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76. Complainte de Saint Vallentin Garenson
Je voy que chascun amoureux
Ce veult ce jour apparier.
Je voy chascun estre joieulx.
Je voy le temps renouveller.
Je voy chanter, rire et dancer,
Mais je me voy seul en tristesse,
Pour ce que j’ay perdu mon per —
Non pas per, mais dame et maistresse.
J’en ay perdu ma contenance.
J’en ay perdu toute ma joye.
J’en suis deserté de plaisance,
Trop plus que dire ne pourroie.
J’en suis quelque part que je soye
Triste, dolent, oultre mesure.
J’en suis tel que mourir vouldroie
Quant je voy ma douleur si dure.
Mourir, voire, certainement,
Car j’ay perdu ma plaisant vie,
Mon espoir, mon advancement,
De tout bien ma droicte partie.
J’é tant perdu que j’entroublie
Tout plaisir et toute liesce,
Et toute plaisant compaignie
Me tourne souvent a destresse.
Jamais ne feray que languir.
Plourer sera mon reconfort
Quant je pourray estre a loisir.
Je ne requerray que la mort.
Mon cuer et moy sommes d’acort
De vivre ainsi piteusement.
Je ne quier que haster bien fort
La mort pour mon alegement.
Plourés pour moy, je vous en pri,
Tous cueurs qui aymez loyaument.
Mais assez plus, je vous suppli,
Plourés tres douloureusement
Ma dame et son tres beau corps gent
Que la mort a fait definer
Par son dart oultrageusement,
Que mon cuer mauldit sans cesser.
Helas! il n’estoit pas saison
Si tost de son department.
S’a bien esté contre raison.
Mais il ne peut estre autrement,
Car, quant a moy tant seulement,
C’estoit tout mon bien en ce monde
Que de la servir humblement,
Seule sans nulle autre seconde.
Sans plus, telle doulce pensee
Me tenoit en ris et en jeux.
Toute grace m’estoit donnee
D’en estre bien fort amoureux.
Je m’en tenoie plus eureux
Cent fois que dire ne sauroye
Quant de ses doulz beaux rians yeulx
Ung doulx regart sans plus avoye.
Plus me valoit l’amer ainsi,
En aucune bonne esperance
D’avoir en aucun temps merci,
Que d’estre roy de toute France.
C’estoit la seule soustenance
De tout le bien de ma jeunesce.
Pour la servir dés mon enfance
Print mon cuer l’amoureuse adresce.
Or voy bien que j’ay tout perdu
Et si ne se peut amender,
Dont je me vy si esperdu
Que nul ne le pourroit penser
De dire que je peuse amer
Aprés elle parfaictement.
Mon ceur ne se peut acorder
A le desirer nullement.
Aussi croy je bien, par ma foy,
Qu’ame ne le prendroit en gré,
Car mon cuer vouldroit, a par soy,
Choisir selon le temps passé,
Et jamais ne seroit amé
De nulle qui approuchast d’elle
Se trop grant debonnaireté
Ne se mesloit de la querelle.
Ainsi seul et plain de douleur
Demourrai je, le voy trop bien.
Jamais ne plaisir ne doulceur
N’aprouchera a moy de rien.
Je serai de simple maintien
Comme tout dolent et honteux.
Ne nulle ne me vouldra bien
De qui je puisse valoir mieulx.
Ainsi que je me complaingnoie,
Je voy Saint Valentin venir,
Venant a moy la droicte voye.
Aussi que pour moy resjouir
Mais pour mieulx son fait acomplir,
Le dieu amoureux admena,
Qui par la main me vint saisir
Et doulcement me raisonna
En moy disant, «Loyaulx amis,
Te veulx tu de tous poins deffaire.
Tu scez que pieça t’es submis
Soubz ma puissance debonnaire,
Mais celle qui te fist faire
Ne te peut plus reconforter.
Pour ce te vueil a moy attraire
Et te vueil bon conseil donner.
«C’est que choisissés de nouvel
Une dame gente et jolie.
Et a ce faire je t’appel
Et Saint Valentin te deprie.
Aussi Loyaulté le t’octrie,
Car tu as loyaulment servi
Jusqu’en fin ta dame et amie
A qui je t’avoye asservi.»
«Helas! comme se peut il faire,
Se lui dis je piteusement,
Qu’a nulle autre ne puisse plaire
Pour servir amoureusement?»
Mais Amours, qui si puissamment
Si garist mon cuer en jeunesce,
Respont qu’i ne veult nullement
Que je demeure sans maistresse.
