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uring my stay at my grandparents' house, I decided to delve deeper into medieval literature. I decided to learn more than Lais de Maria de France, so I turned to Troubadourism.
Troubadourism was a lyrical-poetic literary school of the High Middle Ages that began in the late 11th century, in Occitania, later spreading to Italy, France and the Iberian Peninsula, and coming to an end in the 14th century. Troubadours and trobairitz, who both composed and performed their songs, used to mainly depict courtly love and chivalry (code of conduct associated with knighthood and chivalric orders). The canso was the most popularised genre of this literary school, and it was the genre of music that I decided to translate into Brazilian Portuguese and English.
Considering that I'm not a poet — I've always preferred prose to verse — the lyricism of the music has been lost in my translation. I doubt that it would sound good to the ear as music, but perhaps it would be pleasant to read. I'm not well versed in the Old Provençal language (Old Occitan), but as it, French — which I understand “reasonably” well — and Portuguese — my native language — share cognates, it wasn't impossible to realise this translation. I obviously had the help of dictionaries of Old Provençal, Old Catalan and French. I tried to keep as much as possible the words and structures that have survived through time and made it into Brazilian Portuguese. I've researched old translations and tried to better understand the context, but it's possible that some of the meaning has been lost. In some verses, these translations didn't agree in meaning. I kept what made the most sense in my head. I hope you enjoy it.
erengiers de Palazol
| Old Occitan | Português Brasileiro | English |
|---|---|---|
| Berengiers de Palazol si fo de Cataloigna, de la terra del comte de Rossillon. Paubres cavalliers fo, mas adreichs et enseignatz e bons d’armas. E trobet ben cansos e cantava de N’Ermesen d’Avignon, moiller d’En Arnaut d’Avignon, que fon fills de Na Maria de Peiralada. | Berengiers de Palazol foi da Catalunha, da terra do Conte de Roussillon. Pobre cavaleiro foi, mas [era um homem] direito, educado e bom com armas. Compunha boas canções e cantava sobre Ermesen d’Avignon [Ermessenda d'Avinyó], esposa de Arnaut d’Avignon [Arnau d'Avinyó], que era filho de Maria de Peiralada. | Berengiers de Palazol was from Catalonia, the land of Conte de Roussillon. Poor knight he was, but upright, polite and good with weapons. He composed good songs and sang about Ermesen d'Avignon [Ermessenda d'Avinyó], wife of Arnaut d'Avignon [Arnau d'Avinyó], which was the son of Maria de Peiralada. |
Note.
adreichs [adjective.] qui n'est pas déshonoré; correct, convenable, juste; courtois, loyal, franc [en parlant d'un être animé]; vrai [en parlant de quelque chose]; adroit, habile, expert [en parlant d'une personne]; habile, intelligent [en parlant de quelque chose] not dishonoured; correct, proper, fair; courteous, loyal, frank [speaking of an animate being]; true [speaking of something]; adroit, skilful, expert [speaking of a person]; clever, intelligent [speaking of something].
1. enseignatz [verb.] montrer; enseigner, apprendre, instruire — to show; to teach, to learn; to instruct. 2. ensenhat. instruit; bien élevé - instructed; well-mannered.
