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Phyton, le mervilleus serpent Que Phebus de sa flesche occit Avoit la longueur d'un erpent Si com Ovides le descrit. Mais onques homs serpent ne vit Si fel, si crueus ne fier Com le serpent qui m'escondit Quant à ma dame merci quier. Il ha sept chiés, et vraiement, Chascuns à son tour contredit La grace, où mon vray desir tent, Dont mes cuers an doleur languit: Ce sont Refus, Desdaing, Despit, Honte, Paour, Durte, Dangier, Qui me blessent en l'esperit, Quant à ma dame merci quier. Si ne puis durer longuement, Car ma dame tres douce rit Et prent deduit en mon tourment Et ès meschiés, où mes cuers vit. Ce me destruit, ce me murdrit, Ce me fait plaindre et larmoier, Ce me partue et desconfit, Quant à ma dame merci quier.
Text Authorship:
- by Guillaume de Machaut (c1300 - 1377)
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), "Phyton, le mervilleus serpent" [ vocal trio ], ballade [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Mark Hodges) , "Python, the marvelous serpent", copyright © 2026, (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: 24
Word count: 134
Python, the marvelous serpent That Phoebus with his arrow killed Was one acre in length Or so Ovid describes it. But never has any person seen a serpent So vicious, so cruel, or so fierce As the serpent that refuses me When I seek the mercy of my lady. It has seven heads, truly And each in turn contradicts The Grace that my true desire aims for In which my heart languishes in pain: These [heads] are Refusal, Disdain, Scorn. Shame, Fear, Hardship, and Risk. These harm my spirit When I seek the mercy of my lady. So I cannot endure for long For my most sweet lady laughs And derives pleasure from my torment And in the despair, in which my heart lives. This destroys me, this murders me. This makes me moan and weep. This kills me and utterly ruins me When I seek the mercy of my lady.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from Old French (Ancien français) to English copyright © 2026 by Mark Hodges, (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: 2026-07-11
Line count: 24
Word count: 151