C has a greater number of independent readings than usual and is also mutilated to some extent. A has been chosen as base, as it contains few independent readings or apparent errors. Often where it is independent its version is quite acceptable.
1. Raymbaut. The reading of AG (rambaut) and DIK (rambauz) renders the line one syllable short. The version of CERU, supported by T (rainbaut) and a1 (reambaut), is therefore adopted. Cf. Vida, (10) 1 (note).
4. mais que. A has an acceptable but independent reading (plus qieu), supported only in part by Ga1 (mais qeu). The reading clearly favoured by both MS traditions is therefore considered preferable.
non soi. Vengutz is understood.
15 ff. In advising Raimbaut to ‘maintain worth’ by not renouncing his generosity and hospitality Peire may well be merely following convention. On the other hand, the advice could imply that Raimbaut is no longer as liberal as he used to be, which would confirm what is known about his relatively poor financial position (cf. Pattison, R. d’Orange, p. 16 and p. 90, note 1). In the planh S’anc jorn agui joi ni solatz (G. de Born., 76, ll. 41-53) Giraut de Bornelh praises in a conventional way Raimbaut’s generosity and ‘worth’ (cf. note below to ll. 29 ff). Pattison (op. cit., p. 16, note 37) suggests that this implies that, to some extent at least, Raimbaut followed Peire’s advice.
15. gardatz que vos. A is independent here (gardatz vos qeus). We have therefore chosen again the reading of the majority of the MSS, which is supported partly by Ra1, independent for the rest of the line.
19. l’estai. The dative l’ which is included in most of the MSS makes the meaning of the line complete. Its omission in ARa1 may perhaps be explained by a scribal error resulting from confusion with the l of mal. Its presence in DcGTU, where it is preceded by words other than mal, is perhaps further justification for its retention.
25. sel que bon pretz. The reading of AD (qui proeza) offers an acceptable meaning, being supported by all the MSS of the Breviari d’Amor except (K), in which the line is lacking. We choose, however, the version favoured by the other MSS of the first group in view of the fact that they are linked here with the second group in opposition to AD. Cf. note to l. 28.
27. s’eschai. The reading of A (leschai) is joined only by that of IK. The choice of the version offered by the remaining MSS of the first group (DER) and by the second group is therefore justified here. Moreover, from the point of view of meaning, s’eschai (‘is fitting’) would seem preferable in this context to eschai (‘falls (to)’), particularly when taken in conjunction with the following line: ‘When he sees (lit. ‘will see’) that it is (lit. ‘will be’) the (appropriate) place and time’.
toill’e. The superfluous a of toilla would not be pronounced and is therefore elided.
28. veira qu’er. AD are the only MSS with the version ne veira. Although it offers a perfectly acceptable meaning, it seems advisable to choose the reading of all the other MSS of the first group (EIKR) in view of the fact that they are joined by DcGa1 and, on the whole, by the MSS of the Breviari. It is notable too that the readings of CUT, despite their independence, clearly favour this reading. Cf. note to l. 25.
29 ff. Pattison (op. cit., p. 21 and p. 40) considers that, in advising Raimbaut to be more foolish and less learned, Peire is alluding, in part, to the obscure learned poems which Raimbaut based on Marcabru’s trobar clus style and which dated from a period just prior to Peire’s visit. Pattison (loc. cit.) also sees in this advice a reference to Raimbaut’s learned environment. He considers that the language and general style of Raimbaut’s poetry suggest that he was a man of considerable learning. Cf. note below to ll. 38-9.
The precept of adapting oneself in turn to the respective ranks of those with whom one deals, of being wise with the wise and foolish with fools, was a common one in Old Provençal poetry. ( *) In his planh S’anc jorn agui ni solatz Giraut de Bornelh follows the conventional pattern of praise by attributing this ability to Raimbaut:
A! bels amics ben ensenhatz,
Nescis als fatz
E·drechs e savis als membratz,
. . .
(G. de Born., 76, ll. 25-7). Cf. above, note to ll. 15 ff.
30. es. A is the only MS with etz, the second person plural of esser. The third person singular form (es) adopted by all the other MSS of the first group is preferable here in that the direct speech probably refers to Raimbaut in the third person as in the case of l. 20. The MSS of the second group offer in this line variations of an entirely independent reading.
36. Appel (pp. 77-8) and Avalle (P. Vidal, II, p. 406) draw a parallel between this line and l. 9 of Peire Vidal’s poem Quant hom es en autrui poder, which reads car qui vol al segle plazer. They point out that the division of the MSS between plazer and caber, at the end of the line, occurs in both poems.
Appel goes on to make further comparisons between the poems: l. 8 of Peire Rogier’s poem is identical to the first line of the next stanza in Peire Vidal’s; there is a similarity between l. 4 of the former and l. 28 of the latter (e non ai gran cura d’aver); the two poems are also closely related in their form.
The contents of the first tornada (‘Domna, per vos am Narbones—E Molinatz e Savartes—E Castell’e·l bon rei n’Anfos—De cui sui cavaliers per vos.’) lead Appel to suggest that Peire Vidal probably addressed the poem to a close relative of Ermengarda of Narbonne ( **) and therefore perhaps modelled it, to a certain extent, on one of the poems of the viscountess’s resident troubadour.
38-9. Pattison (op. cit., p. 21 and p. 90, note 1) deduces from these lines that Raimbaut must have welcomed men of learning to his court.
41. l’un ... l’autre. ET, supported by Dc, are the only MSS to offer, in each case, the correct form of the accusative which the meaning demands. It is their version of the line which is therefore adopted.
ADIKa1 offer the correct accusative plural form of the definite article (·ls) before autres but earlier in the line have the usual form for either the singular or the nominative plural (l’) before the accusative plural uns (cf. Altprov. Elem., p. 80; Grandgent, p. 101). It is interesting to note that the reading of R is probably an attempt on the part of its scribe to correct this error (Ab ira·ls us autres ...). GU support ADIK in the first instance (l’us) and ETDc in the second (l’autre). C is the only MS which is incorrect in both cases (l’us ... l’autres).
44. drutz o moilleratz. Like the verb ‘to be’, aver nom is followed by a complement in the nominative case. (Cf. Altprov. Elem., pp. 120-1.)
46. We retain the version of the line clearly favoured by most of the MSS of the first tradition, despite their slight variations. R joins the diverse but obviously related readings of the MSS of the second group (amdos, etc).
The actual reading which we adopt is the version of E. Although AD are very close to it, they lack the direct pronoun ·ls which ams is intended to qualify. It is possible that the scribes of the two MSS regard the word as understood, but such cases would not appear to be very common. The inclusion of the word is further justified here by its appearance, in one form or another, in all the other MSS of both traditions except U.
50. Rambaut. The classification of the MSS follows almost the same pattern as in the first line. However, in this case the two-syllabled version of the word offered by AG and supported by DIK (rambauz) fulfils the metre requirements of the line and is therefore retained. Of the MSS with the trisyllabic form of the word, R is in fact the only one which satisfies the metre. CTU have one syllable too many.
Notes:
*) Appel, in his note to VIII, l. 37 (p. 78), quotes two instances from the poetry of other troubadours. Kolsen, in G. de Born., II, pp. 130-1 (note to ll. 26-7 of 76), names three others. Pattison (op. cit., p. 21, note 1) refers us to D. Scheludko, Archivum Romanicum, XI, 278, for many Provençal examples and possible Latin sources of this idea. (↑)
**) Ermessinde, Ermengarda’s sister, married Manriquez de Lara, Count of Molina. See note to III, l. 64 (n’Aimeric lo tos) (↑). |
