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Medieval Music Database

De petit po, denient volente
ballade by Guillaume de Machaut

Sources

Cambrai: Bibliothèque Municipale B. 1328 (1176), ff.8-15, fol. 15 (#35) (4/1) (2 Contratenors);
Chantilly: Bibliothèque du Musée Condé 564, fol. 18v (3/1);
Florence: Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale, Panciatichiano 26, fol. 100 (3/0);
Gent: Rijksarchief, Varia D.3360 (Abbey Ter Haeghen), fol. 3 (2/0);
Modena: Biblioteca Estense e Universitaria a.M.5.24 (Latino 568; olim IV.D.5), fol. 27 (4/1);
New York: Wildenstein Collection, fol. 305v (3/1);
Nürnberg: Stadtbibliothek, fragment lat. 9a (olim Centurio III, 25), fol. 2 (Tenor and Contratenor);
Paris: Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 843 (text); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 1584 (MachA), fol. 463 (3/1); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 1585 (MachB), fol. 303v (3/1); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 1586 (MachC), fol. 199 (3/1); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 9221 (MachE), fol. 147 (3/1); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 22546 (MachG), fol. 140 (3/1); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds italien 568, fol. 124v (3/0); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds nouv. acq. français 6221, fol. 19v (text); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds nouv. acq. français 23190 (olim Serrant Château, ducs de la Trémoïlle), fol. 20v-21 (lost);
Praha: Státní Knihovna CSSR - Universitní Knihovna XI E 9, fol. 259v-260 (2/0).

Facsimiles

1. WOLF, Johannes. Geschichte der Mensural-Notation von 1250-1460 nach den theoretischen und praktischen Quellen, 3 vols., Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1904. [reprinted Hildesheim: G. Olms, 1965], p. 41 (Pn22546, diplomatic).
2. Il codice musicale Panciatichi 26 della Biblioteca Nazionale di Firenze, facsimile edition by F. Alberto Gallo, Florence: Leo S. Olschki Editore, 1981, no. 176 (FP).

Editions

1. WOLF, Johannes. Geschichte der Mensural-Notation von 1250-1460 nach den theoretischen und praktischen Quellen, 3 vols., Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1904. [reprinted Hildesheim: G. Olms, 1965], Vol. III, p. 67 (Pn22546).
2. Guillaume de Machaut: Musikalische Werke. Erster Band: Balladen, Rondeaux und Virelais, edited by Friedrich Ludwig, Wiesbaden: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1926, p. 18.
3. Die Musikstücke des Prager Codex XI E 9, edited by Friedrich Kammerer, Augsburg: 1931, p. 164 (Pu XIE9).
4. 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. 90.

Text Editions

Guillaume de Machaut: poésies lyriques, 2 vols., edited by V. Chichmaref, Paris: 1909, p. 550.

Literature

1. GENNRICH, Friedrich. 'Zur Machaut-Forschung', Zeitschrift für romanische Philologie, L (1930), p. 356.
2. APEL, Willi. The Notation of Polyphonic Music 900-1600, Cambridge/Massachusetts: The Medieval Academy of America, 1942, pp. 345, 349-350.
3. BONACCORSI, Alfredo. 'Un nuovo codice dell' Ars nova: Il codice Lucchese', Atti della Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, Ser. 8, I/12 (1948), p. 586.
4. 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. 32-33.
5. 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.
6. MARTINEZ, Marie L. Die Musik des frühen Trecento, Tutzing: Hans Schneider, 1963. Münchener Veröffentlichungen zur Musikgeschichte 9.
7. REANEY, Gilbert. 'Notes on the harmonic technique of Guillaume de Machaut', Essays in Musicology: A Birthday Offering for Willi Apel, edited by Hans Tischler, Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University School of Music, 1968, p. 65.
8. WILLIAMS, Sarah J. 'Vocal scoring in the chansons of Machaut', Journal of the American Musicological Society, XXI (1968), p. 252.
9. HASSELMAN, Margaret P. The French Chanson of the Mid-Fourteenth Century, 2 vols., Ph.D. dissertation, University of California (Berkeley), pp. 212, 215-216.
10. SALOP, Arnold. 'The secular polyphony of Guillaume de Machaut', [chapter 2 of his] Studies on the History of Musical Style, Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1971, pp. 46, 56.
11. DÖMLING, Wolfgang. 'Aspekte der Sprachvertonung in den Balladen Guillaume de Machauts', Die Musikforschung, XXV/3 (1972), p. 302, 304., p. 304.
12. SWARTZ, Anne. 'A new chronology of the ballades of Machaut', Acta Musicologica, XLVI (1974): 192-207.
13. PAGE, Christopher. 'Machaut's "pupil" Deschamps on the performance of music', Early Music, V/4 (1977), p. 487.
14. 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.
15. SNIZKOVA, Jitka. 'Les traces de Guillaume de Machaut dans les sources musicales de Prague', Guillaume de Machaut, poète et compositeur. Colloque - Table Ronde, 1978, pp. 71, 73.
16. 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.
17. 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. 182.
18. STROHM, Reinhard. 'The Ars nova fragments of Gent', Tijdschrift van de Vereniging voor Nederlandse Muziekgeschiedenis, XXXIV (1984), p. 116.
19. BERGER, Christian. Hexachord, Mensur und Textstruktur, Stuttgart: Franz Steiner, 1992, p. 32.

