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Music of the Troubadours : Tant m'abelis
The troubadours (male) and the trobairitz (female) were composers and performers during the High Middle Ages (1100 - 1350 CE) in Occitania (present day Southern France & part of Spain). Originally they were universally of the noble classes, though in the later period, troubadours appeared among commoners and even clergy. They traveled throughout the land, spreading news and writing and performing lyric poetry and music. They were distinguished from jongleurs, who were performers of the music and poetry that others had written. The earliest known troubadour is the Duke of Aquitaine.
Most of the work of the troubadours and trobairitz was concerned with Courtly Love, which was a code of behaviour that emphasized love as the highest virtue, and the celebration of life as the holiest act. Eleanor of Aquitaine popularized the ideal of Courtly Love in the courts of Europe.In Courtly Love, the lady held the power in the relationship, deciding when the lovers would meet, how far things would proceed, etc. She was encouraged to make it difficult for her lover to win her: "The easy attainment of love makes it of little value. Difficulty of attainment makes it prized." - Andreas Capellanus, The Art of Courtly Love.
As a result, there were a significant minority of trobairitz as well as troubadours, though only one song known to have been written by a trobairitz survives with its music.
Love poetry was often composed in honour of forbidden loves that had no hope of attainment. Wandering troubadours/trobairitz confessed their love for high peers of the land, clergy, and even those of the same gender.
The troubadours sparked similar movements all over Europe, but they never recovered from the Albigensian Crusade, which was called against a Zoroastrian and Buddhist-influenced heresy that was popular in Occitania, especially in the city of Albi. France saw this as an opportunity to increase their lands and holdings, sanctioned by the Pope, and many native Occitan troubadours were considered to be criminals by the occupying French Crown. What was left of the troubadour culture was destroyed by the Black Death.
The music and poetry of the troubadours/trobairitz was likely influenced by Islamic ecstatic poetry, which filtered in from nearby Muslim-controlled Iberia.
There are specific formats of songs and poetry which they utilized. It is difficult for us to recreate their music, because medieval music had no signatures for rhythm or tempo. This is why fans of medieval music may hear the same song performed many different ways.
TANT M’ABELIS
Tant m'abelis jois et amors et chans
ert alegrier deports e cortezia,
que l'mon non a ricor ni manentia
don mielhs d'aisso'm tengues per benonans
doncs, sai ieu ben que midons ten las claus
de totz los bes qu'ieu aten ni esper
e ren d'aiso sens lieys non puesc aver.
Sa gran valors e sos humils semblans
son gen parlar e sa bella paria,
m'an fait ancse voler senhoria
plus que d'autra qu'ieu vis pueys ni dabans;
e si'l sieu cors amoros e suaus
e sa merce no'm denha retener,
ja d'als amors no'm 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;
e s'ieu n'ai dit honor ni be ni laus,
no m'en fas ges per messongier tener,
qu'ab sa valor sap ben proar mon ver.
Belha domna, corteza, benestans,
ab segur sen, ses blasme ses folhia,
so tot no'us vey tan soven volria,
mos pessamens aleuja mos afans,
en que'm delieyt e'm sojorn e'm repaus
e quan no'us puesc estiers dels huelhs vezer
vey vos ades en pessan jor e ser.
Sabetz per que no'm vir ni no'm balans
de vos amar ma belha dous'amia?
Quar ja no'm cal doptar, si ieu'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 sí' eu ja'm vey dins vostres bratz enclaus
si qu'ambeduy nos semblen d'un voler,
meravil me on poiria'l joy caber.
*SO MUCH I LOVE (English translation):
So much I love joy and love and song,
mirth, sport and courtesy,
that in the world there is no wealth nor riches
that could make me feel happier.
Therefore I know well that my lady holds the keys
of all the good that I expect and hope for,
and none of this can I have without her.
Her great courage and her modest look,
her gentle speech and her fair company
have made me always love her dominion
more than any other's I have seen before or since;
and if her loving and tender heart
deigns not to keep me under her mercy,
love cannot please me with anything else.
So have I wanted her good and her renown,
and so have I desired her and her company
that I believe if she wanted me to leave her
I could never be able to part from her;
and if I declare her honour, her good and her fame,
I could not be held to be a liar,
since her worth proves my honesty.
Fair lady, courteous, kind,
of sure judgement, without blemish or folly,
although I do not see you as often as I would,
my fancy lightens my desire
in which is my delight, my ease and my repose,
and when my eyes cannot see you,
I see you in my thoughts, day and night.
Do you know why I do not turn aside or hesitate
in loving you, my fair, gentle friend?
