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Medieval Music Database

Le basile de sa propre nature

ballade by Solage

Sources

Chantilly: Bibliothèque du Musée Condé 564, fol. 49v (4/1).

Editions

1. French Secular Music of the Late Fourteenth Century, edited by Willi Apel, Cambridge/Massachusetts: Medieval Academy of America, 1950, no. 35.
2. French Secular Compositions of the Fourteenth Century, music edited by Willi Apel, texts edited by Samuel N. Rosenberg, Rome: American Institute of Musicology, 1970. Corpus Mensurabilis Musicae 53/I, p. 189.
3. French Secular Music. Manuscript Chantilly, Musée Condé 564, Second Part, edited by Gordon K. Greene, Monaco: Editions de L'Oiseau-Lyre, 1982. Polyphonic Music of the Fourteenth Century XIX, p. 97.

Literature

1. REANEY, Gilbert. 'Music in the late medieval entremets', Annales Musicologiques, VII (1964-1977), p. 62.
2. MARGGRAF, W. 'Tonalität und Harmonik in der franzosischen Chanson zwischen Machaut und Dufay', Archiv für Musikwissenschaft, XXIII (1966), p. 19., p. 19.

Recordings

The study of love, Gothic Voices, directed by Christopher Page (1992): Hyperion CDA66619.

Text

Le basile de sa propre nature
tous ceulz qu'il voit tue soubdaynement.
car son venin est mortel sanz mesure.
sanz remede et sanz alegement.
Ainsi tue Envie
lez bonz par trez sanglante jalousie.
tant que chascun voit son per a grant payne.
car Barat tient le monde en son demaine.

Le roy d'Amours ou palais de Droyture
si a doune sentense et jugement
contre ennemi qui par fause morsure
a vrays amans font painne et tourment.
Maudite soit leur vie
et leur jangler plain de tres grant foulie.
per cui je pers l'amour fine et hautaine.
car Barat [tient le monde en son demaine.]

Or vueille Dieux que par sa grace pure
puisse jouir de la belle au corps gent.
quar trop l'aim mieulz que nulle creature
tant que mon cuer est tout sien fermement.
Elle m'est vraye amie.
gaye, playsant, courtoisse et jolie.
ne plus ne quier fors ma dame souvrayne.
car Barat tient le monde en son demaine.

Translation

The Basilisk by its very nature
kills suddenly all those it sees.
for its venom is deadly without measure.
without remedy, without relief.
Thus does Envy kill
the good by very cruel Jealousy.
such that everyone has great difficulty in seeing his equal.
for Deception holds the world in its domain.

The King of Love at the Court of Law
has indeed passed judgment, condemning
adversaries who, by treacherously biting their victims.
cause pain and torment to true lovers.
Cursed be their life
and their slander full of utter nonsense.
because of whom I lose the true and lofty love.
for Deception [holds the world in its domain.]

Now may God grant that, by His pure grace.
I may enjoy the beautiful woman with the lovely body.
for I love her exceedingly, better than any person.
so much so that my heart is all hers, unswervingly.
She is my true lover.
joyful, pleasing, courtly and beautiful.
nor do I seek for more, only for my liege lady.
for Deception holds the world in its domain.

Text revision and translation © Robyn Smith



Content Approved by: MMDB Director
Last updated: Wednesday, 19 March 2003


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