’.
20. aug. Appel treats as an essential variant the much more usual form of the first person present indicative, which is given by all the MSS except C and which is therefore preferred here (aug < audio) (cf. Anglade, p. 289; Altprov. Elem., p. 92). He chooses the less common, but quite acceptable, version offered by C only (au < *audo). Auzir is one of those verbs which show both the form based on the original Latin, with the e or i following the consonant, and that based on the Vulgar Latin where the e or i is dropped. Other examples include *credo > cre, credeo > crei; *vido > ve, video> vei (cf. Grandgent, p. 126).
22. fag. Appel has preferred the normal form of the nominative singular given by the varied readings of ADMTa1 (faitz, fags, etc). We have adhered to the spelling of C, which is supported by the more stable readings of EIKR and which offers quite an acceptable form of the nominative singular. In the case of words ending in g, ch, h, the s or z which followed was sometimes absorbed into the sound of the fricative and thereby disappeared. (Cf. Prov. Chr., p. ix; Anglade, pp. 223-4; Altprov. Elem., p. 68.)
25. ai. The reading of C and the majority of the MSS is preferred. Appel has chosen the single reading of A (aic). If one considers ll. 25 and 26 out of context, the choice of the preterite tense would appear to be quite appropriate as far as the sense is concerned and is perhaps justified by the presence of ara in l. 26. Lavaud (Troub. Cant., p. 72) follows Appel’s reading whilst expressing reservations about it. It is worth noting, however, that this stanza is very similar in content to the first stanza, in which the present tense is used effectively to emphasise the vacillation between joy and sorrow. For this reason, and in so far as the present tense occurs throughout the rest of this stanza, its retention here seems quite justified. One cannot ignore, either, the doubt attached to the reliability of A in view of its other independent readings in this stanza.
27. m’es. Like Appel, we have retained the reading of C, although it is supported only by R and is opposed by all the MSS of the first group (ADEIK) (mer). The stanza is missing in MTa1. The present tense makes better sense here and corresponds with the tense employed in the rest of the stanza. Cf. note to l. 25
28. torna·m a doble. The reading of CR (mas ab (per) lo be torn e. d.) is unsatisfactory, as it leaves mals in the previous line without a dependent verb. The perfectly acceptable version of DEIK has therefore been chosen. A (tornab la doussor e. d.) is independent but it is significantly closer to DEIK than to CR.
30. m’en ri. The reading of C (m’en jau) seems to be perfectly acceptable from the point of view of meaning but is naturally suspect in that it is not offered by any other MS. All the traditions have m’en ri.
39. s’i mir. The reading of AMRa1 is preferred to that of CDIKT. In this instance se mirar is to be translated ‘to model oneself’ (see Pet. Dict., p. 249: ‘prendre exemple’) and therefore requires i in order to complete the sense of the line: ‘One does not see her without modelling oneself on her.’
It is perhaps significant that A separates here from the first group to join MSS of the second group, as it does on one or two other occasions (see ‘Classification’).
41. Lines 40-1 are quoted in Altprov. Elem. (p. 134) as an example of the frequent omission of the conjunction que when it is used to introduce a consecutive or comparative clause. See note to I, l. 39.
42. C offers a corrupted reading for the second half of this line (a. s. q. la adreg a lhuelh). We have therefore chosen the version favoured by most of the other MSS of the second group (MTa1). Although R is independent, it is clearly nearer to them than to C. For the spelling of dreyt and huelh, however, it seems preferable to retain that adopted by C in l. 45.
Appel’s version of the line, which is quite similar, is not contained by any of the MSS but appears to have been established on the basis of both traditions. Appel follows C and the other MSS of the second group for a selh and then adopts the reading of ADIK for the rest of the line (que ... ab ...). |
