by Jaufre Rudel, Prince of Blaye (flourished early to mid 12th century)
Translation by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

Lanquan li jorn son lonc e may
Language: Occitan 
Lanquan li jorn son lonc e may
M'es belhs dous chans d'auzelhs de lonh,
E quan mi suy partitz de lay,
Remembra·m d'un' amor de lonh.
Vau de talan embroncx e clis
Si que chans ni flors d'albespis
No·m valon plus que l'yverns gelatz.

Be tenc lo Senhor per veray
Per que formet sest' amor de lonh,
Mas per un ben que m'en eschay
N'ai dos mals, quar tant suy de lonh.
A! quar no fuy lai pelegris,
Si que mos fustz e mos tapis
Fos pels sieus belhs huelhs remiratz!

Be·m parra joys quan li querray,
Per amor Dieu, l'ostal de lonh,
E, s'a lieys platz, alberguarai
Pres de lieys, si be·m suy de lonh,
Qu'aissi es lo parlamens fis
Quan drutz lonhdas et tan vezis
Qu'ab cortes ginh jauzis solatz.

Iratz e dolens me·n partray,
S'ieu no vey sest' amor de lonh.
No·m sai quora mais la veyrai,
que tan son nostras terras lonh.
Assatz hi a pas e camis,
e per aisso no·n suy devis.
Mas tot sia cum a lieys platz.

Jamai d'amor no·m jauziray
Si no·m jau d'est' amor de lonh,
que mielher ni gensor no·n sai
ves nulha part, ni pres ni lonh.
Tant es sos pretz ricx e sobris
Que lai el reng dels Sarrasis
fos hieu per lieys chaitius clamatz.

Dieus que fetz tot quant ve ni vay
E formet sest'amor de lonh
Mi don poder, que cor be n'ai,
Qu'ieu veya sest'amor de lonh,
Verayamen en luec aizis,
Si que las cambras e·ls jardis
Mi recemblo novels palatz.

Ver ditz qui m'apella lechay
e deziros d'amor de lonh,
que nulhs autres joys tan no·m play
Cum jauzimen d'amor de lonh.
Mas so qu'ieu vuelh m'es tant ahis,
Qu'enaissi·m fadet mos pairis
Qu'ieu ames e nos fos amatz.

Mas so q'ieu vuoill m'es atahis.
Totz sia mauditz lo pairis
Qe·m fadet q'ieu non fos amatz!

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):

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

  • Also set in English, a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Kaija Saariaho.

Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2010-11-04
Line count: 52
Word count: 313

Lonh
Language: English  after the Occitan 
When the days are long in May
The sweet song of birds from afar Seems lovely to me
And when I have left there
I remember a distant love
I walk bent and bowed with desire
So much so that neither song nor Hawthorn flower
Please me more than the icy winter.

Never will I enjoy love
If I do not enjoy this distant love
For a nobler or better one I do not know
Anywhere, neither near nor far
So high is its true, real price
That there, in the kingdom of the Saracens
I wish to be proclaimed her captive.

Sad and joyous, I will separate from her
When I see that distant love
But I know not when I will see her
For our lands are too far away
There are so many passages and paths
And in this I am no seer
But let everything be according to God's will.

I will feel joy for sure when I ask her
For the love of God the distant love
And if it pleases her I will live
Near her even if I am from far away
Then will come our faithful meeting
When I, the faraway lover, will be so near
That I will console myself with her beautiful words.

I really trust in the Lord 
Through whom I will see the distant love 
But for something that fails me
I have two sorrows for she is so far away
Ah, if only I were a pilgrim there
So that my stick and my bundle
Could be seen by her lovely eyes.

God who made everything that comes and goes
And formed this distant love, 
Grant me the power of my heart
Soon to see the distant love
Truly in a propitious place
And that the room and garden
Always appear as palaces to me.

He speaks true who says I am avid
And longing for the distant love
For no joy gives me pleasure
Like the pleasure of the distant love
But what I want is forbidden to me
So my godfather endowed me that though loving
I will not have been loved

But what I want is forbidden to me
So may my godfather be cursed
Who made me not to be loved.

Text Authorship:

Based on:

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


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2010-11-04
Line count: 52
Word count: 378