ant m'abelis joyas et amors e chans
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| Old Occitan | Português Brasileiro | English |
|---|---|---|
| Tant m'abelis joyas et amors e chans, Et alegrier, deport e cortezia, Quel mon non a ricor ni manentia Don mielhs d'aissom tengues per benanans; Doncs, sai hieu ben que mi dons ten las claus De totz los bes qu'ieu aten ni esper, E ren d'aiso sens lieys non puesc aver. Sa grans valors e sos humils semblans, Son gen parlar e sa belha paria, M'an fait ancse voler sa senhoria Plus que d'autra qu'ieu vis pueis ni dabans ; E sil sieu cors [amoros] e suaus, En sa merce nom denha retener, Ja d'als Amors nom pot far mon plazer. Tant ai volgut sos bes e sos enans, E dezirat lieys e sa companhia Que ja no cre, si lonhar m'en volia, Que ja partir s'en pogues mos talans; Et s'ieu n'ai dic honor ni be ni laus, No m'en fas ges per messongier tener, Qu'ab sa valor sap ben proar mon ver. Belha dompna, corteza, benestans, Ab segur sen, ses blasm'e ses folhia, Si tot nous vey tan soven cum volria, Mos pessamens aleuja mos afans, En quem delieyt em sojorn em repaus; E quan no us puesc estiers dels huelhs vezer, Vey vos ades en pessan jorn e ser. Sabetz per que nom vir ni nom balans De vos amar, ma belha douss'amia ? Quar ja nom cal doptar, si hie us avia, Que mesclessetz falsia ni enjans; Per qu'ieu am mais, quar sol albirar n'aus Que vos puscatz a mos ops eschazer Qu'autra baizar, embrassar ni tener. Doncs, s' ieu jam vey dins vostres bratz enclaus Si qu'ambeduy nos semblem d'un voler, Meravil me on poirial joy caber. | Tanto me encanta o júbilo, o amor e o canto, e a alegria, a diversão e a cortesia, que no mundo não há abonança nem riqueza que faça de mim mais feliz. Por isso, sei eu bem que minha dama tem as chaves de todos os bens que anseio e aguardo, e nada disso sem ela posso ter. Suas grandes qualidades e sua figura modesta, sua fala suave e sua encantadora companhia me fizeram sempre desejar sua senhoria mais do que qualquer outra que eu tenha visto, agora ou antes; e se o seu corpo, amoroso e suave, não se dignar, a sob a sua graça, me ter, o amor d’outra não poderá me satisfazer. Tanto tenho querido o seu bem e a sua prosperidade, e tanto tenho desejado a vós e a sua companhia que já não creio que, se eu quisesse me afastar, meu coração permitiria; e se eu canto sobre sua honra e sua estima, em seu louvor, não me faço passar, de forma alguma, como um mentiroso, pois o seu valor sabe bem provar a minha verdade. Bela dama, cortês e amável, de espírito prudente, sem máculas ou excessos, embora não vos veja tantas vezes como desejaria, minhas lembranças de vós aliviam meus tormentos nelas me deleito, me descanso e me consolo, e quand’os meus olhos não vos podem ver, vejo-vos incessantemente em meus devaneios, dia e noite. Sabeis por que não me afasto nem hesito em vos amar, minha bela, doce amiga? Porque, se eu a tivesse [como minha dama], não temeria que confundísseis perfídia com má-fé; pois prefiro, embora apenas imagine-o e só, que possais um dia ser minha do que outra beijar, abraçar ou possuir Por isso, caso um dia me tenhas em os vossos braços envolto de tal forma que sejamos ambos os dois de uma só vontade, perguntar-me-ei onde mais poderia encontrar-se a felicidade [se não ali]. | So much I love joy, love and song, mirth, fun and courtesy that there is no wealth or richness in the world that could make me happier. Therefore I know well that my lady holds the keys to all the goods I long for and await, and none of this I can have without her. Her great qualities and her humble character, her soft speech and her charming company have always made me desire her ladyship more than any other I have seen, now or before; and if her loving and tender body does not deign, under her grace, to have me, the love of another will not be able to satisfy me. So much have I wished for your good and your prosperity, and so much have I desired you and your company, that I no longer believe that if I wanted to go away, my heart would allow it; and if I sing about your honour and your esteem, in your praise, I do not in any way make myself out to be a liar, for your worth proves my truth. Beautiful lady, courteous and kind, of prudent spirit, without blemish or folly, although I don't see you as often as I would like, my memories of you relieve my torments in them I delight, rest and console myself, and when my eyes cannot see you, I see you incessantly in my daydreams, day and night. Do you know why I don't turn away or waver from loving you, my beautiful, sweet friend? Because if I had you [as my lady], I would not fear that you would confuse perfidy with bad faith; for I would rather, although I could only imagine it, that you could one day be mine than another to kiss, embrace or possess. So if one day you have me in your arms, enclosed in such a way that we are both of one will, I will wonder where else happiness could be found [if not there]. |
Translation Notes
Et alegrier, deport e cortezia,
Deport. I initially associated the term with the Portuguese Portuguese word 'desporto', which translates to 'sport'. However, I don't believe the troubadour meant it in this way. Researching into the etymology of the word, I fount that it originates from the Old French word 'déport', which translates to 'recreation, hobby, leisure'. The Old Occitan dictionary, which was consulted for further clarification, states that the word meant 'amusement, distraction' and 'a kind of poetry'. Despite extensive research, I found no source that associated the word 'deport' with poetry or the kind of poetry it denoted. Therefore, I assumed that it meant 'fun', since it was accompanied by other words that led to this meaning, such as 'courtesy', 'love' and 'joy'.
