(no subject)
Lark in the Morning is due back at the library on the 12th. This makes me sad with a great sadness. So in celebration of the fact that it's not the 12th yet, a poem from its pages:
Belh m'es, quan vey camjar lo senhoratgeThe Secret to Staying YoungBertran de Borntranslated by Robert KehewBelh m'es, quan vey camjar lo senhoratge,
Qe·lh vielh laixan als joves lur maisos,
E cascus pot giquir a son linhatge
Aitans d'efans que l'us puesc' esser pros.
Ladoncs m'es vis que·l segle renovelh
Mielhs que per flor ni per chantar d'auzelh.
E qui dona ni senhor pot camjar,
Vielh per jove, ben deu renovelar.
Per vielha tenc donna puois qu'a pelatge,
Et es vielha, quan cavalier non a.
Vielha la tenc, si de dos drutz s'apatge,
Et es vielha, si avols hom lo·il fa.
Vielha la tenc, si ama dins son chastelh,
Et es vielha, quan l'a ops de fachell.
Vielha la tenc, puois l'enuieion juglar,
Et es vielha, quan trop vuelha parlar.
Jov'es dona que sap onrar paratge,
Et es joves per bos fagz, quan los fa.
Joves se te, quan a adreg coratge
E vas bon pretz avol mestier non a.
Joves se te, quan garda son cors belh,
Et es joves dona, quan be·s chapdelh.
Joves se te, quan no·i cal devinar,
Qu'ab belh jovent si guart de mal estar.
Joves es om que lo sieu ben enguatge,
Et es joves, quan es ben sofraitos.
Joves se te quan pro·l costa ostatge,
Et es joves, quan fai estragatz dos.
Joves se te, quan art s'arqua e·l vaixelh,
E fai estorn e vouta e sembelh.
Joves se te quan li play domneyar,
Et es joves, quan ben l'aman juglar.
Vielhs es rics hom, quan re no met en gatge
E li sobra blatz e vis e bacos.
Per vielh lo tenc, quan liura huous e fromatge
A jorn carnal se e sos companhos.
Per vielh, quan viest chapa sobre mantelh,
Per vielh, si a caval qu'om sieu apelh.
Per vielh lo tenc quan no·l plai domneyar,
E vielh, si pot guandir ses baratar.
Mo sirventesc port de vielh e novelh
Arnautz juglars a Richart, que·l capdelh;
E ja thesaur vielh no vuelh' amassar,
Qu'ab thesaur jove pot pretz guazanhar!It pleases me to see old men bequeathing
Their houses and to watch the power passing,
With every lord so many children having
That one at least is sure to be surpassing
In worth. That is how the world is renewed-
More than through singing bird or opening bud.
And whosoever, be it lady or lord,
Exchanges old for young will be restored.
A lady's old who has no hair to cover
Her head, who lacks a lusty knight to woo her.
She's old if she's content with a pair of lovers
Only, or if she'd let a vile man do her.
I call her old who limits her amorous sports
To the castle, or ladies who resort
To spells and such. You know she's old if she'd rather
Send away the singers and sit and blabber.
I call that lady young who knows to honor
Nobility; she's young when she performs
Good deeds. A lady keeps her youth when her manner's
Open-minded, when she refrains from scorning
Merit. A woman keeps her youth who saves
Her figure, who shows she knows how to behave
Becomingly. She's not a gossip-monger,
And with a handsome youth she guards her honor.
Young is the man who hazards his estate,
Who suffers to a remarkable degree;
He's young when playing the host results in great
Expense, when he makes gifts extravagantly.
He's young when he sets fire to coffer and chest,
And hunts and fights in battles and tournaments.
He's young if he still likes to woo the gals,
And singers are very fond of him as well.
That man is old who has become averse
To risk, who hoards his wheat and wine and bacon;
I esteem him old who, on meat days, serves
Eggs and cheese to himself and his companions.
He's old who throws a cape over his coat, and
Stables a horse that someone else has broken;
He's old who leaves the ladies unfêted,
And quits a game before he is indebted.
