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Douce dame jolie, Pour dieu ne pensés mie Que nulle ait signorie Seur moy fors vous seulement. Qu'adès sans tricherie Chierie Vous ay et humblement Tous les jours de ma vie Servie Sans villain pensement. Helas! et je mendie D'esperance et d'aïe; Dont ma joie est fenie, Se pité ne vous en prent. Douce dame jolie. Mais vo douce maistrie Maistrie Mon cuer si durement Qu'elle le contralie Et lie En amour tellement Qu'il n'a de riens envie Fors d'estre en vo baillie; Et se ne li ottrie Vos cuers nul aligement. Douce dame jolie. Et quant ma maladie Garie Ne sera nullement Sans vous, douce anemie, Qui lie Estes de mon tourment, A jointes mains deprie Vo cuer, puis qu'il m'oublie, Que temprement m'ocie, Car trop langui longuement. Douce dame jolie, Pour dieu ne pensés mie Que nulle ait signorie Seur moy fors vous seulement.
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), "Douce dame jolie", monophonic virelai [text verified 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (David Wyatt) , title 1: "Sweet and pretty lady", 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: 40
Word count: 146
Sweet and pretty lady, For God’s sake do not think That anyone has power Over me except you alone. For always without trickery My dear I have humbly All the days of my life Served you Without any base thought. Alas! I am without Hope and help; So my joy is ended Unless pity seizes you. Sweet and pretty lady… But your sweet rule Rules My heart so harshly That it fights with [my heart] And binds It so in love That [my heart] desires nothing Other than being under your power; And yet your heart gives it No relief. Sweet and pretty lady… And since my illness Will be Cured in no way Without you, sweet enemy, Who are happy At my troubles, With joined hands I beg Your heart, since it forgets me, To kill me quickly, For I have languished too long. Sweet and pretty lady, For God’s sake do not think That anyone has power Over me except you alone.
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: 40
Word count: 164