Sa grans valors e sos humils semblans,
Valors. I decided that, rather than employing the term 'her great values', it would be preferable to use 'her great qualities'. The definitions provided in the old Occitan dictionary are as follows: 'valeur, mérite, prix; secours, aide; aver v. aprop alcun "être estimé par quelqu'un" (value, merit, price). The translation by Alfred Jeanroy and Pierre Aubry renders the passage as 'Son mérite accompli et ses façons condescendantes' (Her accomplished merit and her condescending manners), but I do not consider it to be the most accurate translation.
Humils. Semblans. The Old Provençal dictionary states that the word 'humils' used in the original text refers to 'humble; doux, plein de bonté' (humble; gentle, full of kindness). According to dictionaries (Le Dictionnaire de l'Académie française. Huitième Édition. T.1 ● [1932]) from the time of the authors (Alfred Jeanroy, 1859-1953; Pierre Aubry, 1874-1910), the meaning of the word ‘condescendance’ would be 'n. f. Complaisance qui fait qu' on se rend aux sentiments, aux volontés de quelqu' un' (Complacency that makes you give in to someone's feelings and desires); 'Se rendre, céder complaisamment aux sentiments, à la volonté de quelqu' un' (To surrender, to yield complacently to someone's feelings or desires). In other words, both words have little to no relation to each other. Yes, a humble person could give in to someone's feelings, but that's not what the word means. "Semblante humilde" does exist in Brazilian Portuguese, but over time the term “semblante” has acquired a sense of brevity rather than a permanent state, and “aparência” sounds unpoetic and unliterary to me, which is why I chose to change it to “figura modesta”. If I had wanted to keep the musical sound, I would have kept the original form. In English, perhaps the ideal would be something along the lines of ‘humble character’ or ‘humble demeanor’.
Ab segur sen, ses blasm'e ses folhia,
Sen. In the Old Occitan Dictionary, 'sens; esprit, raison; intention; opinion; signification; chose raisonnable'. In English, could mean something like 'sense, wit, spirit, judgment'. In Portuguese we also have the use of the word 'sen' ("senso"), but it is not used as it was at that time. I have chosen to use the word "espírito" ('spirit') instead, but "juízo" ('judgement') would also work.
Segur. 'sûr, en sécurité; sûr, certain; rester tranquille; en sécurité; avec confiance; sûrement, certainement' ('safe, secure; sure, certain; to remain calm; with confidence; surely, certainly').
We could infer from this that Berengier meant to imply that she [the lady] is of good judgement, that she is reasonable. 'Prudent, cautious' are good synonyms to use instead of 'secure'.
Blasm. Something along the lines of 'blameworthy' ("[atitudes] condenáveis, censuráveis"), something that would taint her dignity; she doesn't have any wrongdoings. Root for the word "blasfemy". Adhering to the English translation provided by the online source, I chose to say she didn't have any "blemishes" in her "prudent spirit". If I chose to use the word "condenáveis", I would have to add between brackets "[atitudes]", so I think that maintaining a little of the structure but changing the word was my best choice. Other choices could be "maldade" or "malícia".
Folhia. 'madness; insult, reproach; folly'. There seems to be a false cognate in Portuguese, which is "folia", but it refers to "dança veloz de muitos pares, ao som de pandeiro ou adufe; festa alegre e ruidosa; folguedos populares" ('fast dance of many pairs, to the sound of a pandeiro or adufe; joyful and noisy party; popular revelry'). For it doesn't have the same meaning that in Old Occitan and English, I used the word "excessos", as the word "locura" ('madness') didn't sound lyric enough. I believe Berengier meant something along the lines of "delírio, desvario; insensatez, imprudência" ('delirium, madness; folly, imprudence').
