Welcome to La Trobe University Library
Bypass navigation and go to content




Library Home
 
MMDB Home
 
Browse
 
By Text
By composer
By Genre
By Manuscript
Complete Manuscripts
By Liturgical Feast
 
Search
 
By Text
By Melody
By Descriptor
 
Scribe Software
 
What's New
 
Contact





Medieval Music Database

Helas! tant ay dolour et peinne

ballade by Guillaume de Machaut

Sources

New York: Wildenstein Collection, fol. 297 (2/1);
Paris: Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 843 (text); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 1584 (MachA), fol. 454v (2/1); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 1585 (MachB), fol. 295 (2/1); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 1586 (MachC), fol. 158 (2/1); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 9221 (MachE), fol. 151 (2/1); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 22546 (MachG), fol. 134v (2/1).

Editions

1. Guillaume de Machaut: Musikalische Werke. Erster Band: Balladen, Rondeaux und Virelais, edited by Friedrich Ludwig, Wiesbaden: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1926, p. 2.
2. The Works of Guillaume de Machaut, Second Part, edited by Leo Schrade, Monaco: Editions de L'Oiseau-Lyre, 1956. Polyphonic Music of the Fourteenth Century III, p. 70.

Text Editions

Guillaume de Machaut: poésies lyriques, 2 vols., edited by V. Chichmaref, Paris: 1909, p. 538.

Literature

1. MACHABEY, Armand. Guillaume de Machault, 130?-1377: La vie et l'oeuvre musicale, 2 vols, Paris: Richard-Masse-Editeur, 1955. Bibliothèque d'études musicales, pp. 19-20.
2. GÜNTHER, Ursula. Der musikalische Stilwandel der französischen Liedkunst in der zweiten Hälfte des 14. Jahrhunderts, dargestelt an Virelais, Balladen und Rondeax von Machaut., Ph.D. dissertation, University of Hamburg: 1957, Chapter 4.1.
3. DÖMLING, Wolfgang. Die mehrstimmigen Balladen, Rondeaux und Virelais von Guillaume de Machaut: Untersuchungen zum musikalischen Satz, Tutzing: Schneider, 1970. Münchener Veröffentlichungen zur Musikgeschichte 16, p. 70.
4. SWARTZ, Anne. 'A new chronology of the ballades of Machaut', Acta Musicologica, XLVI (1974): 192-207.
5. LEGUY, Sylvette. 'Les procédés de composition dans l'oeuvre de Machaut (à l'exclusion de la Messe)', Guillaume de Machaut, poète et compositeur. Colloque - Table Ronde, 1978, pp. 307-320.
6. GÜNTHER, Ursula. 'Contribution de la musicologie à la biographie et à la chronologie de Guillaume de Machaut', Guillaume de Machaut, poète et compositeur. Colloque - Table Ronde, 1978, pp. 95-116.

Recordings

[Machaut: Helas! pour quoy], Monique Rollin Ensemble: M. Siderer (S), P. Paubon (flute), (1955): London International W 91116.

Text

Helas! tant ay dolour et peinne.
Dame, quant de vous me depart
Sans joye, que soies certeinne
Qu'a po que le cuer ne me part.
Se demeinne mon dueil a part
Si grant que trop cruel seroit
Li cuers qui pitie n'en aroit.

Car toute dolour m'est procheinne.
Sans avoir joie main ne tart.
Quant la grant douceur m'est lonteinne
De vostre dous riant regart
Qui navre d'un amoureus dart
M'a, si que trop crueus seroit
Li cuers qui pitie n'en aroit.

Et quant vo biaute souvereinne
Ne voy, Grief Desir, par son art.
De moy mettre a la mort se peinne;
Car il esprent mon cuer et l'art
Et d'une dolour le repart.
Telle que trop crueus seroit
Li cuers qui pitie n'en aroit.

Translation

Alas! I have such pain and sorrow.
Lady, when I leave you
Without joy, that you may be certain
That my heart almost breaks.
So, then in private I bear a grief
So great that too cruel would be
That heart which would not take pity on it.

For every sorrow is near me.
I have no joy early or late.
When far from me is the great sweetness
Of your gentle smiling glance
That has wounded me with a dart of love.
So that too cruel would be
That heart which would not take pity on it.

And when your sovereign beauty
I do not see, cruel Desire, by his art.
Strives to put me to death.
For he lights up my heart and burns it
And pierces it with such pain
That too cruel would be
That heart which would not take pity on it.

Text revision and translation © Jennifer Garnham



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


Cantus
  
CAO-ECE
  
Cantus Planus
  
Vulgate
  
DIAMM
  
TML
  
Latin Dictionary