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Quand vous voyez, que l’estincelle De chaste Amour soubz mon esselle Vient tous les jours à s’allumer, Ne me debvez vous bien aymer ? Quand vous me voyez tousjours celle, Qui pour vous souffre, et son mal cele, Me laissant par luy consumer, Ne me debvez vous bien aimer ? Quand vous voyez, que pour moins belle, Je ne prens contre vous querelle, Mais pour mien vous veulx reclamer, Ne me debvez vous bien aimer ? Quand pour quelque autre amour nouvelle, Jamais ne vous serai cruelle, Sans aucune plaincte former, Ne me debvez vous bien aimer ? Quand vous verrez, que sans cautelle Tousjours vous seray esté telle, Que le temps pourra affirmer, Ne me debvez vous bien aimer ?
C. Grimm sets stanza 1-4
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Pernette Du Guillet, Rymes (1545), Geneva: Droz, 2006, Pages 137-138.
Modernized form of text used by Grimm:Quand vous voyez, que l’étincelle De chaste Amour, sous mon aisselle Vient tous les jours à s’allumer, Ne me devez-vous bien aimer ? Quand vous me voyez toujours celle Qui pour vous souffre, et son mal cèle, Me laissant par lui consumer, Ne me devez-vous bien aimer ? Quand vous voyez que, pour moins belle, Jamais ne vous ferai querelle, Mais pour mien vous veux réclamer, Ne me devez-vous bien aimer ? Quand, pour quelque autre amour nouvelle, Jamais ne vous serai cruelle Sans aucune plainte former, Ne me devez-vous bien aimer ? [last stanza omitted]
Text Authorship:
- by Pernette du Guillet (1520 - 1545), no title [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 Chantal Grimm (b. 1943), "Ne me devez-vous bien aimer", stanza 1-4 [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Grant Hicks) , copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Grant Hicks [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2025-09-26
Line count: 20
Word count: 116
When you see that the spark Of chaste Love comes every day To kindle itself in the fold of my arm, Shouldn't you really love me? When you see that I am always the one Who suffers for you and hides her pain, Letting myself be consumed by it, Shouldn't you really love me? When you see that over one less fair I [do not]1 start a quarrel with you, But wish to reclaim you as my own, Shouldn't you really love me? When over some other new love I will never be harsh with you, Making no complaint at all, Shouldn't you really love me? When you see that without any guile This is how I will always be for you, Which time will be able to affirm, Shouldn't you really love me?
About the headline (FAQ)
View text without footnotesTranslations of titles:
"Ne me devez-vous bien aimer" = "Shouldn't you really love me"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from Middle French to English copyright © 2025 by Grant Hicks, (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 Middle French by Pernette du Guillet (1520 - 1545), no title
This text was added to the website: 2025-09-26
Line count: 20
Word count: 135