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71. Le Souhait de Saint Valentin
Il me convient par souhait conforter.
Sans souhaidier, ne porroye porter
Au long aler les griefs mauls que je port.
Bon est souhait qui fait au cuers deport.
En souhaidant, se puet uns homs deduire,
Lui soulacier, et sans nul autre nuire.
Et puisque j’ay des souhais habondance
Et mon souhait ne fait a nul nuisance,
Et j’ay si po des autres biens d’amour,
Souhaidier veil sans fere long demour.
Tout le premier souhait que je veil faire,
S’il ne devoit a ma dame desplaire,
Je vouldroye que je fusse, par m’ame,
Pour homme, tel come elle est pour femme,
Pareille a li de tout amendement,
Et mon cuer fust aussi entierement
En dieu servir et faire bonnes euvres
Comme le sien est, a toute les heures;
Et sceusse mon honneur tant amer
Et moy garder qu’on ne me deust blasmer.
Et vouldroye que j’eusse la grace
D’estre tenus en toute bonne place
Pour aussi bon entremy de gens d’armes
Comme on la tient pour belle entre les dames,
Et fusse plain de voulenté hardie
Tant comme elle est plaine de couardie;
Ne nul travail que je deusse souffrir
Ne me grevast plus que le dormir;
Et mon corps fust si fort et si poissant
Comme le sien est foibles et souffrant;
Et me veint de jouster le mestier
Tout aussi bien comme a elle le dancier;
Et me plaisit si bien mon honneur querre
Comme a li plest estre loing de la guerre,
Et amasse les chevalereux fais
Tant comme elle ame repos et paix.
Et vouldroye que je fusse touzdis
En cuer, en fait, en pensé, et en dis,
Si gracieux comme elle est gracieuse
Et si courtois comme elle est dangereuse,
Si bel pour homme, si plaisant et si gens,
Et tant amez de toutes bonnes gens,
Et fusse nez en si grant gentillesse,
Et en mon cuer eust tant de noblesce,
Que tous mes fais fussent d’omme si fins
Comme les siens sont parfais femenins;
Et feusse tout a la plaisance d’elle,
Si bon et bel comme elle est bonne et belle.
Et quant cilz biens me seroit avenus,
Que bons et beaux seroye devenuz
Et souffisant en tous cas pour li plaire,
Je vouldroye que mi quatre contraire,
Dangier, Reffus, Paour, avec Durté
(Je l’ay longtemps en devise porté,
Et ont souvent mon cuer taint et noircy)
Fussent tournez en Doulceur et Mercy,
Et de Mercy en Grace et Pitié.
Si tourneroit ma dolour en santé,
Et mueroit ma grief dolour en joye.
Et en la fin de mon souhait, vouldroye
Que je fusse de ma dame choisi
Pour son servant, non mie pour ami,
Mais que ce fust ce samedi matin,
Pour ce qu’il est le jour saint Valentin.
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71. The Saint Valentine’s Wish
I am forced to comfort myself with wishes.
Without wishing, I wouldn’t be able to bear
For very long the grievous pains I bear.
Good is the wish that gives pleasure to the heart.
In wishing, a man can entertain himself,
Comfort himself, and not hurt any other.
And since I have wishes in abundance
And my wish does no harm to anyone,
And I have so few of the other rewards of Love,
I want to make my wish without delay.
The very first wish that I want to make,
If it did not displease my lady,
I would wish that I were, by my soul,
For a man, such as she is for a woman,
Equal to her in each good quality,
And that my heart were just as completely
Engaged in serving God and doing good deeds
As is hers, at every hour;
And that I knew how to love my honor as much,
And to guard lest anyone should blame me.
And I would wish that I had the grace
To be considered in every respectable place
As good among men of arms
As she is considered beautiful among women,
And that I were as full of courageous will
As she is full of timidity;
And that no task that I should endure
Would grieve me any more than sleep;
And that my body were as strong and powerful
As hers is weak and passive;
And that skill in jousting came to me
As easily as dancing does to her;
And that it pleased me to seek my honor
As much as it pleases her to be far from the war,
And that I should love chivalric deeds
As much as she loves repose and peace.
And I would wish that I were always
In heart, in deed, in thought, and in speech,
As gracious as she is gracious
And as courteous as she is reserved,
As good-looking for a man, as charming and well-bred,
And just as well beloved by all good people,
And that I were born to such great gentility,
And that in my heart there were as much nobility,
That all my deeds were as fine for a man
As hers are accomplishments for a woman;
And that I were entirely to her liking,
As good and handsome as she is good and fair.
And when this good fortune happened to me,
That I became handsome and good
And sufficient in every way to please her,
I would wish that my four adversaries,
Danger, Refusal, Fear, along with Harshness
(I have long borne this as my motto,
And they have often colored and darkened my heart)
Were turned into Gentleness and Mercy,
And from Mercy into Grace and Pity.
Then my pain would turn into well-being,
And my grievous sorrow would change into joy.
And in conclusion to my wish, I would wish
That I might be chosen by my lady
As her servant, not at all as her lover,
But that this would take place this Saturday morning,
Because it is Saint Valentine’s Day.
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