Because if I had you, I should not fear
that you put forward any falsehood or deceit;
for I prefer, although I only presume it,
that you could some day be mine
than kiss, embrace or hold another woman
So if I ever am held in your arms
so that both of us are of one mind,
I wonder how I could contain my joy
The troubadours (male) and the trobairitz (female) were composers and performers during the High Middle Ages (1100 - 1350 CE) in Occitania (present day Southern France & part of Spain). Originally they were universally of the noble classes, though in the later period, troubadours appeared among commoners and even clergy. They traveled throughout the land, spreading news and writing and performing lyric poetry and music. They were distinguished from jongleurs, who were performers of the music and poetry that others had written. The earliest known troubadour is the Duke of Aquitaine.
Most of the work of the troubadours and trobairitz was concerned with Courtly Love, which was a code of behaviour that emphasized love as the highest virtue, and the celebration of life as the holiest act. Eleanor of Aquitaine popularized the ideal of Courtly Love in the courts of Europe.In Courtly Love, the lady held the power in the relationship, deciding when the lovers would meet, how far things would proceed, etc. She was encouraged to make it difficult for her lover to win her: "The easy attainment of love makes it of little value. Difficulty of attainment makes it prized." - Andreas Capellanus, The Art of Courtly Love.
As a result, there were a significant minority of trobairitz as well as troubadours, though only one song known to have been written by a trobairitz survives with its music.
Love poetry was often composed in honour of forbidden loves that had no hope of attainment. Wandering troubadours/trobairitz confessed their love for high peers of the land, clergy, and even those of the same gender.
The troubadours sparked similar movements all over Europe, but they never recovered from the Albigensian Crusade, which was called against a Zoroastrian and Buddhist-influenced heresy that was popular in Occitania, especially in the city of Albi. France saw this as an opportunity to increase their lands and holdings, sanctioned by the Pope, and many native Occitan troubadours were considered to be criminals by the occupying French Crown. What was left of the troubadour culture was destroyed by the Black Death.
The music and poetry of the troubadours/trobairitz was likely influenced by Islamic ecstatic poetry, which filtered in from nearby Muslim-controlled Iberia.
There are specific formats of songs and poetry which they utilized. It is difficult for us to recreate their music, because medieval music had no signatures for rhythm or tempo. This is why fans of medieval music may hear the same song performed many different ways.
TANT M’ABELIS
Tant m'abelis jois et amors et chans
ert alegrier deports e cortezia,
que l'mon non a ricor ni manentia
don mielhs d'aisso'm tengues per benonans
doncs, sai ieu ben que midons ten las claus
de totz los bes qu'ieu aten ni esper
e ren d'aiso sens lieys non puesc aver.
Sa gran valors e sos humils semblans
son gen parlar e sa bella paria,
m'an fait ancse voler senhoria
plus que d'autra qu'ieu vis pueys ni dabans;
e si'l sieu cors amoros e suaus
e sa merce no'm denha retener,
ja d'als amors no'm 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;
e s'ieu n'ai dit honor ni be ni laus,
no m'en fas ges per messongier tener,
qu'ab sa valor sap ben proar mon ver.
Belha domna, corteza, benestans,
ab segur sen, ses blasme ses folhia,
so tot no'us vey tan soven volria,
mos pessamens aleuja mos afans,
en que'm delieyt e'm sojorn e'm repaus
e quan no'us puesc estiers dels huelhs vezer
vey vos ades en pessan jor e ser.
Sabetz per que no'm vir ni no'm balans
de vos amar ma belha dous'amia?
Quar ja no'm cal doptar, si ieu'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 sí' eu ja'm vey dins vostres bratz enclaus
si qu'ambeduy nos semblen d'un voler,
meravil me on poiria'l joy caber.
*SO MUCH I LOVE (English translation):
So much I love joy and love and song,
mirth, sport and courtesy,
that in the world there is no wealth nor riches
that could make me feel happier.
Therefore I know well that my lady holds the keys
of all the good that I expect and hope for,
and none of this can I have without her.
Her great courage and her modest look,
her gentle speech and her fair company
have made me always love her dominion
more than any other's I have seen before or since;
and if her loving and tender heart
deigns not to keep me under her mercy,
love cannot please me with anything else.
So have I wanted her good and her renown,
and so have I desired her and her company
that I believe if she wanted me to leave her
I could never be able to part from her;
and if I declare her honour, her good and her fame,
I could not be held to be a liar,
since her worth proves my honesty.
Fair lady, courteous, kind,
of sure judgement, without blemish or folly,
although I do not see you as often as I would,
my fancy lightens my desire
in which is my delight, my ease and my repose,
and when my eyes cannot see you,
I see you in my thoughts, day and night.
Do you know why I do not turn aside or hesitate
in loving you, my fair, gentle friend?
Because if I had you, I should not fear
that you put forward any falsehood or deceit;
for I prefer, although I only presume it,
that you could some day be mine
than kiss, embrace or hold another woman
So if I ever am held in your arms
so that both of us are of one mind,
I wonder how I could contain my joy