Arnaut, jongleur, carry my song of old
And young to Richard; I'd have him forego
His search for old treasure-he would be wise
To know that youth is where the merit lies.
Belh m'es, quan vey camjar lo senhoratgeThe Secret to Staying YoungBertran de Borntranslated by Robert KehewBelh m'es, quan vey camjar lo senhoratge,
Qe·lh vielh laixan als joves lur maisos,
E cascus pot giquir a son linhatge
Aitans d'efans que l'us puesc' esser pros.
Ladoncs m'es vis que·l segle renovelh
Mielhs que per flor ni per chantar d'auzelh.
E qui dona ni senhor pot camjar,
Vielh per jove, ben deu renovelar.
Per vielha tenc donna puois qu'a pelatge,
Et es vielha, quan cavalier non a.
Vielha la tenc, si de dos drutz s'apatge,
Et es vielha, si avols hom lo·il fa.
Vielha la tenc, si ama dins son chastelh,
Et es vielha, quan l'a ops de fachell.
Vielha la tenc, puois l'enuieion juglar,
Et es vielha, quan trop vuelha parlar.
Jov'es dona que sap onrar paratge,
Et es joves per bos fagz, quan los fa.
Joves se te, quan a adreg coratge
E vas bon pretz avol mestier non a.
Joves se te, quan garda son cors belh,
Et es joves dona, quan be·s chapdelh.
Joves se te, quan no·i cal devinar,
Qu'ab belh jovent si guart de mal estar.
Joves es om que lo sieu ben enguatge,
Et es joves, quan es ben sofraitos.
Joves se te quan pro·l costa ostatge,
Et es joves, quan fai estragatz dos.
Joves se te, quan art s'arqua e·l vaixelh,
E fai estorn e vouta e sembelh.
Joves se te quan li play domneyar,
Et es joves, quan ben l'aman juglar.
Vielhs es rics hom, quan re no met en gatge
E li sobra blatz e vis e bacos.
Per vielh lo tenc, quan liura huous e fromatge
A jorn carnal se e sos companhos.
Per vielh, quan viest chapa sobre mantelh,
Per vielh, si a caval qu'om sieu apelh.
Per vielh lo tenc quan no·l plai domneyar,
E vielh, si pot guandir ses baratar.
Mo sirventesc port de vielh e novelh
Arnautz juglars a Richart, que·l capdelh;
E ja thesaur vielh no vuelh' amassar,
Qu'ab thesaur jove pot pretz guazanhar!It pleases me to see old men bequeathing
Their houses and to watch the power passing,
With every lord so many children having
That one at least is sure to be surpassing
In worth. That is how the world is renewed-
More than through singing bird or opening bud.
And whosoever, be it lady or lord,
Exchanges old for young will be restored.
A lady's old who has no hair to cover
Her head, who lacks a lusty knight to woo her.
She's old if she's content with a pair of lovers
Only, or if she'd let a vile man do her.
I call her old who limits her amorous sports
To the castle, or ladies who resort
To spells and such. You know she's old if she'd rather
Send away the singers and sit and blabber.
I call that lady young who knows to honor
Nobility; she's young when she performs
Good deeds. A lady keeps her youth when her manner's
Open-minded, when she refrains from scorning
Merit. A woman keeps her youth who saves
Her figure, who shows she knows how to behave
Becomingly. She's not a gossip-monger,
And with a handsome youth she guards her honor.
Young is the man who hazards his estate,
Who suffers to a remarkable degree;
He's young when playing the host results in great
Expense, when he makes gifts extravagantly.
He's young when he sets fire to coffer and chest,
And hunts and fights in battles and tournaments.
He's young if he still likes to woo the gals,
And singers are very fond of him as well.
That man is old who has become averse
To risk, who hoards his wheat and wine and bacon;
I esteem him old who, on meat days, serves
Eggs and cheese to himself and his companions.
He's old who throws a cape over his coat, and
Stables a horse that someone else has broken;
He's old who leaves the ladies unfêted,
And quits a game before he is indebted.
Arnaut, jongleur, carry my song of old
And young to Richard; I'd have him forego
His search for old treasure-he would be wise
To know that youth is where the merit lies.