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I |
1 |
Since our season begins to grow dark, |
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And the branches are bare of their leaves, |
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And I see the sun’s rays so low |
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That the days are dark and shadowy, |
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5 |
And from the birds one hears no songs or lays, |
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For joy of love we should be glad. |
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II |
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One cannot serve this love so much |
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That its reward will not redouble a thousand times; |
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For distinction and joy and everything, and more, |
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10 |
Those who are capable of it shall have; |
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For it never went back on promises or broke them— |
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But it seems it will be difficult to conquer. |
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III |
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For it one should hope and suffer, |
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So excellent and superior is its distinction; |
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15 |
And it has never cared for worthless lovers, |
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For a stingy noble or a wretched proud man; |
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And in a thousand there are hardly two so true |
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That true love should obey them. |
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IV |
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These troubadours, between truth and falsehood, |
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20 |
Confound lovers and wives and husbands, |
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And say that love is devious, |
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So that husbands become jealous because of it, |
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And ladies have begun to get ideas; |
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(And) one gladly listens to and hears them. |
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V |
25 |
These false servants cause many to abandon |
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Distinction, and to alienate Youth completely, |
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And so I think that Excellence can no longer exist, |
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For Stinginess holds the barons’ keys; |
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Many has he locked in the City of Decadence, |
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30 |
(And) from there Baseness lets not one escape. |
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VI |
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Everywhere I see the world decline, |
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And so I am saddened and concerned |
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That the mercenary finds no one to feed him, |
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Thanks to slanderers who have a wicked tongue, |
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35 |
Who are worse than Judas, who betrayed God: |
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One should burn them and bury them alive! |
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VII |
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We cannot either correct or excuse them; |
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Let us get away from them, and God help us, |
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For a joy from love refreshes and feeds me, |
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40 |
And I can swear there was never one so lovely; |
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I see her little, but for her I am merry, |
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And joyful, and may God give me her to enjoy. |
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VIII |
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Now one can cleanse and purify oneself |
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Of great blame—those who are encumbered— |
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45 |
And if one is worthy he will leave for Edessa, |
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And will abandon the perilous world; |
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And thus he can throw off the burden |
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Which makes many fall down and perish. |
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IX |
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The song is done, and it should not age, |
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50 |
According to what the matter shows, |
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For good love never cheated or betrayed, |
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Rather it gives joy to steadfast lovers. |
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X |
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Cercamon says: whoever becomes angry with love, |
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It is amazing how he can suffer the torment; |
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55 |
For the torment of love is fear and terror, |
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And in it one cannot really either live or die. |
