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Medieval Music Database

Se July Cesar, Rolant et roy Artus

ballade by Trebor

Sources

Chantilly: Bibliothèque du Musée Condé 564, fol. 43 (3/1).

Editions

1. French Secular Music of the Late Fourteenth Century, edited by Willi Apel, Cambridge/Massachusetts: Medieval Academy of America, 1950, no. 46.
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. 218.
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. 52.
4. Five Ballades for the House of Foix, edited by Peter M. Lefferts, with text edition and commentary by Sylvia Huot, Newton Abbott: Antico Editions, 1989.

Literature

1. BESSELER, Heinrich and Peter GÜLKE. Schriftbild der mehrstimmigen Musik, Leipzig: Deutscher Verlag für Musik, 1973. Musikgeschichte in Bildern, vol. 3, part 5, pp. 64-65.
2. GOMEZ, Maria del Carmen. El Ars Nova en la Corona de Aragón o la Música en la Casa Real Catalana-Aragonese Durante los Anos 1336-1432, Barcelona: Antoni Bosch, [1977]. Historia y Documentos I, Musica II.

Recordings

Philippe de Vitry 1291-1361, Benjamin Bagby and Barbara Thornton, Sequentia (1991): RD 77 095.

Text

Se July Cesar, Rolant et roy Artus
furent pour conqueste renoumez ou monde.
et Yvain, Lancelot, Tristain ne Porus
eurent pour ardesse los, pris et faconde.
au jor d'ui luist et en armez tous seuronde
cyl qui por renon et [por] noble sorte
"Febus avant" en sa enseigne porte.

Prouesse, Vigour le tienent en dessus;
son avis est moult grant com du roy Esmonde.
Ses anemis greve, dont moult a mis jus;
sa forche bien pert en terre et mer parfonde.
Sez maintiens sont toudis de la Table Ronde.
Leesse, Deduit, Soulas le conforte:
"Febus avant" [en sa enseigne porte.]

A ly comparer en fais je n'en truis nuls;
Deshonnor heit, de vice est quites et monde.
En fait de guerre ne vint jamais desporvus;
d'autres vertus est il sans per ne seconde.
N'afiert que nuls ne termene ou responde;
noblesse de ly chescun reporte:
"Febus avant" en sa enseigne porte.

Translation

If Julius Caesar, Roland and King Arthur
were for their conquests renowned throughout the world.
and Yvain, Lancelot, Tristan and Porus
had for valour praise, worth and eloquence
this day shines and in arms surpasses all.
he who, for fame and [for] noble rank
bears on his ensign: "Febus avant!"

Prowess and strength hold him on high;
his reputation is very great, like that of King Esmonde.
he harms his enemies, many of whom he has laid low.
his power is fully acknowledged on land and in deep sea.
His conduct is always that of the Round Table.
Joy, Delight, Pleasure sustain him.
[On his ensign he bears:] "Febus avant!"

In deeds I find none to compare with him;
Dishonour he detests, he is pure and free of vice.
In acts of war he is never found wanting;
in other qualities he is without peer or equal.
It is not fitting that any of them end or be disputed;
everyone testifies to his excellence:
He bears on his ensign: "Febus avant!"

Text revision and translation © Robyn Smith



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


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