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128 SO NG S OF TH E TROUBADOURS GIRA UT DE BORNELH 129and it was surely madness ever plunders aloneto have believed in her, a well-guarded housefor now with her giraut de bornelham defenseless. without his heart, mind and fearSince giraut de bornelhbehaved so badly, making his anxiety almost unbearable. 19I'll be patient;good and happiness V N ow she can delight in the thoughtwill slowly return. of holding my life in her hands!For lovers know nothing For I've had no gaiety or happinessof love (they a re only since a cunning foolquick to anger) , led me into error,but Love's law demands got my confidence and fed me lies,

that one forgive the other's wrongs. after which the dandyhelped me no moreIII I t is quite true that she deprived me than those thoughts of herof her love-giraut de bornelh cannot hide this fact; which fire my soul.

but since grass is cut by force, And nobodywhat good is truth to me? envies a loverI t would be far better his high charge,

if my heart's attentions would tu m even were he an emperor,somewhere else; for Love wants no man's dominion.for irresistible powermakes my rights useless. VI A man must be submissive, patient ,But then the little and admit to his being conqueredwisdom I may have ( unless he's evil in other ways) ,leads me to think for acts of daringI'll be destroyed are never recompensedif I'm untrue to her; but only cause annihilation.for she alone can drown or save me. Humility alone attracts

people of discernment.IV But if giraut de bornelhhad some true friend -But won't you learnwho took pleasure in my well-being, that pride is useless,one sincere, frank and faultless , and that suffering

who was discreet ( withou t boasting)and not inquisitive, can bring youhe could help restore my joy with her. to kiss and caress her?Is this so unattainable? -But that's what I've been saying!My suspicious heart,my mind and fear, all VII Never has worth (which crumbles throughfight with one another; vileness or through welcoming vile fools)but then no robber not endeavored for a place of decency.

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130 SONGS OF TH E TROUBADOURSThus the evilill-bred richshould not strive for such great power.-With justice they would strivein vain/-You think so?-Yes/-Do you consentto scoundrels takingadvantage of whateverchance they might havewith a ladyof charm and gentle birth?No, a man not in earnest renounces love.

8Razo

After Cui, the Viscount of Limoges,20 had had Giraut deBornelh's house robbed of all his books and clothes, and when giraut de bornelh saw that worth had fled and solace had gone to sleepand gallantry was dead and prowess come to nought andcourtliness lost and wisdom turned into vulgarity, and thatboth lovers and the beloved had become full of deceit, hewanted to recover solace, joy and worth, and he thereforemade this song which says:

I I thought I might tr yto reawaken solacewhich has slept too long,to receive and recover worthwhich has been banished,but now I've given up; for Ihave failed, and found that suchan undertaking is interminable:

the greater my desire and will become,the more the obstacles and harm increase.II I find it hard to bear;

I say this to you who knowhow people once lovedwell-being and abundance.

GIRAUT DE BORNELHBut who has not seentorture racksor villeins forcedinto knightly service?

I t is ugly, painful and unseemly whenmen lose God and fall into disgrace.III You've seen tournaments announced

and attended by men handsomelyfitted out, and then afterwardsyou've discussed the various blows;bu t now only those who pilferor rob sheep are prized.Shame on the knigh t who thinksto pursue a course of loveafter making off with bleating lambs,stealing from churches or robbing pilgrims.

IV:!! Where have they fled, the jongleurswho once were so well received?For those who were guidesnow themselves need guidance,and since worth has failed( and here I blame no one) ,they walk alonewho once hadcompanions-h ow many I cannot tell-

handsome, well-dressed and gay.V And you used to see jongleurswith good clothes and shoes 22

going from court to courtpraising ladies; but nowno one even mentions them,so much has their worthvanished.-But what brought onthis evil of slandering them?-

Whom, the lovers or their ladies?-Both, for deceit has stained their worth.

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144VIII

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SONGS OF THE TROUBADOURSPapiol, go tell my Azimanin song that love knowsno gratitude and thus has fallenfrom its former heights.