«Et comment te veulx tu deffendre,
Dist il, contre ma voulenté?
Ne le fay plus, mais vien toy rendre
En tresgrant debonnaireté
A la non pareille beaulté
Qu’on peut en ce monde choisir,
A qui tu seras presenté
De moy pour l’amer et servir.»
«Helas! sire, pardonnez moy,
Et me laissez souffrir ma peine.
Je ne quier qu’estre en requoy
Pour regretter ma souveraine,
De qui ma plaisance mondaine
M’estoit venue entierement,
Car jamais liesse certaine
Ne puis avoir aucunement.
«Plus me plaist plaindre et souspirer
Et regretter mon grant dommage
Que d’ouir rire et chanter
Ne veoir gens de joieux couraige.
Je ne quier autre avantaige
Qu’en ce point attendre la mort,
Puis que la belle, bonne et sage,
J’ai perdu qu’amoye si fort,
«Et que je vueil tousjours amer
Aussi bien morte comme vive.
Ne ja ne la quier oublier
Pour nulle assemblee ou j’arrive,
Et pour ce ainsi vers vous estrive.
Si vous pri qu’il ne vous desplaise
Se par vous ma douleur n’eschive,
Mais me souffrez en ma mesaise.
«Car achoison ne puis avoir
Que de languir en desconfort,
Ne je ne puis apparcevoir
Que mon cuer en soit en discord.
Certes ce seroit a grant tort
Qu’il fust jamais nul jour actains
De plaisir ne de joieulx port
Quant j’ay perdu tout ce que j’aims.»
«Au moins seuffre que te conseille,
Puis dy ce qu’il te plaira.
Viens vers celle dont la merveille
Volle tousjours et volera;
En fait par tout les lieux tresra
Ou on congnoist sa renommee.
Car ta mort se abregera,
Ou grace t’en sera donnee.
«Car en voyant son doulx acueil,
Son regart de doulce simplesce,
Il te souvendra du sercueil
Que tient ta premiere princesse.
Ainsi acroistra ta destresse
Du mal qu’i te convient porter,
Ou tu choisiras la richesse
De mon service recouvrer.
«Accorde moy pour mon plaisir
Ceste requeste a tout le moins.
Acomplis en ce mon desir,
Je le te pri a jointes mains.
Et pour te faire plus contrains
Te commande a ainsi le faire
Sur peine d’en estre ratains
De ma seigneurie contraire.»
«Sire, je ne sçay plus que dire.
Soit pour esjouir ou pour douloir,
Ou pour souffrir mort ou martire,
Je feray vers vous mon devoir,
D’aler tout a vostre vouloir
Vers celle dont faictes devis,
Qu’a plain ce peut apparcevoir
De beaulté le droit paradis.»
Adonc me vins Amours monstrer
Une dame tant belle et gente
Comme l’en pourroit deviser
A y mettre toute s’entente.
Et lors m’a dit que je m’assente
A la servir tant seulement
Comme le feu de toute rente
Et que mieulx ne puis nullement.
Et quant je la vy si tres belle,
Si jeune et si bien renommee,
Et que chascun bonne nouvelle
Disoit de sa beaulté louee,
J’en fu en trop forte pensee,
Car aucunement ressembloit
A la belle qu’avoye amee,
Pour quoy mon cuer tant se douloit.
Car tant avoit belle maniere
Et le regart doulx et riant,
Si doulce et si joieuse chiere
Et tant par estoit bien duisant
Que chascun estoit desirant
En son pouoir de bien en dire.
Adonc congneu tout maintenant
Qu’elle faisoit trop a eslire.
Au devant de toutes les belles
Qui sont humaines a present,
Entre dames et demoiselles,
La prisoit on tout oultrement.
Chascun disoit communement
«Ceste est de tous biens acomplie,»
Ne nul ne la voit vivement,
Se croy je, qu’Amours ne le lie.
A peine l’eusse je peu croire.
C’est la merveille de ce monde.
Nulluy ne se pourroit retraire
D’amer sa beaulté blanche et blonde.
Le bien d’elle par tout suronde.
C’est le tresor d’amour mondaine.
Qui n’auroit guere que une onde,
Si l’en feroit il souveraine.
Adoncques ne peus je contredire
D’Amour la treshaulte puissance.
De grant piece ne peuz mot dire.
De pasmer fus en grant doubtance
Pour cause de la grant muance
Que je trouvay soubdainement.
Au fort je reprins contenance
Et m’affermay aucunement.
