New Site Announcement: Over the past several years, the METS team has been building a new website and new digital edition, in collaboration with Cast Iron Coding. This next phase of METS' editions includes improved functionality and accessibility, an increased focus on transparency, and conformity to best practices for open access and digital editions, including TEI markup. We are currently in a "soft launch" phase in which we will monitor the new site for bugs and errors. We encourage you to visit our new site at https://metseditions.org, and we welcome feedback here: https://tinyurl.com/bdmfv282

We will continue to publish all new editions in print and online, but our new online editions will include TEI/XML markup and other features. Over the next two years, we will be working on updating our legacy volumes to conform to our new standards.

Our current site will be available for use until mid-December 2024. After that point, users will be redirected to the new site. We encourage you to update bookmarks and syllabuses over the next few months. If you have questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us at robbins@ur.rochester.edu.
Robbins Library Digital Projects > TEAMS Middle English Texts > Oton de Granson: Poems > 48. Balade: «C’est mon talant, belle dame sans per»

48. Balade: «C’est mon talant, belle dame sans per»

 







5




10





15




20





25




30
 		 48. Balade: «C’est mon talant, belle dame sans per»

Pour avoir plus de plaisir et de joye
Et pour estre du tout a mon vouloir,
En ce monde mieulx choisyr ne saroye
Que vous, ma dame, car a dire le voir,
Riche beaulté est en vostre pouoir,
Et d’autres biens avez si grant partie
Qui nuit et jour vous tienent compaignie,
Que Dieu a dame n’en devroit plus donner.
Si veul user en vous servant ma vye.
C’est mon talant, belle dame sans per.

Et s’il vous plaist que vostre servant soie,
Je renonce richesse et avoir;
Ne d’aultre bienz, en quelque lieu que soye,
Se non par vous, jamais ne quiers avoir.
Ains vueil mectre tout autre a nonchaloir,
Et puis serez seulle de moy servie.
Car d’autre amer, certez, je n’ay envie.
Et me vueillez, sy vous plaist, pardonner
Se j’en dy trop. Pour Dieu, ne vous annuie.
C’est mon talant, belle dame sans per.

Or est ainsy, combien que ne vous voie,
Ma volenté povez apersevoir,
Car estre aimé de vous mieulx aimeroye
Que de nule autre en bien, sans decevoir.
Mez penseez sont en vous main et soir
Par le vouloir d’Amours, qui me doctrine.
Espoir me dit qu’aray dame et amie
Et, par pitié, s’il vous plaist, le serez
Qui sur les cuers a toute seignorie.
C’est mon talant, belle dame sans per.
 		 48. Ballade: “That is my wish, fair lady without peer”

In order to have more pleasure and joy
And to be entirely as I desire,
In this world I could not choose better
Than you, my lady, for to tell the truth,
Rich beauty is in your possession,
And you have so great a share of other virtues
Which night and day keep you company
That God should not give any lady more.
Thus I want to spend my life in serving you.
That is my wish, fair lady without peer.

And if it please you that I be your servant,
I renounce riches and possessions;
And other goods, wherever I might be,
Shall I never seek to have if not from you.
Rather I wish to set everything else aside,
And then you alone will be served by me.
For I certainly have no desire to love another.
And may you wish, if it please you, to pardon me
If I say too much. By God, may it not trouble you.
That is my wish, fair lady without peer.

Now it is such that, though I do not see you,
You are able to perceive my wish,
For I would much prefer to be loved by you
Than by any other in comfort, without a lie.
My thoughts are upon you both morning and night
By the wish of Love, who instructs me.
Hope tells me that I will have a lady and friend
And out of pity, if you please, it will be you
Who has complete lordship over hearts.
That is my wish, fair lady without peer.
 



(t-note)


























(t-note)


 

 

 


Go To 49. Balade: «Je n’ay riens fait qu’Amours ne m’ait fait faire»