Some contemporary interpretations of the song
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References
Annis, William S. Old Occitan: Morphology, part one. Accessible at: <https://lingweenie.org/occitan/morph1.html>.
Annis, William S. Old Occitan: Morphology, part two. Accessible at: <https://lingweenie.org/occitan/morph2.html>.
ARTFL PROJECT. Dictionnaires d'autrefois: public access collection. Chicago: The University of Chicago, Division of the Humanities, 2024. Accessible at: <https://artflsrv04.uchicago.edu/philologic4.7/publicdicos/>.
BERETTA, Spampinato. Vida di Berenguier de Palazol. Rialto, 17.ix.2007 [1978].
Blacasset et al. Recueil des poésies des troubadours, contenant leurs vies. Bibliothèque nationale de France - Département des Manuscrits, 2011. Accessible at: <https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b8419245d/f293.item>.
Cairet, Élie. Français 856. Accessible at: <https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b8419246t/f484.item.zoom>.
Institut de Philologie romane de l'Université de Munich (LMU). Dictionnaire de l’occitan médiéval (DOM). Accessible at: <https://dom-en-ligne.de/dom.php?lhid=5GLHgQ93ntjEewQJLLVYFq>.
Jeanroy, Alfred; Aubry, Pierre. Huit chansons de Bérenger de Palazol. "Anuari de l'Institut d'Estudis Catalans", 2 (1908), pp. 520-540. Accessible at: <https://trobadors.iec.cat/veure_d.asp?id_obra=1400>.
Jeanroy, Alfred; Aubry Pierre. "Tant m'abelis joyas et amors e chans" French translation. Accessible at: <https://trobadors.iec.cat/veure_traduccio_un.asp?id_traduccio=1015>.
KITCHIN, Darcy Butterworth. Old Occitan (Provençal)-English Glossary. In: An Introduction to the Study of Provençal. London/Edinburgh: Williams and Norgate, 1887. Reproduït en: Documents per l'estudi de la lenga occitana, n. 7. Paris: Institut d'estudis occitans de París. Accessible at: <http://ieoparis.free.fr/delo/Darcy%20BUTTERWORTH%20KITCHIN%20-%20Old%20Occitan%20%28Proven%E7al%29-English%20Glossary.pdf>.
La Vallière, Louis-César de la Baume-Le Blanc, duc de. Chansonnier provençal (Chansonnier La Vallière), 1301-1400. Bibliothèque nationale de France - Département des Manuscrits. Français, 2009. Accessible at: <https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b60004306/f88.item.zoom#>.
LIGNOLA, Pietro. Berenguer de Palou – Tant m’abelis, English translation. Lyrics Translate, 2018. Accessible at: <https://lyricstranslate.com/en/tant-mabelis-so-much-i-love.html>.
Marseille, Folquet de (1155?-1231) et al. Chansonnier provençal , dit Chansonnier provençal E. Bibliothèque nationale de France - Département des Manuscrits, 2011. Accessible at: <https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b6000801v/f100.item>.
Newcombe, T. (1971). The Troubadour Berenger de Palazol: A Critical Edition of his Poems. Nottingham Medieval Studies, 15, 54–95. doi:10.1484/j.nms.3.52.
Um tributo à arte de ouvir - O amor cortês nas cançons de Berenguer de Palou (c.1160-1209). <https://www.ricardocosta.com/artigo/um-tributo-arte-de-ouvir-amor-e-musica-o-trovadorismo-medieval-e-o-amor-cortes-nas-cancons-de>.
Universitat de Barcelona; Fundació Carulla; Centre de Documentació Ramon Llull. Diccionari de Textos Catalans Antics (DTCA). Accessible at: <https://www.ub.edu/diccionari-dtca/>.
WIKIPEDIA CONTRIBUTORS. Berenguier de Palazol. Accessible at: <https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berenguier_de_Palazol>.
Other resources
Sinônimos - Dicionário Online de Sinônimos. 7craus. Accessed in January 28th, 2025.
Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa. Priberam Informática, S.A.
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septe
Search for Cantigas Antigas or Alfonso's Cantigas, many such examples of Galician-Portuguese Troubadourism