by Guillaume de Machaut (c1300 - 1377)
Translation © by Patrick Cardy

Quant je sui mis au retour
Language: French (Français) 
Our translations:  ENG
 Quant je sui mis [au]1 retour 
 De veoir ma dame, 
 Il n'est peine ne dolour 
 Que j'aie, par m'ame. 
  Diex! c'est drois que je l'aim,
  sans blame, de loial amour.
 
 Sa biauté, sa grant douçour
 D'amoureuse flame,
 Par souvenir, nuit et jour
 M'esprent et enflame. 
  Diex! c'est drois que je l'aim,
  sans blame, de loial amour.

 Et quant sa haute valour
 Mon fin cuer entame,
 Servir la [vueil]2 sans folour
 Penser ne diffame. 
 [Diex]3 ! C'est drois que je l'aim,
 sans blame, de loial amour.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   P. Cardy 

P. Cardy sets stanzas 1:1-4, 2:1-4, 3

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)
1 Cardy: "en"
2 Cardy: "weil"
3 Cardy: "Dieus"

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):

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

  • ENG English (Patrick Cardy) , "When I return", copyright © 1990, (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: 18
Word count: 88

When I return
Language: English  after the French (Français) 
  When I return
  from seeing my lady, 
  upon my soul, 
  I haven't a care in the world. 
 Dear God, how I love her,
 with a pure and faithful love. 
 
  The memory of her gentle beauty
  makes me glow, 
  night and day,
  with the flame of love. 
 Dear God, how I love her,
 with a pure and faithful love. 
 
  The very thought of her sweet perfection
  so melts my tender heart 
  that my one wish is to serve her
  constantly and selflessly. 
  Dear God, how I love her,
  with a pure and faithful love.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 1990 by Patrick Cardy, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.

    Patrick Cardy. We have no current contact information for the copyright-holder.
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Based on:

 

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 18
Word count: 94