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Amours me fait desirer Et amer De cuer si folettement Que je ne puis esperer Ne penser N'ymaginer nullement Que le dous viaire gent Qui m'esprent Me doie joie donner, S'amours ne fait proprement Telement Que je l'aie sans rouver. S'ay si dur à endurer Que durer Ne puis mie longuement; Car en mon cuer vueil celer Et porter Ceste amour couvertement, Sans requerre aligement, Qu'à tourment Vueil miex ma vie finer. Et si n'ay je pensement Vraiement Que je l'aie sans rouver. Mais desirs fait embraser Et doubler Ceste amour si asprement Que tout me fait oublier, Ne penser N'ay fors à li suelement; Et pour ce amoureusement Humblement Langui sans joie gouster. S'en morray, se temprement Ne s'assent Que je l'aie sans rouver.
Text Authorship:
- by Guillaume de Machaut (c1300 - 1377) [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Guillaume de Machaut (c1300 - 1377), "Amours me fait desirer" [vocal trio], ballade [text verified 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (David Wyatt) , title 1: "Love makes me desire", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 36
Word count: 125
Love makes me desire And love So madly in my heart That I cannot hope Or think Or imagine in any way That the sweet, noble face Which has stolen my heart Might give me joy, If love does not act helpfully So That I can have it without struggling. So hard is what I have to endure That I cannot Last for long; For I wish to hide in my heart And carry around This love secretly Without seeking relief As in torment I wish rather to end my life. And yet I do not think Truly That I can have it without struggling. But desire sets afire And doubles This love so cruelly That it makes me forget everything Nor do I have any Thought except for it alone. And therefore lovingly Humbly I pine away without tasting joy. So I shall die of it, if quickly She does not agree That I can have it without struggling.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from Old French (Ancien français) to English copyright © 2015 by David Wyatt, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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Based on:
- a text in Old French (Ancien français) by Guillaume de Machaut (c1300 - 1377)
This text was added to the website: 2015-01-13
Line count: 36
Word count: 160