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Medieval Music Database

Sanz cuer m'en vois, dolens et esploures; Amis, dolens, maz et desconfortes; Dame, par vous me sens reconfortes
Three-voice ballade by Guillaume de Machaut

Sources

New York: Wildenstein Collection, fol. 304v (3/3);
Paris: Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal 5203 (olim 97 BF), fol. 19 (text); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 843 (text); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 1584 (MachA), fol. 458 (3/3); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 1585 (MachB), fol. 302v (3/3); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 1586 (MachC), fol. 198 (3/3); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 9221 (MachE), fol. 149 (3/3); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 22546 (MachG), fol. 136v (3/3);
Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Library, French MS 15, number 169-171 (text).

Editions

1. Guillaume de Machaut: Musikalische Werke. Erster Band: Balladen, Rondeaux und Virelais, edited by Friedrich Ludwig, Wiesbaden: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1926, p. 16.
2. REANEY, Gilbert. 'The ballades, rondeaux and virelais of Guillaume de Machaut: melody, rhythm and form', Acta Musicologica, XXVII (1955), p. 57.
3. 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. 88.
4. Medieval Music, edited by W. Thomas Marrocco and Nicholas Sandon, London: Oxford University Press, 1977, no. 70.

Text Editions

Guillaume de Machaut: poésies lyriques, 2 vols., edited by V. Chichmaref, Paris: 1909, p. 543.

Literature

1. BESSELER, Heinrich. 'Studien zur Musik des Mittelalters. I. Neue Quellen des 14. und beginnenden 15. Jahrhunderts', Archiv für Musikwissenschaft, VII (1925): 167-252.
2. 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. 31-32.
3. REANEY, Gilbert. 'The ballades, rondeaux and virelais of Guillaume de Machaut: melody, rhythm and form', Acta Musicologica, XXVII (1955), p. 57.
4. 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.
5. SWARTZ, Anne. 'A new chronology of the ballades of Machaut', Acta Musicologica, XLVI (1974): 192-207.
6. GALLO, F. Alberto. Il Medioevo, vol. II, Turin: Edizioni di Torino, 1977. [English translation as Music of the Middle Ages, vol. II, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1985], p. 48.
7. NEWES, Virginia E. 'Imitation in the Ars nova and Ars subtilior', Revue belge de musicologie, XXXI (1977): 38-59.
8. HOPPIN, Richard H. Medieval Music, New York: W. W. Norton, 1978, p. 424 briefly.
9. 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.
10. GÜNTHER, Ursula. 'Fourteenth-century music with texts revealing performance practice', Studies in the Performance of Late Mediaeval Music, edited by Stanley Boorman, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1983, p. 263.
11. GÜNTHER, Ursula. 'Sinnbezüge zwischen Text und Musik in Ars nova und Ars subtilior', Musik und Text in der Mehrstimmigkeit des 14. und 15. Jahrhunderts, edited by U. Günther and L. Finscher, Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1984, p. 265.
12. REANEY, Gilbert. 'A consideration of the relative importance of words and music in composition from the 13th to the 15th century', Musik und Text in der Mehrstimmigkeit des 14. und 15. Jahrhunderts, Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1984, p. 189.

Recordings

1. The Ars Nova in France. Guillaume de Machaut: La Messe de Nostre Dame; Ten Secular Works, Brussels Pro Musica Antiqua, directed by Safford Cape (1956): Archiv ARC 3032 [US].
2. Ah Sweet Lady: The Romance of Medieval France [Medieval Roots], New York Pro Musica, directed by John White (1967): Decca 9431/ DL 79431/ DL 79438.
3. Guillaume de Machaut: 1. The Musical Art of Machaut. 2. Le Remède de Fortune. 3. Veoir Dit., Ensemble Guillaume de Machaut of Paris (1975-1977): Adés 7078 (3 discs).
4. Hommage à Machaut, Ars Cameralis, Prague (1978): Panton 8111 0056.

Text

I
Sanz cuer m'en vois, dolens et esploures.
Pleins de souspirs et diseteus de joie.
D'ardant desir espris et embrases.
Douce dame, que briefment vous revoie.
Si qu'einssi sanz cuer durer
Ne porroie ne telz maulz endurer.
S'Espoirs moy ne faisoit sa demeure
En lieu dou cuer, dame, qui vous demeure.

Et Souvenirs qui scet tous les secres
Que Dous Pensers m'amenistre et envoie.
Dont en moy est empreins et figurez
Vos faitis corps et vo maniere quoie.
Vo douls riant regarder
Et vo douceur qui me fait aourer
Vous que je voy par tout et a toute heure
En lieu dou cuer, dame, qui vous demeure.

S'ay plus de joie et de douceur assez.
Quant je les ay, que de mon cuer n'aroie;
Car en tous cas sui d'Espoir confortez
Et Souvenirs me monstre, ou que je soie.
Vo plaisant viaire cler.
Et s'aucuns gries me vient par desirer.
Tres Dous Pensers le destruit et deveure.
En lieu dou cuer, dame, qui vous demeure.