Je devins aussi amoureux
Comme parfaictement contraint
De ses tresgrans biens gracieux
Qui m’ont tout droit au cuer ataint.
Et pour ce sans nul penser faint
Le serviray toute ma vie,
Priant pour celle dont j’ay plaint
Si longuement la departie.
Or vueille Amours sa grace estandre
Vers moy par son aide piteuse
Tant qu’il lui face bien entendre
Ma voulenté tresamoureuse
Qui n’eust esté jamais joieuse
Se ne fust par la doulceur d’elle,
Que tous temps est tant amoureuse
Qu’en acroissant se renouvelle.
Et qu’il plaise a son doulx vouloir
Recueillir en gré mon service,
Car par autre ne puis avoir
Grace qui tout bien acomplisse.
De tout ennuy oultre je ysse
Seulement par son reconfort.
Par telle fault que je guerisse
Ou que je reçoive la mort.
Amours l’a ainsi commandé
A qui vueil et doy obeir,
Et sa non pareille beaulté
M’i a fait du tout consentir.
Pour ce suis sien sans departir
Entierement jusqu’a la fin,
Ainsi lui prometz sans mentir
Ce jour de la Saint Valentin.
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76. Granson’s Saint Valentine’s Complaint
I see that everyone in love
Wants to be with his partner today.
I see everyone being joyous.
I see that springtime has arrived.
I see singing, laughter, and dancing,
But I see myself alone in sadness,
For I have lost my companion —
Not companion, but my lady and mistress.
Because of this, I have lost my composure.
Because of this, I have lost all my joy.
Because of this, I am bereft of pleasure
Much more than I could ever say.
Because of this, wherever I am,
I am sad, grieving, beyond measure.
I’m in such a state that I would like to die
When I see my grief so harsh.
To die, indeed, certainly,
For I have lost my pleasing life,
My hope, everything I’ve gained,
My proper share of every good.
I have lost so much that I forget
Every pleasure and happiness,
And all pleasant company
Often turns into distress for me.
All I will ever do is languish.
Crying will be my consolation
When I am able to be at leisure.
I will seek nothing except death.
My heart and I are in agreement
To live thus piteously.
All that I seek is quickly to hasten
Death, in order to bring relief.
Weep for me, I beg you,
All hearts that love loyally,
But even more, I beseech you,
Weep very sorrowfully
For my lady and her beautiful gracious self
Whom death has brought to an end
With its dart, unconscionably,
Which my heart curses without cease.
Alas, it was not the time
So soon for her departure.
It was totally contrary to reason.
But it cannot be otherwise.
For, as for me and me alone,
My only good in this world
Was to serve her humbly,
Her alone, without any other.
All by itself, so sweet a thought
Kept me in laughter and in play.
Every grace was given to me
To be greatly in love with her.
I considered myself more fortunate
A hundred times more than I could say
When from her fair sweet laughing eyes
I had a sweet look and nothing more.
It was worth more for me to love her thus,
In no great hope at all
Of ever having mercy from her,
Than to be the king of all of France.
These were the only grounds
For all the good in my youth.
In order to serve her since my childhood
My heart took the course of love.
Now I see I have lost everything
And that it cannot be restored,
For which I see myself so lost
That no one could ever think
Of saying that I could ever love
Anyone completely after her.
My heart cannot consent
To desire it in any way.
I also believe, by my faith,
That a soul would not accept it willingly,
For my heart would want, for itself,
To choose according to time past,
And it would never be loved
By any woman who came close to her
If too great graciousness
Were not involved in the case.
Thus alone and full of grief
I will remain, I see it too well.
Never will pleasure or gentleness
Come near to me at all.
I will be of plain demeanor
Like one who is grieving and ashamed.
Never will any woman want me
From whom I could be better off.
While I was lamenting thus,
I saw Saint Valentine approach,
Coming directly towards me.
Also in order to cheer me up
But to better accomplish his goal,
He brought along the God of Love,
Who came and seized me by the hand
And he addressed me gently,
Saying to me, “Loyal friend,
Do you want to completely destroy yourself?
You know that you submitted long ago
To my gracious power,
But she who made you do so
Can no longer comfort you.
Therefore I wish to draw you close
And I want to give you some good advice.
“That is, that you choose anew
A lady gracious and pretty.
And I call upon you to do this,
And Saint Valentine begs it of you.
Loyalty also grants it to you,
For you served loyally,
Until the end, your lady and love
To whom I had made you subject.”
