Skip to main content Skip to navigation

RS 795

Gautier de Dargies

I Bien me quidai de chanter touz jours tenir, maiz plus bel ne sai penser 4 ne regehir mon corage et mon penser, dont trop m’aïr; de mon cuer m’estuet sevrer 8et departir. Gent cors, vis cler, trop vous comper; mout truis amer 12le souvenir de vostre aler, vostre parler, vostre joer, 16vostre venir; or puis plourer et dementer; tart vendrai maiz au repentir!

II 20Sa simple chiere rïant mar acointai, son cler vis fres et plaisant; quant l’esguardai, 24mout la vi tresdoucement, si l’aamai. Or m’a mis en dolour grant; Dex, qu’en ferai! 28Tout dolousant, grant duel faisant, mout esmaiant, l’eslongerai 32d’ore en avant: la tresvaillant qui je aim tant de cuer verai. 36Petit dormant et bien veillant desoremaiz m’i trouverai.

III A celi ai pris congié 40qui si m’a mort; j’en ai eü grant pitié, et si fu tort. Bien m’a tenu souz le pié 44et sanz deport et tous jours m’a eslongié de son acort. Ele a pechié, 48quant si leissié m’a engignié et de confort m’a pou leissié. 52Or m’en plaig gié; trop m’a chargié, grant fais en port. J’ai pourchacié 56et atirié qu’en souspirant m’en vois au port.

IIIb Dolanz lais ma douce amie (mss. MT) et mout maris. 60Conment ai u cors la vie, quant partis me sui de sa compaignie or m’en est pis: 64si m’est ma joie faillie. Ce m’est vis que desservie n’en ai mie, 68ainz est perie ma mercis qu’ai couvoitié par folie; 72l’ai laissié en son païs, en la Berrie, et en Surie 76m’en vois pour li mout pensis.

IV Bien m’a ma dame mené a son talent, que j’ai loiaument amé 80et longuement; maint bel samblant m’a moustré et faussement que j’ai mout chier achaté. 84Encor m’en sent: mout m’a grevé et empiré – s’ai enduré 88mout bonement – et mout pené, maint mal doné; de ma santé 92petit ament. Tant ai erré qu’or sunt doublé, sachiez de voir, tuit mi tourment.

V 96En loiauté ai mout esté, s’ai conquesté si povrement; 100humilité i ai trouvé. Je di verté: se je ne ment, 104guerredouné m’a a son gré. Folz est qui lor merite atent.

I I certainly imagined I would refrain from singing forever, but I cannot think of a better way to express my heart and thoughts, which are making me very angry; I am forced to divide and separate myself from my heart. Sweet person, fair of face, I pay too dearly for you; most bitter do I find the memory of your bearing, your speech, your playfulness, your approach; now I can weep and give myself over to sorrow; once I ever repent of this it will be too late!

II To see her candid laughing countenance – her bright face, fresh and pleasing – was my doom; when I looked on her, I gazed on her most sweetly, and fell in love with her. Now she has plunged me into great affliction; God, what shall I do! Full of sorrow and sore laments, deeply troubled, henceforth I shall take my distance from her: the most worthy lady whom I love so much with a true heart. Hereafter I shall find myself sleeping little and waking much.

III I have taken leave of the one who has slain me so; I had great suffering for it, but this was wrong. She kept me firmly underfoot, with no pleasure, and she always kept me away from contact with her. She did wrong to deceive me, neglected as I was, and left me little comfort. Now I arraign her: she has burdened me too much, and I bear a heavy load. I have made my preparations and my decision for, sighing, I am on my way to the port (the end?).

IIIb Sorrowfully I leave my sweet love and in great sadness. Although I still have life in my body, after leaving her company things are now worse for me: my joy has ended. It seems to me that I have in no way deserved this, but rather the pity I foolishly yearned for has perished; I have left it in her land, in Brie (?), and I go off to Syria most downcast because of her.

IV My lady, whom I have loyally loved, and for a long time, has certainly strung me along as she wished; she gave me many a fair look, but falsely, and I have most dearly paid for it. I still feel its effects: she has severely wounded and damaged me – I have endured this most patiently – and caused me great pain and much (love-)sickness; I have little help for my health; I have gone so far astray that now, be truly aware of this, my torments are all doubled.

V I have long remained loyal, but have gained so little; I found humiliation. I tell the truth: unless I lie, she has rewarded me to her liking. So a man who expects his just deserts is a fool.

Historical context and dating

Gautier de Dargies (now a small village c. 6 km. from Grandvilliers, Oise, arr. Beauvais) was a contemporary of Gace Brulé, with whom he appears to have had strong ties of friendship, and whom he regarded as his poetic master and model. He exchanged tensos with a certain Richart, probably Richart de Fournival, of younger generation. Gautier lived between c. 1170-1175 and 1236 (see Raugei, pp. 30-33). For the issue of whether he went on crusade or not, see the introduction to our notes.