NOTES
Each of the six stanzas of this descort has a different structure (see the notes to the preceding descort), but there are correspondences between stanzas 1 and 5, 2 and 4, 3 and 6:
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Stanza 1:
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a7 b5’ a7 b6’ a7 b5’ a7 b6’ a7 b5’a7 b6’ a7 b5’ a7 b6’ (ort, ansa).
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Stanza 2:
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a3’ a3’ b5’ a3’ a3’ b5’ (6’?) a3’ a3’ (4’?) b5’ a3’ a3’ b5’ (6’?) (ansa, endre).
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Stanza 3:
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lines of six syllables, monorhyme (es).
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Stanza 4:
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a4’ a5’ b5 a4’ a5’ b5 a4’ a5’ b5 a4’ a5’ b5 (6?) (enher, iers).
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Stanza 5:
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a5’ b6 a5’ b6 a5’ b6 a5’ b6 (enha, ai).
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Stanza 6:
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six lines of seven syllables, monorhyme (aita).
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Frank, Rép. métrique I, p. 189 (in st. 1, b6’ is wrongly given as b5’).
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1–8. Though comjatz (11) does not necessarily imply a departure from Montferrat, remembransa (2) points to a temporary separation of the poet and his patron the Marquis Boniface (= Engles), in what circumstances we do not know. If the allusion to the latter’s good fortune in love is obscure. there is no doubt about the intimate and confidential tone of the lines.
13–16. These lines, preserved only in D (where they replace ll. 9–12). appear to be genuine, since they mention a reconciliation implied in the succeeding stanzas.
15. pair. Emendation of Appel (MS. pots).
20–25. The omission of these lines in the source of CR may be due to the similarity of the rhyme-words prendre (19) and rendre (25). The order of the lines differs in D and a1; we follow that of a1 (not known to Appel), which both logically and syntactically is superior to the highly confused order of D: 23–7, 22, 20, 21 (in this MS. ll. 33–4 also precede ll. 31–2).
22, 24, 28. These lines contain an extra syllable, but the count may be restored if we assume an elision of the initial vowel in each case.
24. Andreus de Fransa. Cf. VI, 29, note.
29. Stanzas 2 and 3 and stanzas 5 and 6 are syntactically connected; for this peculiarity of the descort, cf. Appel, ZRP XI, 219.
30. autra. Appel’s adoption of autre of Da1 involves two changes of subject in three consecutive lines.
38–9. With Appel, we follow Da1 rather than CR, since the poet’s advancement (l. 36) lies in having been girded with the metaphorical sword by Bel Cavalier, as he had been girded with a real one by his patron a year or two before (the Razo story describing the origin of the “senhal” is probably based on a misunderstanding of this passage, see the Introduction). For the metaphor, as well as for the reference to the lady as senher (45) and the allusion to the war-cry (51–2), cf. XII, 1–8, note.
39. estenher. Emendation of Appel (MSS. estrenher).
46. This line has an extra syllable (cf. note to l. 22). which can be removed only by suppressing totz given by all the MSS.
48–9. We differ from Appel in following Da1 in l. 48, as the reading ja no m’en p. of CR involves an awkward syntactical construction (for se planher with a direct object, cf. Levy SW VI, 359).
51–2. Unlike the war-cry Monferrat! in VI. 42. this is a mere courtly compliment.
55–6. An allusion to the clandestine meetings of these lovers.
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