“Alas, how can it be,”
I said to him piteously,
“That I might please any other woman
In order to serve in love?”
But Love, which so powerfully
Watched over my heart in my youth,
Replies that it does not wish at all
That I remain without a mistress.
“And how do you wish to defend yourself,”
He said, “Against my will?
Do so no more, but come surrender
In great graciousness
To the beauty without peer
That one can find in this world,
To whom you will be presented
By me, in order to love and serve her.”
“Alas, lord, pardon me,
And allow me to suffer my pain.
All that I seek is to remain secluded
In order to mourn my sovereign lady,
From whom my worldly pleasure
Came to me in its entirety,
For never assured happiness
Can I have in any way.
“It pleases me more to lament and sigh
And to mourn for my great loss
Than to hear laughter and singing
And to see people with joyous hearts.
I don’t seek any other benefit
Than in this state to await death,
Since I have lost the fair, good, and wise one
Whom I loved so strongly,
“And whom I want always to love
Just as well dead as alive.
I do not seek to forget her
For any acquaintance that I might make,
And that’s why I struggle against you thus.
I beg you that it not displease you
If through you I do not escape my grief,
But allow me to remain in my distress.
“For I can have no reason
Except to languish in distress,
Nor can I see that my heart
Is in any way opposed.
Surely this would be very wrong
That it were ever overtaken
By pleasure or by joyous conduct
When I have lost all that I love.”
“At least allow me to advise you,
Then say whatever you please.
Come to the one of whom the wonder
Flies constantly, and will in the future;
Indeed, it will go in every place
Where one knows her reputation.
For either your death will be hastened,
Or you will be granted grace.
“For upon seeing her gentle welcome,
Her look of sweet simplicity,
You will remember the coffin
That holds your first princess.
Thus will increase your distress
From the pain that you are forced to bear,
Or you will choose to receive
The rich gifts of my service.
“Grant me, for my pleasure,
This request at very least.
Accomplish my desire in this,
I beseech you with joined hands.
And in order to make you more obliged,
I command you to do so
On pain of being held
A rebel to my rule.”
“Lord, I no longer know what to say.
Whether to rejoice or to grieve,
Or to endure death or suffering,
I will do my duty to you,
To go according to your wish
To her of whom you make mention,
So that plainly can be seen
The very paradise of beauty.”
Then Love came and showed to me
A lady as beautiful and gracious
As anyone could ever describe
In giving it all of his effort.
And then he told me to agree
To serve her exclusively
Like the fief from which comes all wealth,
And that I can do no better in any way.
And when I saw her, so very beautiful,
So young and of such good renown,
And that everyone had good to say
About her highly praised beauty,
I thought very deeply about it,
Because she somewhat resembled
The beautiful one that I had loved
For whom my heart was in such grief.
For she had such a beautiful manner
And so gentle and laughing a look,
So sweet and joyous a countenance,
And she was so well brought up
That everyone was desirous
To say good of her, as best he could.
Thus I knew at once
That she was very worthy to be chosen.
Before all the beautiful women
Who are alive at present,
Among the ladies and the damsels,
One valued her by far the most.
Everyone said in common,
“She is provided with every good.”
Nor is there anyone who sees her in person,
I think, whom Love does not bind.
Hardly could I have believed it.
She is the wonder of this world.
No one would be able to refrain
From loving her beauty, pale and blond.
Her goodness extends everywhere.
It is the treasure of earthly love.
Whoever would have only a bit of it,
Yet it would make her a sovereign.
Therefore I could not oppose
The very great power of Love.
For a long time I could say no word.
I was in great fear of fainting
Because of the great change
That I suddenly experienced.
Finally I regained composure
And steadied myself to some degree.
I fell so deeply in love with her
As one who was totally compelled
By her great gracious virtues
Which struck me directly in the heart.
And therefore, without any hesitation,
I will serve her all my life,
Praying for her whose departure
I have so long lamented.
Now may Love please extend his grace
Towards me, by means of his piteous aid,
Until he make her understand
My very loving will,
Which would never have been joyous
If it were not through her gentleness,
Which is always so loving
That in increasing it is renewed.
And may it please her gentle wish
To willingly accept my service,
For from another I cannot get
The grace that bestows every good.
I escape from every annoyance
Only by her comfort.
By such a one I must be healed
Or I must receive my death.
Love has so commanded it,
Whom I wish to and must obey,
And her beauty without equal
Has made me fully agree.
Therefore I am hers, without exception,
Entirely until the end.
So I promise her without lying,
On this day of the feast of Saint Valentine.
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