I want to sing with joyful heart | I want to sing with joyful heart

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by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

Translation © by David Wyatt

Je veuil chanter de cuer joyeux

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG

Je veuil chanter de cuer joyeux
En ce mois de may gracieux
Hault et cler, quoy que nul en die;
Amours le vuet; n'y contredie
Nesun qui soyt vray amoureux.

De tout mon cuer seray sogneux,
Ens ou despit des envieux,
De bien servir ma douce amye.
  Je veuil [chanter de cuer joyeux
  En ce mois de may gracieux
  Hault et cler, quoy que nul en die.]

Je l'ay choisie, si m'aït Dieux,
N'y a pareille soubs les cieux
A mon avis, ne plus polie
Ne sauroit on jusqu'a Paymie
Trouver ne qui me pleusist mieux.

  Je veuil [chanter de cuer joyeux
  En ce mois de may gracieux
  Hault et cler, quoy que nul en die;
  Amours le vuet; n'y contredie
  Nesun qui soyt vray amoureux.]

Notes: The first letters of the lines that are not indented spell out the name Jehan de Dinant.
Stanza 3, line 4: "Paymie" could be a corruption of "Pavie". In some editions it appears as "Paine"

Text Authorship:

by Anonymous / Unidentified Author [author's text not yet checked 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 Dufay (c1400 - 1474), "Je veuil chanter de cuer joyeux" [sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (David Wyatt) , "I want to sing with joyful heart", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Alberto Pedrotti

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 21
Word count: 126

I want to sing with joyful heart

Language: English after the French (Français)

Add this translation to the Basket

I want to sing with joyful heart
In this lovely month of May,
High and clear, whatever anyone says about it;
Love wishes it, nor will anyone speak against
Who is a true lover.

With all my heart I will be careful,
Though encompassed by the spite of envious men, 
To serve my sweet lady well.
  I want to sing with joyful heart
  In this lovely month of May,
  High and clear, whatever anyone says about it

I chose her, so help me the gods,
And she has no equal under the heavens
To my mind, nor any better-bred
Would you find between here and the far east
Who could please me better.

I want to sing with joyful heart
In this lovely month of May,
High and clear, whatever anyone says about it;
Love wishes it, nor will anyone speak against
Who is a true lover.

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2012 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 French (Français) by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2012-05-22
Line count: 21
Word count: 147