Can vei la lauzeta (Bernart de Ventadorn)

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  • (Posted 2020-08-04)  CPDL #60026:   
Editor: Richard Mix (submitted 2020-08-04).   Score information: Letter, 1 page, 39 kB   Copyright: CPDL
Edition notes: 3 versions of the melody, and a partial translation (vv1-3) by E. Taylor

General Information

Title: Can vei la lauzeta
Composer: Bernart de Ventadorn
Lyricist: Bernart de Ventadorn

Number of voices: 1v   Voicing: solo voice
Genre: SecularCanso

Language: Occitan
Instruments: A cappella

First published:
Description: Some of Can vei la lauzeta is quoted in Ezra Pound's Canto XXV. A fine, though non-metrical, translation may be found in W. S. Merton's remarkable book, The Mays of Ventadorn (National Geographic Society 2002, p. 138).

External websites:

Original text and translations

Occitan.png Occitan text

1. Can vei la lauzeta mover
De joi sas alas contra'l rei
Que s'oblid' e s laissa chazer
Per la doussor c'al cor li vai
Ai, tan grans enveya m'en ve
De cui qu'eu veya jauzion,
Meravilhas ai, car dessé
Lo cor de dezirer no'm fon.

2. Ai las! tan cuidava saber
D'amor, e tan petit en sai!
Car eu d'a-mar no'm pçosc tener
Celeis don ja pro non aurai.
Tout m'a mo cor, e tout m'a me,
E se mezeis e tot lo mon!
E can sem tolc, nom laisset re
Mas dezirer e cor volon.

3. Anc non agui de me poder
Ni no fui meus de l'or' en sai
Quem laisset en sos olhs vezer
En un miralh que mout me plai.
Miralhs, pus me mirei en te,
M'an mort li sospir de preon,
C'aissim perdei com perdet se
Lo bels Narcisus en la fon.

4. De las domnas me dezesper!
Ja mais en lor nom fiarai!
C'aissi com las solh chaptener,
Enaissi las deschaptenrai.
Pois vei c'u-na pro no m'en te
Vas leis quem destrui em cofon,
Totas las dopt' e las mescre,
Car be sai c'atretals se son.

5. D'aisso's fa be femna parer
Ma domna, per qu'elh o retrai
Car no vol so c'om deu voler,
E so c'om li deveda, fai.
Chazutz sui en mala merce,
Et ai be faih col fols en pon!
E no sai per que m'esdeve,
Mas car trop puyei contra mon.

6. Merces es perduda, per ver,
Et eu non o saubi anc mai,
Car cilh qui plus en degr'aver,
Non a ges, et on la querrai
A can mal sembla, qui la ve,
Qued aquest chaitiu deziron
Que ja ses leis non aura be,
Laisse morrir, que no l'aon.

7. Pus ab midons nom pot valer
Precs ni merces nil dreihz qu'eu ai,
Ni a leis no ven a plazer
Qu'eu l'am, ja mais nolh o dirai.
Aissim part de leis em recre!
Mort m'a, e per mort li respon
E vau m'en, pus ilh nom rete,
Chai-tius, en issilh, no sai on.

8. Tristans, ges non auretz de me,
Qu'eu m'en vau, chaitius, no sai on.
De chantar me gic em recre,
E de joi e d'amor m'escon.
 

English.png English translation

1. When I behold the lark up-spring
To meet the bright sun joyfully,
How he forgets to poise his wing,
In his gay spirit's revelry,-
Alas! that mournful thoughts should spring
E'en from that happy songster's glee!
Strange, that such gladdening sight should bring
Not joy, but pining care, to me!

2. I thought my heart had known the whole
Of love, but small its knowledge proved;
For still the more my longing soul
Loves on, itself the while unloved:
She stole my heart, myself she stole,
And all I prized from me removed;
She left me but the fierce control
Of vain desire for her I loved.

3. All self command is now gone by,
E'er since the luckless hour when she
Became a mirror to my eye,
Whereon I gazed complacently:
Thou fatal mirror! there I spy
Love's image; and my doom shall be,
Like young Narcissus, thus to sigh,
And thus expire, beholding thee!
(translated by Edgar Taylor, 1825
Lays of the Minnesingers & Troubadours)