3The Count has urged and commanded,through giraut de bornelhthat I write such a songas will shatter a thousand shields,pierce and smash helmets,hauberks, doublets and actons. 20Since he's told me his wish,I must attend to the matter,for once his mind's made up,I cannot say no;otherwise giraut de bornelh, to whomI am beholden, will blame me.At Toulouse, beyond Montagut,the count will unfurl his bannerat the Prat Comtal, beside the Peiro; 21and when he's set up his tent,we'll take quarters around it and lieon the bare ground three nights running.And with us will have comepotentates and barons,and all the most honoredand best-known soldiers in the world,who will have assembled for gain,through summons or for glory.And when we've all arrived,the tourney in the fields will start,and giraut de bornelhgiraut de bornelh

will fall thick and fastunhorsed and woundedby the blows we'll rain on them.

VI And it can't be helped if bitsof lances fly up in the air,and if cendal, ciclatounand samite are torn to shreds,22along with ropes, tents, hooks,stakes and pavillions.

VII Let the king who lost Tarascon,and the lord of Mont Albeo,Roger, the young Bernard Otoand Count Peire help them, alongwith the Count of Foix, Bernardo,and Sancho, brother of the conquered king.23

VIII They make their preparationswhile we sit here waiting.IX I want great barons alwaysto be angry with one another.

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145 giraut de bornelh

, as I have said in other razos, had a brother 'called giraut de bornelh, who was a good knight-at-armsbut cared little for valor or for honor. He always harbored il lfeelings towards Bertran, and once he took from him the castleof Altafort, which belonged to both of them in common. ButBertran recovered the castle and expelled his brother. ThenConstantin went to the Viscount of Limoges asking for helpagainst giraut de bornelh and the Viscount agreed to help him. And giraut deagreed to help him too . .. 4

I I've made a sirt'entes without a linemissing, and it cost me nothing.

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146 SONGS OF THE TROUBADOURS giraut de bornelh 147I'm the sort of man that if I have nor throws lances or darts,a brother, cousin or relation, I'll share but just lives like a Lombard.27my last egg or farthing with him, He's such a lazy oafbut if he then wants my part too, that when others get up and go,out he goes without a thing . he just yawns and stretches.

II My wits are still safe and sound VII At Perigueux, so near the wallseven though giraut de bornelhand Richard 25 I could hit them with my mace,have caused me endless trouble. I'll come armed on Baiart,28They've harassed me for a long time, and if I find giraut de bornelhbut now they're in such a squabble he'll see how my sword cuts,

that if the King can' t stop them, and on his head I'll make a mashtheir children will have a bellyfull. of chain mail and brains.III giraut de bornelh, that's a crazy VIII giraut de bornelhs, may God keep, preserve,clapper you've put inside your bell protect and help you,

(and I like you, God knows) , and make you say to Richardbut the two viscounts consider you what the peacock said to the crow.29

a fool and simpleton ever sincethat treaty, and they're just itchingto have you on their side.26 5

IV Every day I fight and struggle,spar, scramble and defend myself I I f all the grief and tears and sorrow,while people wreck and burn my land and the pain, affliction and miseryand lay waste to my forests known to man in this sad world were brought

and mix straw with my wheat. together, they would seem as nothingMy enemies, both the b rave ones beside the death of the young English Kingand the cowards, all assail me. which makes Worth and Youth sorrowful

and turns the world somber, dark and shadowy,V Every day I resole and restitch the barons, void of all joy, full of woe and sadness.melt them down and remold them-I thought I could bring them into shape, II Woeful, grieving and full of sorrowbut I was a fool to try one can see t he courtly soldiers,for they're made of worse metal the troubadours and gracious jongleurs.than giraut de bornelh chains, and a man's In death they've found a deadly warrior

mad to give them thought. who has taken away their young English King,next to whom the most generous seemed mean.VI Talairan ne ither trots nor gallops, There never was nor will be in the worldnor moves an inch from his castle, an equal to this loss for grief and sadness.