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Malheureux cueur, que vieulx tu faire? Vieulx tu tant a une complaire Que ung seul jour je n'aye repos? Penser ne puis a quel propos Tu me fais tant de paine traire. Nous n'avons ne joye ne bien, Ne toy ne moy, te le sces bien, Tous jours languissons en destresse; Ta leaulté ne nous vault rien, Et qui pis est, seur je me tien Qu'il n'en chaut a nostre maistresse. Combien qu'aies volu perfaire, Tes plaisirs craignant luy desplaire, Accroissant son bon bruit et los; Mal t'en est prins, pour ce, tes los, Que brief pense de te desfaire. Malheureux cueur, [que vieulx tu faire? Vieulx tu tant a une complaire Que ung seul jour je n'aye repos? Penser ne puis a quel propos Tu me fais tant de paine traire.]
Text Authorship:
- by Le Rousselet (flourished 15th century) [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), "Malheureux cueur, que vieulx tu faire?" [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (David Wyatt) , "Unhappy heart, what do you want?", 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: 132
Unhappy heart, what do you want? Do you want to please one lady so much That I have no rest, even for a single day? I cannot think for what reason You make me endure such pain. We have neither joy nor happiness, Neither you nor me, you know this well, Every day we get weaker in our distress Your loyalty is worth nothing to us And what is worse, I am quite sure That this doesn't bother our mistress. However much I have wanted to do, Fearing your pleasures displease her, To increase her good repute and fame This is taken badly by you, for this reason, that She thinks soon to undo you and your fame. Unhappy heart, what do you want? Do you want to please one lady so much That I have no rest, even for a single day? I cannot think for what reason You make me endure such pain.
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 Le Rousselet (flourished 15th century)
This text was added to the website: 2012-05-22
Line count: 21
Word count: 155