Robbins Library Digital Projects > TEAMS Middle English Texts > Poems > 26. Balade: «Mais vous m’avez tousjours respondu ‘non’»

26. Balade: «Mais vous m’avez tousjours respondu ‘non’»

GRANSON, 26. BALADE: «MAIS VOUS M'AVEZ TOUSJOURS RESPONDU 'NON'»: 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.

GW15, Piaget p. 303.
Base MS A. No other copies.

17 plus belle. A: trop plus belle.

 






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 		 26. Balade: «Mais vous m’avez tousjours respondu ‘non’»

Mon treshault bien, ma chierté souveraine,
Mon seul desir, ma joieuse pensee,
Ma vraie amour, de tous biens la fontainne,
Belle par qui la joie m’est donnee,
Qui me sera cent mille fois doublee,
Quant vous plaira qu’aye le guerdon
Dont je vous ay par pluseurs fois priee.
Mais vous m’avez tousjours respondu «non».

En bonne foy, ce m’a esté grant pene
Et touteffois je l’ay en gré pourtee,
Car je vous tien de si grant doulceur plainne
Que vostre amour me sera octroyee,
Quant vous aurez bien adroit esprouvee
Ma loiaulté, et m’en ferez le don.
Par maintez fois la vous ay demendee,
Mais vous m’avés tousjours repondu «non».

Pour ce plaise vous, plus belle que Helene,
Qu’a ceste fois ne me soit reffusee
Si en croistra vo louange mondainne,
Car riens ne sçay, dame de moy amee,
Dont vous peussez de nul estre blasmee
Fors de reffus. Pour Dieu, laissez le, don!
Beaucop de fois vous en ay advisee,
Mais vous m’avez tousjours respondu «non».
 		 26. Ballade: “But you have always answered me with ‘no’”

My supreme good, my sovereign treasure,
My sole desire, and my joyous thought,
My true love, the fountain of all good,
The beauty by whom I have been given joy,
Which will be multiplied one hundred thousand times
When it pleases you that I have the favor
For which I have beseeched you many times.
But you have always answered me with “no.”

In good faith, this has caused me great pain,
And nonetheless I have borne it willingly,
For I consider you full of such great gentleness
That your love will be granted to me
When you have fully put to the test
My loyalty, and you will give me that gift.
Many times I have asked you for it,
But you have always answered me with “no.”

Therefore may it please you, lady fairer than Helen,
That this time I not be refused.
Thus will increase your praise in this world,
For I know nothing, my beloved lady,
For which you can be blamed by anyone
Except rejection. For God’s sake, give it up.
I have advised you plenty of times to do so,
But you have always answered me with “no.”
 



















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