by Guillaume de Machaut (c1300 - 1377)
Translation © by David Wyatt

Hé! dame de valour
Language: Old French (Ancien français) 
Our translations:  ENG
Hé! dame de valour,
Que j'aim de loyal amour,
Moult m'agrée la dolour
Que vo fine douçour
Me fait sentir humblement.

Tres douce dame, de bonté
Pleinne et de plaisant atour,
De scens, d'onneur, de biauté,
En qui sont tuit mi retour,
Je vous ain sans folour
Et vous desir par honnour,
Et se vous serf en paour
De morir en langour,
Se pité ne vous en prent.
  Hé! dame de valour,
  Que j'aim de loyal amour,
  Moult m'agrée la dolour
  Que vo fine douçour
  Me fait sentir humblement.

Mais pour peinne ne pour grieté,
Pour joie ne pour tristour
Ne lairay qu'en loyauté
Ne vous serve sans sejour;
Car mon cuer, que en plour
Est, poués mettre en baudour
Et rendre toute vigour
Sans vostre deshonnour
Et donner aligement.
  Hé! dame de valour,
  Que j'aim de loyal amour.

Pour ce vous pri que par pité
Me faciés joie gringnour
Et que par vo volenté
Soie vos sers nuit et jour,
Par quoy nuls n'ait coulour
Ne pensée que j'aour
Vous com toute la millour
Des meudres et la flour
Des belles à mon talent.
  Hé! dame de valour,
  Que j'aim de loyal amour,
  Moult m'agrée la dolour
  Que vo fine douçour
  Me fait sentir humblement.

Text Authorship:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • ENG English (David Wyatt) , title 1: "Ah, noble 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: 44
Word count: 206

Ah, noble lady !
Language: English  after the Old French (Ancien français) 
Ah, noble lady
Whom I love with faithful love,
That pain really agrees with me 
Which your sharp sweetness
Makes me humbly feel.

Sweetest lady, filled
With goodness and pleasing finery,
With good sense, honour, and beauty,
In whom is all my reward,
I love you without folly
And desire you in honour
And serve you in fear
Of pining and dying 
If you do not feel pity.
  Ah, noble lady 
  Whom I love with faithful love,
  That pain really agrees with me 
  Which your sharp sweetness
  Makes me humbly feel.

Not for pain nor for wishing it,
For joy nor for sadness,
Will I fail in loyalty
To serve you without rest;
For my heart which is in tears,
You could put in happiness
And restore to all vigour
Without dishonouring yourself,
And give it relief.
  Ah, noble lady 
  Whom I love with faithful love.

Therefore I pray you that in pity
You will give me greater joy
And that by your wish
I could be your servant night and day,
And so no-one could have a suspicion
Or thought that I adore 
You as the very best
Of women and the flower
Of beauties in my desire.
  Ah, noble lady 
  Whom I love with faithful love,
  That pain really agrees with me 
  Which your sharp sweetness
  Makes me humbly feel.

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.
    Contact: 

Based on:

 

This text was added to the website: 2015-01-13
Line count: 44
Word count: 222