Recordings

1. Dances of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, Zurich Ricercare Ensemble, Lionel Rogg, directed by Michel Piguet, Rene Clemencic: Harmonia Mundi HMU 2472(2) (FRA).
2. [Machaut], Deller Consort, Ancient Instrument Ensemble of Zurich, directed by Alfred Deller, Austin Miskell: Harmonia Mundi HMU 34917.
3. Ballades, Rondeaux & Virelais from the 14th and 15th Centuries, Ancient Instrument Ensemble of Zurich, directed by Austin Miskell (1967): Odyssey 32 16 0178.
4. 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.
5. Guillaume de Machaut (c.1300 - 1377). La Messe de Nostre Dame. 9 Weltliche Werke, Schola Cantorum Basiliensis and soloists, directed by August Wenzinger (1969): Archiv-IMS 2533 054 (INT).
6. An Audio Visual History of Music. Part I: From the Beginnings Through the Middle Ages, compiled by Henry W. Simon (1970): EAV LE7801 (USA).

Text

De petit po, denient volente.
De moult asses doit penre ce m'est vis.
Chascuns amans de s'amie en bon gre.
Lasse! dolente, or voy que mes amis
Ne wet souffisance avoir
Seur volente, ne mon petit povoir
Croire ne puet, eins m'a pour ce guerpi.
Onques n'ama qui pour si po hay.

Amours scet bien que je l'ay tant ame
Et aim encor et ameray toudis
Qu'on ne puet plus; mais mesdisans greve
M'ont envers li, qu'en li a tant d'avis.
De bien, d'onneur, de savoir
Que mon povoir sceust bien concevoir.
Et nonpourquant, se s'amour pers einsi.
Onques n'ama qui pour si po hay.

Et s'aucuns ont vileinnement parle
A li de moy, je les met tous au pis
Qu'onques vers li feisse faussete
N'envers autrui, n'il ne doit leurs faus dis
Tost croire ne li mouvoir.
Eins doit avant la verite savoir.
Et s'il les croit et me laist par tel si.
Onques n'ama qui pour si po hay.

Translation

From very little, in denial of his will.
Every lover, it seems to me, must accept
Full sufficiency with good face from his lady.
Alas! poor me, now I see that my beloved
Does not want sufficiency
Rather than his own will, nor can he
Believe in my meagre power, but has left me on account of this.
He never loved who could hate for so little.

Love knows well that I have so loved him
And still love and will always love him
So much that no-one could do more; but slanderers
Have harmed me in his eyes, for in him is so much wisdom.
Goodness, honour and knowledge
As my power could conceive of.
And nonetheless, if I lose his love thus.
He never loved who could hate for so little.

And if any have spoken wickedly
To him of me, I defy them.
For never did I act falsely to him
Or to any other, nor must he hastily believe
Their false statements nor be moved.
Rather he should first know the truth.
And if he believes them and leaves me because of such reproach.
He never loved me who could hate for so little.
Text revision and translation © Jennifer Garnham

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

Cantus

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Vulgate

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