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29. Balade: «En languissant defineront my jour»

GRANSON, 29. BALADE: «EN LANGUISSANT DEFINERONT MY JOUR»: TEXTUAL NOTES


Abbreviations: A: Lausanne, Bibliothèque Cantonale et Universitaire, MS 350; B: Paris, Bibliothèque nationale, fr. 1727; C: Paris, Bibliothèque nationale, fr. 1131; D: Paris, Bibliothèque nationale, fr. 24440; E: Barcelona, Biblioteca de Catalunya, MS 8, Catalan, 1420–30; F: Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale, fr. 2201; G: London, Westminster Abbey Library, MS 21; H: Paris, Bibliothèque nationale, fr. 833, c. 1500; J: Paris, Bibliothèque nationale, fr. 1952; K: Lausanne, Bibliothèque Cantonale et Universitaire, IS 4254; L: Paris, Bibliothèque nationale, Rothschild MS I.I.9; M: Carpentras, Bibliothèque Inguimbertine, MS fr. 390; N: Brussels, Bibliothèque royale Albert 1er, MS 10961–10970, c. 1465; O: Karlsruhe, Badische Landesbibliothek, MS 410, c. 1430; P: Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Van Pelt Library, MS Codex 902 (formerly Fr. MS 15), 1395–1400; Q: Berne, Burgerbibliothek da la Bourgeoisie, MS 473, 1400–40; R: Turin, Archivio di Stato, MS J. b. IX. 10; S: Paris, Bibliothèque nationale, fr. 24404, 13th century (16th century addition); T: Besançon, Bibliothèque Municipale, MS 556, 1826; V: Carpentras, Bibliothèque Inguimbertine, MS 411; W: Brussels, Bibliothèque royale Albert 1er, MS IV 541, 1564–81; Y: Turin, Biblioteca Nazionale e Universitaria, MS L.II.12.

For each poem, we provide the following:

Other editions: The location of the poem in the editions of Grenier-Winther (GW) and Piaget.

Base MS: The manuscript from which our text is taken, using the sigla listed on this page.

Other copies: The other manuscripts in which the poem appears, with the line numbers for excerpts.

Selected variants: Most of the notes record the editors’ emendations. A small number (for instance, regarding the titles) record alternative readings when we did not emend the base text. We do not, however, provide a complete list of variants, for which one may consult Grenier-Winther’s edition. Each note consists of a line number, a lemma (the reading from our text), the manuscript source for the reading that we have chosen, selected readings from other manuscripts; and the reading from the base manuscript when it was rejected. If no manuscript source is listed following the lemma, the adopted reading is the editors’ conjecture.

Other comments on the text, as required.

GW62, Piaget p. 351.
Base MS A. No other copies.


 






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29. Balade: «En languissant defineront my jour»

La grant beaulté de vo viaire cler
Et la doulseur dont vous estez paree
Me fait de vous si fort enamourer,
Chiere dame, qu’avoir ne puis duree.
A toute heure est en vous ma pensee.
Desir m’asault durement par rigour.
Et se par vous ne m’est grace donnee,
En languissant defineront my jour.

Allegement ne pourroye trouver
Du mal que j’ay par creature nee
Se par vous non, en qui veul affermer
Entierement mon cuer, sans dessevree.
Il est vostre. Longtemps vous ay amee
Celeement, sans en faire clamour,
Et se l’amour de vous m’est reffusee,
En languissant defineront my jour.

Si vous suppli humblement que passer
Ma requeste vueillez, s’il vous agree.
Assez povez congnoistre mon penser
Par ma chanson, qui balade est nommee.
Plus ne vous dy, belle tresdesiree.
Demonstrez moy, s’il vous plaist, vo doulsour,
Car autrement, soiez acertainnee,
En languissant defineront my jour.
 
29. Ballade: “In languishing my days will come to an end”

The great beauty of your bright face
And the sweetness with which you are adorned
Make me so deeply in love with you,
Dear lady, that I cannot resist.
My thought is upon you at every hour.
Desire assails me harshly and severely,
And if by you I am not given grace,
In languishing my days will come to an end.

I would not be able to find relief
From the pain that I have from any creature born
If not from you, on whom I wish to fix
Entirely my heart, without separation.
It is yours. I have loved you for a long time
Secretly, without making complaint,
And if your love is refused to me,
In languishing my days will come to an end.

Thus I beseech you humbly that you please
Accept my request, if it pleases you.
You can understand well enough my thoughts
From my song, which is called a ballade.
I say no more, deeply desired beauty.
Show me, please, your gentleness,
For otherwise, be assured,
In languishing my days will come to an end.
 




























 


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