II
Amis, dolens, maz et desconfortes
Partes de moy et voles que je croie
Que vos cuers m'est tous entiers demores.
Tres bien le croy; dont je ne vous porroie
Si biau don guerredonner.
Et vous peusse a fin souhait donner
Quanque desirs en ce monde saveure.
En lieu dou cuer, amis, qui me demeure.

Car il est vrais, fins, loiaus et secrez.
Frans et gentis, ne dire ne saroie
La riche honneur dont il est couronnes
Ne le haut bien: si ne say tour ne voie.
Comment peusse finer
Dou remerir. Mais je ne weil pener
Qu'a mon pooir vous conforte et sequeure.
En lieu dou cuer, amis, qui me demeure.

Si vous promet qu'en foy seres ames
Par dessus tous, sans ce que j'en recroie.
Et aveuc ce mon cuer emporterez
Qui pour vous seul me guerpist et renoie;
Se le weil lies bien garder
Et comme ami conjoir et amer.
Car plus chier don n'ay dont je vous honneure.
En lieu dou cuer, amis, qui me demeure.

III
Dame, par vous me sens reconfortes
De tous les gries que recevoir soloie.
Par vous sui hors de toutes orphentes.
Par vous ne puis riens sentir qui m'anoie;
Par vous m'estuet esperer
Quanque loyaus amis puet desirer.
C'est de merci don, s'en moy ne demeure
En lieu dou cuer, dame, qui vous demeure.

Dame, je sui par vous resuscitez.
En paradis mis d'enfer, ou j'estoie.
De mes mortelz paours asseures.
Des grans doleurs garis que je sentoie;
Par vous est dous mon amer.
Quant vostre ami me daingniez apeler.
Et s'il vous plaist que joie en moy acquere
En lieu dou cuer, dame, qui vous demeure.

Si seroie faus traitres prouves.
Douce dame, se je ne vous amoie
Tres loyaument, car tous mes biens est nez
De vostre bien; dont si fort me resjoie.
Quant bele et bonne sans per
Et des dames la flour vous oy nommer.
Que tendrement de joie en riant pleure
En lieu dou cuer, dame, qui vous demeure.

Translation

I
Without my heart I go, grieving and in tears.
Full of sighs and starved of joy.
With burning desire seized and set on fire.
Sweet lady, that I may soon see you again.
So that thus without my heart
I could not live nor endure such ills
If Hope did not make his dwelling in me
In place of my heart, lady, which remains with you;

And Memory who knows all the secrets
Which Happy Thought provides and sends me.
By which in me are imprinted and depicted
Your comely body and your demure manner.
Your soft smiling glance
And your sweetness which makes me adore
You whom I see everywhere and at all times
In place of my heart, lady, which remains with you.

So I have more joy and sufficiency of sweetness
When I have these than I would have from my heart.
For at all times I am comforted by Hope.
And Memory shows me, wherever I am.
Your pleasing radiant face;
And if any grief comes to me by desire.
Most Happy Thought destroys it and cuts it in pieces.
In place of my heart, lady, which remains with you.

II
My friend, sorrowful, cast down and in distress
You leave me and wish me to believe
That your heart has remained entirely mine.
I well believe it; therefore I could not
Bestow on you a finer gift
If I could give you as you wish
Whatever in this world may please desire.
In place of your heart, friend, which remains with me.

For it is true, worthy, faithful and discreet.
Free and noble, nor could I tell
The rich honour with which it is crowned
Nor the great good; yet I do not know a way or means
By which I might
Repay it. But I wish to strive only
To comfort and secure you as much as I can.
In place of your heart, friend, which remains with me.

So I promise you that in good faith you will be loved
Above all, without my relenting.
And with this you will carry away my heart
Which leaves and rejects me for you alone;
So be pleased to keep it happy
And welcome and love it as a friend.
For I have no dearer gift which which to honour you.
In place of your heart, friend, which remains with me.

III
Lady I feel comforted by you
For all the pains I used to receive.
By you I am safe from all privation.
By you I feel nothing which harms me.
From you I must hope
For whatever a loyal friend may desire.
That is the gift of mercy, if it does not remain with me
In place of my heart, lady, which remains with you.

Lady I am revived by you.
Taken to paradise from hell, where I was.
Reassured of my mortal fears.
Cured of the great pains I felt;
Through you my bitterness is sweet.
Since you deign to call me your friend.
And if it pleases you that joy should come to me
In place of my heart, lady, which remains with you.

So I would be proved a false traitor.
Gentle lady, if I did not love you
Most loyally, for all my good is born
From your good; at which I rejoice so much.
Since fair and good without peer
And the flower of ladies I hear you called.
That tenderly I weep laughing for joy
In place of my heart, lady, which remains with you.
Text revision and translation © Jennifer Garnham

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

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